Cocktail Slippers is a six-piece, all-girl rock band from Oslo, Norway

Oslo

Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

. Current band members are: Hope (vocals), Squirrel (guitar), Rocket Queen (guitar), Piper (keyboard/organ), Bella Donna (drums) and Aurora de Morales (bass).
Cocktail Slippers was formed in 2001 and has since released three studio albums and two Christmas singles. They are known for their entertaining live rock ′n roll performances and have played alongside artists such as Nancy Sinatra

Nancy Sinatra

Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....

, Crowded House

Crowded House

Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...

, Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...

and The Strokes

The Strokes

The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....

,. The band is continuously touring Europe and the USA.

The band's main musical influences are Blondie

Blondie (band)

Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...

, The Shangri-Las

The Shangri-Las

The Shangri-Las were an American pop girl group of the 1960s. Between 1964 and 1966 they charted with often heartbreaking teen melodramas, and remain best known for "Leader of the Pack" and "Remember ".- Early career :...

, Joan Jett

Joan Jett

Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...

, Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...

, The Ramones and The Beachboys.

History and Background

In early 2001, Cocktail Slippers was formed out of another all-girl band called the Barbarellas. Bass-player Sugar Cane was one of the original members of the Barbarellas. Rocket Queen and Modesty Blaze joined after the then-guitar and keyboard players left. Eventually, the Barbarellas split up in 2000, but Sugar Cane, Modesty Blaze and Rocket Queen hooked up with a new drummer to continue the project. Shortly after it was decided that it would be better to rename the band. The new name was Cocktail Slippers, although The Cocktail Slippers is also commonly used as a reference. The band recorded their first album, Rock It! in early spring 2001 with Modesty Blaze (formerly known as Lisa Farfisa) on vocals and keyboard, Rocket Queen on vocals and guitar, Sugar Cane on bass and Tammy Lee Sticks on drums. Later that year, the album Rock It! was released on the Norwegian label MTG Records.

In 2004 the band recorded their follow-up album "Mastermind", which was also released on MTG Records.

In 2004, a cover

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

 of Wham!'s

WHAM!

Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....

"Last Christmas

Last Christmas

"Last Christmas" is a song by British pop duo Wham!, released on Epic Records in 1984, on a double A-side with "Everything She Wants". It was written by George Michael, one half of the duo...

" was released as a limited edition CD single. The song was made available as a digital download in 2009.

In 2007, Cocktail Slippers was signed by Steven Van Zandt

Steven Van Zandt

Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...

(also known as "Little Steven") on his label Wicked Cool Records.

In 2009 Cocktail Slippers recorded and released their third studio album "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre". The album was produced by the band together with Steven Van Zandt and co-produced by Jean Beauviour (known for producing Kiss

Kiss

A kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the lips or other body parts of another person or of an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good...

, Blondie

Blondie

Blondie, Blondy or Blondi may refer to:* Blondie , an American rock band** Debbie Harry, lead singer of Blondie who is often referred to by that name**Blondie , the eponymous debut album from Blondie...

 and The Ramones). The album features 12 tracks, although the USA vinyl release includes 2 bonus tracks as well. Besides own material, the album features two cover songs: Lesley Gore’s

Lesley Gore

Lesley Gore is an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her 1963 pop hit "It's My Party", which she recorded at the age of 16. Following the hit, she became one of the most recognized teen pop singers of the 1960s.- Biography :Gore was born in New York City, New York. She was raised in...

 "She’s a Fool

She's a Fool

"She's a Fool" is a song written by Mark Barkan and Ben Raleigh that was originally recorded by Lesley Gore in 1963. The song appeared as a single and on the album Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts. The song was produced by Quincy Jones. The single reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #26...

" and Connie Francis'

Connie Francis

Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...

 "Don't Ever Leave Me".
The record also holds two songs written by Little Steven - "Saint Valentine's Day Massacre" and "Heard You Got A Thing For Me". The album received positive reviews worldwide with respected critics such as Rolling Stone Magazine's

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...

David Fricke

David Fricke

David Fricke is a senior editor at Rolling Stone magazine, where he writes predominantly on rock music. In the 1990s, he was managing editor before stepping down.-Background:David Fricke is a graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania...

describing the band as 'Norwegian Devil Dolls' that 'sing their you-done-me-wrong songs with avenging-angel-army-harmonies'. Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad called the girls 'Norwegian Rock Heroins' that 'pick up where Blondie left off'.

Cocktail Slippers was submitted to one of the largest musicfestivals in the USA - South by Southwest

South by Southwest

South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...

in 2010.

Discography

• 2001 - Rock It!, MTG Records, Norway (CD)
• 2003 - Housewives From Hell, Attitude Records, Finland (Limited 12" vinyl)
• 2004 - Last Christmas/Kids In America, Flipside Records, Norway (Limited CD single)
• 2004 - Mastermind, MTG Records, Norway (CD)
• 2007 - Coolest Songs Of The World Vol. 2, Wicked Cool Records, USA (compilation CD)
• 2007 - Mastermind, Wicked Cool Records, USA (CD + digital download)
• 2008 - Christmas A Go-Go, Wicked Cool Records, USA (compilation CD + digital download)
• 2009 - Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, Wicked Cool Records, USA (7" vinyl)
• 2009 - Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, Wicked Cool Records, USA (CD + digital download)
• 2009 - Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, Wicked Cool Records, USA (vinyl w/2 bonustracks)
• 2009 - Rock It!, Wicked Cool Records, USA (CD + digital download)
• 2009 - Last Christmas, Wicked Cool Records, USA (digital download)
• 2010 - It's Christmas, Wicked Cool Records, USA (digital download)

External links

• Cocktail Slippers Official Website: http://www.cocktailslippers.com
• Wicked Cool Records Official Website: http://www.wickedcoolrecords.com