Randi Russo mixes emotionally drenched indie-rock with psychedelic, punk, art-rock, garage, and folk influences. Her velvety singing style is as equally raw and beautiful as her guitar playing is edgy and unusual. Creating a variety of sounds, she refuses to fit neatly into any one genre, as her latest release, Solar Bipolar, showcases.
Cross-pollinate the voices of Patti Smith, Cat Power, and Siouxsie Sioux, with music
and songwriting that's reminiscent of the Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, and Sebadoh, and you'll get a seedling of Randi's music, which is enchantingly dark, driving, hypnotic and deep.
After a few years of songwriting and recording in the Midwest under the name of Raizel, Randi Russo moved back to her home of New York to perform under her real name in the East Village's Antifolk scene. Soon after forming her backing band, she recorded and released her EP Live at CBGB's 313 Gallery on her own label, Blue Kitty Records, in conjunction with Olive Juice Music in December 2000. From that EP, the live recording of "Push-Pull" became one of ten songs added to Australian radio station KaosFM's monthly Underground Music HitDisc for April, June, October 2001 and January 2002. She has performed alongside other great indie-rock acts at a showcase for the annual CMJ Music Marathon. In December 2001, Olive Juice Music released her debut full-length studio album, Solar Bipolar, from which the song "Dead Citizen" was added to KaosFM's HitDisc for November 2001. This southpaw spawns unique and interesting chords by playing her guitar upside-down and backwards. While Randi's rhythmic, pulsing guitar riffs take people places, her honest lyrics bring the listener back home. Be sure to look out for her visual art which is as hauntingly honest and beautifully disturbing as her music you can usually find it on her flyers and her album cover art, as well as in cool underground zines.
