Azita

Azita Youssefi (; born January 18, 1971, in St. Louis, Missouri) is an Iranian-American experimental musician, artist and music teacher based in Chicago. She was originally associated with the Chicago no wave scene, which included bands such as the Scissor Girls, U.S. Maple and Bride of No No.

She has been a voice and piano teacher at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music since 2002, and has served as composer and musical director for theater productions of musicals by Brian Torrey Scott.

Background Born in the United States to Iranian parents, Azita spent part of her childhood in Iran She speaks Persian.

Musical career

Scissor Girls Disillusioned with the visual arts as a medium for expression, she turned to performance art and sound. In 1991, she formed the spastic noise-rock group The Scissor Girls with Sue Anne Zollinger on guitar (later replaced by Kelly Kuvo), Heather Melowic on drums, and herself on vocals and bass. Their live performances were highly theatrical and the members often dressed in homemade costumes ranging from Catholic schoolgirl uniforms to clothes made of Bubble Wrap and duct tape. After two albums and a singles compilation, the Scissor Girls broke up in late 1996.

Solo Azita recorded her first solo work, Music for Scattered Brains, to be used as a part of her college thesis project.

Discography AZ Music for Scattered Brains (CD, Atavistic, 1997; LP, SG Research, 1995)

Scissor Girls We People Space With Phantoms (LP/CD, Atavistic, 1995) Here is the "Is-Not" (CD, Atavistic, 1997) Bride of No-No B.O.N.N. Apetit! (LP/CD, Atavistic, 2000) II (LP/CD, Atavistic, 2003) Azita Enantiodromia (LP/CD, Drag City, 2003) Life on the Fly (LP/CD, Drag City, 2004) Detail From the Mountain Side, music from the Brian Torrey Scott musical (CD EP, Drag City, 2006) How Will You? (LP/CD, Drag City, 2009) Disturbing the Air (LP/CD, Drag City, 2011) Year, music from the Brian Torrey Scott musical (LP/CD, 2012)* Year, music from the Brian Torrey Scott musical (LP/CD, 2012) Glen Echo (LP, Drag City, 2021)

Art Cover art on To Live and Shave in L.A.'s Ride a Cock Over Horse 7" (Menlo Park Recordings, 1996) Artwork for the LP/CD Music for Scattered Brains - AZ