SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL
Music Friday January 11, 2008
blame sally
San Francisco folk sirens Blame Sally have had enough of all that lying and BS'ing—whether it's coming from a no-good lover or the Commander in Chief. The four-piece effortlessly goes from spunky kiss-offs that bring to mind Lucinda Williams at her most decisive to political barnstormers that come off more as lyrical smackdowns than folkie polemics. The band's spirited, take-no-prisoners attitude is a welcome contrast to traditional folkie navel-gazing, and the band has the songs, chops and pipes to back up their tough-talking, clear-minded folk rock. The band is joined at this 10th annual benefit for the Youth Resource Bank of Santa Cruz County by UCSC vocal ensemble Acquire A Capella, local world music outfit Women With Wings and Heather Houston. Kuumbwa Jazz Center


PALO ALTO DAILY NEWS    
Wondrous vocals, sweeping melodies on new releases
Paul Freeman / Entertainment Writer, Friday Feb 23 2007

It's early, but judging by these new releases, it looks as if 2007 is going to be a remarkable year for music.
BLAME SALLY, "SEVERLAND"
An amazing collection of talented local musicians has banded together and released a stunning new CD. "Severland," the latest from San Francisco's Blame Sally, should bring this female foursome universal acclaim. Individually, Renee Harcourt, Monica Pasqual, Jeri Jones and Pam Delgado have long displayed stirring singer-songwriter gifts. Together they're a
powerhouse unit, presenting outstanding lead vocals and harmonies. "Severland" carves out a strong identity on the indie-pop edges of Americana. Among the highlights (though there's not a weak track among the dozen here) are the riveting title tune, the piano-driven "Fillmore Street," the haunting "Devil to Pay" and the country-rocker "Trouble."

96 HOURS, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Derk Richardson, Thursday, February 8, 2007
Female folk-popsters make a splash with a protest song called 'If You Tell a Lie' -- but that's only part of what they're about
"I'm not big fan of protest music," says Monica Pasqual, one-fourth of folk-pop band Blame Sally. The San Francisco singer-songwriter's admission might startle anyone who has heard "If You Tell a Lie," the de facto centerpiece of Blame Sally's new CD, "Severland."

Originally released in a spare treatment on 2001's "Blame Sally Live No. 1," the now-lushly arranged song subtly tallies the deceits of a certain commander in chief. The lyrics speak of stolen forests, blackened rivers and church walls built from greed. The chorus warns, "Water isn't wine, brass isn't gold/ One day you'll account for all the lies that you told."
...continued

MARIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL
Paul Liberatore: Harcourt rallies from cancer to help spark Blame Sally Paul Liberatore, February 9th, 2007

After paying their dues in the Bay Area rock scene for a decade or more, the four women in the band Blame Sally had pretty much given up on their rock star fantasies when they got together seven years ago. "All of us were burned out on the notion of trying to make it," says Ren}e Harcourt, sitting in the conference room of her design company in Sausalito, the bluish-green water of Richardson Bay sparkling outside a wall of windows. "We would get together and cook and drink wine and work on songs," she recalls. "We were planning to perform but with no expectation of anything ever happening with the band."

To paraphrase Henry David Thoreau, success comes to those who aren't looking for it. With that relaxed new attitude taking the pressure off them, Blame Sally has suddenly burst out of the pack as a Bay Area phenomenon, selling out shows, winning over new fans, enjoying tremendous response to their third CD, "Severland," a collections of "eclectic folk pop" songs that are personal, playful and political.

Their song and music video "If You Tell a Lie," written by singer and keyboardist Monica Pasqual, has been holding steady with the second highest number of downloads on Neil Young's Web site, "Living With War," ahead of pop stars like Pink and Springsteen and Pearl Jam...continued

SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
• Your best bet, Feb 7, 2007
• The four women of Blame Sally will celebrate the release of their new CD, ``Severland,'' on Saturday at the Brava Theater, 2781 24th St. in San Francisco. The band's pointed anti-Bush anthem ``If You Tell a Lie'' has been near the top of the protest-video chart at Neil Young's ``Living With War'' site for months. That song is included on ``Severland,'' along with 11 others that showcase the women's collective singing, playing and songwriting prowess. The 8 p.m. show has sold out, so a second one has been added at 10:15. Tickets are $18 at (415) 647-2822 or www.blamesally.com

Many more great articles on Blame Sally