Artist description The sound of PurrBox is filled with thick, tasty guitars and solid rhythms wrapped in sultry female vocals. There is a Punk rawness and there are Pop hooks, but the PurrBox foundation is a classic power trio with a modern edge.

Music Style Hard rock trio with female vox/bassist

Musical Influences Sonic Youth AC/DC

Similar Artists Go-Gos

Artist History Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, Miss Mellie began writing and performing along the Mississippi Delta at young age. Touching on everything from punk to blues, from rock to folk- Memphis proved to be an excellent breeding ground for her talent. Playing shows at night, giving tours of Graceland, the famed Elvis mansion by day… that’s how Melanie passed her days. That is, until she packed her bags and headed North to Chicago searching for broader musical horizons. Making the move to Chicago has proven to be a wise choice indeed, as that is where Miss Mellie and local rocker Johnny Million (guitar) have joined forces to create “PurrBox." With their combined songwriting talent, their songs are real: full of power, emotion, and honesty. Together with the percussive talent of drummer Larry Brown, PurrBox solidified in the Summer of 2001, and is quickly proving themselves as a Chicago band whose strength lies in their musical prowess. The proof is in the pudding as they say, and PurrBox definitely holds their own. Having just completed their self-titled debut album, the band had the luxury of taking their time with the recording process. Thanks to “Johnny’s 64-track kitchen studio” they also had all the coffee they could drink, as well as no budget worries hanging over their creative heads. In spite of this recording luxury, there is no slick production and scant few overdubs. The drum tracks were recorded in a separate studio in a matter of a few hours. This enabled PurrBox to keep it natural, thus capturing the energy of their live performance on record. PurrBox tracked, mixed, and mastered the entire project independently during 2001’s chilly winter months. With the CD due to release in June 1, 2002 on their own label, PurrBox is playing shows and giving away singles from the new album to generate interest in the forthcoming full-length CD. Witnessing is believing Miss Mellie and company’s captivating live performance, as the on-stage chemistry between the members is immediately evident. Words are bound to understate the fire and magnetism Mellie exudes on stage. Advance reviews of the CD are promising. Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times states: “PurrBox is a trio that recalls Veruca Salt at its poppy, punky best, singing infectious, energizing songs about unfaithful boyfriends and getting your first tattoo. Intoxicating stuff, and the group’s debut is well-recorded with especially strong vocals.” Michael Bennett of www.Fufkin.com calls PurrBox a "vibrant rock machine [whose] music is sleek, crunchy, and catchy." Tracks like “Burned” and “Make a Wish” have finally been realized after being live favorites, while “Starstruck” and “Punk Rock” arrive on the new album with strong radio potential. The strength of PurrBox lies in the band’s musical prowess. The fuel comes from their songs, full of substance. When so much new music out there today leaves us wanting more, PurrBox truly delivers.

Instruments Guitar, bass, drums, vox

Albums PurrBox - "PurrBox"

Press Reviews Jim DeRogatis Chicago Sun-TImes (May 2002) "PurrBox is a trio that recalls Veruca Salt at its poppy, punky best, singing infectious, energizing songs about unfaithful boyfriends and getting your first tattoo. Intoxicating stuff, and the group's debut is well-recorded with especially strong vocals." Michael Bennett Fufkin.com (May 2002) "The songs are sometimes kinda new wavey, sometimes kinda punky and sometimes kinda poppy, and sometimes a combination all of those elements. At their best, PurrBox is vibrant rock machine, with the Mellie/Larry rhythm section bouncing, augmented by the slashing yet stylish guitar work of Johnny . The music is sleek, crunchy and catchy. Top tracks include the timely 'Fireman,' a mid-tempo tune that resonates more in these times, particularly in this intense performance, 'Bill Frost' melds a Go-Go's surf-rock thang with some Buzzcocks vibrancy, 'Burned,' a hold over from Mellie's old band Joygirl has a cool spidery 'Where's Captain Kirk' bass line (remember the old Spizzenergi tune anyone?), and 'Babydoll' does a great job of weaving a wistful melody with shredding rock. The best of the bunch is 'Make a Wish,' which is a hookfest with dramatic guitar fueled verses, urgent choruses and an out-of-nowhere bouncy middle eight that Voice Of The Beehive would have killed for. Great production, too -- kind of a mid-point between first (Jack Douglas) and second (Tom Werman) album Cheap Trick -- crisp and poppy, with thick slabs of rock holding it all together." Collected Sounds - A Guide To Women in Music (May 2002) "PurrBox could be described as fun, peppy, poppy with a punk edge. Miss Mellie heads the group and her voice is a mix of Joan Jett, Siouxie Sioux and Belinda Carlisle. She's got a perfect voice for this kind of music. Strong and gutsy, but sweet and melodic too. This music could have been in an 80s movie if it had been written in time. That is not to say that it's stuck in the 80s. It still has a very here-and-now sound. 'Burned,' and 'Starstruck' remind me of the Eighties supergroup, The Go-Gos, but with a bit of a harder edge. 'I Do' is a sweet poppy love song with a great beat that makes me want to jump around. 'Fireman' was written the day after the Trade Center fiasco and is kind of an ode to those brave people, but at the same time it's a solid punk song. This is a really fun record. Perfect summertime fare. "

Location Chicago, IL - USA

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