Avenue D (band)
Encyclopedia
Avenue D was a female electroclash
duo from Miami, Florida
, based out of New York City
and consisting of Debbie and Daphne D. The band are proteges of Larry Tee
, and perform for his parties. Their music is an energetic, humorous and sexually-explicit mix of rap
, electro
and new wave
. They began in 2001, as part of New York's
electroclash movement, which also included artists like Fischerspooner
, ADULT.
and Felix Da Housecat
. In 2005, they scored a moderate hit with "Do I Look Like a Slut?" on the Billboard
Hot Dance Singles Sales
,. The same year, their song "Orgasmatron" was featured prominently in Eon McKai
's alt-porn film Neu Wave Hookers. The band was also politically active, and played rallies and benefits for causes such as gay marriage
.
They released three albums independently on their own label, Avenue Dreams. Despite this method of production and distribution, they still managed to sell approximately 50,000 records worldwide. In 2004, they collaborated on Boy George
's electroclash project, The Twin, by appearing on his CD, Yum Yum, on the track "Fire-Desire"'. A Mash-Up of their "Do I Look Like A Slut" with The Twin's "Here Come The Girls" was also made but remains unreleased.
The pair performed at clubs and parties in Australia
, Japan
, Brazil
, Mexico
, Serbia
, and all across Europe
and the United States
.
On June 15, 2007 three Avenue D albums (Bootleg, Eurawesome, and As Free As We Wanna Be) were released for purchase on iTunes
.
On November 19, 2007, the band announced on their website that they were breaking up the band. They performed two final shows in December of that year. In December 2008, Debbie D returned to the stage as a member of the Miami Bass Warriors with Otto Von Schirach
. On September 24, 2009, that band released a self-titled 12" record
.
Electroclash
Electroclash is a style of music that fuses New Wave and electronic dance music. It emerged in New York and Detroit in the later 1990s, pioneered by acts including I-F and those associated with Gerald Donald, and is associated with acts including Peaches, Adult, and Fischerspooner...
duo from Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, based out of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and consisting of Debbie and Daphne D. The band are proteges of Larry Tee
Larry Tee
Larry Tee is a New York City-based DJ, club promoter, and music producer who coined the musical genre term Electroclash and helped launch the careers of such artists as RuPaul, Scissor Sisters, Fischerspooner, Peaches, W.I.T., and Avenue D, and has collaborated with Amanda Lepore and Princess...
, and perform for his parties. Their music is an energetic, humorous and sexually-explicit mix of rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, electro
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
. They began in 2001, as part of New York's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
electroclash movement, which also included artists like Fischerspooner
Fischerspooner
Fischerspooner is an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in New York. The name is a portmanteau of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner...
, ADULT.
ADULT.
ADULT. is an American band from Detroit, Michigan that integrates vocals with drum machines, analog synths and electronic/punk elements. While popular in their home city of Detroit, they are also very popular in Germany and the United Kingdom.-History:ADULT...
and Felix Da Housecat
Felix da Housecat
Felix da Housecat is an American DJ and record producer, mostly known for house music and electroclash. His name was inspired by Felix the Cat....
. In 2005, they scored a moderate hit with "Do I Look Like a Slut?" on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes...
,. The same year, their song "Orgasmatron" was featured prominently in Eon McKai
Eon McKai
Eon McKai is an American director of alt porn-themed adult films. The name "Eon McKai" is a pseudonym and a tribute to punk singer Ian MacKaye....
's alt-porn film Neu Wave Hookers. The band was also politically active, and played rallies and benefits for causes such as gay marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
.
They released three albums independently on their own label, Avenue Dreams. Despite this method of production and distribution, they still managed to sell approximately 50,000 records worldwide. In 2004, they collaborated on Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
's electroclash project, The Twin, by appearing on his CD, Yum Yum, on the track "Fire-Desire"'. A Mash-Up of their "Do I Look Like A Slut" with The Twin's "Here Come The Girls" was also made but remains unreleased.
The pair performed at clubs and parties in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, and all across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
On June 15, 2007 three Avenue D albums (Bootleg, Eurawesome, and As Free As We Wanna Be) were released for purchase on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
On November 19, 2007, the band announced on their website that they were breaking up the band. They performed two final shows in December of that year. In December 2008, Debbie D returned to the stage as a member of the Miami Bass Warriors with Otto Von Schirach
Otto von Schirach
Otto von Schirach is an IDM and breakcore artist from Miami, Florida. He is of Cuban/German descent.He has released most of his work on the Schematic and Beta Bodega labels, and was featured in the 2002 documentary Electro-Dziska....
. On September 24, 2009, that band released a self-titled 12" record
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
.
Discography
- Grade D Beef (2002)
- Bootleg (2004)
- The Sex That I Need/Dancin (2004)
- Slut? (single, 2004)
- You Love This Ass (single, 2005)
- Do I Look Like a Slut? (Remixes) (single, 2005)
- 2d2f EP (2005)
- As Free as We Wanna Be (2006)
- Eurawesome! (2006)
- Grade D Beef/D Sides Double CD (2008)
- Totally Magic (2008)