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Cindy Lee (band)

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Cindy Lee
Cindy Lee in concert in Italy in 2018
Cindy Lee in concert in Italy in 2018
Background information
OriginCalgary, Alberta, Canada
GenresPop, rock, hypnagogic pop, noise pop, Brill Building, no wave, noise
Years active2012 (2012)–present
MembersPatrick Flegel
Past membersMorgan Cook

Cindy Lee is the performance and songwriting vehicle of Canadian musician Patrick Flegel, former guitarist and lead singer of Women.

Cindy Lee is most noted for their 2020 album What's Tonight to Eternity?, which was longlisted for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize,[1] and for 2024's critically acclaimed double album Diamond Jubilee, which was shortlisted for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize.[2]

Background

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Following the breakup of Women in 2010, Flegel collaborated with Morgan Cook in the band Androgynous Mind, releasing the EP Nightstalker in 2012.[3] From there, the project evolved into Cindy Lee, which sees Flegel recording music primarily alone but continuing to perform with a rotating roster of supporting musicians.

For Cindy Lee, Flegel performs in drag.

When asked in a fan Q&A on web forum Reddit to elaborate on whether Cindy Lee is a character, a figure of her own, or something else, Flegel replied as follows:

[...] combining 'cross dressing' with live performance, over time [...] became a way to reinforce me doing something that I love doing that I often withhold from myself. I have been perplexed by the novelty in peoples eyes of what I see as a very basic and very traditional performance on my part.[4]

Though earlier press pieces on Cindy Lee used they/them pronouns, a 2024 article written by a personal friend uses he/him pronouns when referring to Flegel throughout.[5]

Releases

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The demo cassette Tatlashea was released by Canadian label Isolated Now Waves on Boxing Day 2012.[6] In 2015 Flegel self-released (via their CCQSK label) the full-length albums Act of Tenderness[7] and Malenkost,[8] both of which were later reissued and received wider distribution in the US and Europe. The compilation cassette Model Express was released by CCQSK in 2018 and pressed to vinyl by W.25th in 2020.

What's Tonight to Eternity? was released in February 2020. Its lead single, "Heavy Metal", was a posthumous tribute to Flegel's former Women bandmate Chris Reimer.[9] Cat O' Nine Tails followed in March 2020.[10]

In 2024, Cindy Lee released the double album Diamond Jubilee.[11] It received widespread critical acclaim, including the highest score given out by Pitchfork in four years.[12] A tour in support of the album began on April 6, but was canceled on May 4 as the project was set to play Chicago.[13]

Initially, the album was released digitally only, via two official channels: Flegel's own Realistik Studios website[14] – listeners were invited to send payment for a digital copy of the album – and their YouTube channel, via which the album can be streamed in full for free, without ads. The album was a shortlisted finalist for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize.[15]

In October 2024, it was announced that the album is to be released on cd and vinyl by Superior Viaduct’s W.25th imprint, in February 2025.[16]

Collaborations

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Flegel collaborated with Freak Heat Waves on their 2023 single In A Moment Divine. Flegel also performed as a live member of Freak Heat Waves in 2015 as well as during their 2023/2024 co-headlining North American tours. Steven Lind from Freak Heat Waves also collaborated with Flegel on Diamond Jubilee, co-writing Baby Blue as well as performing production and mixing duties on the record and contributing various instrumentation throughout the record.

In 2024, Flegel collaborated with Deerhunter drummer Moses Archuleta on his second studio album, Cemetery Classics, released under the moniker Moon Diagrams,[17] and with Noah Lennox on the Panda Bear single Retreat.

Discography

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Albums

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  • Tatlashea (Isolated Now Waves, 2012; reissued 2016)
  • Act of Tenderness (CCQSK, 2015; Maple Death, 2018; W.25th, 2018)
  • Malenkost (Isolated Now Waves, 2015; Maple Death, 2018; W.25th, 2018)
  • Model Express (CCQSK, 2018; W.25th, 2020)
  • What's Tonight to Eternity? (W.25th, 2020)
  • Cat o' Nine Tails (Realistik, 2020; Isolated Now Waves, 2023)
  • Diamond Jubilee (Realistik, 2024)

Singles

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  • Holding the Devil’s Hand (split single with Red Mass) (Mongrel Zine, 2013)
  • A Message From the Aching Sky (digital single) (CCQSK, 2016)
  • In a Moment Divine (with Freak Heat Waves)[18](Mood Hut, 2023)

References

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  1. ^ Lau, Melody (June 15, 2020). "Daniel Caesar, Jessie Reyez, Caribou and more make the 2020 Polaris Music Prize long list". CBC Music. Archived from the original on 2020-06-16.
  2. ^ Cush, Andy (11 July 2024). "Cindy Lee: Diamond Jubilee". Polaris. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  3. ^ Gregory Adams, "Women's Patrick Flegel Treats Debut EP with Androgynous Mind to Vinyl Release". Exclaim!, October 30, 2013.
  4. ^ "Patrick Flegel/Cindy Lee AMA". 18 February 2020.
  5. ^ Locke, Jesse (July 11, 2024) [April 22, 2024]. "Cindy Lee and me: How a mysterious 32-song album by a gender-bending Canadian artist took the music world by storm". Toronto Star.
  6. ^ John Divney, "Cindy Lee, What's Tonight to Eternity". BeatRoute, February 14, 2020.
  7. ^ Alex Hudson, "Cindy Lee, Act of Tenderness". Exclaim!, February 1, 2018.
  8. ^ Gregory Adams, "Cindy Lee cranks it up a bit for Malenkost". The Georgia Straight, December 23, 2015.
  9. ^ Sarah Murphy, "Women's Patrick Flegel Announces New Cindy Lee Album 'What's Tonight to Eternity'". Exclaim!, December 10, 2019.
  10. ^ Calum Slingerland, "Patrick Flegel Announces New Cindy Lee Album 'Cat O' Nine Tails'". Exclaim!, March 9, 2020.
  11. ^ Pearis, Bill. "Listen to Cindy Lee's new album 'Diamond Jubilee'". Brooklyn Vegan, April 1, 2024.
  12. ^ Cohen, Ian (25 April 2024). "At The Cindy Lee Show, Making Sense Of The Hype". Stereogum. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Cindy Lee Cancels Remainder Of Diamond Jubilee Tour". Stereogum. 2024-05-05. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  14. ^ "Realistik Studios".
  15. ^ David Friend, "Calgary rock project Cindy Lee among acts shortlisted for Polaris Music Prize". Global News, July 12, 2024.
  16. ^ "Diamond Jubilee — Superior Viaduct bandcamp page".
  17. ^ Breihan, Tom (May 2, 2024). "Deerhunter's Moses Archuleta Announces New Moon Diagrams Album Cemetery Classics Feat. Patrick Flegel (Cindy Lee), Josh Diamond (Gang Gang Dance), & Anastasia Coope". Stereogum. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  18. ^ "Freak Heat Waves x Cindy Lee – in a Moment Divine". 21 June 2023.
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