Cutthroat Standards & Black Pop is the 2nd release from “musician, style icon, and overall entertainment goddess” (Los Angeles City Beat) Abby Travis. Travis, an ex-member of KMFDM, Elastica, and well known “bassist to the stars” co-produced this record with Kristian Hoffman (Lydia Lunch, Klaus Nomi) and released it on her own label Educational Recordings.
Here’s what the press says:
“a Brecht-Weill epiphany” The Washington Post
“a kind of fantastic take on lust and predatory sexual behavior” LA Weekly
“...a black skewer thrown into the heart of a passing lover...If you want something that isn’t a cookie cutter of the albums you picked up last week, then [Cutthroat Standards] may be just the soul tonic you might be craving” Entertainment Today
“L.A. Chanteuse Abby Travis has concocted a wicked brew of decayed lounge ballads and decadent cabaret which would mike Brecht and Weill proud” Access Magazine
“...with her wondrous smoky voice, whip-smart lyrical ability, and warm gentility, she creates an ethereal yet commanding stage presence” Flavorpill
“Applying an experimental edge to the sophistication and familiarity of classic jazz and show tunes, the album puts a keenly ironic, refreshingly modern spin on American retro style” Request
“a mixture of elegant melodicism and brooding melancholy, underscored with a touch of rock’s glamour and snarl” Portland Oregonian
“Imagine if Ute Lemper had spent her formative years in Los Angeles, and you can begin to understand what is happening on this terrific record” Windy City Times