Those Brontë girls may have overcome their share of gender stereotypes and difficulties of being women writers in a restrictive time, and, sure, they may have filled my nightmares with images of monstrous villains and spooky hillsides, but they also kept falling tragically ill with consumption and the like. Mariah, meanwhile, has been mothering twins, rocking a high-profile marriage, maintaining her reputation as a lady you don't mess with on the music charts or in real life, and facing down Nicki Minaj. That is one hearty contender. I think I know where I'd be putting my money.
Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen's "Good Time" tells the tale of a party-lovin’ guy and girl who frequently sleep until twilight only to stumble out of their hotel rooms, dropping phones in pools, raising their hands up in the air with giddy jubilance at going to many fun parties and emitting plenty of I’m-lovin’-life “whoah-oh”s. Jepsen’s share of the lyrics, specifically, paint a picture of a scenester lady who knows how to have… uh… a good time.
It makes me think of another famous good-time-enjoying party girl from times past who has since taken on the mantle of feminist icon: Zelda Fitzgerald.
The Hysteric’s sole blog post has a neat hook. They’ve backdated it to October 30, 1989, suggesting two things: All Hallows' Eve, and old-school punk rock. The date implies both the sugary rush of Halloween menace (“this song is about the true promise of Halloween, extorting candy by threat, from parents") and the post-Reagan years when punk realized there was still an establishment to rally against. Do yourself a favor and jump in the pit with Hysterics when they come through town on their cross-country tour.
Even those of us with all-but-zero religious upbringing can have a soft spot or two (or even 11, as you can find itemized below) for music on holy and unholy topics—with and without a splash of irony. (I actually sung every Sunday at a drive-in church in Florida in my late teens, but that's another story.) If you too can get into some jams about Jesus or dance to some devilish ditties, here's a mix for you.
Hi there everyone and welcome to another installment of RetroPop, the guest blog in which I provide mashups of thematically similar female-performed Billboard charting radio tunes and great feminist works from the past and say, "WOW, you're both making some nifty and sorta related social commentaries! How about that?!"
Today I’d like to spread my arms in a big bear-hug embrace for two of my favorite artist ladies hot on the manhunt (different kinds) and ask another question: “WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?!”
It's been great fun muddling together the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen with Jane Austen and Adele with Mary Shelley, but today we're going to take a bit of a different tack. Instead of riding our interweb-powered Delorean into the way past past to find the work of a female artist, we're just going to turn our heads towards the sound of that delightful voice coming from somewhere near the Great Smoky Mountains...
This weekend in Portland, Oregon, a house off East Burnside will be packed with folks coming out for two nights of amazing music brought to you by FOC Fest. Featuring women of color musicians from the Pacific Northwest, FOC Fest (short for Females of Color) started last year and was a total blast. As their 2011 zine stated, "we hope to bring FOC musicians together and recognize the awesome contribution they make to our respective music communities so that we can all support each other....It don’t matter what you look like, smell like, sex like, or dress like. FOC Fest holds a mission to recognize difference and feel empowered in this recognition." This inclusive, all-ages show is local, DIY music organizing at its finest, and you're invited!
This year means a whole new lineup of acts, from the post-punk of Old Wars, to the genre-bending mariachi of Edna Vasquez, to the experimental sampling solo work of Amenta Abioto (and yes, a compilation album will be available at the festival!).
I spoke with Katherine Paul, one of the organizers and founders (and a member of Forest Park) about why FOC Fest is important, how she feels a year after the first one, and more. Read on for the Q&A and the full lineup of this year's festival.
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This weekend in Portland, Oregon, a house off East Burnside will be packed with folks coming out for two nights of amazing music brought to you by 
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