Two Nice Girls were a self-styled " dyke rock" band from

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

, featuring singer-songwriter Gretchen Phillips. They were together from 1985 to 1992, releasing three albums on Rough Trade Records.

History

The group formed in 1985, originally the duo of Gretchen Phillips and Kathy Korniloff, who won the Austin "

Sweet Jane "Sweet Jane" is a song by American rock band the Velvet Underground; it appears on their fourth studio album '' Loaded'' (1970). The song was written by Lou Reed, the band's leader, who continued to incorporate the piece into live performances a ...

" festival, their version of the Lou Reed song later combined with

Joan Armatrading Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading, (, born 9 December 1950) is a Kittitian-English singer-songwriter and guitarist. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Armatrading has also been nominated twice for BRIT Awards as Best Female Artist. She received ...

's "Love and Affection" for their single release "Sweet Jane (With Affection)" in 1989.Strenger, Wif & Robbins, Ira
Two Nice Girls
, ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

''. Retrieved July 22, 2018 Within a year, the lineup had expanded to comprise Phillips (guitar, bass, mandolin, and vocals), Korniloff (guitar, bass, violin, percussion, vocals), and Laurie Freelove (guitar, bass, percussion, and vocals). Members each wrote songs and took turns on different instruments.Brace, Eric (1991)
Two Nice Girls
, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', March 11, 1991 The band's debut album, '' 2 Nice Girls'', released in 1989 included "Sweet Jane" and a cover version of

Jane Siberry Jane Siberry ( ; ; born 12 October 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, known for such hits as " Mimi on the Beach", "I Muse Aloud", " One More Colour" and "Calling All Angels". She performed the theme song to the television series ''Maniac M ...

's "Follow Me", as well as eight originals.Christgau, Robert
Two Nice Girls
, robertchristgau.com. Retrieved July 22, 2018 Freelove left following completion of the band's first album in 1989 to pursue a solo career. She was replaced by Meg Hentges. Drummer Pam Barger was added to the band for a tour to promote the album. In 1990 they released the mostly covers mini-album ''Like a Version'', and followed this with '' Chloe Liked Olivia'' in 1991. Common themes in their songs included lesbianism, often using satire and humour, with their music often described as

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...

. Two Nice Girls won a

GLAAD Media Award The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by GLAAD to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their liv ...

in 1991. The group broke up in 1992. Hentges went on to release an EP and two full-length albums.''The Advocate'', 1999, Liberation Publications, p. 256 Phillips recorded several self-released albums and formed other bands. Korniloff moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in sound design and music for motion pictures. Barger moved to Seattle and joined

The Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet The Tiptons Sax Quartet, previously known as The Billy Tipton Memorial Saxophone Quartet, is a jazz saxophone quartet from Seattle, Washington. The ensemble consists of five members (the fifth member being the quartet's drummer and percussionist ...

. According to the band's website, Laurie Freelove died January 22, 2017.

Discography

Albums

* '' 2 Nice Girls'' (1989), Rough Trade * '' Like a Version'' (1990), Rough Trade * '' Chloe Liked Olivia'' (1991), Rough Trade

Singles

* "Sweet Jane (With Affection)" (1989), Rough Trade

References

External links

*
Laurie Freelove Artist Profile

The Gretchen Phillips Experience
{{Authority control All-female bands American country rock groups Rock music groups from Texas LGBT-themed musical groups American lesbian musicians Musical groups from Austin, Texas Rough Trade Records artists Musical groups established in 1985 1985 establishments in Texas Musical groups disestablished in 1992