The Color Guard

In 2000 Lalena Fissure, the former Hissyfits guitarist, assembled The Color Guard to deliver its new wave-infused cheeky pop. The Houston native had already spent nearly ten years navigating New York City when she was befriended by Jeanne Gilliland, an expatriate from Ann Arbor, Michigan. With ex-Lefty drummer Jake Alrich and guitarist Nina 57 completing the lineup, the band took shape. Its self-titled EP appeared in 2001; that same autumn Nina 57 departed just as the group’s first proper studio album, Speech for Heated Hearts, reached stores. Jazz enthusiast and guitarist John Zisman stepped in to fill the vacancy. ~ MacKenzie Wilson