Death or Glory

Take a knee. Take a bow. Take a moment to pay respects to rock n roll’s regal and rebellious Queen V.

In her iron fist, this ferocious singer clutches a mic and claims sovereignty over your senses with that hard-edged, bombastic rock sound you’ve been missing. With her new album Death or Glory, which features contributions from the likes of Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Tom Morello (Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine) and the infamous Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead), V prepares to turn the rock world on its ass with bold and sexual lyrics, palpable passion, and a generous dose of caustic wit.

Not just a powerful female voice but a force to be reckoned with, V has been spearheading the growth of her own career from day one, never having an agent or a manager. Shortly after her brother taught her to read using the lyrics of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” our own soon-to-be-Queen was already calling the stage home. After years of piano lessons, V ditched the keys in favor of the six-string, later claiming, “It’s easier to jump around with a guitar than a piano.”

Musical chops in place, V needed a name fit for a woman who would one day be rock’s leading lady. “‘Queen V’ was a reaction to the way women were portrayed in music at the time, shaking their asses, looking pretty, and having nothing at all to say,” V said. “I wanted to bring something else to the table and by calling myself ‘Queen V,’ it was the perfect way to challenge myself to raise the bar, to throw my hat into the ring.”

V joined the fight with two self-released, self-promoted projects, beginning in 2002 with her “Critical” EP, which featured Lez Warner (the Cult) on drums. The EP marked the beginning of V’s work with longtime songwriting partner and producer Phil Schmoll. “‘Critical’ was basically a ‘coming-out’ party for me,” V said. “It was a great learning experience that helped me get my sea legs.” The singer proved she was out in full force when, while performing at Don Hill’s the following year, she caught the attention of Twisted Sister’s manager and embarked on a tour with the band. Six months later, she was invited to tour with Billy Idol, further honing her onstage persona with rock’s best.

The singer used her experience with the rockers to add an even grittier edge to her full-length, self-titled release and proved she had absorbed some of the on-stage charisma of her touring mates when she took off on her own trek in 2005 and was asked to open for Bon Jovi. While V can easily deliver a balls-to-the-wall rock show, she decided to set out on a solo acoustic tour in 2006, sparing no level of intensity. “I thought it would be a nice change of pace to be one on one with the audience,” she says. After having seen V perform at the Viper Room, Morello asked her to join him for several “Axis of Justice” shows featuring his solo acoustic act, The Nightwatchman. V happily obliged and shared the stage with other acts such as Ben Harper, Jon Foreman (Switchfoot), Jill Sobule, and Cypress Hill.

V's latest offering, Death or Glory, (set for a 2009 release) encapsulates that dichotomy as she straddles the line between hard rock and singer/songwriter. The first track, “Continental,” is 100% unadulterated fun. “I had the opportunity to ride in a 1960's Lincoln,” V says, “and it just made me want to call a girlfriend, jump in the car and get into some trouble.”

“Revolution Baby” opens with boot camp commands and is fueled by a stomping beat throughout. V's gritty vocals deliver lyrics about leading your own “personal rebellion. Sometimes you just need to kick the fucking doors down and start over,” says V.

“My Machine,” an unrelenting, speeding ride, is about being “a proud sexual woman in the face of all the guilt and shame women are supposed to feel.” She explains, “It felt good to vent my frustrations with people who are afraid or intimidated by my Catherine The Great size appetite for passion and intensity.” V makes her case for wanting to “just get down to it,” with her deep, heavy breaths layered over Tom Morello’s ferocious guitar riffs.

V takes it down a notch for “One and Only,” which opens with the sound of ice cubes tinkling in a cold glass of vodka and explodes with a blistering guitar solo from Reid. The singer’s vocals, alternately breathy and furious, lead the dark love song, that explains “how deep and dark it can get, and the lengths you’ll go to for something or someone you want that bad.”

But V hits her darkest moment on the deeply emotional “Cry For A Minute,” a song about “needing to fall apart sometimes when you just can’t cope anymore.” The song took on a more personal tone during the recording process when a close friend and supporter of V’s, Eric Emanuel, died tragically in a car accident. “It made the song really hard to get through without getting really choked up. He was a mentor and an inspiration and I hope his memory will live on through this song.” That seamless shift from screeching rock to soulful balladry is classic V. “There’s no nicey-nicey girly thing with me,” V says of her determination to express her emotions, no matter how raw or how revealing.

V’s fans will get to watch the singer wrestle with those demons once again as V plans to bring her utterly intense live show to stages across the country following the release of her latest album. Will you join her court?

QUEEN V in MAXIM

SKOPE
God Save The Queen
By Adam Bernard

Queen V has spent the majority of her life roaming the streets of New York City looking for great rock ‘n roll. Sadly, she’s noticed a serious decline in the scene since the days of her youth. “It’s been some long dry years for rock ‘n roll in this area,” she sighs, “I always think of that Pretenders song, ‘My City Was Gone’ when I walk around New York now. Where are all those mom and pop shops? Where is that grit and grime that used to be there, that used to scare the piss out of Jersey suburbanites in the late 80s? It used to be a scarier place but also a place where real art was thriving, or more art at least.” It was witnessing her favorite arts scene slowly fade away that inspired Queen V to contribute something to it.

Counting the likes of Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury and David Lee Roth (as well as few prominent females, such as Janis Joplin and Joan Jett) as musical role models, Queen V has set out to bring rock ‘n roll back to its essence. Her plan is a simple one. “It’s taking those tried and true rock ‘n roll values that I was raised on and throwing it around with my own story and my own experiences of being a woman in music and also an artist coming up in New York City.”

The movement is more than just Queen V acting alone, however. She points out “Queen V, of course, is myself, but it’s also a band; it’s a whole posse of rock ‘n roll purists who basically have banded together. We’ve built a pirate ship along with many other people, and basically it’s [about] taking the power back. It’s taking the music back and bringing rock ‘n rol to the people who have showed us how much they really love us and want it.” The reaction has been one of thunderous support as Queen V has toured and performed with a long list of established superstars including Twisted Sister, Billy Idol, Slash, Perry Farrell, Les Claypool and Tom Morello. The former Rage Against the Machine guitarist even joins Queen V on a number of songs on her new album Death or Glory.

Having big name acts isn’t just a resume builder for Queen V; it’s further proof to her that she’s on the right path. “I’ve heard every single story under the sun of why I can’t do it and why it won’t work,” she explains “but the more we get out there, the more people we meet, and the more established legendary rock stars that jump on the ship with us, the more we see it really is working.” Queen V feels anyone who comes out to one of her shows will be quick to second that as she notes, “that’s where the good shit happens, when you’re face to face and in the mix.” According to her, concertgoers and listeners should always be prepared for some “intense stuff,” adding “it’s gonna rip your fucking guts out.”

You can’t get much more rock n roll than that.

METAL EDGE
Serving at the Pleasure of the Queen

Whose new album features guest appearances from Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello and blues-roots artist Jon Paris? It’s New York-based female rocker Queen V’s Death or Glory which drops on [February 26th, 2007] from Royal Noise Recordings. The talented singer/guitarist channels kick-ass female rockers like Joan Jett, Janis Joplin, and Pat Benatar on the record. Highlights include “Cry For A Minute” (a song V says is about needing to fall apart sometimes when you just can’t cope anymore”), “My Machine” (V’s “proud sexual woman in the face of all the guilt and shame women are supposed to feel” anthem) and “Revolution Baby” (“Sometimes you just need to kick the fucking doors down and start over,” explains V).

HARP
QUEEN V
“DEATH OR GLORY”
(ROYAL NOISE)

In some contexts, lyrics like “Let me jump into your Continental/Not a rental” would be grounds for charges of crimes against taste, class, and wit. But if you’re worried about such things, you’re not gonna get Queen V anyway. The New York axewoman’s latest full-length, which features cameos from Tom Morello, Vernon Reid, and – most righteously – Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, is about little more (and nothing less) than overcoming the mundane with power chords and a sexy, sweet wail. If you surrender to that, you’ll find real beauty in the longing “Good Enough” and redemption in the lusty “My Machine.” And if you don’t, you’re probably sitting around listening to Pavement reissues. (ERIC SCHUMACHER-RASMUSSEN)

DETROIT METRO TIMES
Jeffrey Morgan’s Media Blackout: From comics to sonics, your speed critic rides on...

Queen V- Death or Glory (Royal Noise Recordings) :: Queen V is the raunchy new Wendy O. Williams of rock ‘n’ roll. Just like WOW, this snarlin’ guttersnipe has primo Plasmatics attitude and, even better, she does her own duet with Lord Lemmy, aka King Kilmister. Bow down, bow down to the Queen. The Queen of Queens. There is only one.

GUITAR PLAYER
Queen V
By Madaline Goldstein

“Queen V will rock your freakin’ head off!” proclaims her band’s Myspace headline, and who’s gonna argue? The New York City-based singer/songwriter and rhythm guitarist-who not surprisingly wields a Gibson Flying V as her weapon of choice-leads a tough band made up of bassist Chris Altenhoff, lead guitarist Matt Hogan, and drummer Jon Webber. She has tread stages with artists such as Slash, Wayne Kramer, and Perry Farrell. She enticed Loving Colour’s Vernon Reid and Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave sonic wizard Tom Morello to play on her new CD, “Death or Glory” (Royal Noise Recordings). And her driving T-Rex-meets-the-Sweet guitar tone and rough, no-bull voice are intense enough to melt your ears, eyes and nose right off of your face.

G.P.: Tell us about your Flying V.

Q.V.: It’s a 1989 Gibson hot-rodded with Seymour Duncans, and strung with GHS Boomers, gauged .010-.052. I always end up playing that guitar live. It helps me sound like Malcolm Young!

G.P.: Do you use other guitars in the studio?

Q.V. Yes, I also have a ’59 reissue Fender Telecaster, a ’98 Gibson Les Paul Special, and a ’67 Gibson “Trini Lopez”-which is one of my favorites.

G.P.: Isn’t the Trini Lopez kind of a strange choice for a hard rocker such as yourself?

Q.V.: That guitar sounds like nothing else-the tone is just amazing! It’s very buttery, warm and round, but it has a bite. In the studio, when I put it up against other guitars, it often sounds the best. It’s a bit of a Frankenstein, though. The Gibson Custom Shop put on a different neck around 1972, and they replaced the Bigsby someone had installed with a stock tailpiece from a Les Paul. It’s a one-of-a-kind piece.

G.P.: What about your amps?

Q.V.: I plug straight into a Vox AC30 outfitted with vintage Siemens tubes-no pedals or effects. Matt uses the Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier, and I have an old ’59 Sears Silvertone that I use in the studio sometimes.

G.P.: What do you look for in a lead guitarist?

Q.V.: It’s hard to specify, because it’s always about “feel”. They have to play what’s right for the song, and yet they must also have a voice of their own.

G.P.: How did you get Tom Morello and Vernon Reid to guest on “Death or Glory”?

Q.V.: Somebody once called me the “Pied Piper” of lead gutitarists. I’m always looking for my Eddie Van Halen, my Steve Stevens, my Jimmy Page. Somehow I’ve managed to attract some brilliant players, but all of those connections were pretty organic. For example, Tom caught my band at the Viper Room in Los Angeles a few years ago, and he really liked the show. We became good friends, and when I wanted to enlist some heavy hitters for the album, her was at the top of the list. He plays on “My Machine.” It was kind of the same with Vernon, who guests on “One and Only.” I’ve always been a fan of theirs. Their voices as lead guitarists and songwriters are unbelievable. When I first heard Tom’s playing on Rage’s “Killing in the Name,” I thought, “Holy Sh*t! I love this!”

GOTHIC TIMES
East Coast Queen Keeps on Rocking
by Vanessa Cubillo

I’m waiting for a very important phone call. Only a couple minutes have past when my phone finally rings. Queen V’s voice greets me at the other end of the line. I quickly take notice of how warm and friendly her voice is. It doesn’t feel like we’re in an interview, I feel like I’m talking to one of my friends. That’s just who Queen V is, this East Coast rocker may be called a Queen but she ain’t no diva. As an image for women, Queen V lays it straight, “There is the term “chick rock” where girls are incredibly middle-of-the-road or stand around with guitars trying to look cute…I’m not trying to do that. That’s where the name Queen V came from, it’s my way of challenging myself to raise the bar, dig a lot deeper and throw my hat in the ring”.

Born in Manhattan but grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, Queen V has performed in various places from Don Hill’s to CBGB’s. She even performed at this year’s SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas. “That whole time down in Austin was insane… there was something like 1300 bands playing there…it was a beautiful thing to experience that much rock and roll – and performing with Slash didn’t hurt either.”

Now Queen V will release her second full-length album, “Death or Glory” on [February 26th, 2009]. With song titles like “Revolution Baby”, “My Machine”, and “Continental”, this album delivers some seriously soulful rock and roll. Also on her album she has contributions from Vernon Reid of Living Colour and Tom Morello of Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine. “It’s really been an amazing journey… My boys and I are really putting it to the test with this album and we feel like this is the one; we’re ready to rock!”

With such a liberating album, why such a strong ominous title like Death or Glory? “It basically sums up the vibe where I am at this time, the intensity I feel … it really is do or die.” So with an ambitious attitude, Queen V ventures forward living true to her rock and roll dream. Having performed alongside artists like Billy Idol and Bon Jovi, she has already paved the way for herself pretty well. She’ll soon be touring the East and West coast while she promotes her new album. “It’s really important to support live music and of course, come out to a Queen V show”.

BOSTON GLOBE

Queen V can be judged by the company she keeps. The New York City rocker has opened for Billy Idol and Bon Jovi and features Vernon Reid (best known for his work with Living Colour) and Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) on her new album. The endorsement of these legends should be enough to get you to believe that V is the real deal – an anti-establishment rock personality who can shred. You can hear her sing anthems from her new disc “Death or Glory” at the Middle East Upstairs tonight. She shares the lineup with Blacktail, Motherboar and Destruct-A-thon. Show starts at 9pm.

FRANTIK Q & A

Frantik: So your new album, “Death or Glory,” is set for release [on February 26th, 2009]. You have three tracks up on your myspace right now but so far out of the three, “Cry for a minute” is a definite stand out track! What should we be expecting from your new album?

Queen V: We wanted to leak some tracks online to our fans in November and have it in stores soon. Since this record is truly home made I really focused on trying to make it fun to listen to. It’s nice not having some dip-shit in a suit and tie telling you what will sell and what wont, so I just concentrated on making sure the tracks were from the heart and would be something that would give new fans an idea of what I’m about. There are some really tender ballads mixed in with some real ass-kicking songs sprinkled with some groovy tunes to get you in the mood for you-know-what.

Frantik: “Death or Glory” is an awesome album! I know that it will further give you the recognition that you deserve once the people hear it. What is the message that you’re trying to convey on this album?

Queen V: More than anything I wanted to prove to myself that we could do this on our own without a major label. We went out and found someone stupid enough to give us a huge equipment lease and essentially bought a mobile studio. That allowed us to go where we wanted to track and really spend the time to get it right. We recorded everywhere from a former whorehouse in Midtown Manhattan to my bedroom. We ended up parking the gear at John Seymour’s place, the Treefort in Hoboken, to mix and it really helped break up the monotony to move around to all those different locations. What I really wanted to convey on this record is intensity. Everyone who worked on this record shared my vision in wanting to express my passion for music and wanting to connect with my fans. I left my guts out there for all to see and I hope that comes across. It’s also about empowerment. The whole experience was so much harder than I thought it was going to be and I’m proud as hell that we pulled it off. I’m already fighting an uphill battle as a woman in rock, and to make this record on my own from start to finish is a message to all women musicians out there; that this isn’t just a man’s game and we’ve got something to say ladies so listen up!

Frantik: Speaking of the new album, which song do you think out of the 11 awesome tracks you laid down, will become a crowd favorite and which song is your favorite and why? Livewise?

Queen V: “Revolution Baby seems to go over well with the audience because it’s got that stomp beat. It’s fun to play because I can really get the crowd involved and get them fired up. As far as favorites go, it kind of changes from day to day. I guess it depends on what kind of mood I’m in. “My Machine” is a good song for driving in NYC traffic and “One & Only” is a great track when you’re feeling naughty.

Frantik: Now, you’ve also got some awesome guests on your new album including Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Nightwatchman), Lemmy (Motorhead, Head Cat) and Vernon Reid (Living Colour). How did you manage to make this happen and how thrilled were you to have them on your record?

Queen V: I’ve known those guys for a long time and they’re good friends of mine. They all thought I was crazy for making a record on my own but they gave me a lot of encouragement to see it through. I can’t think of a greater vote of confidence than having those guys offer to lend their talents to my cause and saying that I was thrilled would be an understatement.

Frantik: One EP and a debut album into your career, what is the difference from your first offerings to your latest offering, “Death or Glory?” In other words, how has your music grown and how have you evolved as a musician?

Queen V: I’m really proud of those first records, they represent a lot of work and growth. Since then I’ve done a lot of touring and writing, constantly learning and honing my craft. I’ve gotten a lot more dirt under my fingernails as they say, and I think that shows on the new record. I really care about giving my fans everything I’ve got and making sure they get their money’s worth. The harder I work on improving, the more I think I’m finding my voice and making a statement.

Frantik: You’ve got some amazing pipes! How do you keep your throat in shape and what do you do to keep yourself in shape?

Queen V: My producer is the ultimate “Voice Nazi”. He’s got me on an insane regimen of vocal calisthenics and breathing exercises to strengthen all the singing muscles. They’re the kind of exercises you can only do in private; otherwise people would think you were off your rocker. I also have a personal trainer who is like a Marine drill sergeant who whips my ass into shape. It’s the only way I could ever survive the stress of screaming my head off every night and living the Rock and Roll lifestyle. I have a lot of bad habits that require a whole lot of purging so I go the Shvitz (N.Y. for steam or sauna) as often as I can.

Frantik: I read on your website that you would like to “Take Back New York,” and for you readers out there that don’t know what this endeavor stands for, it aims to breathe life into the state of live music in New York City or as she puts it herself, “A monthly night of ass kickin’!” Why is it so important to “Take Back New York?

Queen V: As a kid I idolized bands like Blondie and the Ramones, bands that defined New York and inspired kids like the Beastie Boys and Sonic Youth to carry the torch. The city is so rich in music history in every genre and I just feel like something died along the way. Everything got so corporate and stale. People stopped going to see live music and started flocking to the $500 bottle service “lounges” with the hot D.J. du jour to be seen with the beautiful people. The rock clubs and dive bars started going the way of the buffalo and it was starting to feel like I was in a completely different city. I eventually got tired of sitting around and bitching about it so I decided somebody had to do something to try and jump start the vibe in this ghost town. I know a lot of old school New York cats and young bands that feel the same way I do so I started kicking the idea around of having a monthly event where we could all get together, play some music and remember what it used to be like. Also to encourage each other to try and change the sad state of affairs, sort of a strength in numbers thing. I was amazed at how much positive feedback I got from everyone and the thing just grew from there. We also realized it would be a good opportunity to raise awareness of some serious issues the city is facing so we teamed up with Tom Morello and Serj Tankian’s organization, Axis of Justice, to raise money for a really cool charity called Picture the Homeless. It’s starting to get cold in the city and these people really need our help.

Frantik: What is Rock N’ Roll to Queen V? What do you consider to be rock n’ roll and not rock n’ roll?

Queen V: To me Rock and Roll has become such a watered down term. When I think of Rock and Roll I think of Led Zeppelin and AC/DC, true champions of sin and debauchery. I see these young bands that call themselves Rock and Roll doing beer commercials and wonder what the fuck happened? It’s like going to see a bunch of car salesmen playing music, that’s disgusting. Oooh don’t get me started, that really ticks me off. Or as Ralph Cramden would say, “don’t get me steamed Alice ‘cause I’m already steamed”!

Frantik: What is the biggest misconception about Queen V?

Queen V: People sometimes think I’m a model turned musician, a dainty little girly-girl that can’t hold her own. For the record, I’ve never even entertained the notion of modeling and anybody who thinks I can’t hold my own better be prepared to bring it on, I will crush you like a bug.

Frantik: With the war on digital downloading vs. physical purchase in full swing, what is your take on it? What are thoughts on digital downloading vs. physical purchase?

Queen V: This is a tricky subject because as an artist you worry about how you’re going to get paid for your work but on the other hand, record labels have gotten so greedy that I’m kind of glad they’re shaking in their boots. I think downloading free music was a reaction to people being pissed off about paying $20.00 for records that had maybe 1 or 2 good songs at best. It became a way of test-driving the product before you bought it. Maybe the labels should be more concerned with making good records instead of worrying about people downloading. I believe that if someone is a real fan of a band, they naturally want to support that band by either buying the CD or a T-shirt or going to see them live. Free downloads can be a great vehicle to get people interested in your band. If they like what they hear, they’ll come check you out or god forbid, buy a real CD. Labels are seeing the writing on the wall and quickly restructuring their deals to share in the touring and merchandise money, which traditionally belonged to the artist. I think that if your music is good enough you don’t really have to worry about losing money to downloading. It makes you ultimately have to sing for your supper and be a good entertainer which I don’t think can be a bad thing in the end. We’ve given tracks away as free downloads to invite people to give us a listen. If I didn’t believe in my ability to deliver the goods at my shows I wouldn’t be giving tracks away for free. Rock music is all about playing live and if you can’t do it, get off the stage.

Frantik: Now you seem like you like a person that likes to have a lot of fun. In your spare time, what do you do for fun or what exactly do you do when you’re not making music or playing a show?

Queen V: I’m a bit of a bad girl, I like to have fun. I’m usually out with friends getting into trouble or checking out bands that I like. I’m sad to admit that I’ve been spending more and more time in L.A. because there’s a lot more of a live music scene there than there is here and a lot of my friends have moved out to La-la land. I do have a homey side to me though; I have 2 dogs Bubba and Rocky that I try to be a good mother to, although I think Caesar Milan would have a thing or two to say about my parenting skills. I spoil them rotten!

Frantik: Alright, let’s say that my associate editors and I were headed down to NYC for the weekend with nowhere to go. We’ve been there before a few times and kind of sort of know where to hang out for good times but where would you take us so we can all have a good time?

Queen V: I’d take you to Takahachi on Ave. A for Sushi (always have a good meal before you drink my grandmother said) then we’d head over to Home Sweet Home, a great bar in the Lower East Side for some lubrication. After that we’d head over to Brooklyn for a good loft party where you’ll always bump into some interesting characters. From there we head back to Manhattan to Niagara for a drink before they close and then to San Loco for some late night Guaco Locos (soft shell wrapped around a hard shell taco with guacamole in between), great 4 am refueling! Then we’d head for a cool after hours place (names withheld to protect the guilty) and hang there until 8 or 9 am after which we’d head to breakfast at Life Café on Ave. B. A cab or hearse would ferry us to our final resting place after a memorable night of gallivanting.

Frantik: Any additional comments?

Queen V: We are the underdog, the Rocky Balboa of Rock and Roll. If you root for the little guy then we are your band. If you like home grown kind-bud music then you’ve come to the right place. We still care and so do a lot of our friends. Don’t give up the faith and support your local band. One love!