Cause & Effect : Pixies to Slowdive

This weeks #TBT is focused on a section of this Pitchfork documentary on the English shoegaze band Slowdive. The band discussed that one of their biggest hits was in their mind, very much an ode to The Pixies. (discussed at the 24:41 mark) 

The cause:

The effect (base line and dynamics):

Zandra Rhodes, The Original Couture Punk

Where did UK fashion go after mods, hippies, and glam? And who helped musicians like Marc Bolan transition from cosmic pixie to the edgey headliner on tour with The Damned?

Meet Zandra Rhodes, the female English fashion designer who saw punk on the streets and introduced it to the couture world. Also discover what life in San Diego is like for her now and how it relates back to music in a surprising but oh, that makes perfect sense kind of way.

Easter Candy Hangover Cure : Sugar Rush

Maybe you have finally crashed after too many marshmallow peeps and fitsfulls of jellybeans. I have a candy hangover cure for you and it comes in the form of a cassette. I strongly recommend one dose of this candy coated compilation entitled Sugar Rush which exists thanks to a dual effort by our friends at Negative Fun Records and The Grey Estates.

This limited edition collection features songstresses covering a bunch of classics from Patsy Cline to The Bouncing Souls.

• "Strange" (Patsy Cline) - Claire Morales & Jena Pyle
• "Kiss Me" (Sixpence None the Richer) - Kississippi
• "Everywhere" (Fleetwood Mac) - Boosegumps
• "Unpretty" (TLC) - Sundae Crush
• "Feelin' This" (Blink 182) - PONY
• "I Held Her In My Arms" (Violent Femmes) - Susan
• "Mongoloid" (Devo) - Pearl Earl
• "People Ain't No Good" (The Cramps) - Mommy Long Legs
• "Hopeless Romantic" (The Bouncing Souls) - Alright
• "(I'm Not Your) Regular Woman" (Lucille Mathis) - The Pretty Greens
• "Riot Grrl" (Keel Her) - Daddy Issues

New Band Alert : Flasher

Flasher is a Washington, DC three piece featuring Taylor of Priests/ Young Tyrnas, Emma of Big Hush/Young Tyrnas, and Daniel of Bless/Trouble. They are little bit goth, a little bit post-punk, and the best new music I heard all last week.

They have a debut EP coming via Sister Polygon Records on cassette  April 8th.

Happy Easter 1978 Patti Smith Style

Feminist Fridays : A Weekly Reading Round Up

A famous Polly goes to DC, writes a song about it then her tour guide writes a story about it.

We believe survivors and with a not guilty charge, CBC radio host Jian Ghomeshi extends rape culture for another year.

Thank goodness for a feature by a woman at the summer NAMM convention (infamous sausage party) that calls out stupid, out of touch music instrument brands who think it is rock and roll to objectify women. Viva She Shreds Magazine and Lauren for calling out brands for creating sexist products and super sexist marketing techniques. Best quote ever about a power supply names in poor taste Pussy Power : "It more concerns me that than appeals to me honestly."

Sexual assault can happen at any time, anywhere. Kate Nash encourages women to speak up and tell their story.

You had me at art show featuring an archetypal punk doll house .

Six gifted black female MCs just opened for Chuck D and I am so pleased this news is being reported on. Get to know Set it off Cypher.  

A conversation with female A&R reps, sorry Apple music, women have a great ear for finding and signing new talent. And speaking of technology, learn how it is failing women.

I grew up with one role model and that is Laura Ingalls Wilder, yes the very same woman behind Little House on the Prairie. I am pretty darn excited to learn that the actress who played her on the television show, Melissa Gilbert, is running for congress.

This week I learned about an islamic Turkish feminist cult whose female members are called Kittens and look more plastic than the Kardashian family. Thanks Vice for blowing my mind and showing me chair dancing 2.0. "It feels like someone rubbed crayon all over my face."

The past is filled with women who are rebels and there is a fantastic video series entitled Ordinary Women: Daring to Defy History to celebrate them.

Azelia Banks has released a new mixtape titled Slay-Z and it can be yours for free.

I don't spend much time exploring all the different aspects of Spotify but I am a subscriber and use it often to listen to new music in an effort to decide if I want to spend the money to purchase it on vinyl. This week I discovered that in celebration of Women's History Month, Hilary Clinton has created a playlist of 30 songs to help smash the glass ceiling. If that doesn't do it for you, you can always check out the Sylvia Plath playlist instead.

My earworm discovery of the week. Mamamoo; Gwen Stefani wishes.

Huggy Bear Member Goes Minimal

Electronic meditations may not be what you were expecting from Jo Johnson, the guitar player of the cacophonous Huggy Bear but she has an entire solo identity based around minimal soundscapes.

If you aren't familiar, Huggy Bear was England's version of Bikini Kill in the early '90s and truly fantastic.

The boy/girl revolution before:

The ambient after:

My Rock Hero: Joyce Raskin

Yesterday a dear friend and my rock and roll idol announced that the Scarce Kickstarter campaign they were ramping up for was cancelled because she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The only silver lining here is that they have caught it early and will be aggressively treating her starting with surgery next week. I am sending her every ounce of love and support I have and in the meantime would like to share just what it is about Joyce that makes her an icon in my eyes. I want everyone to know the gift that is her many talents.

Joyce Raskin was a member of a band called Scarce that featured a gentleman by the name of Chick Graning who had previously played in a band that I love called Anastasia Screamed. A friend who was also a fan of the band insisted that I HAD to check out this new band Scarce who were just as good if not better than A.S. and featured a women who could be my long lost sister. It was sold to me like it seeing them live was a religious experience. The first time I saw them play was in the early to mid '90s but honestly nothing could prepare me for what I saw. 

This three piece included Joyce Raskin, a pint size powerhouse of style and energy who also happened to be a ridiculously talented bass player. Scarce exploded on stage. Their was a palatable chemistry between the members that charged through the band and came through them like a sexually charged lighthouse. They were incandescent and communicated through each other somewhere between wild lovers and tender best friends. Most bands would kill to have a few great songs but Scarce not only knew how to write a memorable song, they shared an electricity that could charge an entire stadium with their energy.  

Decades later I can say with all confidence I have NEVER witnessed a better live performer. Anyone who ROCKS so hard that they need to place padding on the underside of their bass to protect themselves is a superstar in my book. Joyce doesn't just rock, she rocks hard. Fun fact, the actresses in the 2001 film Josie and the Pussycats needed to learn how to move on stage like rock stars studied footage of Joyce for inspiration. 

Check out the live footage in this video. I still get goosebumps. All the things I was told about what the band X was like, is for me what seeing Scarce was like. 

As a woman in music who was NOT tied into the Riot Grrrl movement it was always exciting for me to meet other women who had nothing to do with that scene. It was never a question of if I would meet Joyce, it was more like how quickly can I meet this woman and make her my friend. We were introduced backstage at a Scarce show at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, N.J. You know those love at first site meetings in the cartoons when two character fall head over heels - that was us. Hearts and stars poured out of us in a strange chemical reaction. People throughout the '90s would often confuse the two of us, not because we look that much alike but because we are very similar in size and enthusiasm (think radiating sunshine). 

We rarely lived in the same city (I was in Seattle then) so we didn't get the opportunity to send a lot of time together in person but we were pen pals, sharing the stress of playing in busy bands through letters, art, and mixtapes. Scarce fell very quickly into a media  buzz spotlight  and her band found themselves in a huge bidding war between seemingly every record label in the world - A&M won. We were each other's confidents  for this decade and I still have many of those letters to this day. I felt less alone and less crazy for living a chaotic band life because of our letters and friendship. 

Then the unthinkable happened to Scare, a band on the track to be the next Nirvana. Member Chick had a brain hemorrhage and their world came crashing in. The band never recovered their momentum and eventually broke up. The important part of this story however is that while only 10% of people survive this medical nightmare, Chick did. 

At the end of the '90s both Joyce and I found ourselves living in NYC for a tiny window of time we finally had the opportunity to play in a band together. We were called Souvenir. We never recorded anything with Joyce (demos can be heard here) but we did play a small number of shows in the Northeast and had a very good time while it lasted. Around this time Joyce became a mom for the first time and moved out of New York. It is hard to believe we have only seen each other once in person since then but thanks to social media, we are still connected and I continue to be in awe of all she does. 

In 2007 Joyce wrote a band memoir called Aching to Be which led to Scarce reforming and recording new music as well as playing shows again. I should also add in here that she is a remarkable painter / artist and has been producing gorgeous pieces of art for as long as I have known her (much of their band art is by her too).

Joyce created another book that incorporates Scarce lyrics called The Fall and Rise of Circus Boy Blue. As you read the story and the songs unfold in print form there is a digital link to the songs that are performed by Scarce and the reader actually gets to hear the music that coincides with the book. She has also authored My Misadventures as a Teenage Rock Star and here is a terrific interview with her about it. She also has another new band called Reindeer which means we all get to enjoy even more music from Joyce.

If all this wasn't incredible enough, Joyce has also begun to post a series of videos to help girls learn how to play guitar. She continues to be a remarkable female roll model in my life and I am so excited to know she will influence and inspire hundreds if not thousands of more girls from a whole new generation. Truly awesome stuff. 

Cause & Effect: The Pastels + Goon Sax (New Release Alert)

The Pastels "Nothing to Be Done" from their 1993 Truckload of Trouble.

The Goon Sax "Up to Anything" who are from Australia and just released a charming C86 jangle-pop record.

SXSBEST 2016: Pitchfork Day Party

Pitchfork SXSW Day two photos by Hilary Langford.

Frankie Cosmos

Waxahatchee

Caroline Polacheck of Chairlift

SXSBEST 2016

Hilary Langford sent us a few more photos from SXSW last night.

Jana Hunter of Lower Dens at Bangers

Allison Mosshart also at Bangers

Feminist Fridays: Reading Round Up

Here are the highlights for the week of March 14th, 2016:

Punk gave this Latina woman the freedom to be herself. This is her story.

Let 2016 be the year women no longer protect the men who beat, abuse, and rape them. Every week lately it seems the music industry has a new headline about a musician or a man in the industry accused of assault, harrasment, or rape and this week is no exception.

Why are female musicians picking up more guns than ever in their music videos? Fader has some ideas.

Just like many people miss the point of the Black Lives Matter movement, there are people who don't understand why women might want to create female only safe places. Here are 6 reasons why.

Cool, I make less in the professional world AND I make less when I as a woman sell stuff on Ebay. I sell records on Ebay often and this story tells me pay inequality has followed me there too.

Music does the mind good and there is science to prove it.

You think you are punk? Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's son is so disappointed in the 40th anniversary of punk as blessed by the Queen herself, that he is planning on burning his parent's record collection valued in the millions in absurd protest. You could be a dick and burn art belonging to a culture your parents helped shape and dress or you could sell that collection and make a donation to a charity you believe in that would potentially better the world. Read more about the boy wonder here. 

Can we talk about how cool it is that the President and the First Lady were speakers at SXSW? Michelle Obama talked about her Let Girls Learn initiative which "helps adolescent girls around the globe attend and complete school. She also introduced an impressive anthem with a little help from some friends.

What do St. Vincent, Iggy Pop, and Josh Homme have in common? This mix tape.

I'm so excited, I just can't hide it. I'm about to loose control because of this cool article on Anita Pointer (Pop star, civil rights activist, and collector of black memorabilia) and I think I like it.

SXSBEST 2016: Pitchfork Day Party

What's going on:

Little Sims

Thanks Hilary and Beth for the updates!

SXSBEST 2016

More photos from Hilary Langford at SXSW.

Shannon and the Clams at Barracuda

Adia Victoria at Parish: "It's nice playing with the ladies, but I've never seen an all dick show before. It's just how I feel."

Throwback Thursday: Doris

Swedish singer Doris Svensson, now 68 years old, released one hell of a Jazz (but not really) record in 1970. Did You give the World Some Love Today Baby was her second album and was a collaboration with Berndt Egerbladh (Jazz pianist, composer, television producer, and record label owner) at the EMI studios in Stockholm.

I discovered this record when record label Mr. Bongo re-released this album in the late '90s and in looking up the album this morning, I see the New York Times reviewed a track from this album by describing it as Hendrix backing Björk (the internet also tells me that Bjork is a fan of Doris)!

Such a powerhouse of a voice!

Check out Doris fronting Plums.

SXSBEST 2016

Atta-Girl secret agent Hilary Langford is in Austin, TX for SXSW and is kind enough to send us some photos to share.

RVA local lady and huge talent, Lucy Dacus at the Longbranch Inn.

Sunflower Bean at Sidewinder.

The Other Girl Group: DJs

For all the times I curse social media, I have so many reason to celebrate it. Recently a friend added me to a closed Facebook group for female record collectors and DJs only. I have been working in record stores since the late '80s and there has always felt like a shortage of women who collect records because we are so greatly outnumbered by men. This FB group has connected a number of us from all over the world and in turn not only am I discovering great records but I am learning about all female DJ collectives I didn't know existed. As you can guess, the number of female DJs is much smaller than the number of men so again, it is thrilling to see so many ladies all over the planet banding together not to play instruments but to play records. 

Here is just a tiny number of them I know about:

Meet Fortyfive Degrees, a six lady collective from Germany.

And hooray for The Beat Mermaids from Copenhagen.

Frau DJs from the UK

I have written about Discwoman in NYC before.

There is another private FB group that has Mixcloud site called Sister that celebrates women in underground club music.

Chulita Vinyl Club in Austin

TGAF are from Paris, France

Honey Power in SoCal

In Japan there is the Twee Grrrls Club.

Siren in the UK

Tell me about more of them and I will add to the list!

And while we don't exist anymore, shout out to my ladies who for a few years there did Cherry Bomb with me in Richmond, VA.

Backyard Report: Christi

Check out Richmond, VA trio Christi who are a modern day version of those criminally unrecognized '60s girl groups that are celebrated on the quintessential Girls in the Garage series.

Sauna Youth, the Other SY

Screw you dark morning sky, daylight savings, and Mondays in general. At least I have some good news to cheer me up. Sauna Youth's 2012 release Dreamlands has been reissued on vinyl via Gringo Records and is out now.

SY (not to be confused with Sonic Youth) are an outstanding artful post-punk 4 piece from London who put out one of my favorite records last year, Distractions.

RIYL Looper and Wire.

Feminist Friday Reading Round Up

Here are some recent news stories that may appeal to the readers of this site.

From Dazed: Feminist groups disrupting bro-tech culture in 2016.

She Shreds will have a showcase at SXSW, read more about it here!

I believe Anita Hill...Sonic Youth knew what was up.

Tired of sexual harassment at music festivals? There may be a cure for that.

Female journalists often interview men in music who cross the line and FYI this is called sexual harrasment.

I have written about this here before. Sexual harrasment at shows is real and it is a crime. Read one women's story here.  Want to make your city feel safer for shows? Create a private FB group where women can post that they would like to go to a show and in turn they find a fellow fan to go with. There is safety in numbers! These private groups are starting to pop up and I think they are a tremendous idea.

25 women under 25 who are killing it according to Noisey. Looking forward to the women over 40 who are keeping shit awesome story next ;)

On point message here and I embrace that some people will mistake strength for being a bitch.

Late night gets real with the Guerrilla Girls.

F*ck Yeah FRIDAY : Helen Love

Formed in the early '90s, Helen Love are best described as a bubblegum power-pop band from Wales.

I love the Ramones. I love adorable disco punk like Bis. I love the chic fun of Stereo Total. Helen Love delivers all of that greatness in one neat package.

Once upon a time they recorded a single with Joey Ramone. Welcome to 1994!

Throwback Thursday w/ a Purpose : X

It is MS Awareness Week and in tribute to the disease that took my mother's life, I have chosen the band X as member Exene Cervenka announced in 2009 her diagnosis of this often debilitating disease of the brain and central nervous system. In MS the immune system attacks the protective cover of nerve fibers that causes the communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Over time, these nerves begin to deteriorate and can become permanently damaged causing a variety of symptoms including the inability to walk, use of arms, and major cognitive issues.

X is an American band that has been making music on and off since 1977. They feature a distinctive male/ female dueling vocals straddling the line between punk and roots Rock. Many thought at the time that a punk band could never cross over into the mainstream but X were among the first groundbreaking bands to do just that.

Cause & Effect : The Sun + Days

Cause: The Sundays were an English rock band that formed in the late '80s and remained active through most of the '90s.

Effect: Meet The Sun Days, a 5 piece indie pop group from Sweden.

Cause & Effect : Pinkshinyultrablast

Cause: American Shoegazers Astrobrite started in the mid '90s as a one man bedroom project by Scott Cortez of loveliescrushing that has long since morphed into to an occasionally still active band.

Their third full length release is entitled Pinkshinyultrablast.

Effect: Meet Pinkshinyultrablast, a St. Petersburg, Russian shoegaze group so inspired by Astrobrite that they named themselves after the third record in their discography. Pinkshinyultrablast have a brand new album out (their second) entitled Grandfeathered on Club AC30.

Something Worth Listening To : Downtown Boys

There is only perk when the world seems to be freefalling in a terrifying downward political spiral that resembles the film Idiocracy and that is the rebirth of tremendous pissed off punk music.

I had the opportunity to see Downtown Boys perform this weekend (along with Sheer Mag, Christi, and Dazeases) and they were everything I has hear them to be. X-Ray Specs, Crass, Dead Kennedys, and Bikini Kill rolled into one bi-lingual band from Providence, Rhode Island. The only thing better than a captivating, energetic, and powerful live band is one that is educated and saying important things about the state of the world around them.

2016 Favorite : Fir Cone Children

Dreams do come true! Heavy, distorted, GORGEOUS indie-pop from Berlin so down and dirty it could strike oil. You know all those bands who clearly worship My Bloody Valentine but then try to make a pathetic soulless copy of the band? Well, Fir Cone Children finally got this inspiration right. There is a shade buzzsaw guitar groups like Jesus and Mary Chain and the likes here but Fir Cone Children put a unique spin on it all. I could see outsider Metal fans (think Aquarius Record shop pick of the week) finding something to love among all the shimmering and buzzing. But I could also see Slumberland Records fans who believe there will never be anything better than the early years that included Lilys and Velocity Girl worshiping this too.

Throwback Thursday : Black Velvet

This week I have pulling records to DJ at a Girls Rock! RVA charity event with a bunch of my favorite people / record collector types. I will be spinning an all female artist set spanning records from the late '50s through the early '70s.

This is one of my favorite charities as this volunteer group offers young girls the annual opportunity to play around on a bunch of different instruments in a city summer camp type setting for one week. At the end of the week the girls form bands, write songs, and are given the opportunity to perform them in a local music venue for friends and family. I am a proud supporter of Girls Rock! RVA and really look forward to this Friday's fundraiser. Hope to see you there!

Here is a favorite 7" single I am bringing with me this Friday night. It is Black Velvet's "An Earthquakes Coming" from 1972. Mindblowing funk from a trio of teenage girls!

Missed This One : Gwenno

Arghhh! You can't catch it all. I missed Gwenno (ex-Pipettes) 2015 political concept album Y Dyadd Olaf presented in her two two languages, Welsh and the nearly obscure Cornish. The album title is based on an obscure 1976 sci-fi novel written by Welsh author Owain Owain about robots turning humans into clones. Applied to modern times, big themes like political brainwashing, media propaganda, and bullying of minorities permeate her retro/modern synth-pop record.

RIYL: Ladytron, Enon, and the last Broadcast album Tender Buttons.

Wonder Women in Music

Standard Issue Magazine has a cool list of female trailblazers behind landmarks in music.

Here is a look and listen to the women among this list.

Electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire with the Doctor Who theme.

The CEO of Sugar Hill Records Sylvia Johnson, also a singer, songwriter, record producer, and the list goes on and on. 

Managing Ozzy can't be easy no less being married to the man but he did write this song about Sharon Osbourne so there is that.

All hail the artists like photographers Annie Leibovitz and Pennie Smith who gave us iconic images in music (including record covers for The Boss and The Clash).

What didn't Carol King write? 

And speaking of Wonder Woman, did you know about this comic's mindblowing history that includes a love triangle marriage and feminist icons?