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October 6, 2008

Letters To Cleo Are Back, Playing Some Shows

thubmnail icon: Letters To Cleo Are Back, Playing Some Shows

I never expected to write a single sentence about Letters To Cleo (I kinda confused them with Sixpence None The Richer, who I also never expected to...), but the band is back, and back in the day some people liked them (e.g. those horny Sally Struthers fans Beavis & Butthead). This proves that any band who ever recorded a song will reunite in 2008 (hurry up Wreckx-N-Effect, only a few months until '09). Letters, who formed in the early '90s, are best known for Aurora Gory Alice's "Here & Now," Wholesale Meats And Fish's "Awake," and their performance in 10 Things I Hate About You, wherein they did covers of "Cruel To Be Kind" and "I Want You To Want Me." Their first show in eight years takes place 11/8 at The Roxy in Los Angeles, followed by December dates in New York and their Boston birthplace. It's four original members (including recent Mylie Cyrus tour mate, vocalist Kay Hanley) along with a new bassist. While you look at the dates, we have two old hits and something live to refresh your memory.

Letters To Cleo - "Here & Now" (MP3)
Letters To Cleo - "Awake" (MP3)

Supposedly the band decided to get back together after they jumped onstage during a benefit concert at T.T. The Bear's last winter. This is what they sound like live:

Letters To Cleo - "Mellie's Comin' Over (Live)" (MP3)

OK. The dates:

11/08 - Los Angeles CA @ The Roxy
12/08 - Boston MA @ Paradise Rock Club
12/09 - Boston MA @ Paradise Rock Club
12/11 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

[Photo by Justine Ungaro]

Posted at 1:43 PM by brandon in ,
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25 Comments

Kay Hanley was outstanding on that Josie and Pussycats movie soundtrack. Seriously.

Posted by: g_jam at 10/06/08 2:00 PM  | Reply
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That soundtrack is far better than it has any right to be.

Posted by: Tony  in reply to g_jam's comment at 10/06/08 2:15 PM  | Reply
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no.

Posted by: no at 10/06/08 2:34 PM  | Reply
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Only a total douche would confuse Letters To Cleo and Sixpence None The Richer. Really.

Posted by: Jimmy James at 10/06/08 2:45 PM  | Reply
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Are you sure about this?

Posted by: brandon profile link  in reply to Jimmy James's comment at 10/06/08 2:53 PM  | Reply
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So. Good. Thank god theyre coming to NYC!

Posted by: Sarah A. at 10/06/08 3:44 PM  | Reply
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At 1:00 in the linked Beavis and Butthead Youtube video: Everything that's fucking retarded about MTV, and it being on MTV2 as proof that it's contagious.

Posted by: oh. at 10/06/08 3:45 PM  | Reply
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I loved them in the 90's. Being from Boston I got to see them many times. I will be going to one or both Boston reunion shows.

Posted by: Lindy Smooth at 10/06/08 4:08 PM  | Reply
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F! Yeah. Letters To Cleo actually kinda rule. Give "Aurora Gory Alice" a spin - quite a great record. Kay is always amazing on stage. It will be good to see them back up there rocking the old tunes.

Posted by: G at 10/06/08 5:42 PM  | Reply
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The Boston Globe did a good profile of her as a backup singer for The Jonas Brothers/Miley Cyrus. The differences between the Disney machine and an actual band were pretty funny. I think she was bemused by the purity rings everyone wore.


Posted by: James at 10/06/08 6:32 PM  | Reply
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wow. they were my ultimate favorite in the 8th grade. maybe this'll help me cheer the F up these days.

Posted by: sarahspy profile link at 10/06/08 6:57 PM  | Reply
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What's even weirder than writing about Letter's to Cleo? Ill tell ya....they opened for the Buzzcocks. It was 96 or 97 and I was in like 8th grade and went to check out the 'cocks and some band called metiSKApheles. First band out was LTC and after three songs they got booed off the stage. Needless to say the Buzzcocks slayed.

Posted by: buns profile link at 10/06/08 7:31 PM  | Reply
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i was at one of the ltc/mephiskapheles/buzzcocks show - in providence - and letters pretty much rocked it. they were thick in the 90s boston rock scene; their live performances are pretty self-explanatory.

Posted by: cassiek  in reply to buns's comment at 11/18/08 5:05 PM  | Reply
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nostalgic sophomore-year chills with that here & now mp3

Posted by: grover at 10/06/08 7:57 PM  | Reply
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Thank you for posting this! They were my entree into girl-rock in middle school. I even waited after a show and got Kay Hanley's autograph. Oh dear, I seem to remember all the lyrics...

Posted by: Alice at 10/06/08 10:09 PM  | Reply
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aurora gory alice is totally solid. and kay is fantastic. and sixpence none the richer? really? aren't they religious? kay hanley for life.

Posted by: jon at 10/06/08 11:33 PM  | Reply
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I would just like to add that Letters to Cleo has been featured in more than just 1 soundtrack. Yes, they are much better known for their participation in the 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack (and movie) but before that, they were on the THE BABY-SITTER'S CLUB (yes, oh yes, there was a movie) soundtrack. The track included was 'Step Back.'

Posted by: Asher at 10/07/08 9:11 AM  | Reply
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I'll give them a chance..........they've gotta be better than Tegan Quin at least.

Posted by: my mom at 10/08/08 4:39 AM  | Reply
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That paragraph really needs to be edited. Please. Spelling. Grammar. C'mon Brandon.

Posted by: Lethe at 10/08/08 12:41 PM  | Reply
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You misspelled your own name... Lethe is spelled U P T I G H T A S S H O L E.

Posted by: kelly  in reply to Lethe's comment at 10/08/08 5:23 PM  | Reply
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put up an mp3 of rim shak please

Posted by: grover at 10/10/08 12:06 AM  | Reply
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i love letters to cleo! their cover of "Dangerous Type" from The Cars trumps the original. Go! was a fun album too, just as good as Aurora Gory Alice. I'm pretty excited by this.

Posted by: sean at 10/10/08 7:20 PM  | Reply
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there's no such thing as trumping an original cars song. unless it's from door to door.

Posted by: rick  in reply to sean's comment at 10/11/08 1:07 PM  | Reply
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DUDE! This is fantastic news! LTC and Kay's solo stuff still way tops my list of faves. :oD Now to bug hubby for a trip downstate for the 12/11 show. ;o) And Brandon... no mention of Kay being the singing voice for Josie? Dude.. really. ;o)

Posted by: Stacie at 11/06/08 7:14 PM  | Reply
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Yes, this is fantastic news! I love them...I wish that someday they came to Brazil!!
They're really good, i love the song "I want you to want me", "You dirty rat" and "co-pilot". 8)

Posted by: Jessica at 11/08/08 7:53 PM  | Reply
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