Saucy Monky

The roots of the whimsical indie rockers Saucy Monky can be traced back to when singer/guitarist/songwriter Cynthia Catania decided to leave her native Ireland for New York City. Successful gigging around N.Y.C. led to good press but not a recording contract, so Los Angeles was her next stop. A yearlong job as background singer on The Larry Sanders Show and a new group — the Sugar Junkies — kept her busy, but that big-label deal failed to materialize. The Sugar Junkies broke up, too, but Catania is the proactive type and decided to go it alone. She was also inspired by Ani DiFranco's D.I.Y. attitude toward the music industry and decided that instead of waiting for the major-label contract, she should form her own label, Olive Oil, to release her music.

A solo album appeared in 1999, but Catania was still looking for a band. She found one in 2001 when she met kindred spirit Annmarie Cullen, also a singer/guitarist/songwriter. Soon bassist Carson Cohen and drummer Adam Marcello rounded out Saucy Monky, and a couple albums worth of Catania and Cullen songs were ready to go. Their debut — Celebrity Trash — was released in 2003, but only in Ireland where its single, "Disco Ball," became an indie rock smash. Turbulence appeared a year later in Ireland and caught the ear of the American label 429. The label reissued the album in 2005 with a new version of "Disco Ball" released as the kickoff single.