Make Me Believe by The Catholic Girls

One reviewer has said: "There's way more Joan Osborne than Joan Jett in their sound now, and they've retired the schoolgirls-in-heat shtick, but "Make Me Believe" is far from new-wave nostalgia. Petersen's quavery vocals, and the rest of the band's musical gifts, have matured gracefully. There's a more full-on pop sound now, and more introspective songwriting, but that old punky, fun-loving spirit is still there too." - Jim Testa (New Jersey Journal)

The Catholic Girls are:

Gail Petersen: lead vocalist/writer/guitarist

Roxy Andersen: lead guitar/background vocals

Jen Bond: drums and percussion

Stephanie Koles: bass guitar

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Just The Facts!

What do Britney Spears, J Lo, and Pink have in common with The Catholic Girls?

Except for the fact that they're female, absolutely nothing.

The Catholic Girls are an all-girl band who write, play, and perform their own music. No lip-synching, no sfX, no overblown Vegas show behind them. Their new CD 'Make Me Believe'is their first all-new record since their original release on MCA Records and it's re-release on Renaissance Records in 1999.

The band's music has always had a certain cinematic style with melodies that stay in your head long after the song is over, and lyrics that leave images embedded in your brain just like the movies. "Make Me Believe" continues in that tradition. It's The Beatles meet The Byrds meet Alfred Hitchcock meet Lauren Bacall versus Mothra, Gamara, and Leslie Gore. There's a subtle mix of genres on the CD-the way the great albums of the 60s and 70s had- which today's cookie-cutter recordings seem to lack. In other words, every song doesn't sound the same, and each one tells a story with a beginning, middle, and an end.

The Tracks: "Make Me Believe" a tribute to the victims of the Columbine Tragedy; "It's Fun (to be in love)" a Catholic Girl/Brit Pop/love song; "Niagara Falls" a tongue-in-cheek ode to marriage with a down-home beat; "Somebody in the USA" a straight-ahead rocker; "If No One Fell" a gorgeous melody with Phil Specter styled percussion; and "Young Boys" - self-explanatory! Also on the CD are acoustic mixes of four of the songs and an "MTV" mix of "Somebody." Yeah, that's right, an MTV version for the network that played The Catholic Girls first video "Boys Can Cry." It's time to play them again!

Does this band wear rosary beads and plaid skirts sometimes? Sure, why not? All the band members went to Catholic School and they have their catechism memorized to prove it! But nothing can take away from the pure power of the songs - or the musicians who play them.

It's 2002 and rock and roll needs a kick in the ass again, a reminder of what music is supposed to be all about. It's not just about teen idols, flash, flesh, designer clothes, and mass production, but real feelings,real meaning, and real magic.

"Great songs for people who want to Believe in music again."

"I wanna believe." Make me! Make Me Believe!

-Amen

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