Press
Bands to Watch #188: Bern and the Brights
by There Goes the Fear
As of late, New Jersey has produced some pretty awesome bands – Titus Andronicus and the Gaslight Anthem to name just two. But those are fronted by blokes. Let’s turn to something different, to Bern and the Brights, a Northern New Jersey folk pop five-piece. ‘Bern’ is Bernadette Malavarca, principal lyricist and lead vocalist, who according to legend came up with the phrase ‘Bern and the Brights’ in a hazy night and decided to form a band.
The result: a folk pop band featuring violin. Sometimes when you hear ‘unusual’ instruments in a rock band’s song, it tends to be a one-off appearance, like a horn added for extra effect. The first time I heard one of their tracks, I didn’t dwell on the fact that there was a violin playing along in this pop band. That’s because Nicole Scorsone’s violin sounds just right at home with the Bern and the Brights’ aesthetic. They’ve been described as a ‘female-fronted R.E.M.’, a description that I guess isn’t a great leap if you reflect on R.E.M. in Peter Buck’s mandolin-wielding days. Comparisons can be dangerous, but I’m going to make one of my own now. The sound of Bern and the Brights could give some folk pop acts we’ve featured here at TGTF (including Mumford and Sons and Fanfarlo) a run for their money. Engaging, fun music with Malavarca’s strong voice leading the way.
In 2008, they were named #46 by New York City’s Deli Magazine ‘Best Emerging NYC Artists’. You can probably imagine that there must be thousands if not tens of thousands of bands in the NYC area. Stop and consider that Chairlift, Vivian Girls, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Jaguar Love were also on that list. They then went on to win the Deli’s 2008 Open Poll (only open to readers), so you know they have a loyal, local fanbase who see them at venues you’re likely to have heard of: examples include Webster Hall in New York City, Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey, and the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey, mostly famous as the small club where Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi played in their early years. They have a Facebook page with over 1,000 fans already.
Considering they are a young band in music industry terms (they played their first gig together in 2008, an impromptu show at a bookshop closing), I think they might be on to something. Huge.
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Bern & The Brights – Swing Shift Maisies
by Wildy’s World
Swing Shift Maisies opens with “Boo”, an intriguing, moody opening number. Malavarca has a distinctive voice, with a Gwen Stefani-like vibrato but a much more organic sound. Nicole Scorsone’s violin dances with Malavarca’s voice throughout the song, each urging the other on to new heights. “Sangria Peaches” is upbeat acoustic pop with dark undertones and a memorable melody. “Sleepless Aristotle” is hard to follow lyrically, but it’s a vibrant tune with an active melody line that will stay with you. Malavarca is at her vocal best here. Bern & The Brights closes with the fatalistic country/rock romp “It Goes Like That”. The band shows great energy; a sign that they are enjoying every creative moment together.
The sort of joy and dedication to each other and to each song is what will keep you coming back to Bern & The Brights. Malavarca’s voice is a bit off the beaten path; lovely but with a unique vibrato sound that won’t sit well with everyone but will garner her a lot of attention. The rest of the band is right there with her at every tune. Catherine MacGowan (guitar/vox), Shawn Fafara (bass), Jose Ulloa (drums) and the aforementioned Nicole Scorsone are all part of the dynamic/organic creature that is Bern & The Brights. This is a band going places. Make sure to check out Swing Shift Maisies, and see Bern & The Brights live if you can. The next time you do your seats might be much further back (and much more expensive).
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Swing Shift Maisies – Disc of the Week
by The Aquarian
Bern & The Brights have been on the lips of music enthusiasts in the tri-state area with their frequent touring and independent releases. With their newest EP, the Montclair, NJ,-based band explores elements of indie-rock, folk and pop arrangements, veering away from their usual soul influence.
Opening track “Boo” starts off simply, with only a violin melody, singer Bernadette Malavarca’s vulnerable croon and acoustic guitar accompaniment. But the song quickly builds with layers of eerie violin and cello harmonies and wispy drum work, which amps up the emotion of the lyric “It’s been too long since I’ve been myself.”
Malavarca’s quivering and passionate vocals are what first draws listeners in, particularly on “Sangria Peaches” with its folk influence and pop arrangement. The track also showcases the band’s playful instrumentation as they layer and alternate castanets, keyboard, tambourine and timbales over their usual violin and guitar. At one point, they even throw in a two-tone beat. The final track, “It Goes Like That,” finishes the eclectic album with twangy electric guitar work, energetic percussion rhythms, and charming three-part female harmonies, morphing the track into a modern honky tonk hit.
Bern & The Brights display the promising future of DIY music on Swing Shift Maisies. Although all tracks go past the four-minute mark, the EP is a hearty work filled with indie and folk gold that never becomes redundant or boring. Swing Shift Maisies is a work that flows remarkably well, regardless of any style changes.
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N.J.’s Bern & the Brights will get Creekside rocking
by Don Botch
The energetic quintet, playing Saturday night at the Creekside Cultural Center, are not your typical rock ‘n’ roll band.
When you hear the opening violin licks of Bern & the Brights’ sweet new song “Sangria Peaches,” you might think you’ve stumbled upon the latest Dave Matthews Band tune. Then the soaring vocals by Bernadette Malavarca kick in, and it’s clear that Matthews isn’t part of this deal, but not to worry, because “Sangria Peaches” and the other three songs on the band’s new EP, “Swing Shift Maisies,” are likely to carve out their own space in the jukebox in your head.
They’ll settle right in there alongside favorites by some of the band’s other influences, such as R.E.M., Jeff Buckley, Jenny Lewis and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Bern & the Brights is a lot like all these people, and a lot different from all of them as well. In fact, it’s pretty clear that when they got together two short years ago, the first thing they did was toss the Rock Band How-To Guide right out the window. What they ended up with was a catchy and danceable indie nerd rock concoction, complete with two female guitarists/singers up front and another woman sawing away on the violin like nobody’s business.
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You Should Know: Bern & the Brights
by Girl At The Show
It’s a known cliché for bands to describe themselves as “something you’ve never heard before.” But that’s what first comes to mind upon hearing Bern & the Brights. This female-fronted, New Jersey band describes their sound as “chamber pop-rock.” Their latest EP, Swing Shift Maisies, lives up to that intriguing label.
Two things really make this group stand out: vocals and violin. Bern & the Brights has two vocalists, each with her own robust, soulful tone. Malavarca especially has a distinctive trill, as easily heard on “Boo.” Violin puts the “chamber” in “chamber pop-rock”–but don’t be fooled. Violin is dynamically arranged, dancing with guitar riffs in “Sleepless Aristotle” and driving the melody on “Sangria Peaches” and “Boo.” I’m pretty impressed by the integration–too often, violinists become tokenized when they’re in bands, playing like they’re in a Mozart concert instead of a rock band. In other words, hats off to Scorsone!
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Bern and the Brights — A Telepathic Influx Of Cheer
by Joe Sparrow
Bern and The Brights were there when I needed them most. Isn’t it strange how music can do that? How did they know? The whys, wheres and hows are unimportant – I needed that certain lift, a deft yank from the fug billowing around my mind. Right on cue, Bern and The Brights sidled up, slipped a dainty arm around my shoulders and hugged tight. The song was Sleepless Aristotle, silky but trembling, and its gentle caress did the trick all right. It glistens with early-morning vim; energised, happy but wistful.
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CD Review: Swing Shift Maisies
by Lucid Culture
Bern & the Brights are a breath of fresh air. Their sound is absolutely original: they’re impossible to pigeonhole, creating a violin-and-guitar-driven swirl of artsy new wave, chamber pop, art-rock and indie rock, with a raw, plaintive, emotionally resonant edge. Their song structures are counterintuitive: this band refuses to be contained by a simple verse/chorus/verse pattern. The title of their new album, Swing Shift Maisies refers to the all-female bands that sprung up during World War I: Rosie the Rocker instead of Rosie the Riveter. The term was actually a slur, the band using it here sarcastically – they’re all first-rate musicians.
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Bern & the Brights
by Jersey Rock Review
It’s really wonderful when a band’s vocalist and their music are made for each other. Imagine that. Bern & The Brights are a very talented band that make original songs that are addictive and euphoric. The band’s new EP titled “Swing Shift Maisies” is a great example of the potential of this band. The EP consists of 4 songs: Boo, Sangria Peaches, Sleepless Aristotle and It Goes Like That. Sangria Peaches is a feel good song that beautifully intertwines the violin with the bass and drums with the guitars and the vocals. Everything comes together in a perfect sound. Sleepless Aristotle is a complex song that keeps you tapping your foot and listening for what happens next.
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A night of stand-out musical revelations
by Stephen Bailey
I’ve been a fan of Bernadette Malavarca’s music for quite a while now. Her haunting voice and lyrical ease combined with an at times delicate, at times powerful guitar style has always brought chills. For the most part, I had only seen Bern perform with her acoustic guitar. Tonight I got a chance to check out some unique dimensions to the music of Bern & The Brights.
There were a few stand-out revelations for me. First, hearing Catherine McGowan sing. Hers is a powerful voice that I just never expected. I’d seen her play before, but never sing upfront like that. And the moments her voice combined with Bern’s were magic. The two differed just enough to compliment each other perfectly.
Then there’s the violin of Nicole Scorsone. When bowed, it added a kind of flowing undertone that moved thru the songs with ease. When plucked, it bounced along with and off of the guitars playfully.
Filling out the lineup was the tight rhythm section of Shawn Fafara on bass and Jose Ulloa on percussion. Jose played a cajon, which is becoming a favorite among drummers for these smaller venues. The trick is to not just smack it like a hollow box. There are certain regions to a cajon that, if in the right hands (like tonight) can sound as full as a drum kit.
The sound of Bern & The Brights is a prog-rock country garage gumbo that can move you with remarkably gentle moments and kick your ass with sudden sticatto outbursts. What’s in between can make you cry, smile, tap your foot (sometimes all at the same time)…
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Northern Soul turns a noisy Thursday night into a sublime experience
by Jim Testa
The three women and two men in the group huddled together in Northern Soul’s small performance space undaunted by their surroundings and provided their fans with an enchanting set of folkie pop, enriched by the melodic strains of Nicole Scorsone’s violin and Bernadette Malavarca’s ebullient vocals and lead guitar. Catherine McGowan adds rich harmony vocals and acoustic guitar, while Shawn Fafara on bass and Jose Ulloa on percussion provide the lilting rhythms of this multi-faceted combo – part gypsy soul, part Lilith Fair folk, part indie-pop. Visit bernandthebrightsblog.com for a list of their upcoming shows, and try to catch them wherever you can.
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Bern & the Brights delivering the goods
by James Dower
Bern & the Brights delivers to the music scene what our new Commander & Chief has brought back to this country—hope. Finally, here is a band that is looking to blaze a new sonic trail. Here are musicians that are traveling to new places, beyond the vast wasteland of wanna-be rockers and need-to-be egos that have just picked up a guitar to declare artistry. Who would have guessed that Montclair, NJ would produce something this refreshing? At the creative center of it all is Bernadette Malavarca, a multi-instrumentalist who has a passion and energy for song craft and guitar playing. Catherine McGowan compliments her on acoustic guitar and vocals. Together they produced the band’s recent EP Wartime Lullaby and are interviewed here. Joining the girls to fashion and fortify this sound with driving rhythms and emotional soundscapes are Nicole Scorsone on violin, Shawn Fafara on bass, and Jose Ulloa on drums.
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Concert Review: Bern & the Brights
at Spike Hill, Brooklyn, NY 7/18/09
An auspicious Brooklyn show by one of the finest, most intelligent and original exports from the impressively fertile music scene scattered around Montclair, New Jersey. This show was yet further proof that the best new rock music out there bears absolutely no resemblance to anything coming out of Williamsburg. Bern & the Brights’ sound is raw, plaintive and lush in an artsy vein somewhat evocative of New York cello rockers Pearl & the Beard. They don’t waste notes, they vary their tempos and their two women singers deliver a potent emotional impact: this band does not sound like not they go gently into their parents’ luxury condo at the end of the night. Bandleader/Telecaster player Bernadette Malavarca sings with a big, powerful, wounded wail, a soulful delivery shared with just a tinge less projectile force by acoustic guitarist Catherine McGowan. Violinist Nicole Scorsone plays vividly and tersely, adding considerable poignancy to the band’s sound. Their sub bass player locked in impressively with the drums. Their first song was an apprehensive minor-key number: “So long since I’ve been myself,” mused Malavarca. My Black Cat, sung by McGowan had a rustic Nashville gothic feel: toward the end of the song, the cat dies, and it’s not pretty. As the song wound up, Malavarca moved to the standup drum kit they’d set up to the side of the stage.
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Bern & the Brights at Southpaw 3/5/09
by Liz Levine
Brooklyn’s festive Southpaw, with its thickly lined walls of classic record sleeves and concert posters, was comfortably full when New Jersey’s Bern & The Brights took the stage. Named for their anchor and main songwriter Bern Malavarca, who formerly performed as a solo artist, the now quintet is a result of a fortuitous collaboration only intended for one gig. The symbiotic results led to fulltime collaboration, a fine choice musically but also on a personal level, and the members’ enjoyment of one another seeped into the audience this evening.
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BERN & THE BRIGHTS: Ethereal, orchestral, real
by Deborah J. Draisin
Bern & The Brights will be at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park this Friday, May 22. Bern & the Brights are Bernadette (“Bern”) Malavarca on lead guitar and vocals, Catherine McGowan on acoustic guitar and vocals, Nicole Scorsone on violin, Shawn Fafara on bass and Jose Ulloa on drums. Formed in Montclair, New Jersey in mid-2008, the band has been referred as “a female-fronted Radiohead.” They released their first EP, “Wartime Lullabye” in October of that same year. Accolades include a win for Emerging Artist of Year 2008 at thedelimagazine.com, a write-up at pioneertimeswpu.com, and a nomination for the Hoboken Music Awards. They also did a spot on tonytradio.com and opened up for Butch Walker at Webster Hall on March 14. I had the pleasure of catching up with Catherine after watching a rowdy set at their favorite haunt, Tierney’s Tavern in Montclair, where it all began just about one year ago for this band.
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Something’s Coming: Bern and the Brights
Music Reviews and Rock Criticism by John S
There’s a indie band in Northern New Jersey that doesn’t have a label. Yet. They’re still at the MySpace stage of life. What they do have is far better—a blooming singer-songwriter at the center of the band, and the moment just in front of them when they come into their own. Their name: Bern and the Brights. Their center: Bernadette Malavarca, a 24 year old songwriter who can scream and whisper, and sing like she knows it in between.
Too often, women who sing trap themselves into trying to be pretty in every part of their range, through every emotion, chorus and verse. Bern does not lock herself in such a tiny space. She does have a lovely, rounded upper register that soars with surprising ease, but she also has contrast. In much of her bluesier work she uses a sing-talking lower register, a masculine side to her voice and to her songwriting that grounds her work in an energy beyond the reach of polished girl-pop or contemplative mezzo-piano folk. Combined with a deft use of machine-gun vibrato and the occasional controlled breathiness, she has an amazing palate of sounds to craft songs with.
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Live in JC: Not Just Boys’ Fun
I’ve seen the band at least 10 times so it’s a really crime that I haven’t written about them until now — their sound is something all their own. Bernadette, Catherine and the rest of the Brights have been making serious waves in the indie world. Recently they played at NYC’s Webster Hall and opened for Nicole Atkins and Mike Doughty at the Stone Pony. Musical evidence via video (see below) is the best description I can offer. It’s official: They are on my list of top ten local bands that you must see live.
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Other Bern & the Brights Mentions:
http://nyc.thedelimagazine.com/node/1235
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