Cheap Girls

Cheap Girls were an American rock band from Lansing, Michigan. The band consisted of brothers Ian Graham (guitar, lead vocals) and Ben Graham (drums, back-up vocals), Jason Draper (Bass) and Adam Aymor (guitar). Formed in 2007, the band quickly began recording and touring, releasing their first album Find Me a Drink Home in 2008. Together they released four full-length studio albums. The band toured with bands such as Against Me!, The Gaslight Anthem, The Hold Steady, and The Bouncing Souls across the US and Europe. Their sound was often compared to The Replacements, The Lemonheads, and early Smoking Popes.[1]

Cheap Girls
Cheap Girls playing at Mac's Bar in Lansing, Michigan.
Background information
OriginLansing, Michigan, United States
GenresPower pop, indie rock, punk rock, pop punk, heartland rock
Years active2007–2017
LabelsAll in Vinyl, Art of the Underground, Asian Man Records, Bermuda Mohawk, Rise Records, Paper + Plastick, No Idea Records, Quote Unquote Records, Business Casual, Suburban Home Records, Xtra Mile
Past membersIan Graham
Ben Graham
Adam Aymor
Jason Draper

History

Beginnings

Brothers Ian and Ben Graham began playing in bands when they were 11 and 13, respectively. Playing local shows and small venues in the Lansing, MI region is how they met Adam, who was playing in a different band at the time. In 2007, after their previous groups disbanded, the three formed Cheap Girls with the idea of creating back-to-basics rock.[2][3] The band began playing shows and writing the music that would become their first album, Find Me a Drink Home.

Debut album: Find Me a Drink Home (2007–2009)
Main article: Find Me a Drink Home

Their first full-length album, Find Me a Drink Home, was released on April 22, 2008, through Quote Unquote Records.[4] On August 2, 2012, it was announced that future pressings of Find Me a Drink Home and My Roaring 20's would be released by Asian Man Records.[5]

My Roaring 20's (2009–2011)
Main article: My Roaring 20's

They toured the US extensively in support of Find Me a Drink Home, which led to the release of their sophomore album My Roaring 20's via Paper + Plastick on October 9, 2009.[6] Again, their album was followed with tours of the US, as well as Europe, including the United Kingdom.[7] They also played Chicago's Riot Fest and Gainesville's The Fest. The exposure landed the band an opening slot with Against Me! when they played a one-off show in Lansing, MI in 2010 while on tour with Silversun Pickups. In February 2011, the band went on a full US tour with Against Me![8]

Rise Records signing and Giant Orange (2011–2013)
Main article: Giant Orange

The band signed to Rise Records for their third LP, Giant Orange, and released the album on February 21, 2012.[9] It debuted at number 49 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart and was supported by a US tour with The Sidekicks.[10][11] During this time the band also opened for The Gaslight Anthem, Against Me!, Mustard Plug, and The Bouncing Souls at shows across the US and Europe.

In March 2012, Paste Magazine listed Cheap Girls as one of the "twenty must-see bands at SXSW 2012."[12]

My Roaring 20's Acoustic (2013)
Main article: My Roaring 20's Acoustic

On January 14, 2013, the band digitally released My Roaring 20's Acoustic through Quote Unquote Records. The album is an acoustic version of their 2009 release My Roaring 20's and was made available to download for free with an option to donate. All of the donations will go towards paying for Ian Graham's medical bills from a recent knee surgery.[13]

BARELY ALIVE in Grand Rapids, Michigan 12/30/12 (2013)

On February 5, 2013, the band digitally released BARELY ALIVE in Grand Rapids, Michigan 12/30/12 on their own record label, Business Casual. It is a live performance recorded at The Intersection in Grand Rapids, Michigan on December 30, 2012.[14]

Xtra Mile Recordings and Famous Graves (2013–2017 and breakup)
Main article: Famous Graves

On February 19, 2013, the band posted a picture on their Facebook page from a studio in Grand Rapids, MI stating it was "day one" of demoing for their next album.[15] In an interview with Lansing's City Pulse published November 21, 2013, the band stated they have been recording and plan to release a new album in the spring of 2014.[16]

On January 15, 2014, it was announced that the band had signed to the independent UK-based label Xtra Mile Recordings for a world-wide release of the album.[17]

On February 19, 2014, it was announced that the band's next album, Famous Graves, would be released May 13, 2014. The first single from the album, "Knock Me Over," was made available online the same day.

In support of the album, the band toured with Against Me! and The Hold Steady in the spring of 2014.[18] A tour with Andrew Jackson Jihad and Dogbreth then took place in June 2014, followed by another stint with The Hold Steady throughout July and August.[19] The band returned to Europe for a tour with Joyce Manor and Great Cynics in November 2014. Following a spring 2015 tour of the US with Restorations and Chris Farren of Fake Problems, the band posted on Twitter that it was time to write another record.[20]

The band released a b-sides and rarities compilation, "God's Ex-Wife (Selective Rarities 2007–2014)," on September 16, 2016 on Asian Man Records.

On January 20, 2017, Cheap Girls announced via their Facebook page that they had broken up. Ian Graham explained the band was a vehicle for exercising his worst personality tendencies, such as substance abuse and manipulating female fans, among others.[21]

Members
  • Adam Aymor – lead guitar (2007–2017)
  • Ben Graham – drums, backing vocals (2007–2017)
  • Ian Graham – lead vocals (2007-2017), bass guitar (2007–2016), guitar (2016-2017)
  • Jason Draper – bass guitar (2016-2017)

Discography

Albums

7" records
  • Art of the Underground Singles Series (2009, Art of the Underground Records)[24]
  • Cheap Girls / Failures' Union Split 7" (2009, Bermuda Mohawk)[25]
  • Cheap Girls / Above Them Split 7" (2010, All in Vinyl)[26]
  • Cheap Girls / Lemuria Split 7" (2011, No Idea Records)[27]
  • Cheap Girls / Noise By Numbers Split 7" (2011, Suburban Home Records)[28]
  • "Ruby" b/w "Living Like Hell" single

Live Session Releases
gollark: "Olivia time" is probably reasonable to put on.
gollark: I will add it.
gollark: Wait, I died?
gollark: Oh, Macron things, that's a good idea.
gollark: ... sure?

See also

References
  1. "CHEAP GIRLS RELEASE THIRD ALBUM 'FAMOUS GRAVES' ON 12 MAY 2014". Xtra Mile Recordings. February 19, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  2. Moore, Shannon (May 6, 2014). "Q&A: Cheap Girls – Features – CMJ". CMJ. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  3. "Cheap Girls – Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic" AllMusic
  4. "Quote Unquote Records – Find Me a Drink Home". Quote Unquote Records.
  5. "FMADH, MR20S On Asian Man Records, Etc". Cheap Girls Tumblr Page.
  6. "Paper + Plastick – My Roaring 20's" Archived February 14, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Paper + Plastick.
  7. "Cheap Girls Tour UK". Cheap Girls Tumblr Page.
  8. "Cheap Girls | Punknews.org", Punknews.org
  9. "New Record Giant Orange Out February 21st". Cheap Girls Tumblr Page.
  10. "Cheap Girls / Sidekicks (Eastern US)". Punknews.org.
  11. "Cheap Girls – Chart history – Billboard". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  12. Blau, Max (March 10, 2012). "Twenty Must-See Bands at SXSW 2012". Paste. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  13. "Cheap Girls – My Roaring 20's Acoustic", Quote Unquote Records
  14. "RECOVERY! LIVE RECORD!". Cheap Girls Tumblr Page.
  15. Cheap Girls (February 19, 2013). "Day one of demoing for our next record in Grand Rapids. Feels great to be back in the studio, moving quick". Cheap Girls on Facebook. Facebook. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  16. Tupica, Rich (November 21, 2013). "Cheap Girls chat about upcoming LP, touring". City Pulse. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  17. Cheap Girls (January 15, 2014). "Cheap Girls announce signing to Xtra Mile Recordings". Cheap Girls on Facebook. Facebook. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  18. Anthony, David (February 19, 2014). "Cheap Girls announce Famous Graves, debut new song". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 22, 2014.
  19. "Noisey Presents: Andrew Jackson Jihad Tour with Cheap Girls, Hard Girls, and Dogbreth". Noisey.Vice.com. April 15, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  20. "Twitter / Cheap Girls: Another fun tour in the books!". Twitter. March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  21. "Cheap Girls on Facebook". Facebook. January 20, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  22. "Cheap Girls Sign to Rise Records & Release New Demo". Alter The Press!.
  23. "Some Actual News, My Roaring 20's Acoustic, Etc.". Cheap Girls Tumblr Page.
  24. "Single Series" Archived February 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Art of the Underground.
  25. "Failures' Union / Cheap Girls Split" Archived August 23, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Failures' Union.
  26. "Cheap Girls / Above Them Split" Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Banquet Records.
  27. "Cheap Girls / Lemuria Split" Archived October 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. No Idea Records.
  28. "Cheap Girls / Noise By Numbers Split" Archived January 22, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Suburban Home Records.
  29. "Cheap Girls – Parking Lot". If You Make It.
  30. "Germs of Perfection: A Tribute to Bad Religion". Punknews.org.
  31. "Daytrotter: The Source for New Music from the Best Emerging Bands". Daytrotter.
  32. "Cheap Girls at Nervous Energies". AbsolutePunk.
  33. "Hurley". Hurley.com.
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