His & Her Vanities

Robotic, quirky, and very cute, the endearing sounds of the Wisconsin-based quartet His & Her Vanities mix the tongue-in-cheek preciseness of vintage Devo with the bouncy naivete of indie rock. Coming out of Madison, the band started as a project between Ricky and Terrin Riemer in the cold months of late 1999. Originally meant as a duo, the two decided to expand the lineup and early the following spring they drafted drummer Sara Winkelman into the fold. Playing around the area, they traveled down to Chicago for the first Ladyfest Midwest before taking a break to re-record several tracks. When they emerged from the studio, they had completed their eponymous debut and released it in the summer of 2002. The band jumped back into the live circuit for the next few months, adding friend Matt Abplanalp on guitar and starting the early writing for the next record.