For me, the 1920s stand out as one of the coolest times to be alive. The music, the parties, the changes in social mores, the fashion, the burgeoning of film and radio. (This is of course, with rose-tinted glasses neglecting the poverty, the subjugation of classes, ethnicities, and women—not to mention the violence brought on by prohibition.) Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby introduces high school English classes everywhere to the roaring twenties and its lavish galas filled with copious amounts of glamour and booze—set to a soundtrack of swinging tunes.
On the other hand, the trailer for Baz Luhrmann's Great Gatsby, released this week, gives us a Leo Dicaprio trying his best Paul Newman imitation and an indulgent take on an already-indulgent literary masterpiece. This includes using contemporary music instead of music from the renowned Jazz Age (didn't we learn this was a bad idea from A Knight's Tale?).
To right this terrible wrong, here's a playlist of some of the period's finest. (Sorry Yeezy and Hov, but Bessie Smith makes for a better Jazz Age soundtrack than Watch the Throne does.) You're encouraged to play these songs while watching the trailer or when re-watching episodes of Boardwalk Empire. More bathtub gin please...
Recently, I had the chance to talk with the three amazing women of Grass Widow about their spacey new album ("Spock on Muni" isn't a Star Trek IV reference), Girls Rock Camp (they love it), and getting back on the bike (you have to do it). Check out their excellent record Internal Logic, due on May 29th on their very own HLR Records.
We've all been there—days when the world is out to get you, negative energy is raining down and you don't have an umbrella, or maybe you decided to read the comments section somewhere on the internet (now why did you go and do that?). The next time the bastards are grinding you down, blare this mix to shake 'em off. From pop stars to riot grrls, '60s folk to freak folk, these songs are an antidote to haterade. Track list after the jump—and leave your suggestions in the comments!
First Aid Kit rose to fame after the sisters sent a demo of their song "Tangerine" to a local radio station in Sweden and were promptly signed by Rabid Records. The band's 2008 cover of Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" went viral on YouTube and even got the attention of the Fleet Foxes themselves, who had First Aid Kit perform the song with them at a concert in the Netherlands. Their album The Big Black & The Blue in 2010 put them on tour and got them more exposure in Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, and Australia.
While you anxiously await the next Against Me! album, here's a genderpocalyptic playlist of songs by trans and gender-nonconforming artists for gender-bending jammin' on every occasion.
It's about to get really hot in Texas. Like, really hot. Our social calendars here in the Lone Star State will soon be limited to the following activities:
Seek cold water
Bathe in cold water
Drink cold water
Drink Lone Star
Sweat
Open Facebook relationships with Air Conditioners.
And I'd like to add one to the list. Listen to music about MORE HOT THINGS! This week's BitchTapes is one big missile, heat-seeking a groove. DON'T FORGET TO HYDRATE. Track list after the jump!
There are a lot of young women emcees out there right now making great hip hop that's political, sexy, and fun. Here are ten tracks by artists that should be on your radar! Track list after the jump.
I discovered Naomi Hooley's warm, powerful music a few months ago, when a friend pointed me first to her song "Tornado" and then the album that spawned it, the gorgeous It was a Great October. Her sound is earthy and approachable, and her backstory is the stuff of serendipitous musical legend. My theory is, no matter where you listen to Naomi's music, you will be reminded of home.
This weekend marks the one-year anniversary of THE ROYAL WEDDING (a.k.a. the biggest media frenzy of our lifetimes, a.k.a. the time you stayed up late eating rice cakes tweeting about Pippa Middleton, a.k.a. something you maybe didn't care about but still saw on the news the next day, etc.). In honor of the royal couple's anniversary, I am re-publishing this Royal Wedding Mix I made last year. Listen to it while you defrost that slice of wedding cake you've been saving in your freezer since April 29, 2011. The songs are just as regal as ever!
Time to kick Tuesday into high gear with five spankin' new songs you need to get to know better. Starting things off, here's Brooklyn teen band the Skins...Click through for more!
As a young feminist growing up on the mean streets of Portland, Kelsey dreamed that one day a kickass, independent, feminist media organization would move its headquarters to her beloved home city. Well kids, Gabrielle was right: "Dreams can come true"! Bitch moved to Portland, and one MA in Media Studies from the University of Oregon later, Kelsey moved in as web editor. She hasn't looked back since.
When not editing the interwebs at the Bitch office, Kelsey can be found lecturing reluctant students, listening to podcasts, and hanging out with her French Bulldog, Edith. She also enjoys making things out of fabric and watching pretty much anything on television (preferably at the same time, and preferably with Edith). If you're looking for a new pal who loves both LOLcats and Linda Ronstadt records, she's your gal.
What I'm watching:
Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation
What I'm reading:
Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.
What I'm listening to:
King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR
Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.
What I'm listening to:
King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR
What I'm watching:
Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation
I work to improve B-Word's web presence by beefing up our blog, working on our podcasts, managing Bitch's social networking sites (be my friend?), and spreading the good b-word all 'round the Net.
Always into what you have to say! Email me at online{at}b-word.org with suggestions or kind words.
In the non-internet world ("real," if you will) Mac can be found dining on any local or international sandwich varieties, digging himself into a financial ditch at any number of record stores or searching for the perfect biscuit recipe.
What I'm reading:
The Corner, The Virgin Suicides, the Race, Class and Gender reader, Twitter.
What I'm listening to:
Superchunk, Grass Widow, Poison Girls, Los Crudos
What I'm watching:
Breaking Bad, Delocated. Oh, and Seinfeld for life.
Recently, I had the chance to talk with the three amazing women of 
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