Videos
About
The Michigan City Vandals are a 3 piece Indy Rock/Pop group from Benton Harbor, MI. The band first gained notice when they donated 100% of the album profits from their first record 'Little Slice of Hell' to go toward building a Habitat for Humanity home in Benton Harbor. 18 months later, they released the 'Revolve' EP which took them on tour to regional college campuses, major Midwest cities and garnered them opening spots for Bowling for Soup, Hank III, Mute Math and Stardeath and White Dwarfs. After a year hiatus the Vandals released 2012's 'Back to Life' and are currently recording their 4th studio due for release in May of 2014.
Rock, Punk, Acoustic, Indie
More Info
200
Benton Harbor, MI
Little Slice of Hell-2008
Revolve-2010
Back to Life-2012
Revolve-2010
Back to Life-2012
Past Gigs
Reviews & Interviews
Jim DeRogatis
07/01/2012
"It’s hard to doubt the sincerity of the Michigan City Vandals, who proudly boast of being “post-ironic†and trumpet the slogan “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.†Rollicking, optimistic and relentlessly tuneful, the Vandals' indie-pop songs take aim at Gen Y apathy and attempt to inspire it to action "
— Jim DeRogatis
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So Many MP3's
07/01/2012
"We have reviewed a good number of albums and tracks in the last few weeks, but this CD has been making the rounds in our office for a good month now. If you can listen to a song like “Say It To My Face†and not be genuinely pumped up when Julee’s vocals climb to a scream and this three piece band rocks so hard they sound like a band that has twice as many members, than it might be a good time to check your pulse. And then to be guided back down to Earth so gently by a song like “Spinning†is exactly why we got into this music gig in the first place. This album is raw emotion. There is a distinguishable line in the sand between people who make music because they eat and bleed music, and people who make music because it buys them boats and planes. This music seeps from their pours, and we have not gotten a more raw and rocking album in we don’t know how long, but we do know in hearing this now, that it has been too long."
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Lansing State Journal
07/01/2012
"The Michigan City Vandals, play with an infectious sound similar to Veruca Salt or a harder version of Pretty Girls Make Graves. It's Laurent's presence -- strong, effusive and magnetic -- that commands attention in the band's music and even on the phone. The singer oozes charisma and most importantly, perspective."
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Kalamazoo Gazette
07/01/2012
"The naivety of Julee Laurent may have gotten the better of her, but it's not slowing her down much. Laurent's menacing vocals with lyrics about her annoyance with the country's obsession with fame and a few choice words for pharmaceutical companies show her desire to "unite and move people forward."
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South Bend Tribune
07/01/2012
"The band presents a dark pop-rock sound reminiscent of the indie rock from the early '90s and artists such as Juliana Hatfield, The Breeders and Throwing Muses. Laurent sings with a sincere sense of desperation in her voice, to be sure, but her delivery also contains a measure of glee in its energy that borders on absurdist humor."
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In2ne Reviews