TV Girl
TV Girl performing in 2021
TV Girl performing in 2021
Background information
OriginSan Diego, California, U.S.
GenresIndie pop[1]
Years active2010–present
Members
  • Brad Petering
  • Jason Wyman
  • Wyatt Harmon
Past members
  • Trung Ngo
  • Joel Williams
  • Dan Komin
Websiteamericasfavoriteindieband.com

TV Girl is an American indie pop band from San Diego, California, consisting of Brad Petering, Jason Wyman, and Wyatt Harmon.[2][3] As of 2023, the group is based in Los Angeles.[4]

The band released its first three EPs in 2010 and a mixtape in 2012. It followed this with its debut album, French Exit, in 2014. Their second album, Who Really Cares, was released in 2016, with further albums following in 2018 and 2023, alongside collaborative albums and EPs.

History

TV Girl was formed in San Diego in 2010, by friends Trung Ngo and Brad Petering as a leisure activity with no particular ambition other than experimenting and hanging out.[5] That same year, the band released their self-titled debut EP, which attracted attention when they sampled Todd Rundgren's 1973 solo version of "Hello It's Me" on their song "If You Want It" from the EP,[4][6] leading to a takedown notice on the band, issued by Rhino Entertainment, who owns full rights to the Rundgren's song.[7]

In 2011, the band released their second EP of four tracks, Benny and the Jetts, along with a music video for "Baby You Were There" from the EP.[8] At the time of release, Joel Williams had also joined the band.[5]

In April 2012, TV Girl released the single "I Wonder Who She's Kissing Now",[9] which would be part of their first mixtape The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle, released a month later. The mixtape was given away for free with an accompanying downloadable coloring book.[10][11] The release would have constituted their debut album, but according to Petering and Ngo the work was more appropriately defined as a mixtape.[2]

In 2013, they released the single "She Smokes in Bed", which would be part of TV Girl's third EP Lonely Women.[12][13] That same year, TV Girl underwent a pivotal change when Ngo had left the band, leaving Petering as its sole member. Petering, formerly focused on beats, seamlessly embraced the role of primary vocalist following Ngo's departure. Soon thereafter, Jason Wyman and Wyatt Harmon joined forces with Petering.[5][14]

In 2014, TV Girl released their debut album French Exit, which was called "remarkably solid" by Bandwagon Magazine.[14]

Artistry

Influences

TV Girl frequently samples songs and media from the 1960s in their music. An example of this is seen in the song "Lovers Rock", where the backing track is created from a looped sample of the intro to The Shirelles' single "The Dance is Over", which was originally released in 1960. In a post to Reddit, Petering writes he "..never gets tired of seeking out old and obscure music. I listen to lots of music and I find my loops and sounds that way."[15]

Musical style and songwriting

The band employs a genre not easily defined, with major inspiration from plunderphonics, indie pop, lo-fi and electronic music found in most of their works (apparent in albums French Exit, Who Really Cares, Death of a Party Girl and Summer's Over), while taking on more trip-hop-like elements in other works (found especially within Who Really Cares and Maddie Acid's Purple Hearts Club Band), and in some cases, more mainstream characteristics related to gospel, garage house, funk and even jazz (specific to Grapes Upon the Vine). Altogether, the band proclaims themself as a "hypnotic pop" group,[16] due to their use of sampling, keyboards, and reverb effects.[17][18] The band was upset when their music was labeled "sun-drenched California pop," pointing out that there are no lyrical allusions in their music that warrant the title.[2]

Lyrically, a majority of TV Girl's discography revolves around love and relationships. One example of this tendency is the song "Lovers Rock", a love ballad named after the reggae sub-genre of lovers' rock. Their subject matter is nostalgic and sad, but simultaneously sarcastic and humorous.[2] Some motifs in the band's lyrics include heartbreak, cynicism, memories, cigarettes, hair, sex, women's first names, and loneliness.

Members

Current members

  • Brad Petering – lead vocals (2010–present)
  • Wyatt Harmon – keyboards
  • Jason Wyman – drums

Former members

  • Trung Ngo – vocals (2010–2013)
  • Joel Williams – vocals (2011–2013)
  • Dan Komin

Touring members

  • Zoe Zeeman – bass (2022–present)[19]
  • Jordana Nye – bass, backing vocals (2021, 2023–present)[20]

Discography

Studio albums

Collaborative albums

  • Maddie Acid's Purple Hearts Club Band (2018) (with Madison Acid)
  • Aestheticadelica (2020) (with Bloodbath64)
  • Summer's Over (2021) (with Jordana)
  • Ace of Tre (2023) (with Varial Heel)

Demo albums

  • Blurry Girls (Demos, Unreleased Songs, and Other Ephemera) (2012)[22]

Mixtapes

  • The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle (2012)

Extended plays

  • TV Girl (2010)
  • Benny and the Jetts (2011)
  • Lonely Women (2013)
  • The Night in Question: French Exit Outtakes (2020)[23]

Singles

  • "Girls Like Me" (2011)
  • "Diet-Coke" (2012)
  • "I Wonder Who She's Kissing Now" (2012)
  • "She Smokes in Bed" (2013)
  • "Average Guy (Blame)" (2013; re-released in 2023)[upper-alpha 1]
  • "Natalie Wood" (2015)

Other charted and certified songs

List of songs, with year released, selected chart positions, certifications and album
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album
US
Bub.
[24]		 US
Rock
[25]		 CAN
[26]		 IRE
[27]		 LTU
[28]		 UK
[29]		 UK
Indie
[30]
"Lovers Rock" 2014 —149082358427 French Exit
"Cigarettes Out the Window" 2016 2017——36—46 Who Really Cares
"Not Allowed" 513——27—34
"Blue Hair" 2018 —11—9599—35 Death of a Party Girl
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory

Produced albums

  • Posthumous Release (2013) (by Coma Cinema)[32]
  • Ace Of Tre (2023) (by Varial Heel)

Notes

  1. ↑ "Average Guy (Blame)" was released on streaming platforms in 2023

References

  1. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason; Unterberger, Andrew (March 2, 2023). "The Weeknd & Ariana Grande Hope for No. 1 With 'Die for You' Remix". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Taylor, John (August 9, 2012). "Discovery: TV Girl". Interview Magazine. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  3. ↑ Abrams, Jonny. "Interview: TV Girl". Rocksucker. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "If You Want It". Pitchfork. October 22, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Courtney, James. "What Comes After Chillwave? California's TV Girl". San Antonio Current. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  6. ↑ "TV Girl – Apple Music". Retrieved October 3, 2023 – via Apple Music.
  7. ↑ Crain, William (December 21, 2021). "Beats and Samples: TV Girl". San Diego Reader. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  8. ↑ Singh, Amrit (July 28, 2011). "Download TV Girl's Benny And The Jetts EP". Stereogum. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  9. ↑ Goble, Corban (April 6, 2012). "TV Girl – "I Wonder Who She's Kissing Now"". Stereogum. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  10. ↑ Goble, Corban (May 4, 2012). "Download TV Girl's The Wild, The Innocent, The TV Shuffle Mixtape". Stereogum. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  11. ↑ Pearis, Bill (May 7, 2012). "stream or download TV Girl's new "mixtape"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  12. ↑ Goble, Corban (May 22, 2013). "TV Girl – "She Smokes In Bed"". Stereogum. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  13. ↑ Pearis, Bill (June 19, 2013). "stream TV Girl's new EP, 'Loney Women'". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  14. 1 2 Sheridan, Christopher (September 12, 2014). "Album Review: Tv Girl – French Exit". Bandwagon Magazine. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  15. ↑ Petering, Brad. "Brad from Hit Band TV Girl, ask me anything". Reddit. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  16. ↑ "TV Girl". Spotify. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  17. ↑ Medlock, Dylan (June 4, 2018). "TV Girl plays it frustratingly safe". The B-Side. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  18. ↑ Ramirez, Julian (October 13, 2017). "A Night of Electronic Excellence at Beat Kitchen with TV Girl". Third Coast Review. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Music in the Genes; Fathers and Daughters Inspire Each Other". The Vineyard Gazette – Martha's Vineyard News. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Jordana and TV Girl at Metro". wnur.org. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Friends! Gather around for I have wonderful news! The acclaimed "TV Girl Traveling All-Star Band" is "taking the show on the road" this year in support of our forthcoming album "Grapes Upon The Vine," An album which will be coming out, oh I don't know, some time between now and then I suppose. You heard it here first! Don't "get caught with your trousers down" and miss your chance to secure a coveted ticket. (!) Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 AM, and all relevant links have been helpfully wrangled together, just follow the "link in bio"!". Retrieved June 29, 2023 – via Instagram.
  22. ↑ "Blurry Girls (Demos, Unreleased Songs, and Other Ephemera) by TV Girl" – via Genius.
  23. ↑ "The Night in Question: French Exit Outtakes by TV Girl". Retrieved July 28, 2023 – via Genius.
  24. ↑ Peaks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100:
  25. ↑ Peaks on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart:
  26. ↑ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100: Week of January 20, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Discography TV Girl". irish-charts.com. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  28. ↑ Peaks in Lithuania:
  29. ↑ "TV Girl". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  30. ↑ Peaks in UK Independent Singles Chart:
  31. 1 2 3 "British certifications – TV Girl". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 25, 2023. Type TV Girl in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  32. ↑ "Posthumous Release, by Coma Cinema". Retrieved July 28, 2023 – via Bandcamp.
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