Judith AND Holofernes profile picture

Judith AND Holofernes

Fist Full of Fado

About Me

...see bio and reviews below...
TO PURCHASE CD's:
TO PURCHASE ON iTUNES:
Videos by Marlene Angeja
Throw Your Skinny Body Down
When Drones Leave the Hive
About
In the words of Bambouche of the Vanguard Squad...
"Judith and Holofernes is a band from San Francisco who play an American variation of traditional Portuguese fado music ("fado" translates as "fate"). Like fado, Judith and Holofernes' music is sad and melancholic, evoking feelings of sorrow, futility and longing - what the Portuguese refer to as saudade. The three members of the band come from indie/punk roots and started playing fado music after a pilgrimage to Lisbon, where they were acquainted with the mixture of wine, tragedy and Catholic guilt that the time-honored fadistas had perfected.
The band owes as much to its collective conviviality as it does to its despair. The sleepy town the band members called home suffered a rash of suicides; Judith and Holofernes lost three friends to the noose. Each member dealt with their guilt differently: drink, escape, sex, isolation. Collectively, they set it all against a backdrop of old-world melody, making them stronger together than they are individually. The music is as much about sadness as it as about survival, as much about the suicides as it is about the everyday life-the afterward. The music of Judith and Holofernes is not lighthearted--it is sincere--and that sincerity, that genuine quality, is what makes their music so engaging.
The name of the band references a biblical story of a beautiful Jewess, Judith, who seduces one of Nebuchadnezzar's invading generals, Holofernes. After getting him drunk, Judith beheaded and de-balled Holofernes, then marched into the city with the severed head, empowering the Jews to defeat their enemy. This narrative of sex, betrayal, revenge and death--similar to the fado music of Lisbon--is echoed by the band..."
For more details, visit Vanguard Squad .
Reviews
"...equal parts acoustic 12-string, droning electric guitar, wavering male/female vocals, and sad sack lyrics--not so melancholy that you want to throw yourself off the Williamsburg Bridge but dark enough to really get into it on the walk over, y'know?" - The Fader, 43
"Whiskey, sex, and death." - SHZine review
Interview by Stu Hood at SHZine
"From the “giving you what you never knew you’d wanted” department comes Judith and Holofernes..." - West Coast Performer
"...excellent hangover music. With their mellow, acoustic strumming, they provide the perfect, slightly repentant, slightly miserable mood music for any post-binge recovery."
- Splendid review
"This album is a definite keeper, a certain repeat listen. If you like music with drama, atmosphere and honest emotion you should reward yourself with this album." - South of Mainstream
"...it crosses fine lines of sarcastic depression and upbeat horror. The songs are deeply serious underneath..." - SHZine review

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 8/2/2004
Band Website: vanguardsquad.com
Band Members: Stitches, Mark, Dos
Influences: Amalia, Madredeus, Pedro the Lion, Portuguese fado

See also:
187 Stitches, Accident Prone, Plasticats, Elementary, Desolate Isolation, Green Beans, Pal, Lickwid Trysickulls, Homecoming, Anonymous, R.I.P., Frontline, Effigy, Planet of the Bass, Porquinho Diabo, Sleeper Waves, Institute for Comparative Vandalism
Sounds Like: Portuguese fado meets post-rock
Record Label: Vanguard Squad www.vanguardsquad.com
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

New Album in the Works

I know it seems like you haven’t heard much from us lately. Truth is, we’ve been quiet... planning our retaliation, working on an LP’s worth of material. It’s all coming togeth...
Posted by Judith AND Holofernes on Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:15:00 PST

Tracy has left the building...

Dear friends,As some of you may have already heard, Tracy has left the ranks of Judith and Holofernes.  This is especially sad news considering that the next record was to be a huge turning point...
Posted by Judith AND Holofernes on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:48:00 PST

Aquarius Records Review

Bay Area band Judith And Holofernes take traditional Portuguese fado music and give it a gentle twist. Gracefully picked guitar flourishes are accompanied by male and female vocals that actually bring...
Posted by Judith AND Holofernes on Thu, 06 Sep 2007 11:04:00 PST

The Fader: "Abraça a Tristeza" Write-Up

The good people at The Fader were kind enough to listen to our new record and had some kind words to share.From The Fader, Issue #43:This delicate, awesome record came out this past fall on Brooklyn m...
Posted by Judith AND Holofernes on Fri, 12 Jan 2007 09:40:00 PST

Bloodshed and Lovemaking

Dear loyalists,We must express our most sincere gratitude for your attendance this pastWednesday at the Off the Air show in Modesto. We received a warm receptionand great satisfaction from seeing so m...
Posted by Judith AND Holofernes on Fri, 17 Nov 2006 02:49:00 PST

'Abraça a Tristeza' Now Available

'Abraça a Tristeza' is now available in CD and Vinyl formats at Vanguardsquad.com and digital format at iTunes.  If you like to pick up records the old fashion way, visit Aquarius Records (1055 V...
Posted by Judith AND Holofernes on Fri, 20 Oct 2006 09:04:00 PST

Abraca a Tristeza

The full-length release, "Abraca a Tristeza," has been shipped off to the manufacturer.  It marks what we hope to be a long and loving relationship with Vanguard Squad.  J&H also had the...
Posted by Judith AND Holofernes on Fri, 14 Jul 2006 10:23:00 PST

SF Weekly Write-Up for the 6/29/06 Show

SF Weekly Write-UpNote the photo credit.
Posted by Judith AND Holofernes on Wed, 28 Jun 2006 08:49:00 PST