Praise for She Keeps Bees

A young lady singing (while playing guitar) as her own boyfriend plays drums? It could never work - imagine the arguments! Still, full marks to Brooklyn's SKB - Jessica Larrabee and Andy LaPlant - for giving it a go. A little like Jack 'n' Meg (with the self-regard and general air of grim humourlessness removed) "sitting in with" - it's what jazz people do, I saw it on the telly - PJ Harvey, even the Breeders, this is, literally, raunchy ("Give it to me daddy, work me like my back ain't got no bone," - well, excuse me!), a loosely hammering, bluesy howl that sounds like it was as exciting to make as it is to listen to. I wonder if she really does keep bees? The Guardian

Nests isn't an album that hides behind effects pedals or clever song titles - it's just a series of songs sung over frill-less guitar and drums. And that's what makes its quality so impressive. The album hinges entirely on the singing and songwriting of founder Jess Larrabee, and she delivers. I've seen a lot of reviewers try to classify She Keeps Bees as an indie rock album, comparing the music to the White Stripes (which is not inaccurate, I guess), but what it really is is back-to-the-basics alternative blues. There's an indie rock sensibility to it, but the songs themselves are skeletal blues numbers.

Larrabee's voice alone could carry the album; she's a singer of rare talent. However, the guitars and drums, though clearly there to support her singing, are also brilliantly gritty. A self-assured, solid, no-nonsense album, Nests deserves a listen. Radioflyer

The album opens a capella: "Don't follow me honey/ Not the road you want to be on." Then hand claps, a slight blues beat, Larrabee's voice moving hard into the red, reaching deep for a little yelp. Little bits latch on over its two minutes, following along on the unexpected rhythm shift, the melody getting bluesier, harder every second, and then it ushers us into "Wear Red," and holy shit she isn't fooling around. It's meaty, defiant, a big dick-swinging kind of song. You know, the White Stripes if they had heart. Emusic

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Katie Stelmanis
Katie Stelmanis is really cute and nice, although I suspect she could and would kick my ass for calling her cute. In Galaxy she’s totally a guitar hero, giving the band a lucid, sharp sound to go along with their vocal politics. In her solo music she’s a lot more introspective and experimental, stretching towards more awkward tones and textures. She’s self-produced, classically-trained and crazy-talented, twisting and tweaking her synth sounds with dissonance and weird harmonics. At the heart of it all her amazingly strong voice captures a whole range of joy and hurt and messiness. She could sing about seahorses and cereal and it would still break your heart. Wavelength Toronto

Alice Ballantine
Alice has been singing for as long as she can remember, with many styles – from opera to soul - tried and tested. Singing folk songs has been the consistent thread though, following her parent’s lead, using old motifs to shape new ideas. Her songs reflect this range of influences: some mournful ballads, some earthy stomps. Alice has only recently started performing live regularly, and looks forward to recording an EP in the autumn.