Feminist Friday for the Week of July 25th, 2016

Jes Skolnik wrote a great guide to pitching publications in the digital/ social media world.

Hey New Zealand friends, here is your opportunity to own 300 boomboxes. Check out this ridiculously awesome slice of music history. The seller won't split up the collection so be prepared to make some room for them all.

Photos of DC's Girls Rock! showcase taken by Farrah Skeiky are heartwarming and inspirational.

Fader recently spotlighted 7 queer bands from the U.K. worthy of your attention. I already knew I LOVED Shopping but that Cruising video!

Say what you will about Kickstarter (haters gonna hate), these numbers tell us that they are making a positive impact on the creative community. With Molly Neuman Hernandez (Bratmobile, The Peechees) at the helm of their music division, I would expect nothing less.

Backyard report: local Richmond, VA record label Grave Mistake has a new Earth Girls (Chicago) release coming August 12th. The Le Sigh debuted a new track this week; prepare for some quality Pop on 11. In other local news, RVA Magazine featured Samantha Brodek, a pen and ink artist whose macabre work has appeared on many an album cover or band shirt.

Meet Sarah Robbins from Alright/Faye/ Self Aware Records. Charlotte, NC is my new favorite and this lady is one of the main reasons why.

I have worked at records stores on and off for more than two decades. You wouldn't believe the things customers say and do within the walls of the shop. Luckily a record store clerk has written them all down and is willing to share. Anyone who has worked retail will appreciate these tales.

Kelley Deal from The Breeders is making scarves. It looks like she already sold out so you better bookmark this page because winter is coming.

Did you know women are winning the symphony chair game? More than 50% of the chairs in the top American 250 orchestras are filled by women.

Imagine putting your heart and soul into making music only to have it hijacked by someone like Donald Trump for the Republican party. These musicians say enough is enough.

Could this be the end of  the vinyl boom? Duh.

Scotland has a music festival called Pandora where women were the primary focus.

This exhibition of Japanese portable record players appeals to me on every level.

Awe yeah! Another interview with the Latina DJ crew Chulita Vinyl Club.

The Indietracks festival is this weekend (Saint Etienne, The Aislers Set, The Spook School, Comet Gain) is also fundraising for Sarcoma UK, a charity Camera Obscura's Carey Lander was involved in before she passed of this cancer last year. If you aren't able to make it to the festival, you can still donate to the cause. 

This Chicago group of women in music are creating their own safe spaces. Los Angeles also has a version of this, meet PLAG (play like a girl). This is a growing trend and I love it.

Angela Owens, Girls Rock, and an Accidental Backyard Report

Boston music photographer Angela Owens has owned my Facebook feed this week; a welcome change from people yelling at each other about politics. Everyone I know is obsessing on this series of photos she took at a recent show (more like a fest) in Boston that reminds me of the old youth crew photos from CBGBs, only this time the bands and crowd are predominantly ladies. This was a benefit for Girls Rock Boston and it wins the award for the best thing I have seen all month.

Before you scroll down any farther, seriously check out her photos first. Get to know the photographer in this interview.

This also doubles as a backyard report because as it turns out, a lot of these bands are from my hometown of Richmond, VA.

There are a ton of videos to check out via the event page. Watch them all here. 

It got me wondering who all these bands in the photos were, so I have compiled all the links here:

LEATHER DADDY (Boston)


FIREWALKER  (Boston)


DAME  (Boston)


RINGER  (Richmond)


KOMMUNION (Richmond)


NOSEBLEED (Richmond)


METER FEEDER (Hadley, MA)


IRON CAGES (DC)


RARE FORM - I can't find much on this band so if anyone has a link, please send it to me.


CROSSFIRE (Boston) 
 

Feminist Friday: A Weekly Round Up for July 15, 2016

Talent and beauty can't coexist according to so many male journalists. Seriously, when will women be written about as artists and not highly sexualized dolls?

And speaking of annoying press habits, how about a story on Juggalos being the new Ravers and the LA Weekly that needs to be proven by showing pictures of scantily clad women. Try harder LA Weekly.

Do all female event lineups actually help or hurt our cause since it stresses our gender over the art we make?

Grace Jones is replacing M.IA. as the Afropunk London headliner.

Public service announcement: There are "professionals" trying to use LinkedIn like Tinder. Check out when a "nice website for nice people" turns into shark infested waters.

As electronic music enters classrooms a a way to teach children about music making, what does this mean for the future of this genre in 10 or so years? I can't wait to find out.

Kenny and I are still mourning the end of our record label this year but I love reading about a couple who run one of my favorite American record labels currently, Trouble In Mind.

It is really hard to be your best at anything (music or otherwise) when our health and female bodies are grossly stigmatized and unserved. Girls also tend to be more anxiety prone, why is that?

Michelle Obama and Missy Elliott rocking out in a car with James Corden is the BEST THING I HAVE SEEN OR HEARD ALL WEEK.

Backyard report, get to know one of my favorite local musicians (that velvet voice!) and a fabulous feminist to boot Julie Karr. Also Sisterhood of Hip Hop season 3 includes an artist we booked at Richmond's Fall Line Fest, Audra the Rapper (from DC/ Virginia Beach)

And in things that have made my friend's week, I think The Julie Ruin covering Courtney Barnett is the best thing they have heard or seen all week.

In other riot grrrl news, you can wear a piece of its history - via an Ebay auction right now.

One more piece of grrrl news, you can help fund a film on this very subject, all 25 years of it.

My fluff piece of the week, play a record in a whole new way - like a guitar.

Gillian McCain talks Please Kill Me twenty years later.

Her story (IE women in music) is an important party of punk's HIStory. Viv Albertine to the rescue!

Goth at 40 is a nice reminder that age is a stupid thing and music we love is forever.

A Friday Flashback to Containe, a band that included Fontaine Toups from Versus and at one point Georgia from YLT on drums.

What could be more important to music fans than a scientific discovery that could reverse hearing loss?

Sharon Jones discusses the fight of her life (fuck cancer!) and isn't willing to give up hope via the Soul Sisters podcast.

Don't know anything about the Fluxus art movement? I have a remedy for that. Spoiler, it involves women doing amazing things in art, including graphic design, performance pieces, and sound.

On the Stereo: Astrobal, Terry, Angry Angles, Foxtales Brigade, Minor Victories, As Ondas

Astrobal – Australasie - Plug Research

French producer/drummer Emmanuel Mario’s debut solo project includes special guests, most notably, Laetitia Sadier. RIYL: Stereolab completists, Francophiles, early 2000s indietronica, Morr Records, Moon Safaris, New Age Kama Sutra, rom-prog Favorite Track: Ma Recontre 

Terry – Terry HQ - Upset the Rhythm! 

Melbourne, Australia’s band family tree is more of a skyward beanstalk situation between Total Control, Dicker Diver, and UV Race to name just a few. RIYL: Thunder  from down under, indie RnR royalty, percussive vocals that shadow guitar lines, monotone melodies, controlled angst, those who know the “C” word carries a different meaning outside of the United States, saxophones that don’t wear out their welcome, and Television Personalities – now with more estrogen! Favorite Track: Moscow on the Thames




Angry Angles – S/T - Goner Records

In the early 2000s Alix Brown was Jay Reatard’s better half in and out of the band during a period of time most fans consider Jay’s musical golden age (Lost Sounds – Blood Visions). This 17-song collection of singles and rarities is a melancholy reminder that what once was will never be again but damn it was great while they lasted. RIYL: Couples who rock(ed), Southern gothic Devo, miniature guitar solos,  one of the best screams in the business, a lot of fucking attitude, proactive Oblivions fans, a Memphis barbequed Georgia peach, Dixie Pink Flag.  Favorite Track:  You Fell In



Foxtails Brigade – S/T - OIM Records

Orchestrated Grimm’s fairy tales steer us clear of the California beaches proving there is fun without sun. RIYL: Wars Without Frontiers, dreams of Kate Bush, bloodlines crossed with comedy and horror, strings on tippy toe, Lashes with bats, sunglasses at night, and Newsom understudies Favorite Track: No Fate

Minor Victories – S/T - Fat Possum

This isn’t your Mom’s shoegaze! Oh wait, yes it is. If you tell me you love the music made by the “super-group” featuring Mogwai, Slowdive, and Editors, I will assume you have a heart condition that does not allow you to enjoy anything too wild or overstimulating. The creative community also needs to build a support group for musicians who are interested in collaborating with Mark Kozelek in an effort to talk them off that ledge. DON’T DO IT! RIYL: Long naps under warm blankets, tamed animals, mild cheeses, the shallow end of the pool, speed limits, bare feet on plush carpets, 120 Minutes, David Lynch mediations, new releases with an old fashioned big budget recording budget, those later period Jesus and Mary Chain records you have been meaning to revisit, the 50 fans who still look forward to the musings of Mark Kozelek, and compression socks. Favorite Song: Cogs

As Ondas – Marés –Tuff Enough

Melancholy pop made by members of Shopping, Dog Legs, and Wachi Wachi that maybe have just perfected the art of slacker post-punk. RIYL:  Slow jog tempos, minimalism, español, those who follow the repetition is the key philosophy, twee temperaments, Teen Beat Records adjacent, and a Factory Records 45 played on 33. Favorite Track: Natural 

Feminist Friday : A Weekly Round Up for July 8, 2016

St. Vincent covered The Golden Girls theme. Sure, I will take this ethereal distraction from my otherwise mostly depressing social media feed.

Is it that there are fewer women in music than men currently or do we blame the people of power in the industry for excluding us from venues, publications, festivals, offices, and label rosters? Meaning we are here, get used to it, and hire us damn it. The Guardian has some answers. Harvard Business Review also offers some related insight to confidence of women in the workplace. Apparently unless we also radiate competence and warmth, we will continue to be looked over. Damned if we do, damned if we don't.

Pittsburgh has a three day music festival that celebrates women in music called Ladyfest that kicks off today.

Music fan's interest in the long player continue to wane as singles and EPs cycle back to meet our ever diminishing attention span. I don't care about trends. As a musician who loves the creative process of creating a whole album; building a story that has a beginning, middle, and end, I will ignore this data and carry on as I please.

Did you know Jean Smith from Mecca Normal is also a stunning painter? I am obsessed with her very affordable portraits.

Indie record store owners are reminded that the major labels really don't give a crap about them. This week WEA will stop selling music to accounts who purchase less than 10k a year from them. Perhaps someone can tell me, does this mean ADA who is a part of that umbrella also cutting off these smaller record stores? For those of you who aren't familiar, ADA is a music distro that is one stop shopping tha represent some of the biggest and best indie music labels in the business and the very stores who have helped to make those record labels household names will no longer be able to purchase their catalog. Yikes. The music industry desperately needs more DIY distributors. Record stores need product to sell and it is impossible to go direct with every label or band they like. They rely on distributors to help keep their stores stocked.

The transgender community deserves a better voice says Genesis P-Orridge and Laura Jane Grace. I couldn't agree more.

Backyard Report! * Once upon a time Richmond, VA had a legendary large brick building called Garbers filled with band practice spaces spread over many floors. Our local creative community suffered a serious blow recently when it was announced the building was sold and was going to become condos. All bands renting a space there have been asked to vacate the premises. Our city lacks affordable practice spaces so more than 30 (I bet closer to 50 band) have lost their rehearsal spaces this month and now there is a small army of talent now looking for new places to call home. Local musician and filmmaker Allison Apperson (of the band Hot Lava) is working on a short documentary on this important piece of Richmond's music history. My band Positive No called this space home for the first three years of our existence and nearly all of the music we have released to date was written and worked out in a room there. * I can't get enough of GIRLS ROCK! RVA.

Nylon has selected 5 female fronted bands they think you should know about.

Enjoy visiting this LEGO record store created by the legendary artist Coop.

My favorite on the planet Sheila B is taking her act on the road. Europe, you have no idea how lucky you are.

LA Weekly has published a story on women smashing misogyny in the music industry. Behind the scenes there is a growing network of us coming banding together in person and on social media in private groups to help bring about change and support each other when sexism strikes which as you can imagine is a daily event. No more secret keeping. We are naming names and calling situations out in an effort to protect each other from those who abuse or oppress us.

Erykah Badu is donating concert funds to Detroit's rape kit process.

There is a Classical music tribute entitled Sing Her Name that commemorates women black women impacted by racial justice. #BLACKLIVESMATTER

I could look at Rock and Roll fashion portraits from the past all day long. Punks! Goths! Disco Queens!

Want to feel insecure about who you were as a 17 year old? Lindsey Jordan from Snail Mail is the kind of talented young musician that is decades ahead of her peers and she has only just begun. And I thought I was accomplished as a teen for learning how to drive stick shift.

Why can't electronic music festivals give us some love? Owning just  3% of a talent roster is not acceptable.

I Live Inside : Memoirs of a Babe in Toyland

In feminist music circles bands like Bikini Kill get all the attention when it comes to women in music during the '90s. This drives me crazy. There were so many women playing music then who just by existing, putting out records, and touring, were advancing women in music without wrapping themselves into any sort of political agenda. Bands like L7, Velocity Girl, Babes In Toyland, Lunachicks, Superchunk, Hole, Jawbox, Breeders, PJ Harvey, Fire Party, Tsunami, and Babes in Toyland were inspiring to women like me who were not drawn in by the Riot Grrrl movement. I wanted to be like them. I screamed / sang along to their records and I watched them take to the stage with a confidence that at the time, I didn't know was possible. They twisted the idea of what a women could look or sound like. They were not men but they were unlike any women I knew in my life. They played instruments I had never had the opportunity to strum or hit. They were loud, fearless, and this was intoxicating to me coming out of high school. My peers talk about Riot Grrrl bands in the same exact way, but honestly both music scenes helped pave the way and inspire others. I wish the books and film documenting this underground world credited these women in a more balanced way. This is why an entire book written by a musician who didn't have a spotlight on her continuously really intrigued me. I knew very little about Michelle Leon's life up until this point. Babes in Toyland while having a brief rise to popularity never held mainstream interest the way Hole did (thanks Nirvana) and her two bandmates often stole the attention because the focus always falls unfairly on the singer (Kat Bjelland) or the outgoing member (Lori Barbero)

What moves me most Babes In Toyland bass player Michelle Leon's book I Live Inside is how brutally honest it is. As an outsider who looked at their world in awe and wonder, she pulls the curtain back to reveal a very imperfect and emotionally complicated band chemistry. A band projects this illusion of a better, out of this world environment that is easy for fans to want to escape to and get lost in. They are so far removed from the mundane 9 to 5 world of school, desk jobs, and dull responsibilities. From the audience perspective Babes in Toyland was bold, raw, and shared a bond that couldn't possibly be anything less than sacred sisterhood. The truth is that like any family, it was dysfunctional and often chaotic and maddening. It is hard to fathom the real life happening behind the scenes of these songs that are as familiar to me as any photo in my family albums, but the transparency of her words found in this memoir are as as pure as the music she once made. A band's life is a private and I Live Inside reveals many of their secrets.

It was and continues to be a brave thing to join a band and put yourself out into the world for all to hear, see, and judge. You live in three worlds at the same time: the private world that is you outside of the band in the real world, the one that is a member of a band family who spend most of the time off stage in a bubble, and then the band chemistry as musicians who write music and perform it together and this is the facade given to strangers. These world's all affect each other and become a tangled, complicated knot. Michelle Leon moves back and forth between childhood and her time in the band to reveal how these different worlds connect, influence each other, and often clash. Leon moves between the past and present like a masterful storyteller.   

All people carry insecurities yet playing music is one of the few times and places one can feel untethered and free. The weight of the world slips away behind an instrument or microphone. Music offers the unique experience of being able to lose and find yourself all at once. We become the essence of ourselves through music and creating this non tangible version of self becomes addicting. It can feel like a safe place but it is also an easy place to drift off course in. Musicians often end up floating helplessly between between the real world and band world. This is where the story often gets messy. To pin this invisible energy to the page isn't an easy task but I Live Inside rebuilds this journey in a one of a kind way. We travel with Michelle back in forth in time, strapped into the passenger seat unsure of where we might arrive ncxt. Just like music, her book is the safest vehicle to to experience a terrifyingly wild ride without collecting any of the bumps and bruises along the way.

If you are not familiar with the band, here is a top 10 from their catalog to get you started.


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Feminist Friday : A Weekly Round Up for July 1, 2016

"I've worked in the music industry for 30 years. In that time, my boobs have gotten me into serious trouble. Stacie Huckeba shares her experiences via Huffington Post.

Oklahoma City is getting a music festival this August that is a celebration of women artists and musicians called AMP.

Francesca Allen photographed a few up and coming ladies in music for Noisy.

The Le Sigh site is my kindred spirit.

Loving this episode on The Future of What about the daunting world of trying to book shows - including the difference between booking agents and talent buyers. Interviews include Josh Brinkman (booking agent), Velena Vego (talent booker at Athen's, GA 40 Watt venue and hopefully we will have our own interview with her here soon), and Eric Gerber (Doug Fir Lounge portland venue). Booking shows is maybe my least favorite aspect of being a musician so I truly appreciate this 101 on booking.

Dozens of sexual assaults were reported at Swedish music festivals.

Music is bringing new life to female prisoners.

Vancouver has a new all-female chamber orchestra because Canada is the coolest.

Global Goals are making people rethink the Spice Girls' message and what we really, really want. Equality, safe spaces. an end to violence, equal pay, and you know, that sort of thing.

There are two documentaries highlighting the musical genius of Delia Derbyshire, pioneer of electronic music.

The Blake Babies' music has been a huge inspiration to me over the year. I am super excited to own this new Earwig demo collection (out today!) and wish I lived closer to Boston or Chicago to catch one of their reunion shows. Member John Strohm has also written a smart piece about making peace with moving making music from a career to a pleasurable hobby.

I can't even handle it. We lost another historical landmark in the world of American records stores. Good-bye Aquarius.

Cult legend Laura Nyro deserves your attention and you probably don't even realize all of the reasons why.

Singer Kelis has turned up in a London kitchen.

On a personal note, I am placing my record label on hold for now. My full explanation can be found here.

The highlight of the week goes to Neil Becton, owner of Som Records in DC bought some photos of Betty Davis live performing back in the day at a flea market of all places. Stunning stuff! Plus Light in the Attic also happened to have recently released The Columbia Years collection (produced by then husband Miles Davis) so thanks Neil for celebrating this awesome score with friends.

On the Stereo: Guerilla Toss, Beverly, Mirror Travel, Clair Morgan

In heavy rotation this week:

New York City no wave is still alive and well : Guerilla Toss 

Stonewashed C86 : Beverly





A hypnotic boiling pot from New Mexico : Mirror Travel 





Backyard Report, from Richmond, VA : Clair Morgan make complex Pop.

Feminist Friday : A Weekly Round Up for July 1, 2016

Gonerfest, one of my favorite American music festivals ever has announced this year's line up. It includes Fred & Toodey (Dead Moon fans take note), Nots (new album coming this fall), Counter Intuits, Midnight Snaxxx, Spray Paint, Useless Eaters, Reigning Sound (original line up, and the usual influx of ridiculously great bands from Australia / NZ, and lots of other stuff too. Full list is here.

My favorite read of the week is all about how women in independent music shaped indie rock because of their lyrics.

Missed CBGBs and NYC in its prime ('70s)? There is a new photo book called History is Made at Night that will help you relive it through images. This scene hosted many legendary women like Blondie, Lydia Lunch, Blondie, and Patti Smith to name just a few.

Nightwave fights back after critical attacks of her DJ set that have more to with her gender than her actual talent.

Check out this great read on the history of The Bangles.

Is YouTube a friend or foe to music? It is one of the first places people go to stream music (not really) but musicians are always seeing any money from these plays.

We are working ourselves to death ladies. Here is what you need to know about putting in long hours each week.

Apple has developed a new technology that will prevent music fans from being able to film and photograph live music performances.

Backyard report: NPR has written about Miramar who are updating the traditional sounds of Puerto Rica. Our local Girls Rock! founders were also interviewed on WTVR.

I know many of you here are Julie Ruin fans. You can stream their new album here plus the band is touring and probably coming to a city near you.

What's wrong with Top 40? There is a lot if you include how terribly stagnant and rehashed most of the songwriting is BUT there is a less surprising and no less annoying reality, men rule the charts. You might be thinking how could this be when women like Taylor Swift and Beyonce are always in the press but while we are pounded with the gossip of the men they sleep with or what they are wearing, it is distracting people away from the fact that most of music's charting artists are still men.

Jenn Wasner is tired of being a novelty. Women can play guitars and we are often pretty damn great at it. Can we dropped being surprised by this already?

Negative Gemini has a song dedicated to catcaller - Don't Worry Bout the Fuck I'm Doing"

Chris Brown continues to be human garbage and his publicist smarty refuses to accept his name calling.

And to end on a lighter note.

The chain of events went like this. The kick ass compilation Typical Girls includes a cover of the very strange but contagious '50s hit "Dumb Head originally by Ginny Arnell. I broke out the original single from my record collection and have been playing it a bit this week. This led to YouTube search of the song which uncovered this gem. WARNING, this song is an earworm so expect to be singing it for the rest of the day. Sorry/not sorry.

Here is the band Primetime covering the song in their own special, primal way.

This Joe Meek version rules! 

And the original.