One-Eyed Doll
Encyclopedia
One-Eyed Doll is an eclectic goth punk
duo based in Austin, Texas
, which was voted the Best Punk Band in 2009, 2010 and 2011 at the Austin Music Awards at SXSW along with variously placing in the Top Ten in the categories of Best New Band, Best Metal Band, Best Female Vocalist, Best Guitarist, Best Drummer, etc. With a discography of eight full-length albums under its belt, the band made No. 1 on ReverbNation's local chart and has toured nationally in the summer of 2011 with OTEP
/Atavist. The leit-motif of the band's lead singer and guitarist, Kimberly Freeman (which has been described as Gwar
meets Strawberry Shortcake
) is heavily influenced by anime
; she performs on a signature Tregan
guitar, accompanied by the lone drummer (and producer) Jason "Junior" Sewell, in a highly theatrical style which has been described musically as "... Pixies meets Siouxsie meets Hole
" and the "bastard laboratory love child of Dresden Dolls meets White Stripes and Marilyn Manson
."
One-Eyed Doll, which was formed in 2008, first gained recognition from their peers when they won their first Best Punk Band at the 2009 SXSW; the award was presented by Exene Cervenka
of the first-generation punk band X. That year they also won 2nd place Metal Band, 3rd place Best New Band, 4th place Industrial/Both Band, 7th place Best Acoustic Guitar (Kimberly Freeman), 8th place Female Vocals (Kimberly Freeman), and 10th place Best Record Producer (Jason Rufuss Sewell, for Monster.) One-Eyed Doll broke into the mainstream media, however, with the release of their eighth album (their third commercially released) Break, whereupon Kimberly Freeman was featured in the January/February 2010 Fallen Heroes issue of Revolver
in its cover feature The Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock; she also appeared as an awakening zombie on America's Got Talent
. She gained more serious recognition upon being featured in a full-page dedicated article in the April 2011 Guts & Glitter issue of Guitar Player
magazine as one of the Twenty Most Extraordinary Female Guitarists along with the likes of Joan Jett
, Bonnie Raitt
, and Nancy Wilson
. The band has a fervent fanbase, and is known for their mutual support of their fans, some of whom have gotten tattoos of the band's iconography, and for their equally fervent DIY business model. Amongst its national tours have been performing at several major anime conventions such as DragonCon, and headlining at the 4&20 Blackbird Festival in Weed, California
.
In an unusual tie-in
, Kimberly Freeman is one of several real-life people to appear in the massively multiplayer online role playing game AdventureQuest Worlds
(where she is styled as the True Sixth Lord of Chaos); the OED song Battle On is prominently featured. She also appears in the AdventureQuest Worlds Anything-Goes Battle On Battle Card Game on two cards, one of them a berserker enhancement card quite in keeping with her on-stage persona. She is also the voice of Sally in the Doomwood Saga of the same game.
In real life, Kimberly Freeman speaks Mandarin fluently from a stint in China before beginning her music career, and was a volunteer for the Red Cross at Ground Zero
after 9-11. Her producer and third drummer (and third "Junior"), Jason Rufuss Sewell, recorded his first record at the age of fifteen and has been producing records continually ever since. He has also run for the California State Senate
seat for District 6 in 2002 (as Jason A. Sewell on the Libertarian Party
ticket), coming in second with 26% of the vote. Freeman and Sewell have created music for hundreds of commercials, movies, and video games, most prominently for AdventureQuest Worlds.
An hour-and-a-half gonzo documentary of the band's life on the road on tour from Austin to Harlem has been released on YouTube for free by David Bruce Bates, Jr.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
duo based in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, which was voted the Best Punk Band in 2009, 2010 and 2011 at the Austin Music Awards at SXSW along with variously placing in the Top Ten in the categories of Best New Band, Best Metal Band, Best Female Vocalist, Best Guitarist, Best Drummer, etc. With a discography of eight full-length albums under its belt, the band made No. 1 on ReverbNation's local chart and has toured nationally in the summer of 2011 with OTEP
Otep
Otep is an American heavy metal band formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by Otep Shamaya.-History:Otep originally was a four-piece nu metal band that began in Los Angeles, California in early 2000...
/Atavist. The leit-motif of the band's lead singer and guitarist, Kimberly Freeman (which has been described as Gwar
Gwar
Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
meets Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake is a licensed character owned by American Greetings, originally used in greeting cards and expanded to include dolls, posters, and other products...
) is heavily influenced by anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
; she performs on a signature Tregan
Tregan
Tregan is a municipality in the Elbasan District, Elbasan County, central Albania. The municipality consists of the villages Blerimas, Bizhdan, Çikallesh, Gurisht, Kacivel, Kycyk, Mucan, Shinavlash, Shilbater, Trepsenisht, Tudan and Tregan....
guitar, accompanied by the lone drummer (and producer) Jason "Junior" Sewell, in a highly theatrical style which has been described musically as "... Pixies meets Siouxsie meets Hole
Hole (band)
Hole is an American alternative rock band that originally formed in Los Angeles in 1989. The band is fronted by vocalist/songwriter and rhythm guitarist Courtney Love, who co-founded Hole with former songwriter/lead guitarist Eric Erlandson...
" and the "bastard laboratory love child of Dresden Dolls meets White Stripes and Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
."
One-Eyed Doll, which was formed in 2008, first gained recognition from their peers when they won their first Best Punk Band at the 2009 SXSW; the award was presented by Exene Cervenka
Exene Cervenka
Exene Cervenka is an American writer, musician and artist, most famous as the co-lead vocalist of the Los Angeles punk rock band X.-Career:...
of the first-generation punk band X. That year they also won 2nd place Metal Band, 3rd place Best New Band, 4th place Industrial/Both Band, 7th place Best Acoustic Guitar (Kimberly Freeman), 8th place Female Vocals (Kimberly Freeman), and 10th place Best Record Producer (Jason Rufuss Sewell, for Monster.) One-Eyed Doll broke into the mainstream media, however, with the release of their eighth album (their third commercially released) Break, whereupon Kimberly Freeman was featured in the January/February 2010 Fallen Heroes issue of Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
in its cover feature The Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock; she also appeared as an awakening zombie on America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
. She gained more serious recognition upon being featured in a full-page dedicated article in the April 2011 Guts & Glitter issue of Guitar Player
Guitar Player
Guitar Player is a popular magazine for guitarists founded in 1967. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print since the late 1960s and during the 1980s, under editor Tom Wheeler, the publication was...
magazine as one of the Twenty Most Extraordinary Female Guitarists along with the likes of Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, and Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson
Nancy Wilson may refer to:* Nancy Wilson , American jazz singer and actress* Nancy Wilson , American singer and guitar player, member of the band Heart...
. The band has a fervent fanbase, and is known for their mutual support of their fans, some of whom have gotten tattoos of the band's iconography, and for their equally fervent DIY business model. Amongst its national tours have been performing at several major anime conventions such as DragonCon, and headlining at the 4&20 Blackbird Festival in Weed, California
Weed, California
Weed is a city located in Siskiyou County, California. As of the 2010 Census, the town had a total population of 2,967, down from 2,979 at the 2000 census. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside Weed proper. These include Edgewood, Carrick, Lake Shastina, Rancho...
.
In an unusual tie-in
Tie-in
A tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
, Kimberly Freeman is one of several real-life people to appear in the massively multiplayer online role playing game AdventureQuest Worlds
AdventureQuest Worlds
AdventureQuest Worlds, often shortened to AQWorlds or simply AQW, is a browser-based MMORPG or massively multiplayer online role playing game developed by Artix Entertainment in 2008. Unlike most massively multiplayer role playing games, AdventureQuest Worlds was developed entirely in Adobe Flash...
(where she is styled as the True Sixth Lord of Chaos); the OED song Battle On is prominently featured. She also appears in the AdventureQuest Worlds Anything-Goes Battle On Battle Card Game on two cards, one of them a berserker enhancement card quite in keeping with her on-stage persona. She is also the voice of Sally in the Doomwood Saga of the same game.
In real life, Kimberly Freeman speaks Mandarin fluently from a stint in China before beginning her music career, and was a volunteer for the Red Cross at Ground Zero
Ground zero
The term ground zero describes the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation...
after 9-11. Her producer and third drummer (and third "Junior"), Jason Rufuss Sewell, recorded his first record at the age of fifteen and has been producing records continually ever since. He has also run for the California State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
seat for District 6 in 2002 (as Jason A. Sewell on the Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
ticket), coming in second with 26% of the vote. Freeman and Sewell have created music for hundreds of commercials, movies, and video games, most prominently for AdventureQuest Worlds.
An hour-and-a-half gonzo documentary of the band's life on the road on tour from Austin to Harlem has been released on YouTube for free by David Bruce Bates, Jr.
External links
- http://www.oneeyeddoll.com/ Professional home page
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDk7Da18v3o&NR=1 Interview and performance segments
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJjE45zMlH8&feature=related An in-universe AQW interview
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T9rYRX0EWI One-Eyed Doll: A Rockumentary (2010)