Cassie Grzymkowski, better known as Cassie Ramone, is indeed Polish, and I still can’t pronounce her last name, even though she’s told me more times than I’d like to admit. But, Ramone is more fitting anyway. And hopefully I don’t need to tell you why. A prolific and dedicated musician, she creates (I hesitate categorizing one person’s music, but hey) dark folky noise pop with edge and style: catch her in worn Broadway-bought sneaker flats or white high-top converses, and, if its warm, cut off DIY jean shorts.
A guitarist and a vocalist (and a unique voice at it), she is thoughtful and highly intelligent, self-aware, and tough when she needs to be. Despite seeing her out and about, she’s an introvert. And for being so sensitive, she remains positive. I mean, if you could only see the emojis she uses. They’re usually pretty smiley. But! don’t be fooled: she doesn’t put up with bullshit and is one of the least fake people I’ve met in the arts in Brooklyn. See her on stage hunched over her guitar shredding, playing in the now defunct but very significant Vivian Girls and since then The Babies and now Melt and her own solo career as Cassie Ramone. She studied art at Pratt and has utilized her visual talents to make many of their album covers. One of her closest friends, and mine (shouts Timothy Fiore, a filmmaker and ex-Pitchfork video main man), coincidentally has Cassie’s illustration of American Spirits (yellow pack, of course) hanging in his old studio in Greenpoint. Actually, check out her shit here.
She keeps a small and tight crew, reads tarot, is a firm astrology believer, and has sprinklings of tattoos. But, now I’m just taking material needed for my haikus, so I’ll wrap this up. To many female musicians, she’s somewhat of a trailblazer, perhaps even a heroine. Once I was up in Portland, Maine and a local female musician was like, you know Cassie? Uh, yeah. I guess it’s desensitizing when your friends are ‘cool’ and we inhabit a certain ‘scene’. She swears like a sailor, loves a beer and a shot, and is an encyclopedia of music. She doesn’t give a fuck about what’s popular, just what is good. If you chat with her on FB messenger expect many “!”. Generous, if you need a ride to the Far Rockaways, she’s your girl (but, no, that doesn’t mean she’ll be shuttling strangers out there this summer). And she’s socially conscious y’all. I mean, she’s playing the Planned Parenthood Benefit Show on Valentine’s Day. A regular in Bushwick and around Brooklyn, Cassie remains pretty down-to-earth despite all her success pre-thirty, and man, her twitter is funny as hell.
Onto the haikus:
1.
A Vivian Girl
Solo Cassie a woman
Not like Britney, please
2.
Met her at Irene’s
The polish bar in Greenpoint
Jello shots aren’t bad
3.
Her favorite word
May be: fuck (exclamation)
fuck, or L O L
?
4.
Cigarette in hand
A guitar in the other
Obscures would admire
5.
She is a Ramone
Female rock-star of our time
Sensual but tough
6.
Eyes on phone alone
Extrovert and introvert
Art school posture (same)
?
7.
A Pisces tarot
She reads in bars to make
rent, an artist’s life
8.
A party she can throw
Mac DeMarco last summer
Parents house Dirty Jersey
9.
A shot and a beer
She plays hard but works harder
A tight crew she keeps
?
10.
Oh, she’s so humble
I overheard a girl say
True creators are, though
11.
Truly punk rock,
Dude, you should see her peppered
Tattoos aren’t why though
12.
You can sit with her
Find her at the bar Alaska
Damn, or the state
?
13.
She has seen the world
Japan, Spain, the U S A
Ridgewood, New Jersey
14.
Flannel and sunglasses
She’s played most of the tour circuits
Dirty blonde hair whipping
15.
Her speaking voice soothes
High priestess of Alphaville
& her home studio
?
Read more of Siobhan Bledsoe’s poetry on her website, and check out the rest of her HAIKU — WHO? series.
