Mary Timony (born in Washington, D.C., 1970) is an American indie rock singer, guitarist, keyboardist, and violist.
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Biography
Timony attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., where she played guitar in the jazz band and also studied viola. In 1990-91 Timony played guitar and shared lead vocals in the Washington, D.C.-based all-female band Autoclave. She later relocated to Boston, where she graduated from Boston University with a degree in English literature and formed the band Helium in the summer of 1992, recording three albums and two EPs with the group between 1994 and 1997. Helium disbanded in 1997 or 1998, whereupon Timony embarked on her solo career, recording albums in 2000 and 2002 (Mountains and The Golden Dove). In 2005, Timony joined with drummer Devin Ocampo; her CD Ex Hex, released on the Lookout! Records label, features the two performing together as a duo. In the same year, she contributed vocals to Team Sleep's premier self-titled album on the tracks "Tomb of Liegia" and "King Diamond." Timony's music is often heavy and dark, frequently using drones, beats, and modal melodies reminiscent of European Medieval music. She uses a number of alternate guitar tunings, most prominent of which is DADGAE, which allows for the execution of melodic passages. She has recently finished recording another album, The Shapes We Make, which was released on the Kill Rock Stars label on May 8, 2007. A music video from one of the album's singles is being produced by the art collective Papparad. Her brother, Patrick Timony, is the keyboard player for the band The Picture is Dead. There is a reference to Mary Timony in the lyrics to the song "Your Bruise" by the American indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie, from their 1998 debut album Something About Airplanes.
Side projects
In addition to her work with Autoclave, Helium, and the Mary Timony Band, Timony has occasionally collaborated or recorded with other groups. In 1999, Timony recorded a four-song vinyl EP with Carrie Brownstein of the band Sleater-Kinney, in a duo called The Spells. In 2000, she recorded a six-song CD with Anna Johansson and Erin Maclean, entitled Green 4. In 1995, Timony recorded the song "All Dressed Up In Dreams" with Stephen Merritt, on The 6ths album Wasps' Nests.
Films
Timony had a cameo role in the 1997 independent film All Over Me as lead singer/guitarist of the fictional girl rock band Coochie Pop, along with another real-life singer/guitarist, Leisha Hailey. They performed the Helium song "Hole in the Ground" in the movie.
Discography
Mary Timony
- Ex Hex 2005
- The Golden Dove 2002
Mary Timony Band
- The Shapes We Make 2007
Green 4
- Green 4 2000
The Spells
- The Age of Backwards E.P. 1999
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- International Pop Underground
Mind Science of the Mind
- Mind Science of the Mind 1996
Helium
Autoclave
Combined CD of 10" and 7" originally released 1991
External links
Interviews
- Mary Timony interview from Ink 19 (April 2003)
- Mary Timony interview by Jenny Tatone, from Kitty Magik site
- Lazy-i Interview: May 2005
| Helium |
|---|
| Mary Timony | Shawn King Devlin | Brian Dunton | Ash Bowie |
| Discography |
| Albums and extended plays: Pirate Prude | The Dirt of Luck | No Guitars | The Magic City |
