Since their formal debut in February 2007, Brilliant Pebbles have been privileged to play with Crystal Castles, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Bobby Conn, Health, Quintron, Dan Deacon, Ssion, Dandi Wind, Borts Minorts, Chow Nasty, Ruins , Marnie Stern, Yip-Yip, the Show Is the Rainbow, Tub Ring, Detholz!, Whitey, Drop the Lime (aka Curses) , Secret Chiefs 3, Dengue Fever, Miss Kittin and the Hacker...
poster by logan bay
..." A psychedelic crossover group that brings you a wild performance of new wave infused with rock! Their dramatic, exciting, and playful adventures of the imagination stem from their crazy emotional energy – you don’t want to miss this performance from this hot, up and coming group!"- description from Akira Fashion Show O8' @House of Blues
" Brilliant Pebbles clashes cultures, colors and fashion in a giddy, Gypsy-arcade assault on your senses." --Time Out Chicago
Photo Mireya Acierto
In November 2007 Liz Armstrong had this to say about Brilliant Pebbles in the Chicago Reader:
As the leotard-clad front woman for this local psych-punk/prog-disco quartet, Monika Bukowska seems to be taking direction from an animal spirit guide: a bushy-tailed, neon-hued, carnivorous squirrel, maybe. She skitters, trills, and growls hosanna while her bandmates (including Reader music editor Philip Montoro, who recused himself from this write-up) turn flangey haunted-house keyboard, licks of lollipop bass, and chariot-race drums into hilariously labyrinthine, melodramatic tunes that sound like the moment in a Mexican soap opera when all becomes suddenly clear--OMG, she’s a he!--and someone gets a slap across the face. The jaded might dismiss Brilliant Pebbles’ music (which has yet to be committed to disc) as multiculti math-based frippery, but only because such people typically fear things that are complex, sincere, or (as in this case) both.
"Brilliant Pebbles is fronted by Monika Bukowska, a "hyperactive immigrant from Poland" clad in day-glo and encrusted in cheap party jewelry. She roars and chirps through a hyper-emotional and theatrical mix of New Wave, Prog and Disco..."-WFMU's Beware of the Blog
UR CHICAGO : 7/08 ( Review of show with Dengue Fever)
"Kicking off the night with an electrifying performance was Chicago prog-disco/punk band, Brilliant Pebbles. Dressed in a blue leotard, red hot pants and orange cowboy boots, Polish singer, Monika, trilled and yelped whilst throwing herself around the stage.... ."
URB Magazine:
"As unique as their name, the Brilliant Pebbles' clashing of cultured sounds and fashion is an assault on both eyes and ears. It's all loud, fucked up and ready to tear up the dancefloor. It's Karen O after some good-ass drugs yielded hallucinations of lead vocalist Monika Bukowska. Aside from the bright leotards and shameless frolicking that tends to frequent the stage, Brilliant Pebbles never ceases to weird everyone the fuck out. Not that it's a bad thing." -Pg74
photo By Chris Strong
(an online Interview with Monika 7/08)
http://www.urb.com/features/1171/TheLadiesRoom.php?PageId=4
8/8 "Eclectic rockers Brilliant Pebbles cause ripples in local music scene"..
article by Stuart Tiffen
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=966
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.."With roots in psych punk, electronica, and the calculated sonic freakouts of a band on the brink of forging a new path, Brilliant Pebbles are an assault on the bland predictability of today's "indie" music that wouldn't have been out of place on the Bowery thirty years ago"- chicagoist
The music you hear on this page was recorded LIVE on WLUW in April 2007--sorry for all the compression!--and is thus not the best indication of the band's current sound. We will be recording early fall and release something that is long awaited, we are all looking forward to it as well ... till then you must come and see the live show, and Thanks for your support !!!
To sign up for the Brilliant Pebbles mailing list: brilliantpebbles @hotmail.com
