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<a title=”<IMG title=”marnie stern” alt=”marnie stern” hspace=10 src=”https://www.utne.com~/media/E1F7FDABDC0443DEAF45C0C28A9BB92C.ashx” align=left vspace=10 border=0>Marnie Stern” href=”http://www.myspace.com/marniestern1″ target=”_blank”>
Marnie Stern</a>, the woman <a title=”Pitchfork” href=”http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/” target=”_blank”>Pitchfork</a> calls the “Sorceress of Shred,” has risen to prominence in part due to the fact that there just aren’t that many women doing what she does: frenetic, virtuosic electric guitar alongside high-strung vocals. This is bad news for gender parity in the world of Awesome Guitar Skillz, but good news for Stern, for she is truly one of a kind.</p>
<p>Since the release of her dizzyingly titled sophomore album <i>This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That</i>, Stern has been garnering a lot of attention, receiving a <a title=”benediction” href=”http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/145996-marnie-stern-this-is-it-and-i-am-it-and-you-are-it-and-so-is-that-and-he-is-it-and-she-is-it-and-it-is-it-and-that-is-that” target=”_blank”>benediction</a> from Pitchfork, who also showcased her hilarious video <a title=””Ruler,”” href=”http://www.pitchfork.tv/videos/marnie-stern-ruler” target=”_blank”>”Ruler,”</a> a workout/boxing montage a la <i>Rocky</i>. She also stopped by the University of Minnesota’s <a title=”Radio K” href=”http://radiok.cce.umn.edu/multimedia/audio/marniestern/” target=”_blank”>Radio K</a> for an in-studio performance last week.</p>
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<i>This Is It</i> is definitely worth checking out, but might not be for everyone. Its instrumentation is loud and brittle, comprising Stern’s blistering fretwork and the unconventional percussive grammar of Zach Hill, the drummer for freak-prog outfit Hella. For guitar geeks with eclectic taste and a healthy sense of humor, however, Stern’s high-energy music, her playful videos, and her plans for a <a title=”rock-festival kissing booth” href=”http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/147462-omg-marnie-stern-kissing-booth” target=”_blank”>rock-festival kissing booth</a> ($100 for “some tongue”) will be a revelation.<i>
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<i>Image courtesy of <a title=”rephlektiv” href=”http://flickr.com/photos/mkosut/” target=”_blank”>rephlektiv</a>, licensed by <a title=”Creative Commons” href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en” target=”_blank”>Creative Commons</a>.</i>
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