Vermillion Lies profile picture

Vermillion Lies

Help us book our fall tour! zoevermillion@gmail

About Me

"Go see Vermillion Lies. You will fall in love with the world."
-Randy Faucheux, KLSU radio, Baton Rouge
Tell me a story
Vermillion Lies is a sister cabaret. Kim and Zoe (Boekbinder) Vermillion are real life sisters and talented performers, with strange and beautiful songs and strange and beautiful voices.

From Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada to Moscow,
Russia and Braga, Portugal Vermillion Lies has charmed
audiences the world over with their unique brand of beauty,
silliness, and creativity.
With songs ranging from lyrical folk ballads to raucous
circus marches, the Vermillion sisters have earned a
reputation for an amazing live performance which enchants
audiences of all ages and has everyone clapping, singing,
dancing, and playing along.
Real Life sisters, Zoe and Kim Boekbinder "Vermillion",
have spent their lives honing their craft at clown boot camp
and the local dump, where they found their favorite
instruments like toy piano, accordion, typewriter, and BBQ grill.
The live show involves the sisters pulling their odd
instruments out of a large trunk onstage before each song,
prompting the audience to ask, "What's in the box?"
which incidentally is the name of their brand new album.
Vermillion Lies is based in Oakland, CA, tours in a bio-diesel van,
and uses recycled packaging printed with vegetable inks.


'Separated by Birth - One album in two acts has sixteen tracks ranging from retro jazz, to lyrical folk melodies, to raucous circus ballads with toy piano and accordion.
The album features Carla Kihlstedt (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Tin Hat Trio,) Gino Robair (Splatter Trio, Tom Waits,) and Myles Boisen. Boisen, who recorded the album, is known for his work with Tom Waits, The Tigerlillies and The Club Foot Orchestra.
And for the diehard fans who just absolutely need to know:
Zoe has a bottle cap collection and a chalkboard car.
Kim is an artist who wants to marry a cheesemaker (or two.)
More Stories

The SF Chronicle interview and video!
The San Francisco Examiner
Curve Magazine Article
Moscow Times Article
More Press!
" ...sparks of brilliance in both concept and execution. "
-Mike Connor, San Jose Metro
"...one of my very very favorite new bands to emerge from the Bay Area in quite some time."
-Greg Scharpen, KALX radio, Berkeley
" [Separated by Birth is] ...a Tim Burton-ish ghoul carnival rife with compelling monstrosities like "Circus Apocalypse", "Circus Fish" and the stormy, brooding "Monkey."
-Damon Orion, GoodTimes , Santa Cruz

"Viewing a Vermillion Lies performance is kinda like watching someone open gifts wrapped by a demented grandparent. Between songs onstage, the Boekbinder sisters open boxes and crates revealing unexpected found items like toy pianos and typewriters, which they incorporate into their folky music."
-Stuart Thornton, Monterey County Weekly
“Amazing debut from bay area sister duo. The album is all over the place, but every one of these places is great. Folk, alternative, retro vocal jazz, experimental undertones. Acoustic guitars, wild percussions and horns, toy pianos, Tom Waits-esque atmospheres (two collaborators on this album worked with Waits). ‘Act One’ is tame compared to ‘Act Two,’ but both are equally remarkable. Brings to mind Regina Spektor or a darker, more cynical Ditty Bops.
-Adrian Belew - Writing on the Wall
“Vermillion Lies reminds Artsweek of the circus in all its eerie, childish glory. Complete with clinking toy pianos, stringed instruments, accordion and Zoe and Kim Boekbinder's sexy dramatic vocals, VL sometimes even brings along some burlesque dancers for their shows. Hubba, hubba. “
- Melanie Glover, California Aggie, Davis
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/13/2005
Band Website: vermillionlies.com
Band Members: Zoe Boekbinder and Kim Boekbinder on guitars, toy pianos, accordions, typewriter, BBQ grill, pianos, voices, flour sifter, pots and pans, tin cans, gascans, and various other sundries.......

Other performers on "What’s in the Box?" - March 1st, 2008!

Myles Boisen (electric guitar, bass, and recording engineer)
Erik Ostrom (accordion and objects)
Seth Ford-Young (acoutisc bass)
Carla Kihlstedt (violin)
Murray Campbell (violin, oboe, and english horn)
Chris Grady(trumpet)
Kevin Lacey (ukulele and voice)

Buy our new CD!

Buy our old CD!

You can download and print out our poster to hang around your town while wearing an outlandish costume and smiling at complete strangers:


Influences: Vermillion Lies first music video!
Sounds Like: Live in Moscow, Russia!

Live in Portugal!

Actually, we sound like humans having fun.

Our instruments - a short list
  • Schoenhut concert toy piano
  • F-18 refueling pump piece (donated by the US Marines)
  • Roland - 'lectric piano
  • Gerry can circa 1940 (that's a gas can yo)
  • Extra Fancy Flour sifter (not really extra or fancy)
  • Royal typewriter circa 1940
  • Casiotone circa 1983
  • Toy Xylophone
  • Violin
  • Steamer Trunk
  • Washboard
  • Bicycle
  • Skillet
  • Lobster
  • Slide Whistle
  • Pots and pans -- so cliche, we know.
  • Spare change
  • Accordion
  • Trumpet - given by a fan at a concert!
  • BBQ Grill
  • A 1969 Les Paul
  • What are we forgetting....

  • Our wish list - a short list
  • Objects
  • Theremin
  • Million US Dollars (Euros acceptable as well, possibly preferable.)
  • Full Xylophone
  • 40" Marching bass drum
  • Costumes
  • People to play with
  • Chord Organ
  • Ocean Harp
  • A real piano
  • Whatever you think we might need to play.

  • Record Label: a small tribe
    Type of Label: Indie

    My Blog

    Attention Film Makers!

    Attention Film makers:Vermillion Lies needs more music videos. We will be on tour from July 20th - November 20th 2008. Look at the following list of dates and places and let us know if you want to sho...
    Posted by Vermillion Lies on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:34:00 PST

    New Video! New Contest! And a winner!

    We have a winner for last week's DRY T-SHIRT contest! There are still 2 weeks left in this month and two more chances to win.The contest this week will involve posting our new video on your page and t...
    Posted by Vermillion Lies on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:03:00 PST

    New Video!!!

    Video for "Take off your Shirt" which features our friends from Scream Club gettin' somewhat nekkid with us. Also you can buy our amazing stuff:...
    Posted by Vermillion Lies on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:42:00 PST

    Contest! News! and a Zoe solo show on Friday the 13th

    Greetings Goslings,We have a brand new batch of T-Shirts!!! And we've decided to celebrate by launching a DRY T-SHIRT CONTEST. Leave us a comment for a chance to win a new T-shirt. We will pick a winn...
    Posted by Vermillion Lies on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:03:00 PST

    Kim Vermillion in New Orleans

    Read a blog!:http://vermillionlies.blogspot.com/or Kim Vermillion's Myspace Blog...
    Posted by Vermillion Lies on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 11:09:00 PST

    Miss Me - A conversation with Amanda Palmer

    The Characters - Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls, Kim and Zoe VermillionThe Setting - A dressing room at the Fillmore in San FranciscoThe Scene - Kim and Zoe Vermillion have just gotten offstage af...
    Posted by Vermillion Lies on Sat, 24 May 2008 01:27:00 PST

    Amazing!

    Last night at The Fillmore with the Dresden Dolls was a highlight of a life filled with highlights.-The audience response when we walked on stage almost knocked me over. So much energy!-We got amazing...
    Posted by Vermillion Lies on Mon, 19 May 2008 07:35:00 PST

    Basically jumping up and down with excitement.

    This from the Dresden Dolls Blog:"The tour kickoff in San Francisco is officially sold out! While this means those of you who didn't get tickets will have to travel elsewhere to catch a show this mont...
    Posted by Vermillion Lies on Thu, 15 May 2008 11:00:00 PST

    Sunday is SOLD OUT....see us Friday!

    Greetings Lettuce Eaters,Our show with the Dresden Dolls at The Fillmore in SF is SOLD OUT (and we cannot get you tickets.)But you can still see Vermillion Lies on Friday in Santa Cruz. We really don'...
    Posted by Vermillion Lies on Wed, 14 May 2008 01:34:00 PST

    May Happenings

    www.moesalley.com www.thefillmore.com www.airbagfestival.be And we're already booking our next national tour : July-NovemberIf you want us to come to your town please help us out. Email: streetteam( ...
    Posted by Vermillion Lies on Sat, 10 May 2008 07:27:00 PST