music

Singer, Fairuz (Lebanese for ‘turquoise’), is one of Lebanon’s most celebrated national treasures. Don’t take my word for it though—she’s often referred to as the Soul of Lebanon, our Ambassador to the Stars, the Arab’s Ambassador, Neighbor to the Moon and the Poet of the Voice. Listen to her amazing voice after the jump!

Seeing as their last full-length Mountain Battles took six years to come out (when you gotta tour with the Pixies, you gotta tour with the Pixies), it's nice to see the Breeders aren't slowing down any time soon! Fate to Fatal, the four track vinyl, is limited edition, so get your listening on in while the listening's good! Read on for a mini review, the title-track's video, and Kim and Kelley Deal in the (non-recording) studio!

What a day! Two for one? Today's installment of Rad Ladies Who Draw Comics will feature TWO women comic artists! I was drawn to both these women for their quirky illustrations--Knisley has a whole series of small prints which depict everything from the Bronte sisters to Mulder and Scully.
Bay Area-based Angie Wang also places women in the forefront of her work, more often than not placed women in the forefront (be it destroying a city, birthing a watermelon, or just being Velma Dinkley)

Today marks the long-awaited release of "Now We Can See," the fourth album from Portland’s own The Thermals. The album was reviewed in the "Buzz" issue of Bitch, but as a huge fan of the band, I thought it deserved a bit of blog attention as well. Check out the video from their single, "Now We Can See"! It just came out today. I should warn you, though, it contains enough handclap-y happiness to last you all week long: I love The Thermals, and what’s not to love? They’re an amazing band; they tackle a variety of important political issues in their catchy songs; they’re super-fun live; they recently signed with the awesome, feminist, Kill Rock Stars; and they were nice enough to sit down for an interview with yours truly! (All that and I didn't even mention their extreme cuteness.) Read on for some of Kathy Foster’s (bass) and Hutch Harris’s (vocals, guitar) thoughts on the new album, and of course, feminism. Hooray!

Portland is a mecca of greatness. The city claims the Bitch offices, more coffee shops than you can shake a stick at, bicyclists galore and tons of musicians. Some better-known Portland acts include M. Ward, The Shins, Spoon and The Decemberists. But woe unto you if you think the Portland music scene ends there. There’s much more to be heard!