WOW Music Hour - Every Tuesday from 8-10pm on WLUW 88.7!

Women on Women Music Program Setlist, 8/29/08:

Featuring the triumphant return of Elizabeth, our prodigal New York daughter, and special guest star, WOW co-founder Carly!

The Butchies - "Make Yr Life" Make Yr Life (Yep Roc)
Pretty Girls Make Graves - "This is Our Emergency" The New Romance (Matador)
Metric - "Combat Baby" Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (Elgonix)
Protypes - "Je Ne Te Connais Pas" S/T (Minty Fresh)
The New Pornographers - "The Bleeding Heart Show" Twin Cinema (Matador)
Sarah Harmer - "Basement Apt." You Were Here (Zoe)
Eleni Mandell - "I've Got a Tender Heart" Country for True Lovers (Zedtone)
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter - "Doralee" Reckless Burning (Burn Burn Burn)
Sleater-Kinney - "Call the Doctor" Call the Doctor (Chainsaw)
Erase Errata - "Ease on Over" At Crystal Palace (Troubleman Unlimited)
Azure Ray - "New Resolution" Hold On Love (Saddle Creek)
Sugarcubes - "Hit" Stick Around for Joy (Elektra)
PJ Harvey - "Sheela Na Gig" Dry (Indigo)
Au Pairs - "You" The Very Best Of... (Cherry)
Lydia Lunch - "Diddy Wah Diddy" Widowspeak (New Millenium)
Le Tigre - "Phanta" S/T (Mr. Lady)
All Girl Summer Fun Band - "Dear Mr. & Mrs. Troublemaker" 2 (K)
The Magnetic Fields - "Papa Was a Rodeo" 69 Love Songs: Vol. 2 (Merge)
Mirah - "We're Both So Sorry" C'mon Miracle (K)
The Reputation - "Bottle Rocket Battles" To Force a Fate (Lookout!)
Rachel Goswell - "Warm Summer Sun" Waves Are Universal (4AD)
Francoise Hardy - "Oh Oh Cheri" The "Yeh-Yeh" Girl From Paris! (Vogue)
Dressy Bessy - "Just Like Henry" Pink Hearts Yellow Moons (Kindercore)
Architecture in Helsinki - "Like it or Not" Like it or Not EP (Polyvinyl)
Dame Darcy - "Chicken" Greatest Hits (Bop Tart/Action Driver)
Bitesize - "BTO" Sophomore Slump (Packing Heat)
Heavenly - "P.U.N.K. Girl" P.U.N.K. Girl EP (K)
Moldy Peaches - "Who's Got the Crack" S/T (Rough Trade)
The Beauties - "Hello Floor" Thing of Beauty (Cheetah's)

Think Pink Retires From WLUW, Ladies of WOW Try Not To Cry

A goodbye isn't painful unless you're never going to say hello again. ~Author Unknown

We suppose that we should be comforted by the quote above, but tonight's Tuesday night lineup on WLUW will still be bittersweet, as our neighbors in radio-land, Think Pink, bid goodbye to WLUW in favor of a new podcast format complimenting their already successful blog. The 21st century is knocking on the door, and Think Pink is taking the plunge into podcast land! Their retirement from WLUW will leave a deep hole in our hearts - and in our Tuesday night radio listening - but we are thrilled for Think Pink as they take this next step on their evolutionary journey.

For the past five years, Think Pink, Chicago's only music radio program for the queer community, has entertained and educated Chicago listeners with a dedication and style unlike anyone else on the airwaves. Last week, they were lauded by Time Out Chicago as they put on their final "Transition Party" last Thursday, which was a smashing success... just like everything Think Pink does. We are certain that Think Pink will one day have its place in the history books as one of Chicago's most significant radio programs.

The Women On Women Music Program has been fortunate enough to work with hosts Erik Roldan and Ruth Batacan , as well as former host Ali McDonald, through the years on projects as fun as DJing out at local events to raising money for WLUW to helping out with Queer Fest Midwest. In addition to being the radio show closest to us in the schedule, Think Pink has also been the program closest to WOW in musical tastes, politics, and perhaps most importantly, heart and soul. As this chapter in our journey together concludes, its worth reflecting on all the wonderful times Think Pink and WOW have had together over the years. Of all the things we've accomplished together and fun times we have had, we had to note one thing that has made WOW's relationship with Think Pink unique - and that is, we are proud to call Erik, Ruth and Ali not only our co-workers at WLUW, but our cherished friends.

We love you guys,
Jen, Elizabeth and Emily

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. ~Theodor Seuss Geisel

L7 - "Pretend We're Dead"

It's no secret that I'm passionate about the subject of women in music. I've co-hosted the Women on Women Music Program for years, I'm a frequent guest on panels about women in rock, and heck, I even wrote my Master's thesis on female musicians. But where did it all start?

I grew up in a very musical family. Both my parents played instruments, there was always music playing around our house, and I devoured hours upon hours of MTV during every summer vacation. Despite early and constant exposure to pop music, however, it wasn't until my older brother joined the school band that I realized there was any sort of gender disparity in music. Look at your average grade school music program: the flute and clarinet sections are overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, populated by girls, while the boys play trumpet, low brass, and drums. I got to witness this uneven gendering of instruments firsthand when I was old enough to join band, and chose to join the percussion section.

Interestingly enough, however, this vague understanding of gender biases in music didn't carry over to my love of popular rock music until 1992, when I saw L7's video for "Pretend We're Dead." (Up until that point I'd been gleefully singing along to mysogynistic Guns 'n' Roses lyrics in blissful ignorance... I won't pretend I don't still know every word to "Appetite for Destruction," but at least I've got a better sense of perspective now, and some Bikini Kill records to balance it out.)

The song was noisy and raw. The girls in the band (in the band! they were playing drums and guitars, not just singing!!) were dirty, wore sloppy flannel shirts and big stompy boots, and looked absolutely nothing like any of the other female artists I was used to seeing on MTV. They weren't clean and polished, they weren't demure or polite, they weren't trying to push any kind of overt sexuality: they looked just like the boys. It was like a hammer to the head, and made me instantly wonder why I'd never seen girls play loud rock music like this before. L7 was where it all started for me: they made me question heavy metal for its lack of girls, question female musicians in the Top 40 for their prissiness, and wonder why the simple act of picking up a guitar (and perhaps forgetting to brush your hair or wear makeup the morning of your big video shoot) was so dang revolutionary.

Pitchfork Festival: Where My Ladies At?

I loved Pitchfork Music Festival last weekend. I had a grand time. I think Pitchfork Festival is one of the best things to happen to Chicago in general, and Chicago's music scene specifically, in a very long time. Kudos to you, Pitchfork peeps, kudos to you.

That said, where my ladies at? This year's lineup was sorely missing in women on stage - with the exception of the woman in !!!, I don't think I saw a woman on stage the entire weekend. (Granted, I did miss some of the bands that played earlier in the day on Saturday and Sunday.) I understand there are scheduling problems, and not all bands are on tour, and some might be playing that other festival, but c'mon, you couldn't find just a few more ladies?

So, Pitchfork, I put together a list of ten women/bands I think you should consider for next year. In no particular order...

Breeders - They put on an amazing show at Metro this fall, and we'd love to see them outside in the sunshine.

Erykah Badu - Her new album New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War was named by your own website as one of the most overlooked records this year.

Patti Smith - She'd fulfill the "rock n roll heritage" spot in the lineup, and you seemed to like her latest album. Plus, we know she's played outdoor music festivals before.

Mirah - She did a whole album about insects. She's got to be a little nuts, which is always fun live.

Joan Jett - A few years back, the ladies of WOW got a chance to see Joan Jett perform live, and we were all blown away. She'd bring the punk.

Sally Shapiro - You love her, she's never performed live - how cool would it be if she debuted at the festival?

The Go! Team - Hey, you're the ones who said this is the kind of music that plays big on stage, so bring it to us!

The Pipettes - You can't see these ladies live without singing along, and you already love their album.

The Prototypes - People at this festival would love them. I saw three of their shirts this weekend. I know you'd have to bring them all the way from France, but I think it would be worth it.

Kate Havnevik - She's Norweigan, she owns a record label, her voice is haunting and sometimes creepy. What's not to like?

Women on Women Setlist, 8/22/08

Loretta Lynn - "Porland Oregon" Van Lear Rose (Interscope)
Imogen Heap - "Daylight Robbery" Speak for Yourself (RCA Victor)
The Raveonettes - "My Heartbeat's Dying" Lust Lust Lust (Vice)
Sally Shapiro - "I Know" Disco Romance (Paper Bag)
The Go! Team - "Universal Speech" Proof of Youth (Sub Pop)
M.I.A. - "Boyz" Kala (Interscope)

Interview with Heather and Jan from Girls Rock! Chicago
Selections from the Girls Rock! Chicago CD compilation:
Screaming Candy - "Rock Candy"
Jagged Tulips - "Simple"
Never Knows Best - "We're Not the Same"
Hot Pink Streaks - "Spitting Venom"
The Sandstorm Girls - "AHHHHHH!"
This year's camp is happening July 28th through August 3rd, at the Inter-American Magnet School. There will be an end of camp show at the Metro on Saturday, August 2nd, at 3pm. Come by and check out the campers' bands!

Mates of State - "Help Help" Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk)
The New Pornographers - "All the Old Showstoppers" Challengers (Matador)
Office - "If You Don't Know By Now" A Night At the Ritz (Scratchie/New Line)
The 1900s - "Bring the Good Boys Home" Plume Delivery (Parasol)
Free Kitten - "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" Unboxed (Pearl Necklace)
Run On - "We'll Play House" Days Away 7" (Ajax)
Tsunami - "Flameproof Suit" World Tour and Other Destinations (Simple Machines)
Breeders - "Stop Whispering" Pod Demos
Chicks on Speed - "We Don't Play Guitars (feat. Peaches)" 99 Cents (Chicks on Speed Records)
Halo of Kitten - "I Hate Porn" Porn Soundtrack 7" (1 of 4) (Amphetamine Reptile)
Bang! Bang! - "All Nite" Do You Like It? (Heads Up)
Petra Hayden - "I Can See For Miles" Petra Hayden Sings: The Who Sell Out (Bar None)

Thanks to Jan and Heather from Girls Rock! Chicago for being our special guests tonight! Don't forget to check out the GR!C website for more information on how to help support Chicago's own rock 'n' roll camp for girls. 

Watch Pitchfork Festival From Your Home, Plus Tips From WOW On Festival-Going

For those of you not lucky enough to get tickets to this weekend's Pitchfork Festival, they've just announced that you can watch many sets for free online from the Pitchfork Festival Live Stream. Right now there is some archival footage from the last two years up.

If you are braving the heat and the crowds, take it easy so you don't get overtired or heatstroke. Some tips from personal experience:

• There's not a lot of shade at the park, so load up on sunblock and reapply regularly. No one likes a lobster, unless its on your dinner plate. Of all the sunblocks I've tried, this one is my all time favorite - non-greasy, long-lasting, no weird scents.
  
  
• Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Alternate one beer, one water. We're serious about this folks. Don't be the guy who passes out and whose friends have to take them to the emergency room and miss the festival.
  
  
• Wear earplugs. No doubt there will be plenty of folks at the festival selling or giving away cheapie ones, but for future reference check out Chicago woman-owned business Ear Love, who sell inexpensive yet high quality reusable earplugs. I've been wearing them for years.
  
  
• Take a break from the music and sunshine occasionally by walking around the vendors booths. Our top picks - the Chicago Independent Radio Project's Record Fair, DEPART-ment's collection of handmade crafts, and the Flatstock poster show.
  

See you at the festival!

WOW Favorite Kate Havnevik's New Video for "Unlike Me"

Whenever we play anything by Norweigan artist Kate Havnevik on our radio show, we always get phone calls asking us who she is. A classically-trained guitarist from Oslo, Kate joined an all girl punk band as a young teen, and then later struck out on her own with more eclectic songwriting. She co-owns Continentica Records, and with only one album out so far, we're certain this is just the start of a long career.

We thought we'd start your weekend off with the video for "Unlike Me", which is just creepy enough to match her haunting voice. Enjoy!

Fighting For A Fighting Chance: The Gardasil Controversy

Imagine your mom, your sister, or your best friend sitting you down this weekend at lunch. "I have something to tell you," she says. "I have cervical cancer." Your mind races through emotions - sadness, fear, anger - and you mentally calculate how long before you can get on the Internet and start googling all about cervical cancer. When you do hit up the information superhighway, the news isn't great. Although five year relative survival rates are up, now to about 72% overall, the disease is still quite devastating. Survivors can expect treatment to include a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, all of which can come with serious side effects, including reduced or eliminated fertility. You do the math on survival statistics, have a margarita, accompany your mom/sister/friend to the hospital, light some candles and hope for the best.

What if, though, 70% to 80% of those conversations could be avoided? It's possible that science has finally produced a way to nearly eliminate cervical cancer. Presently, it's estimated that 70 - 80% of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV, or the human papilloma virus. The most common sexually transmitted infection, HPV is present in about 80% of American women by the age of 50. Gardasil, a new vaccine, prevents four strains of HPV, which account for about 70% of all cancers. Widespread vaccination efforts of pre-teen girls could potentially eliminate or at least drastically reduce cervical cancer within a generation.

So what's the hold up? Gardasil was approved in June of 2006, and has been on the market since then for girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26. Merck, the makers of the vaccine, were seeking to expand approval for women ages 26 to 45, as well as boys and men, but the FDA denied that request last week, citing concerns that could not be resolved in the approval time frame. Merck plans to respond to the FDA by the end of July and try again.

In the meantime, the vaccine has run into other problems. Some religious conservatives have opposed vaccinations because they believe it will encourage promiscuity in teen girls, and one group has used reports of side effects to bolster its claim of the vaccine's danger. We did a little digging and went to a country that's been using Gardasil for much longer than the U.S. to find out - was Gardasil unsafe? Kate Benson and Ian Munro of Australia's Sydney Morning Herald report that there have been very few complaints in Australia. Indeed, they uncover that the conservative groups opposing vaccination may be manipulating the data to imply causality that does not exist.

So if you can't get Gardasil, what can you do? Make sure you get your yearly pap test to detect HPV and cervical cancer. If you are uninsured and living in Illinois, you may be eligible for free cancer screenings from the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program. Don't delay - every day a cancer is undected is a a day wasted!

Radio Show Setlist for 7/15/08 - Every Tuesday Night on WLUW 88.7

Kim - "Bottle Rocket" S/T (S/R)
Bebel Gilberto - "Samba de Bancao" Tanto Tempo (Ziriguiboom/6 Degrees)
Portishead - "The Rip" Third (Island)
Azure Ray - "How You Remember" Burn and Shiver (Warm)
Kristen Hersh - "A Cleaner Light" A Cleaner Light EP (4AD)
The B-52's - "Song for a Future Generation" Nude on the Moon: The B-52's Anthology (Rhino)
Edith Massey - "Punks Get Off the Grass" Punks Get Off the Grass/Big Girls Don't Cry 7" (Egg Records)
All Girl Summer Fun Band - "Grass Skirt" Summer of '98 (Magic Marker)
Yo La Tengo - "How to Make a Baby Elephant Float" Summer Sun (Matador)
Francoise Hardy - "Oh Oh Cheri" The "Yeh-Yeh" Girl From Paris! (Vogue)
Stereolab - "Perversion" Peng! (Too Pure)
Electrelane - "After the Call" No Shouts, No Calls (Too Pure)
The Shangri-Las - "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" Myrmidons of Melodrama (RPM)
The Ting Tings - "That's Not My Name" We Started Nothing (Columbia)
Lush - "Single Girl" Ciao! (4AD)
Puffy Ami Yumi - "Go Baby Power Now" Splurge (Tofu)
Mates of State - "The Re-arranger" Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk)
Ssion - "The Woman" Fool's Gold (Sleazetone)
Growing Up Skipper - "V.I." Use Only as Directed 7" (The Making of Americans)
Gravy Train!!!! - "Laffin' All the Way... to the Bank" Hello Doctor (Kill Rock Stars)
J+J+J - "Skeeball Vs. The Mall" They Hump While We Go Nuts (Johann's Face/Circle Machine)
Ladytron - "Runaway" Velocifero (Nettwork)
Tilly & the Wall - "Falling Without Knowing" O (Team Love)
The Pipettes - "Guess Who Ran Off With the Milkman?" Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me EP (Memphis Industries)
Erase Errata - "Marathon" Other Animals (Troubleman Unlimited)
Ike & Tina Turner - "A Fool in Love" River Deep Mountain High (A&M)
PJ Harvey - "Happy and Bleeding" Dry (Island)
Essential Logic - "Collecting Dust" Fanfare in the Garden (Kill Rock Stars)

The Gits Documentary Released

Fifteen years ago last week, Mia Zapata, the lead singer of promising Seattle band The Gits, was at the top of her game. Her band was being noticed by more than just friends, they had toured Europe on their own ambition, and they had what seemed like a long career ahead of them. Those dreams were dashed in minutes when Mia was brutally raped and murdered by a stranger while walking home from a night out with friends.

Her murder remained unsolved for many years, and was even featured on shows like Unsolved Mysteries and 48 Hours, with little result. Desperate for answers, her band mates and friends raised money for their own private investigator to keep the case alive, and created a non-profit organization, Home Alive, which provides self-defense classes and education to this day.

As the years went by and it seemed hope was fading more each passing year, a sudden break came in 2003 when DNA analysis technology had progressed enough to allow cold case investigators to match DNA left on Mia's body to Jesus Mezquia, a man with a history of violence towards women who lived three blocks away from the murder scene at the time. Mezquia was convicted the following year and is currently serving out a thirty-six year sentence in Washington state.

Last week, in honor of the fifteenth anniversary of Mia's murder, a feature documentary film, The Gits was released. Documenting the rise and tragic end of this legendary Seattle band, The Gits has already won many awards and screenings are taking place across the country this summer and fall. Venus Zine has a heartbreaking interview with The Gits' drummer Steve Moriarty, wherein he expresses that finally, fifteen years later, he can move on - here's hoping all of Mia's friends and family find some closure.

Now That's What I Call Indie Media: Community Supported Publisher South End Press

Thanks to Lisa Jervis at Bitch Magazine, who turned me onto South End Press this week with her post about their recent troubles staying in business. Like many independent media outlets, South End Press is struggling with delayed and missing payments from larger organizations like Borders (R.I.P. Punk Planet),  and is asking their community members for help.

I headed on over to South End's website to see what Lisa was so riled up about, and that's when I discovered their Community Supported Publishing program, the first of its kind that I know of. Based off the Community Supported Agriculture programs that have raised awareness and support for sustainable local farming, the Community Supported Publishing program aims to do the same for books. For a monthly donation, members receive all new titles as well as select back list and bestsellers.

And what a catalog is is! Forthcoming titles like Breeding A Nation by Pamela Bridgewater, current new releases like Scott Kellogg and Stacy Pettigrew's Toolbox for Sustainable City Living, and back catalog releases like the classic Ain't I A Woman by bell hooks and Signed, Sealed and Delivered: The True Life Stories of Women In Pop by Sue Steward and Sheryl Garratt all caught my attention.

South End Press is currently in the running for a $10,000 prize from Ideablob, so take a minute and show your love with a vote, and help keep independent media alive!

Playlist from the Women On Women Music Program - Listen every Tuesday on WLUW 88.7fm!

Here's the setlist from 7/8/08:

Siouxsie - "Loveless" Mantaray (Decca)
The Spinanes - "Kid in Candy" Arches and Aisles (Sub Pop)
Belle & Sebastian - "The State I Am In" Tigermilk (Matador)
Mates of State - "Get Better" Re-Arrange Us (Barsuk)
Imperial Teen - "Sweet Potato" The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band (Merge)
Feist - "Past in Present" The Reminder (Interscope)
Keren Ann - "The Harder Ships of the World" S/T (Blue Note)
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - "When the Other Foot Drops, Uncle" 100 Days 100 Nights (Daptone)
Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators - "Blues Downtown" Keep Reachin' Up (Light in the Attic)
Imogen Heap - "Have You Got It In You?" Speak for Yourself (RCA Victor)
The Kills - "Last Day of Magic" Midnight Boom (Domino)
Pizzicato Five - "La Depression" Playboy & Playgirl (Matador)
The Go! Team - "Doing it Right" Proof of Youth (Sub Pop)

The Ellie Maybe Experence, live in the WLUW studios!
The Ellie Maybe Experence - "Cum on Baby" (live)
The Ellie Maybe Experence - "Carcinogens" (live)
The Ellie Maybe Experence - "I Thought I Could Love You" Meet Ellie (Horse-Drawn)
Lady Robotika - "Transmission Twist" (myspace.com/ladyrobotikaband)
The Ellie Maybe Experence - "Mommy on the Pole" (live)
The Ellie Maybe Experence - "The Clap" (live)
The Sonnets - "Say It" Mystery Girl (Failed Experiment)
The Ellie Maybe Experence - "Love is Blind" Meet Ellie (Horse-Drawn)

Poster Children - "Love" Daisychain Reaction (Twin/Tone / Sire)
Headlights - "So Much For The Afternoon" Some Racing, Some Stopping (Polyvinyl)
The Eyeliners - "Party Til The Break Of Dawn" Here Comes Trouble (Panic Button)
Sleater-Kinney "Start Together" The Hot Rock (Kill Rock Stars)
Pixies - "Manta Ray" Monkey Gone to Heaven EP (4AD)
Delta 5 - "Make Up" Singles & Sessions 1979-81 (Kill Rock Stars)
Wanda Jackson - "Funnel of Love" V/A: One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found (Rhino)
Julie Ruin - "Radical or Pro-Parental" S/T (Kill Rock Stars)

Thanks to Ellie Maybe and Vee Sonnets for playing live! Don't forget to read the full interview here.

(And thanks to Philip of Something Else for being our resident sound engineer for the evening!)

We Want the Airwaves

This one was too cool not to share. Check out this interesting link, sent to us by our good friends at Planned Parenthood:

Australian Scientists Develop Radio-controlled Birth Control for Men.

RADIO-CONTROLLED! Think WOW could get in on that action?

Interview: Ellie Maybe

Meet Ellie Maybe: local musician, foul-mouthed degenerate, and all-around funny gal. While she's been gigging around Chicago in various incarnations since before puberty (Eli Emily, Precious Blood, Rah! Rah! Replica, Haywood Yards, Little Red & the Hoods, the Karaoke Dokies, the Deccas, etc. etc. etc.), she's lately been splitting her time between local garage pop veterans The Sonnets and her own project, The Ellie Maybe Experence (and just like there's no "i" in "team," there's also apparently no "i" in "Experence"). With a brand spankin' new EP and a slew of live dates coming up, WOW cornered her in-between rehearsals and sat her down for an interview. (Plus, she'll be playing live in the studio on this week's show! Tune in to 88.7FM in Chicago, or listen online at wluw.org... and that's Tuesday, 8-10pm, for those of you who haven't been paying attention.)

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You have quite a lengthy band resume! How long have you been playing music?
I came out of the womb with a piccolo. It was all that they could fit in there with me.

Wow, piccolo? Do you still play?
Frequently, much to the chagrin of my neighbors. I also dabble in other woodwinds... concert flute, bassoon, saxophone. I even know six notes on clarinet, but I have no idea what they are.
They're good notes though.

But you play bass in the Experence, right?
Sure do. On occasion I'll convince the band to do a cover that includes the odd flute solo, at which point I (and the audience) remember why bass is my primary instrument.

Wait, what do you cover that has a flute solo? "No New Tale to Tell" by Love & Rockets? Jethro Tull?
We've done "Can't You See" by the Marshall Tucker Band. Sometime soon I want to do "Hocus Pocus" by Focus. Or is that "Focus" by Hocus Pocus? I can never remember. Who cares, it has yodeling!

I think it's "Hocus Pocus" by Focus... but I only know that because there's a band called Bitesize that mentions it in the lyrics of one of their songs. Either way, any song with yodeling in it is cool by me. So what drew you to the bass guitar? When did you pick that up?
At some point in the '90s I accompanied my father to Guitar Center and fell in love with a guitar because it was purple. Pops bought it for me and it almost immediately went into his basement to collect mold. Some years later, I had an audition for the Chicago Academy for the Arts and wasn't very good at the flute... but they needed a bass player. So Ol' Purple came out of storage, I faked my way through an audition, and started playing jazz standards later that year.

It seems that you've got quite the musical arsenal!
It's a musical arsenal, sure, but I only have ammunition for about a quarter of it.

So I understand you were part of a songwriting retreat last month? Can you tell us about that?
Steel Bridge Songfest! It was probably the most amazing and enlightening experience of my life. I showed up worn down, pissed off, and worried I'd walked onto the set of A Mighty Wind, but after a few hours I was randomly thrown into a writing group that included Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's and a fantastic musician from Milwaukee named Dixie Jacobs (of the band White, Wrench, Conservatory.), with whom I ended up working all week long.

Wow, you got to work with Jane Wiedlin? How was that?
Working with Jane was a blast. We have a similar sense of humor, and being that my own music is based in comedy, the creativity flowed like non-dairy butter. (I'm lactose intolerant, which is important for your readers to know if they want to send me presents.)

What is the focus of the festival? How was it structured?
The festival started four years ago as a benefit to help restore the Michigan Street Bridge in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. It was founded by Pat MacDonald of Timbuk 3, a lifelong friend and a musical influence since childhood. There's a week-long songwriting retreat, and then a huge outdoor concert. Only a few hours after my half-hearted arrival, the whole group of songwriters met in a tent for dinner and introductions. Somewhere in the middle of dinner that night my mood lifted as I started realizing I was surrounded by an enormous group of amazing musicians from across the country, and even a few from overseas. My biggest fear was spending the week writing folk songs, but the other musicians came from every walk of music: hip hop, rock, R&B, country, bluegrass, pop, and everything in between.

So everyone formed new bands for the week, is that correct?
Everyone formed new groups each night; we played rock & roll spin the bottle. It was completely random and led to a lot of weird pairings.

Was it beneficial to you as a songwriter and musician, or was it more of a struggle to work with people you weren't familiar with?
It was a completely new feeling. Musically, Chicago can be such a clique-ish town that everyone's got preconcieved notions of you as a musician, either from seeing you play, hearing your album, or dating you. Some of the groups had instant chemistry, others not so much. But it was a learning experience regardless. Like learning how to disarm egos... including my own. Between the thirty writers and musicians who were there, we recorded dozens of songs that never would have come about without that collaborative element. It was something I'd never done before and I'm super excited about returning next year.

How do you think it affected you and your work?
It was a different and freeing experience to work with people who had no idea who I was or what I do. And because of it, I think I was able to be exponentially more creative than I have been in most of my previous writing partnerships at home.

Were any of your bandmates there?
Nope. I was actually the only participant from Chicago for the songwriting workshop, but my guitarist (Vee Sonnets) came up Friday evening to play a few gigs. The whole weekend culminates in this SXSW-style clusterfuck -- can I say clusterfuck? -- of shows, but it's all based in the tiny downtown commercial district of Sturgeon Bay. The whole nightlife strip is less than a three block radius, with a few venues scattered on the outskirts. Hundreds of bands played the weekend shows, including the mainstage event that takes place on a pier with the bridge in the background. That was the moment I finally got it... watching the sun set behind people lining the bridge end to end while my writing partners performed was aesthetically and emotionally breathtaking. Wow, I sound cheesy! I would have laughed at anyone that said this before I participated in it... but it really was that intense of an experience.

So what was the audience for the shows like?
The audience was a mixed bag. A lot of mulleted Wisconsinite Jackson Browne fans (he headlined the festival), lots of kids, and musicians from across the globe. Some people camped out in front of the stage when the festival started at 11am and stayed all night, others came and went for acts they wanted to see. The Wandering Sons, Pat MacDonald, and Jane Wiedlin were my favorites of the day... Dixie and I performed a song in Jane's set and immediately after, ran into the audience to sing and bounce along to "Our Lips Are Sealed." It was a trip.

Sounds like it. But let's get back to your band... Your latest project is the Ellie Maybe Experence?
Yes it is!

There's no "i" in "Experence," right? Why is that?
No! If there were an "i" in Experence, the whole experience would change. Experiencing the Experence is an event in and of itself and it is not something for one person, something for "i" to experience. Or experence.

Ok, so what's with the Americana theme? Every time I see you play, you seem to have a new American flag-themed outfit.
There are a number of reasons for that one. We love America! I look good in red and blue... white, not so much. In one incarnation of the group, I kept trying to convince my bandmates that we should be called Freedom Poodle. A lot of people think I'm being facetious with my patriotic costuming, but I'm secretly trying to turn the band into a Christian country group. Don't print that, okay?

No problem. This is not the first incarnation of the band, correct?
Nope. We've been through a lot of line ups and name changes and whatnot. I initially started playing bass for a friend's band, Precious Blood. I wasn't big on her formless songwriting, so I penned as many pop tunes as I could before the first rehearsal and weaseled my way into primary songwriter status. After, let's say, "creative differences" with the singer, the band continued on as something else with a handful of the same tunes. Eventually everyone quit except the guitarist and I, so we spent a couple years performing as Ellie Maybe and the One Ray Band. Ray Ramirez was was that One Ray, and would play this bizarre kick-drum-kick-snare-high-hat set up while he played guitar. It was a great concept for what it was, but the recordings didn't translate well, and our ideals were misaligned, so it, like everything I do in life, fell apart before I even noticed.

When I post this, I should insert a link to sadtrombone.com right about here.
Ha! Anyway, after a year's hiatus from being a frontwoman, something I loathe, I started missing some of the funny songs and conned my then-secret-boyfriend-roommate-dude into playing guitar for me with promises of blowjobs and fried eggs. We spun through a handful of drummers before pulling in Eric Yoder (who was also the drummer for my old Eli Emily project) about an hour and a half before our first show as a three-piece.

Did it work? Fried eggs are a mighty powerful bribe.
It worked so well that I also worked my way into his band, The Sonnets... the eggs, that is. The blowjobs just made my jaw sore.

Those must be some good fried eggs!
You should come over for breakfast sometime. But I'm not giving you a blowjob.

Now seems like a good time to point out that your songs are generally not PG... or PC, for that matter. Your lyrics deal with everything from sex with priests, to "social diseases," to outbursts of violence while attempting to quit smoking. In other words, they're not exactly for the faint of heart. While they lean towards vulgarity, however, I've always thought your songs were smart and funny regardless. Where do you find the inspiration for your songs?
To be honest, I always come up with decent punchlines but am incapable of writing a poignant joke. For instance, as a teenager, I knew this kid who everyone called Tampon. I tried forever to somehow turn it into an anecdote or one-liner involving a British accent (which I cannot do) and turning him into "that bloody Tampon," but I failed miserably, since I was confined to the typical three lines or so it should take to tell a joke. Having three minutes and the ability to repeat myself in pop form allows me the space I need to actually be funny. Which I'm obviously not.

Are your lyrics true stories, or are you intentionally trying to amuse and/or shock your audience?
Most are based in truth and twisted towards a more humourous angle, but a few of them are blatant lies, as is most good songwriting.

So how would you describe this latest band incarnation? Besides Christian country, I mean. It's a cliched interview question, but who/what are your influences?
I love Foreigner. Foreigner is my favorite band ever to exist. "Hot Blooded" is the best song ever written. If you argue with me, I will argue back in Foreigner lyrics. I've done it before, so beware. Pat MacDonald, the founder of Steel Bridge Songfest, has always been a huge influence of mine. I've been listening to his music since I was born and I think my comedic timing in music developed almost entirely from listening to his records. I've ripped him off time and again, usually unintentionally. Don't tell him though. Also, I would sacrifice my first born to Tom Waits, but what self-righteous indie musician wouldn't?

Have you heard Scarlett Johansson's album of Tom Waits' covers?
I don't even know who Scarlett Johansson is.

You're better off.
Is she related to that letter chick? Bad joke, sorry.

Ha! No. But I have a friend who once woke up after a night of drinking with a brand new scarlet letter A tattooed on his chest, and no memory of how it got there.
It was me, wasn't it? (Checks for tattoo.)

I hope not. The Experence just recorded an EP, right?
Yep, Meet Ellie. It was originally a commissioned American Apparel ad, but they said it looked like I ate more than once a week so we got dropped from their new indie label, "Underfed Biracial Employee Records." And yes, I stole half that joke from The Onion. Like most of my humor. BUSH INVADES WEST NILE! Okay, I'm done. Sorry.

Where did you record the album? Are these all new and/or original songs, or do we get to hear that Marshall Tucker Band cover?
We recorded at Horse-Drawn Studios with Eric Yoder (also the drummer on the album). All the tunes are original, but a few of them have survived several different incarnations of the band... In. Car. Nation. I think I just found the name for our next record.

If the PMRC doesn't shut you down first. Wait, do they even exist anymore?
Who cares. Don't forget to plug my shows!

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The Ellie Maybe Experience is playing Thursday, July 10th at Martyrs', 9pm sharp. The Sonnets will be playing Saturday, July 12th at the Metro, 8pm. For more information, visit their websites. And don't forget to tune in to the show tomorrow night to hear a live in-studio set!

Venus Zine Wants You!

Venus Zine, Chicago's little music zine that could, is looking for writers and photographers to review concerts in a variety of cities, including Chicago. Applicants must be indie-rock enthusiasts who can deal with quick turnaround times. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for an aspiring music critic! For all the details on how to apply, go here.

Meta-documenting: Liz Phair's documentary on Exile In Guyville

Chicago's most controversial girl rocker Liz Phair has been celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of the release of Exile in Guyvillethis year. The album, which catapulted Phair to fame as one of the most prominent female rockers at the time, was a song by song reply to to the Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street album. Phair's work since then, and her oft-criticized live performances, have left some doubting that Phair ever lived up to Guyville's promises, but for better or for worse, Phair keeps on going. With the re-issue of Guyville, Phair herself put together a documentary featuring interviews with the folks involved in the album's success and Phair's early career. Pitchfork's TV arm has excerpts from the documentary up here, so check it out!

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Bass Player

or, Ten Bands You Forgot Had Female Members

1. Black Flag: Think hardcore's strictly a boys' club? Well, ok, you're mostly right. But Black Flag, one of the premier bands of hardcore's heyday, had a female bass player. Kira Roessler played bass for Black Flag from 1983 until 1985, during the band's most prolific and experimental period, and is featured on four full-length studio albums and two live records.

2. Gang of Four: Although not a founding member, Sara Lee made a name for herself playing bass for post-punk legends Gang of Four. She was featured on their third and fourth studio albums, Songs of the Free and Hard, and toured with them until their break-up in 1984. She went on to be a highly-renowed live and session musician, and has played with the likes of the B-52s, Ani DiFranco, and the Indigo Girls, in addition to releasing a solo record.

3. Fleetwood Mac: You know, that one chick? The one who's not Stevie Nicks? Yeah, that one. Her name is Christine McVie, and she was a pianist, vocalist, and songwriter for the group.

4. My Bloody Valentine: Despite the fact that MBV has TWO female members (Bilinda Butcher on vocals and guitar, and Debbie Googe on bass), it's primary singer/songwriter/guitarist Kevin Shields who gets all the attention. Which is interesting in and of itself, if you consider the way other mixed-gender bands have been treated in the press: despite having equal numbers of men and women, bands like Veruca Salt, Tsunami, and Belly (or heck, even Heart) were largely promoted as "chick bands."

5. Medicine: Similarly, despite the striking presence of Beth Thompson on vocals, it was guitarist/songwriter Brad Laner that got the lion's share of attention for shoe-gaze pioneers Medicine. And you know what? I'm not complaining.

6. Pulp: I always, always, always forget that Pulp has a female member: keyboard player Candida Doyle. Perhaps it's because Jarvis Cocker is so dreamy? *sigh*

7. The Ex: Avante anarchist punk/jazz/noise collective The Ex has built a reputation for breaking down barriers: not only in terms of musical exploration and freedom, but also in terms of political enlightenment and activism. While their lyrics challenge corrupt and oppressive political structures, their personnel roster puts their money where their proverbial mouth is, and challenges traditional gender biases within the structure of the music industry. Their ever-evolving lineup has had a number of women in the ranks, notably drummer and occasional vocalist Kat, and upright bass player Rozemarie, two of the most talented and innovative musicians I've ever had the pleasure to see live.

8. Velvet Underground: You know, that one chick? The one who's not Nico? The one in the back playing drums? That would be Moe Tucker. Owing to her androgynous clothing and short hair, Tucker's gender frequently went unnoticed in the band's early days. Her distinctive minimalist drumming techniques, however, helped make her a notable drummer and inspiration for countless others. She is currently enjoying a successful solo career.

9. The Beastie Boys: No, really, the boys who wrote "Girls" started off with a female drummer. Kate Schellenbach was with the band from their inception in 1981 until 1984. She would later play with Luscious Jackson, Ladies Who Lunch (with Josephine Wiggs of the Breeders), and briefly, the Lunachicks.

10. Faith No More: Believe it or not, before she was in Sid & Nancy, Hole, or Kurt Cobain's pants, Courtney Love once sang for Faith No More. It was short-lived, sure, but this is one of my favorite lesser-known rock factoids.

BONUS: One Band You Forgot Had a Male Member (stop snickering, we didn't mean THAT kind of "male member.")

1. Bikini Kill: Who says men can't be feminists? I once got in an argument with someone who claimed that Bikini Kill were sexist, exclusionary, and "no dicks allowed," based on their practice of girls-only safe spaces at the front of the stage. (This was so girls could dance and enjoy the show without the fear of getting groped or beaten up in the pit.) When I pointed out that their guitar player, Billy Karren, was a boy, he had no rebuttal. Ha!

WOW Setlist, 7/1/08

Shannon Wright - "You Baffle Me" Let in the Light (Quarterstick)
Le Tigre - "Dyke March 2001 (Reid's Aphro-Dykey Mix)" Remix (Mr. Lady)
Tracy + the Plastics - "Big Stereo" Culture for Pigeon (Troubleman Unlimited)
Sally Shapiro - "He Keeps Me Alive" Disco Romance (Paper Bag)
Ladytron - "The Lovers" Velocifero (Nettwork)
Ladies Who Lunch - "Bull in the Heather" Kims We Love (Grand Royal)
Los Microwaves - "Time to Get Up" V/A: The Posh Boy Story (Posh Boy)
Happy Supply - "Ha Ha Ha" Smile! (H)it's... Happy Supply (Popsick/Dutch Courage)
Numbers - "We Like Having These Things" Ee-Uh (Troubleman Unlimited)
Kate Havnevik - "Unlike Me" Melankton (Continentica)
Belle & Sebastian - "Wrapped Up in Books" Books (Rough Trade)
Bebel Gilberto - "Baby" S/T (Six Degrees)
Juliana Hatfield - "Univeral Heartbeat" Only Everything (Atlantic/Mammoth)
Free Kitten - "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" Unboxed (Pearl Necklace)
The Primitives - "Crash" V/A: Hang the DJ - Modern Rock 1988 (Rhino)
Lene Lovich - "Lucky Number" Stateless (Stiff/Epic)
The B-52's - "Rock Lobster (Remixed by Dave Phillips)" V/A: Wigs on Fire (Nihilist)
The Kills - "Cheap and Cheerful" Midnight Boom (Domino)
Bratmobile - "The Real Janelle" The Real Janelle (Kill Rock Stars)
The Breeders - "Regalame Esta Noche" Mountain Battles (4AD)
Loretta Lynn - "Mrs. Leroy Brown" Van Lear Rose (Interscope)
The Ellie Maybe Experence - "Rufus" Meet Ellie (Horse-Drawn Records)
The Blacks - Horrorshow Dolly Horrorshow (Bloodshot)
X - "4th of July" See How We Are (Elektra/Rhino)
Freakwater - "Little Black Train" Old Paint (Thrill Jockey)
Beat Happening - "Nancy Sin" Music to Climb the Apple Tree By (K)
Yo La Tengo - "Let the Good Times Roll" Yo La Tengo is Murdering the Classics (Egon)
Valaida Snow - "I Can't Dance I Got Ants in My Pants" V/A: A Woman's Place is in the Groove (Acrobat)