Michelle Mae
Encyclopedia
Michelle Mae is an American
musician
from the state of Washington, who is known for playing in rock 'n' roll groups such as The Make-Up and Weird War
.
in the mid-1990s, including a single recording with Witchy Poo, and a period with Kill Rock Stars
artists The Frumpies
before moving to Washington, D.C.
to help form The Make-Up
in 1995. After The Make-Up
dissolved in 2000, Mae joined Weird War
with some of her former Make-Up band mates.
Her style is heavily funk inflected, influenced by Funkadelic
's Billy "Bass" Nelson, Larry Graham
, and The Slits
, as well as Northwest
stalwarts Dead Moon
.
Typically focusing on the bass guitar, in Weird War
she plays a Fender Jazz Bass
through a Sunn
cabinet, though in The Make-Up
she often played Hagström
and Epiphone
guitars through Kustom
amplifiers.
Mae is based in Washington, D.C.
, where she continues to work as a musician and practitioner of mysticism
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
from the state of Washington, who is known for playing in rock 'n' roll groups such as The Make-Up and Weird War
Weird War (band)
Weird War, briefly known as Scene Creamers, is an eclectic funk punk band based out of Washington, D.C.. The current lineup consists of Ian Svenonius on vocals, Michelle Mae on bass guitar, Alex Minoff on guitar, and Sebastian Thomson on drums....
.
Biography
Mae began playing with underground bands in Olympia, WashingtonOlympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
in the mid-1990s, including a single recording with Witchy Poo, and a period with Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and based in both Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, making it difficult to pigeonhole as having any one artistic mission...
artists The Frumpies
The Frumpies
The Frumpies was a punk rock band formed in 1992 Olympia, Washington. The original line-up consisted of singers/guitarists Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox, and Billy Karren , and Bratmobile drummer Molly Neuman. Their debut was the 7 inch single Alien Summer Nights on the Chainsaw label...
before moving to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to help form The Make-Up
Make-Up (band)
The Make-Up was an American post-punk band from Washington, D.C. formed in 1995, consisting of ex-Nation of Ulysses frontman Ian Svenonius on vocals, James Canty on guitar and organ, Steve Gamboa on drums, and Michelle Mae on bass guitar...
in 1995. After The Make-Up
Make-Up (band)
The Make-Up was an American post-punk band from Washington, D.C. formed in 1995, consisting of ex-Nation of Ulysses frontman Ian Svenonius on vocals, James Canty on guitar and organ, Steve Gamboa on drums, and Michelle Mae on bass guitar...
dissolved in 2000, Mae joined Weird War
Weird War (band)
Weird War, briefly known as Scene Creamers, is an eclectic funk punk band based out of Washington, D.C.. The current lineup consists of Ian Svenonius on vocals, Michelle Mae on bass guitar, Alex Minoff on guitar, and Sebastian Thomson on drums....
with some of her former Make-Up band mates.
Her style is heavily funk inflected, influenced by Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
's Billy "Bass" Nelson, Larry Graham
Larry Graham
Larry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...
, and The Slits
The Slits
The Slits were a British punk rock band. The quartet was formed in 1976 by members of the bands The Flowers of Romance and The Castrators. The members were Ari Up , who died of cancer in October 2010, and Palmolive , with Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt replacing founding members, Kate Korus and...
, as well as Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
stalwarts Dead Moon
Dead Moon
Dead Moon was a United States punk rock band from 1987 to 2006, formed in Portland, Oregon. Fronted by singer/guitarist Fred Cole, the band also included bassist Toody Cole, Fred's wife, and drummer Andrew Loomis. Veterans of Portland's independent rock scene, Dead Moon combined dark and lovelorn...
.
Typically focusing on the bass guitar, in Weird War
Weird War (band)
Weird War, briefly known as Scene Creamers, is an eclectic funk punk band based out of Washington, D.C.. The current lineup consists of Ian Svenonius on vocals, Michelle Mae on bass guitar, Alex Minoff on guitar, and Sebastian Thomson on drums....
she plays a Fender Jazz Bass
Fender Jazz Bass
The Jazz Bass was the second model of electric bass created by Leo Fender. The bass is distinct from the Precision Bass in that its tone is brighter and richer in the midrange and treble with less emphasis on the fundamental harmonic...
through a Sunn
Sunn
Sunn Amplifiers, are a brand of musical instrument amplifiers.- History :In early 1963, the Kingsmen, a band based in the U.S. state of Oregon, became known for the song "Louie, Louie". After its hit single, the band soon embarked on a fifty-state national tour...
cabinet, though in The Make-Up
Make-Up (band)
The Make-Up was an American post-punk band from Washington, D.C. formed in 1995, consisting of ex-Nation of Ulysses frontman Ian Svenonius on vocals, James Canty on guitar and organ, Steve Gamboa on drums, and Michelle Mae on bass guitar...
she often played Hagström
Hagström
Hagström is a musical instrument manufacturer in Älvdalen, Dalecarlia, Sweden. Their original products were accordions that they initially imported from Germany and then Italy before opening their own facility in 1932. During the sixties, the company started making electric guitars and later...
and Epiphone
Epiphone
The Epiphone Company is a musical instrument manufacturer founded in 1873 by Anastasios Stathopoulos. Epiphone was bought by Chicago Musical Instrument Company, which also owned Gibson Guitar Corporation, in 1957. Epiphone was Gibson's main rival in the archtop market...
guitars through Kustom
Kustom
Kustom Amplification or Kustom Electronics is a manufacturer of guitar and bass amplifiers and PA equipment and accessories based in Hebron, Kentucky. It is part of the Hanser Music Group as of 1999, which also includes B.C. Rich Guitars, and Traben Bass.- History :"Kustom" was a brand and...
amplifiers.
Mae is based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where she continues to work as a musician and practitioner of mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
.
7 Inch Singles
- Babies & Bunnies (Kill Rock Stars/5RC) (1993)
- Safety First (Wiiija) (1993)
Studio albums
- Destination: Love - Live! At Cold RiceDestination: Love - Live! At Cold RiceDestination: Love - Live! At Cold Rice is the debut album by The Make-Up. They have admitted in interviews that it was actually a studio album to which fake crowd noise was added, in the spirit of 1960s-era "live albums."...
(Dischord) (1996) - After DarkAfter Dark (The Make-Up album)After Dark is the second full-length album and first real "live" album by The Make-Up. Their first one Destination: Love was recorded within a studio setting, it was done so with an eye towards spontaneity and improvisation...
(Dischord) (1997) - Sound VeriteSound VeriteSound Verite is the third album by The Make-Up.The album's cover appears to be an homage to the cover of Love's Forever Changes, a band which The Make-Up were often compared to.-Track listing:#"If They Come in the Morning" – 5:53...
(K Records) (1997) - In Mass MindIn Mass MindIn Mass Mind is the fourth album by The Make-Up.All tracks were written and composed by The Make-Up, except for tracks #1, #13, and #14. "Black Wire Pt. 1" and "Black Wire Pt. 2" are attributed as inspired by the MC5...
(Dischord) (1998) - Save YourselfSave Yourself (Make-Up album)Save Yourself is the fifth album by The Make-Up. Track #9, "Hey Joe," is a cover of a popular rock and roll standard of the same name. "Hey Joe" has been covered by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and The Leaves, among many others.-Track listing:...
(K Records) (1999) - I Want SomeI Want SomeI Want Some is a compilation album from The Make-Up. I Want Some collects 23 of The Make-Up's singles and B-Sides. It was released as a double LP, and as a CD version that included an 11-page booklet...
(singles compilation) (K Records) (1999)
DVD / Video
- Blue is Beautiful (included on In Film/On VideoIn Film/On VideoIn Film/On Video is a collection of video and film of Washington D.C. rock band Make-Up released in 2006 by Dischord Records. Included on the DVD:...
) (Dischord) (1998) - In Film/On VideoIn Film/On VideoIn Film/On Video is a collection of video and film of Washington D.C. rock band Make-Up released in 2006 by Dischord Records. Included on the DVD:...
(Dischord) (2006)
Studio albums
- Weird WarWeird War (album)-Side one:#"Baby It's the Best" − 2:55#"Chicago Charlemagne" − 2:35#"Who's Who" − 2:18#"FN Rat" − 3:25#"Grass" − 2:07#"Ibex Club" − 2:05-Side two:#"Name Names" − 3:11#"Burgers and Fries" − 3:07#"I Live in a Dream" − 2:30#"Pick Up the Phone and Ball" − 2:05...
(Drag City) (2002) - I Suck on that EmotionI Suck on that EmotionI Suck on That Emotion is the second album by Weird War, recorded and released under the short-lived name Scene Creamers.Track #11, "Here Comes the Judge ," shares the same name as a Make-Up song from their 1997 album After Dark, of which Svenonius, Mae, and Minoff were all members.-Track...
(as Scene Creamers) (Drag City) (2003) - If You Can't Beat 'Em, Bite 'EmIf You Can't Beat 'Em, Bite 'Em-Track listing:#"Intro " − 1:42#"Grand Fraud" − 3:24#"Tess" − 3:00#"If You Can't Beat 'Em, Bite 'Em" − 3:58#*vocals by Jennifer Herrema #"Moment in Time" − 4:38#"Store Bought Pot" − 4:22#"AK-47" − 3:43#"N.D.S.P." − 4:34...
(Drag City) (2004) - Illuminated by the LightIlluminated by the LightIlluminated by the Light is the fourth album by Weird War, said to be their best.When asked about the album's title, Svenonius has responded "Illuminated By The Light just means lit by the light...
(Drag City) (2005)
DVD / Video
- appears on Burn to Shine 01: Washington DC 01.14.2004Burn to Shine (DVD series)Burn to Shine is an ongoing series of music DVDs created by Trixie DVD, a collaboration between filmmaker Christoph Green and ex-Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty. The filmmakers select a house that is set to be demolished in a certain city and ask a member of a local band to curate the event...
(Trixie) (2005)