Parenthetical Girls' jangling, swiveling anthem "Evelyn McHale," which they appropriately label "Bolan-ian," gets its name and starting point from the 23-year-old woman who jumped from the Empire State Building observation deck on May 1, 1947 and was
photographed immediately after by Robert Wiles in beautifully serene repose atop a crushed car. It's the opening track on the first of five limited-edition 12" EPs that will eventually make up the Portland band's fourth album
Privilege, which follows 2008's more orchestral
Entanglements. The EPs will be sold separately in sequence (and as they were completed) over the next 15 months via the band's own Slender Means Society.
They will not be distributed to stores. As the cycle concludes in May of 2011, the fifth and final 12" will come packaged in a beautiful, aesthetically cohesive LP box designed to house all four of the preceding releases, forming the complete Privilege album.
Each 12" will feature artwork by the Swedish illustrator Jenny Mörtsell (see above) and will be hand-numbered in the blood of the core members. Fitting for this one, definitely.
Parenthetical Girls - "Evelyn McHale" (MP3)
The first program:
Side A
01 "Evelyn McHale"
02 "Someone Else's Muse"
Side B
01 "On Death & Endearments"
02 "Found Drama I"
Privilege: Pt. 1 - On Death & Endearments is out 2/23 via
Slender Means Society. It'll be available on vinyl, of course, and digitally. The vinyl edition is limited to 500 copies.