Who? Bare bones garage rock duo Blood Red Shoes — drummer Steven Ansell and guitarist/vocalist Laura-Mary Carter — cribbed their name from a story about Ginger Rogers dancing so hard that she bled all over her white shoes. Appropriate, since this kinda cute/kinda messy Brighton, England duo has been going hard themselves the past two years; extensive touring, including bouts of homelessness spent sleeping on their practice room floor, and four independent 7″ singles (going on five, with the June release of “It’s Getting Boring by the Sea”) has paid off. Their debut long-player for V2 is currently slated for January.
What’s the Deal? There’s no shortage of minimalist boy/girl rock crews for Blood Red Shoes to get lumped in with — to name a few, the Raveonettes, the Kills, and, of course, the White Stripes — but BRS stands out thanks to the very lovely Carter’s very detached vibe. “You can’t escape anything in this town,” a heavy-lidded Carter chants on “It’s Getting Boring by the Sea,” without seeming all too bothered by it. Other shouty highlights such as “You Bring Me Down” and “Can’t Find the Floor” are just as defiantly cool and even-keeled thanks to Carter’s driving, garage rock riffs and Ansell’s trance-like military drumming.
Fun Fact: Blood Red Shoes aren’t quitters. When their van’s windshield wipers broke down while on a tour in France, the two tied strings to the ends of the wipers, alternately pulling them for hours to keep the rain out their eyes and stay on schedule. AMOS BARSHAD
Now Hear This: Blood Red Shoes – “You Bring Me Down” DOWNLOAD MP3>
