Fanatic Promotion: Tales of ethical sluts, Daddy’s girls, and hookers with hearts of gold shimmy into KT Tunstall and Janis Joplin territory on upcoming Saint Bernadette

Busy Saint B. singer Meredith DiMenna also teams with Brian Grosz as The Priestess & The Fool to cover obscure duets by Siouxsie Sioux & Morrissey, PJ Harvey & Tricky and others.

“Watch out Shirley Bassey. Meredith DiMenna of Saint Bernadette wields an old-school femme fatale voice that would be perfect for the next 20 years of James Bond themes.” – Harp

After the release of 2007’s In The Ballroom, Keith Saunders and Meredith DiMenna of Saint Bernadette started to hear voices. Newly joined in the bonds of holy matrimony, ending a seven-year stint of living in sin, Meredith and Keith interpreted the sudden appearance of the voices as a sign from on high.

The new Saint Bernadette EP I Wanna Tell You Something was born. Listen to it HERE.

Where the band’s 2007 debut In the Ballroom featured anthems for ethical sluts, Daddy’s girls, and hookers with hearts of gold, I Wanna Tell You Something pays homage to an illusory, impossible love affair. Featuring sing along choruses, twisted circus melodies, and one crushing ballad, the EP’s five songs detail a journey of longing through temptation, despair, whimsy, audacity, and vulnerability.

Kick off track “In Between” is an unspoken come-on, while follow up “Love is a Stranger” suffers the regret that follows the unsaid. Sweet girl group harmonies ornament “One in a Million”, until barn burner, “Hard to Believe” delivers a sonic slap to the face and a shot of tequila. The title track “I Wanna Tell You Something”, a last minute inspiration, is a sweet invitation to stay up all night.

I Wanna Tell You Something, moves past the retro quality of In The Ballroom and its comparisons to Shirley Bassey, Peggy Lee, and Billie Holliday and into the modern territory of the Deal sisters, KT Tunstall and the raw power and unbridled emotion of Janis Joplin.

“There are times when we accidentally might sound like Kelly Clarkson,” says Meredith. “Not true,” says Keith. In truth, the album owes little to the American Idol, but might recall the gymnastic nature of her pipes and some selective Yeah Yeah Yeahs-style guitars. How can a band be channeling both pop princesses and post punk rock? “For the most part, I’m just singing as hard as I can,” says Meredith. “I ain’t ashamed.”

Just as Bernadette changed the future of her hometown of Lourdes forever with her unexplained visions, Saint Bernadette, the rock band, is poised to put their hometown, in the ill-considered state of Connecticut, on the indie music map. The album was recorded again in Bridgeport, with producer Chris Sanchez (The Flesh, Stylofone) at his studio, Sanchez Dos. It was further co-produced and mixed by Keith at his home studio, Running Water Labs.

To paraphrase the 1943 movie The Song of Bernadette: “For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.”

For those who still have Saint Bernadette’s 2007 debut In The Ballroom on their minds, here are a couple of new goodies: Check out the video for the album track “Pieces” (LINK) which documents the band’s three-day marathon recording session in the abandoned Bijou Theatre ballroom in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Also available, a sweet remix (MP3) of the In The Ballroom track “Money In The Air” by DJ Black Panther (Jean Gray, M1 of Dead Prez, Okay Player) featuring Ever Wonder (Left Field Rhythms, C Boogie).

Also running in tandem is Meredith DiMenna’s side project The Priestess and The Fool with singer Brian Grosz featuring cover songs of classic and arcane duets from Elvis Presley & Ann-Margaret, Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, PJ Harvey & Tricky, Morrissey & Siouxsie Sioux and Earl Greyhound.

Upon hearing the title cut from the soundtrack of the 1982 Francis Ford Coppola film One From The Heart, an epic duet between Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle, Meredith and Brian began to envision retooling the song as a vanity project to keep their hands moving and their chops up. Within a short period of time, however, the two found themselves searching for more classic duets to re-invent -- and thereby their six-song EP, A Minor Work was born. View the EP trailer HERE and download the EP in its entirety (including cover art and PDF booklet) HERE.

Saint Bernadette Live:

03/06 Bridgeport, CT Two Boots (CD Release)

03/12 Austin, TX The Wave (Fanatic SXSW Showcase)

03/17 New Orleans, LA HiHo Lounge

03/19 Spindale, NC Live on WNCW

03/21 Asheville, NC New French Bar

03/22 Asheville, NC Westville Pub

04/06 Yonkers, NY Mr. D’s

I Wanna Tell You SomethingTracklisting

Stream The EP HERE
Release Date: 03.04.08

01. In Between
02. Love Is A Stranger
03. One In A Million
04. Hard To Believe
05. I Wanna Tell You Something

In The Ballroom Tracklisting:
Stream The Album HERE

01. I Own The City (MP3)
02. Bound To Do
03. She’s a Natural
04. Money In The Air (REMIX)
05. Pieces (VIDEO)
06. Sidestep (MP3 VIDEO)
07. Such Ease (MP3)
08. Lay Me Down
09. Universe
10. No Dreams

The Priestess & The Fool

A Minor Work Tracklisting

Download The Full EP HERE

01. You’re The Boss - (Elvis Presley & Ann Margaret)

02. Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You? (Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong)

03. One From The Heart - (Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle)
04. Broken Homes - (PJ Harvey & Tricky)

05. Interlude - (Siouxsie Sioux & Morrissey)