Team Smile and Nod: lesbian-fronted electro anti-folk duo

Hello Out Lesbian Community!~

This is Kara from the band Team Smile and Nod. I’m a big fan of out lesbians… largely because I am an out lesbian. Very out. You could call me an OUT enthusiast. My girlfriend/partner/wife-if-it-were-legal, Katie, and I are out at work, out at home, out with neighbors, out with family, out on the town… OUT. As a musician, it’s never been a conscience thang to be out. It was and is a given. So when my music partner, Rich, and I started a band, it was a given that our music would be inclusive of my out-ness. Rich is one of those amazing LGBTQQIA (just learned the new acronym!) supporters. He’s an A+ “A”! In fact, he’s probably been to more pride events than I. He and his wife are true allies.

So my band with Rich is called Team Smile and Nod. We write very political music… because, hey, life is political. Many of the songs on our debut CD, Look Both Ways Before You Die, deal with homophobia. All of the love songs are about Katie, thus, lesbian love songs. I even DARE to use the pronoun… she. Of course, I’m sure we lose some fans and some publicity and some gigs and whateva’… but it doesn’t matter. It is just so important to me to be OUT.

So I was jazzed to find this blog. Of course I want to promote my band, but also, I think networking with other lesbians is super important. AND, I always hope that our music empowers people… gets people thinking… creates inspiration… I figure, if I expose personal truth, maybe it will help others expose their personal truth. AND maybe even help some folks come OUT.

Our CD is available all over the place… http://cdbaby.com/cd/teamsmilenod, iTunes, our band’s website: www.teamsmileandnod.com, my record labels’ site: www.thinkrootrecords.com

And we are all over the web on different social networks:
www.myspace.com/teamsmileandnod
www.youtube.com/user/TeamSmileandNod
www.twitter.com/teamsmileandnod

Please friend us… say hey… if you have any questions about the band, please drop me a line- (kara[at]thinkrootrecords.com)

Take care and cause ruckus,
Kara (1/2 of Team Smile and Nod)

p.s. Here's what Curve Magazine said about our tunes (we were pretty excited):

“It’s hard to resist something billed as “lesbian-fronted electro anti-folk,” isn’t it? The interesting combination of politically charged vocals with danceable electronic beats offered up by the duo Kara Sherman and Rich Ratvasky works particularly well on clubby cuts like “Still Stuck,” and humorous diatribes like “Consumer Whore.”

Curve Magazine, April 2009