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Jessicka

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Jessicka

Jessicka (born Jessica Fodera on October 23, 1975) is an American singer who is best known for her bands Jack Off Jill and Scarling.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Jessicka grew up in the small town of Sunrise, Florida. Jessicka was raised as an only child by her mother Nancy after she had divorced her husband, Joseph. Nancy enrolled her daughter in a local Montessori school, where she excelled in art and music. Nancy quickly enrolled Jessicka in Horizon Elementary School's gifted program where she excelled in theatre, art, and creative writing. In middle school Jessicka joined her school's chorus group and found that she had natural singing ability, but was soon bored singing standards and Christmas carols. By the time she entered high school Jessicka had immersed herself in music, Goth-culture, gay iconography, and feminist literature. She often wrote the word "cunt" on her knuckles, and began to drift from what would be considered the norm; by seventeen she decided it was time to start her own band.

[edit] Jack Off Jill

After a few failed attempts at starting a band, Jessicka met Tenni Arslynian while attending Piper High School in Sunrise, Florida. They had begun writing songs, but had not yet formed a band when Robin Moulder and Michelle Oliver joined them to create the band Jack In Jill in 1991. In 1992, Jack In Jill got their start when they began opening for fellow Floridian and long time friend Marilyn Manson and his shock-rock outfit, Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids at a Davie, Florida nightclub called The Plus 5 Lounge. Manson suggested a name change to "Jack Off Jill," which the foursome accepted.

The female fourpiece quickly became one of the most controversial underground bands during their heyday. Dreadlock-clad Jessicka was the center of all the hype and attention that JOJ received. She delivered her vocials in an angelic to banshee-like voice and performed on-stage antics that included stripping young men on stage while the band and crowd taunted the exposed fans, as well as slicing her arms on-stage with a razor and covering the audience with multi colored spit, real blood and candy. <ref> Pelletier, George."Paying The Rant" Miami New Times feature, November 27 1997. </ref>

Jessicka spent a night in jail when she and Manson were arrested after a 1993 concert in Jacksonville, Florida, after being accused by the town's Christian Coalition for breaking the town's adult entertainment codes. Both singers were charged with misdemeanors.<ref> Baker, Greg. "Program Notes 38" Miami New Times, January 05, 1995.</ref>

Though Jessicka's onstage behavior was often labeled a shocking, she never claimed to be a shock rocker. In fact, Jack Off Jill had more in common musically with riot grrl acts such as Babes in Toyland and Bikini Kill than they did with Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids, with whom Jack Off Jill would later be constantly compared. <ref> Gargano, Paul. Metal Edge Magazine 1997.</ref> It did not help that Jessicka's rumored friendship with Manson's notorious ex-girlfriend Missi Romero and long relationship with Twiggy Ramirez, former bass guitarist for the now infamous band, was also in the spotlight, making critics' comparisons draw even closer. At this time Jessicka also began cutting herself on stage which earned her the title of Patron saint of self injury, a line that would later resurface in the lyrics to Jack Off Jill's song, "When I Am Queen". <ref>MTV news December 13, 1999</ref>

Jack Off Jill released several independent records: "Children 5 and Up", "The Boygrinder Sessions", "Cannibal Song Book", (produced by JOJ and Manson) "Cockroach Waltz", and several 7" singles on Jessicka's own label Rectum Records, all before her 21st birthday. It was not until she played a benefit show on April 8, 1994 with legendary Minneapolis based grrl band Babes in Toyland and 7 Year Bitch from Seattle, that Jack Off Jill caught the eye of record labels. Jack Off Jill then caught the eyes and ears of Risk Records, who signed them in January 1997. The band released their first national 7" "Girl Scout"/"American Made" in March of 1997. On September 9, their full-length Sexless Demons and Scars (produced by Don Fleming of Sonic Youth and Hole) was released to the public.

In 1997, Jessicka headed to Los Angeles in order to complete 1998's Covetous Creature a remix EP of songs from Sexless Demons and Scars with the help of SMP (Scott Putesky) founding member of Marilyn Manson and new drummer Claudia Rossi.<ref>MTV news April 20, 1998</ref> The new manifestation of Jack Off Jill hit the road on a national tour with Psychotica, joined along the way by Switchblade Symphony. While on the road she met Psychotica guitarist Clint Walsh and the two quickly began dating.

Jessicka began to question her commitment to Jack Off Jill. At this time not only were she and band mate Robin Moulder not agreeing on the band's direction but she and mentor Brian Warner (Marilyn Manson) were no longer on speaking terms. The initial strain in their relationship was due to the involvement of Manson's ex-guitarist Scott Putesky in JOJ, and Jessicka's ongoing feud with ex boyfriend and Manson bassist, Twiggy Ramirez. In early 1998 after reading Manson's semi-autobiographical book The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell, and finding her role in the story had been reduced to a mere mention as a groupie, she decided to contact Manson and clear the air. She found out that Manson believed that she had employed Putesky in retaliation to how she was negatively depicted in the book. Their renewed friendship is speculated to be the reason why by early 1999, SMP was no longer a member of Jack Off Jill. By most accounts, the split was amicable and mutual. <ref>MTV news February 19, 1999</ref>

New songs were road-tested in March of 1999, when JOJ were asked to take the opening slot on the Marilyn Manson / Monster Magnet / Hole tour, after Hole's departure. With Putesky no longer in the guitar position, Jessicka enlisted the help of then-boyfriend guitarist Clint Walsh, drummer Norm Block, and original JOJ guitarist Michelle Inhell for the tour. In 2000, after another small lineup change to include Helen Storer from the UK all girl group Fluffy, JOJ released their second full-length CD, Clear Hearts Grey Flowers on Risk Records (produced by Chris Vrenna of Tweaker and Nine Inch Nails) just as the label was preparing to close its doors.<ref>MTV news June 8, 1999</ref> Due to pressure, poor publicity for C.H.G.F, several line up changes, tension between founding members Jessicka and Robin, and management problems, Jack Off Jill played its last show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles in April of 2000. Producer Chris Vrenna sat in on drums for Jack Off Jill's last performance. <ref>MTV news March 04, 2000</ref> JOJ officially called it quits in late 2000.

[edit] Scarling.

After taking a break and making Los Angeles her permanent residence, Jessicka was invited in 2001 by guitarist Christian Hejnal to perform guest vocals on his solo album. The pair had only met a few months earlier through their mutual friend Lisa Leveridge at a Los Angeles night club. They began recording and rehearsing together and eventually recruited the musicians who would form Scarling. in 2002.

After the new duo had written a number of songs together, they began a search for additional band members and eventually cemented the first and very short-lived lineup of Scarling.

In early 2002 Jessicka was introduced to Long Gone John, owner of Sympathy for the Record Industry, by mutual friend Mark Ryden. On March 19 2003 Scarling.'s debut single, "Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole", (produced by Chris Vrenna ) was released on John's label. Its cover featured an illustration entitled "Wound 39" by artist Mark Ryden. In April of 2004, Scarling. released their debut album, Sweet Heart Dealer, a seven-song, thirty-three-minute amalgamation of sound and texture which again utilized the team of Ryden and Vrenna.

In the autumn of 2004, Scarling. was invited to join the lineup of the Robert Smith-curated Curiosa Festival, performing on select West Coast dates alongside Interpol, The Rapture, Mogwai, and Jessicka's long-time favorite, The Cure. <ref>MTV news July 7, 2004</ref> Three weeks before joining the Curiosa tour, drummer Samantha Maloney filled in and was soon replaced by current drummer Beth Gordon. Smith described the band's music as "dark, desperate, chaotic, gorgeous pop music, the sound of the end of the world" and nominated "Sweet Heart Dealer" for the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize. <ref>MTV news August 28, 2004</ref> After finishing out their dates on the Curiosa Festival, Scarling with the help of friend and fill in bassist Radio Sloan, continued to play around Los Angeles and San Francisco at high profile indie clubs such as, The Bottom Of The Hill, Spaceland and The Troubadour.

After a series of 7" singles on Sympathy, Scarling. announced in early 2005 that their second album, So Long, Scarecrow, would appear later that year; it was preceded by the single "We Are The Music Makers" and was released on August 23 2005. Scarecrow was produced by Rob Campanella, formerly of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, at his studio, Committee to Keep Music Evil Headquarters.

In December of 2005, Scarling. embarked on its first UK tour, creating a buzz for themselves and selling out most venues. While in Europe, Jessicka attended long-time friend Manson's wedding to burlesque performer Dita Von Teese on December 3, 2005, in a secular ceremony in County Tipperary, Ireland. In 2006 Jessicka continues to tour in the US and Europe with Scarling. Along the way, touring with such bands as UK shoegaze outfit Amusement Parks on Fire and opening for The Wedding Present and Depeche Mode. Scarling. are expected to begin working on their third full length album in early 2007.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums/CDs

[edit] Singles and EPs

  • Jack Off Jill, " My Cat/Swollen" ( 7" Rectum Records first pressing black and white 1993) — writer, vocals
  • Jack Off Jill, " My Cat/Swollen" ( 7" Rectum Records second pressing color 1994) — writer, vocals
  • Jack Off Jill, "Girlscout/ American Made" ( 7" Risk Records 1996) — writer, vocals
  • Jack Off Jill, Covetous Creature (1998) — writer, vocals
  • Honey To Ash, " Last Day In June" (Unquiet Grave Vol. 4 - Cleopatra Records 2000) — writer, vocals
  • Messy, "Make You Believe" (Messy Music 2001) — writer, vocals
  • Scarling., Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole (7", Sympathy for the Record Industry 2003) — writer, vocals
  • Scarling., Band Aid Covers the Bullet Hole (CD, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2003) — writer, vocals
  • Scarling., Crispin Glover (7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2004) — writer, vocals
  • Scarling., Crispin Glover (7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2004) — writer, vocals
  • Scarling. / The Willowz (split 7", Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2005) — writer, vocals
  • Scarling., "Staring To The Sun" (CD, Sympathy for the Record Industry, 2006)— writer, vocals

[edit] Filmography

[edit] See also

[edit] Sources

[edit] References

<references/>

[edit] External links

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