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The Tuna Helpers was an all-female American gothic folk rock band based in Austin, Texas. Its membership consisted of sisters Adreinne Sneed (lead vocals and guitars) and Bethany Sneed (keyboards, bells, and background vocals), Stephanie Meshbane on violin, and Khattie Quinones on drums. It was an outgrowth of Adreinne's desire to expand her solo act.^[1] By their second album, Meshbane had departed and received a special thanks credit, Timb Harris performing violin, viola, and cello on the second album. The nautical theme continued with the band members' album credits as Adrienne the Anemone, Bethany the Barracuda, and Khattie the Katfish. The band was very active in the GLBT community in Austin,^[2] although not all its members were lesbians. Their music often involves reflections on childhood, from a slightly dark but often comic perspective. Bethany also performs the songs in American Sign Language, an aspect of their live performances praised by Tuscon Weekly.^[3]

Adrienne's description fo the band's mission on their website is as follows:

Cut out patches of your childhood terrors, the grandmother that soothed them, your first pair of teen-age thigh-high stockings and the sound track that played in your head when you plotted the death of your first love ... stitch them together with guitar strings and lace ... stuff it with corn syrup blood and rotten fish guts and you’ve created a Tuna Helpers doll of your own.

Guest musicians ont he first album included Nick Smith (the nice eel) on trombone, and Kurtis D. Machler on bass, and the second album featured choral overdubs by Niole Aurora and featured arrangements by Trey Spruanee.

Their first album, Starring in... The Suspicious Fish was released by Monkeyboy Records. A contract with Mimicry Records in 2005 resulted in the second album, I'll Have What She's Having in 2005. Writing of the second album, Anna Breshears of Bitch Magazine describes their live shows as being full of puppetry and stage effects, described Sneed as having "operatic range and precision," but also being capable of "whittl[[ing] her voice down to a warble of petulant protestations", and describes Quinones's drumming as "expressive." She contrasts their work with teenage gothic music, describing it as "smarter, prettier and ha[ving] a sense of humor."^[4] Dead Earnest called the album "unique, accessible, original, quality and close to brilliance..." and "a rare gem."^[5] Anna Maria Stjärnell of Collected Sounds Women in Music said she was "so impressed I'm at loss for words"^[6]

Reviewers frequently favorabley compared the band with Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Throwing Muses, Siouxie and the Banshees, and Rasputina. She acknowled Bush as an indluence in [[Indianapolis]'s Nuvo Newsweekly.<ref>Steve Hammer. "Tuna Helpers: avant-girl power." Nuvo Newswekly. June 22, 2005. http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2005/06/22/tuna_helpers_avantgirl_power.html

The band broke up in February of 2007, and Adrienne Anemone, having dropped the article from her stage name, moved to Brooklyn, pursuing a solo careeer in the New York City area, as well as creating performance art in the New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. areas.

References

^ http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2005/06/22/tuna_helpers_avantgirl_power.html
^ http://www.thetunahelpers.org/writings_vault/bitch.html
^ Linda Ray. "Live: The Tuna Helpers, Molehill Orkestrah." February 2, 2006. http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/music/Content?oid=oid:78014
^ Anna Breshears. Review. "I'll Have What She's Having." Bitch Magazine, Summer 2005. Reprinted http://www.thetunahelpers.org/writings_vault/bitch.html
^ http://web.archive.org/web/20061216090331/http://www.deadearnest.btinternet.co.uk/monthlysupps55.htm
^ Anna Maria Stjärnell Review. I'll Have Waht She's Having. August 12, 2005. http://www.collectedsounds.com/cdreviews/illhavewhat.html

This article on a United States band or other musical ensemble is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] ttp://www.nuvo.net/archive/2005/06/22/tuna_helpers_avantgirl_power.html

[2] ttp://www.thetunahelpers.org/writings_vault/bitch.html

[3] Linda Ray. "Live: The Tuna Helpers, Molehill Orkestrah." February 2, 2006. http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/music/Content?oid=oid:78014

[4] Anna Breshears. Review. "I'll Have What She's Having." Bitch Magazine, Summer 2005. Reprinted http://www.thetunahelpers.org/writings_vault/bitch.html

[5] ttp://web.archive.org/web/20061216090331/http://www.deadearnest.btinternet.co.uk/monthlysupps55.htm

[6] Anna Maria Stjärnell Review. I'll Have Waht She's Having. August 12, 2005. http://www.collectedsounds.com/cdreviews/illhavewhat.html

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-'''The Tuna Helpers''' was an all-female [[American]] [[gothic]] [[folk rock]] band based in [[Austin, Texas]].  Its membership consisted of sisters [[Adreinne Sneed]] (lead vocals and guitars) and [[Bethany Sneed]] (keyboards, bells, and background vocals), [[Stephanie Meshbane]] on violin, and [[Khattie Quinones]] on drums.  By their second album, Meshbane had departed and received a special thanks credit, [[Timb Harris]] performing violin, viola, and cello on the second album.  The nautical theme continued with the band members' album credits as Adrienne the Anemone, Bethany the Barracuda, and Khattie the Katfish.  The band was very active in the [[GLBT]] community in Austin,<ref>http://www.thetunahelpers.org/writings_vault/bitch.html</ref> although not all its members were lesbians.  Their music often involves reflections on childhood, from a slightly dark but often comic perspective.  Bethany also performs the songs in [[American Sign Language]], an aspect of their live performances praised by ''[[Tuscon Weekly]]''.<ref>Linda Ray.  "Live: The Tuna Helpers, Molehill Orkestrah." February 2, 2006. http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/music/Content?oid=oid:78014</ref>
+'''The Tuna Helpers''' was an all-female [[American]] [[gothic]] [[folk rock]] band based in [[Austin, Texas]].  Its membership consisted of sisters [[Adreinne Sneed]] (lead vocals and guitars) and [[Bethany Sneed]] (keyboards, bells, and background vocals), [[Stephanie Meshbane]] on violin, and [[Khattie Quinones]] on drums. It was an outgrowth of Adreinne's desire to expand her solo act.<ref>http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2005/06/22/tuna_helpers_avantgirl_power.html</ref>  By their second album, Meshbane had departed and received a special thanks credit, [[Timb Harris]] performing violin, viola, and cello on the second album.  The nautical theme continued with the band members' album credits as Adrienne the Anemone, Bethany the Barracuda, and Khattie the Katfish.  The band was very active in the [[GLBT]] community in Austin,<ref>http://www.thetunahelpers.org/writings_vault/bitch.html</ref> although not all its members were lesbians.  Their music often involves reflections on childhood, from a slightly dark but often comic perspective.  Bethany also performs the songs in [[American Sign Language]], an aspect of their live performances praised by ''[[Tuscon Weekly]]''.<ref>Linda Ray.  "Live: The Tuna Helpers, Molehill Orkestrah." February 2, 2006. http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/music/Content?oid=oid:78014</ref>
 Adrienne's description fo the band's mission on their website is as follows:
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 Their first album, ''[[Starring in... The Suspicious Fish]]'' was released by [[Monkeyboy Records]].  A contract with [[Mimicry Records]] in 2005 resulted in the second album, ''[[I'll Have What She's Having]]'' in 2005.  Writing of the second album, [[Anna Breshears]] of ''[[Bitch Magazine]]'' describes their live shows as being full of puppetry and stage effects, described Sneed as having "operatic range and precision," but also being capable of "whittl[[ing] her voice down to a warble of petulant protestations", and describes Quinones's drumming as "expressive."  She contrasts their work with teenage gothic music, describing it as "smarter, prettier and ha[ving] a sense of humor."<ref>Anna Breshears. Review.  "I'll Have What She's Having." ''[[Bitch Magazine]], Summer 2005. Reprinted ''http://www.thetunahelpers.org/writings_vault/bitch.html</ref>  [[Dead Earnest]] called the album "unique, accessible, original, quality and close to brilliance..." and "a rare gem."<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20061216090331/http://www.deadearnest.btinternet.co.uk/monthlysupps55.htm</ref>  Anna Maria Stjärnell of [[Collected Sounds Women in Music]] said she was "so impressed I'm at loss for words"<ref>Anna Maria Stjärnell Review. ''I'll Have Waht She's Having.'' August 12, 2005. http://www.collectedsounds.com/cdreviews/illhavewhat.html</ref>
-Reviewers frequently favorabley compared the band with [[Kate Bush]], [[Tori Amos]], [[Throwing Muses]], [[Siouxie and the Banshees]], and [[Rasputina]].
+Reviewers frequently favorabley compared the band with [[Kate Bush]], [[Tori Amos]], [[Throwing Muses]], [[Siouxie and the Banshees]], and [[Rasputina]].  She acknowled Bush as an indluence in [[Indianapolis]'s ''[[Nuvo Newsweekly]]''.<ref>Steve Hammer.  "Tuna Helpers: avant-girl power." ''[[Nuvo Newswekly]].'' June 22, 2005. http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2005/06/22/tuna_helpers_avantgirl_power.html
 The band broke up in February of 2007, and [[Adrienne Anemone]], having dropped the article from her stage name, moved to Brooklyn, pursuing a solo careeer in the [[New York City]] area, as well as creating [[performance art]] in the [[New York]], [[Philadelphia]], and [[Washington D.C.]] areas.