CG8, a fierce femme New York City quartet, defied the establishment from the moment they christened their band with a provocative, lascivious name, so much so that we clearly can’t even put their unabbreviated in the opening paragraph of an article written about them. In fact, such an audacious name proved too much for certain social media platforms, who promptly cast them out — in addition to the hallowed halls of music’s most esteemed publications, who denied them entry. However, their tale does not conclude with a mere shock tactic. For while they may relish in their role as instigators, they also possess the power to ignite a scorching brand of post-punk that would set alight any audience, regardless of the name they adopted.
Their antics and talents have paid off. Cumgirl8 has a big announcement: the fiery squad has been signed to 4AD, and with that news comes “Cicciolina,” their debut single and video with the famed label.
Lida Fox, Veronika Vilim, Chase Lombardo, and Avishag Rodrigues, a four-piece ensemble of disruptors, construct a brilliantly disordered sonic universe that draws inspiration from an eclectic range of musical titans, including the Cocteau Twins, ESG, Suicide, B-52s, and even the Queen of Pop herself, Madonna. Their latest opus, “Cicciolina,” captures the essence of its namesake: Hungarian-Italian iconoclast, Ilona Staller, known the world over as Cicciolina. With unbridled passion and fearlessness, this daring composition distills the raw energy and subversive nature of Staller’s multifaceted career, from her origins as a provocative porn star to her role as a groundbreaking political figure.
“Cicciolina is an Italian icon: the porn star-turned-politician was elected to Parliament in the 90s,” says the band. “As a politician she advocated for human rights and the eradication of nuclear weapons. Cicciolina famously said ‘make sex not war,’ and used her divine power of femininity to troll the status quo while disrupting it from the inside. We feel her ideals are foundational to the cumgirl8 philosophy of subversive change, peace, and strength in vulnerability. We hope she loves our song. We love her very much.”
The playful VHS video looks like a low-budget 1980s porno tape on acid; rife with burlesque dance, surrealist touches, confused men in suits, and mad manicures. The aesthetics of the video brings to mind both performance artist Geneva Jacuzzi and, weirdly enough, the OJ Simpson trial. The track is catchy, silly, and anthemic; the message is that the divine feminine is ready for its day in court.
Watch below:
The band shall headline a hometown NYC show at Nublu on 4/20 with lustsickpuppy and Thoom in a mostly queer femme lineup – their last headlining show in the states before supporting Le Tigre later this summer.
You can purchase tickets here.
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Tour Dates:
- 4/19 – New York City, NY @ Baby’s All Right (DJ Set)
- 4/20 – New York City, NY @ Nublu
- 5/9 – London, UK @ Moth Club
- 5/11 – Brighton, UK @ Great Escape
- 5/12 – Leeds, UK @ Headrow House
- 5/13 – Margate, UK @ Justines
- 5/15 – Southampton, UK @ Heartbreakers
- 5/17 – Paris, France @ Pop Up!
- 5/18 – Gent, BE @ Trepunt
- 5/19 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling Festival
- 5/20 – Le Havre, FR @ Foul Weather Festival
- 5/25 – Madrid, ES @ Wurlitzer Ballroom
- 5/26 – Donosti, Dabadaba
- 5/29 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera
- 6/9 – Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret
- 6/17 – Kriens, CH @ B-Sides Festival
- 6/18 – Mannheim, DE @ Maifeld Derby
- 7/1 – Oakland, CA @ Mosswood Meltdown Festival
- 7/7 – Trenčín, Slovakia @ Pohoda Festival
- 7/21 – Toronto, ON @ History*
- 7/22 – Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia*
- 7/24 – Boston, MA @ Royale*
- 8/18 – Wales, UK @ Greenman Festival
- 8/19 – Glasgow, SC @ Core Festival
- 8/30 – Berlin, DE @ Popkultur Festival
- 11/10 – 11/11 – Paris, FR @ Pitchfork Festival
* = w/ Le Tigre
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