Video Fridays: Happy Halloween!

In honor of it being, y'know, Halloween and all, today's video comes from Queen Goth Supreme, Miss Siouxsie Sioux herself, and those bloodcurdling Banshees.

You, too, can be a Riot Girl (tm) for Halloween!

From the website of an online costume store who shall remain nameless:

"Item Description
Our Child's Riot Girl outfit is the ideal Punk Rocker Costume for girls. For a fun group costume idea consider any of our Punk Rock Costumes for any age.
Main Features
Plaid dress
Vinyl studded belt
Vinyl spike details on dress
Please Note
Tights and hair bows not included."

Like sender-inner (and friend of the show) Danielle, this costume baffles me. I am simultaneously amused, annoyed, and appalled. On one hand, I could see how it might be kinda cool, because it's not all sweetness and light and layers of pink fluffy tutus. On the other hand... come on, it's a mass-marketed RIOT GRRRL costume! That ain't right. Seriously, I don't know whether I should be forwarding this to all my friends so we can have a good laugh, or whether I should be tying myself a noose with my fishnets. Basically, I just keep staring at it and going "Uhhh..."

So! Let's take a poll.

Is this costume troublesome because:
a) It supports the commodification of "girl power," without actually doing much of anything to fight patriarchal structures, empower young women, or support female musicians;
b) It demeans the message of the actual riot grrrl movement;
c) It places "female musician" among the ranks of "superhero," "fairy princess," or "kitty cat," i.e. fun for playing dress-up, but not a realistic life goal;
d) It's going to make Kathleen Hanna kill herself just so she can spin in her grave;
e) It doesn't come with a guitar, dammit!
f) It doesn't even look like what Riot Grrrls wear/wore, it looks more like a pseudo-goth/faux-metal/Gwar-esque get-up (especially with those oversized fake spikes);
g) It makes you feel really, really old;
h) The hairbows, which are the best part of the whole dang costume, aren't included;
i) It's still pink.

Multiple choice answers will be allowed.

Halloween Spooktacular!

Excepting The Shaggs to get us in the Halloween mood, this show was nothing but cover songs! Bands masquerading as other bands, get it?

You can listen to the Women on Women Music Program every Tuesday from 8 to 10pm on 88.7 FM in Chicago, or streaming live around the world at wluw.org.

The Shaggs - "It's Halloween" Philosophy of the World (RCA Victor)
Mary Lou Lord - "I Don't Want to Get Over You" (Originally by the Magnetic Fields) Live City Songs (Rubric)
The Cardigans - "Iron Man" (Black Sabbath) First Band on the Moon (Mercury)
The Cranberries - "Close to You" (The Carpenters) V/A: If I Were a Carpenter (A&M)
Pretenders - "Stop Your Sobbing" (The Kinks) S/T (Sire)
The Butchies - "Your Love" (Outfield) Make Yr Life (Yep Roc)
Lene Lovich - "I Think We're Alone Now" (Tommy James & the Shondelles) Stateless (Stiff/Epic)
Sarge - "These Boots Are Made For Walking" (Nancy Sinatra) Distant (Mud)
Chicks on Speed - "Give Me Back My Man" (The B-52's) Will Save Us All (EFA)
The B-52's - "Downtown" (Petula Clark) S/T (Warner Bros.)
Shesus - "Hang On To Yourself" (David Bowie) V/A: Spiders From Venus (Skipping Discs)
The 5.6.7.8's - "Mr. Lee" (The Bobbettes) Bomb the Rocks (Time Bomb)
Free Kitten - "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" (X Ray Spex) Unboxed (Pearl Necklace)
Tori Amos - "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Nirvana) Crucify EP (Atlantic)
Cat Power - "Sea of Love" (The Honeydrippers) The Covers Record (Matador)
Amanda Palmer and Annie Clark - "What's the Use of Wond'rin?" (from Carousel) Who Killed Amanda Palmer? (Roadrunner)
Mavis Staples - "This Little Light of Mine" (Harry Dixon Loes) We'll Never Turn Back (Anti-)
Nouvelle Vague - "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Joy Division) S/T (Luaka Bop)
Cibo Matto - "The Candy Man" (from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) Viva! La Woman (Warner Bros.)
The Gossip - "Are You That Somebody?" (Aaliyah) Live in Liverpool (Columbia)
Flutter - "She Bop" (Cyndi Lauper) S/T (S/R)
Hole - "He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)" (The Crystals) My Body, the Hand Grenade (EFA)
Joan Jett - "You Don't Own Me" (Leslie Gore) Bad Reputation (Boardwalk)
Sleater-Kinney, The Gossip, and The Butchies - "Fortunate Son (live)" (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
The Donnas - "Too Fast For Love" (Motley Crue) Get Skintight (Lookout)
Ciccone Youth - "Addicted to Love" (Robert Palmer) The Whitey Album (Geffen)
The Rondelles - "Like A Prayer" (Madonna) Shined Nickles and Loose Change (K)
Bratmobile - "Where Eagles Dare" (The Misfits) The Real Janelle EP (Kill Rock Stars)
The Shitbirds - "Beef Bologna" (Fear) Famous Recording Artists (SFTRI)
The Breeders - "Buffy Theme" (Nerfherder) Son of Three 7" (4AD)
Yo La Tengo - "You May Be Right" (Billy Joel) Yo La Tengo is Murdering the Classics (Egon)
The Slits - "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Gladys Knight & the Pips) Cut (Island)

(Man, we had enough material left over for a whole 'nother show! Hmm...)

Reminder: Halloween Show TONIGHT!

Don't forget to tune into WLUW tonight at 8pm for the Women On Women Music Program's annual Halloween Spook-tacular! We'll be doing spooky songs and "costumed" songs (covers) for your holiday pleasure, so don't miss it! It all kicks off at 8pm on WLUW, 88.7fm in Chicago and wluw.org online.

Amy Ray Concert Ticket Contest!

And now, here's the contest you've been waiting for - We've got a pair of tickets to the Amy Ray concert at Metro on Wednesday October 29.

Amy Ray is best known as one half of the Indigo Girls, but she’s also an accomplished solo artist with three albums, as well as the owner of Daemon Records. While Indigo Girls practically defined the folk-rock genre of a generation, Amy Ray’s solo albums allow her to experiment with a louder more hard rock sound that’s closer to riot grrrl than acoustic guitars, and tours with backing bands like the Butchies further allowed her to play to the rock side of her musical personality. Her first solo album, 2001’s Stag, featured rock that surprised critics and excited fans. Prom, released in 2005, continued her hard-hitting political satire in song. Her third solo album, Didn’t It Feel Kinder, was released this summer and features members of Arizona on several tracks.

If you'd like to win, leave a comment with your email address. We will contact you by Tuesday night if you are a winner.

And now, here's a clip from an upcoming Spring 2009 documentary on Amy's solo work.

WOW Setlist 10/21/08 - Live on 88.7fm/wluw.org Every Tuesday from 8-10pm Central Time!

April Stevens - "Teach Me Tiger" V/A: Ultra-Lounge (Capitol)
Portishead - "The Rip" Third (Island)
Mirah - "Don't Die In Me" C'mon Miracle (K)
Scarlett Johansson - "Song For Jo" Anywhere I Lay My Head (Rhino)
Jennifer O'Connor - "Valley Road 86" Here With Me (Matador)
Puffy Ami Yumi - "Love So Pure" Spike (Sony/Epic)
Belly - "Gepetto" Star (Sire)
The Breeders - "We're Gonna Rise" Mountain Battles (4AD)
Heavenly - "Itchy Chin" The Decline and Fall of Heavenly (K)
The Au Pairs - "Monogamy" Equal but Different: BBC Sessions 79-81 (RPM)
Mars - "Helen Forsdale" Seventy Eight + (Widowspeak)
Delta 5 - "You" Singles & Sessions 1979-81 (Kill Rock Stars)
Siouxsie and the Banshees - "Hong Kong Garden" The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees (Polydor UK)
Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden - "Faster Than Cars Drive" S/T (Red Valise)
Headlights - "Market Girl" Some Racing, Some Stopping (Polyvinyl)
Marlena Shaw - "California Soul (Diplo/Mad Decent Remix)" V/A: Verve Remixed 4 (Verve)
Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble - "February" Black Unstoppable (Delmark)
Amy Ray - "Laramie" Stag (Daemon)
The Butchies - "Make Yr Life" Make Yr Life (Yep Roc)
Sarge - "Homewrecker (live)" Distant (Mud)
The New Pornographers - "Challengers" Challengers (Matador)
Liz Phair - "The Divorce Song" Exile in Guyville (Capitol)
Tsunami - "Lucky" Deep End (Simple Machines)
Firewater - "The Beat Goes On (feat. Jennifer Charles)" Songs We Should Have Written (Jetset)
Joanna Newsom - "Inflammatory Writ" The Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City)
Juliana Hatfield - "Universal Heartbeat" Only Everything (Atlantic)

Congrats to Beth, who won tickets to see Amy Ray at the Metro next Wednesday, October 29th. If YOU want to be cool like Beth and win tickets to see Amy Ray, we'll be having a contest for another set of tickets sometime this week, so keep your eye on the blog!  

Monday Afternoon Diversion: The Beckoning of Lovely

On 8/8/08 at 8:08pm, an artist named Amy Krause Rosenthal asked people to meet her in Chicago's Millennium Park to create something. Here's what happened -



Go make your own thing!

It Isn't a Lady Jam....

.....but it is a jam that a lady likes. The new Ben Folds album, Way to Normal, is really, really good. It is clever. It is poppy. It has a song that references the astronaut/diaper incident.

I have only one complaint - there's a song called the "Bitch Went Nuts". Really? You had to go there, Ben Folds? There is just something about a man saying that word with that kind of intent that makes my skin crawl. He spent a month recording with Amanda Palmer....you would think he would know better.


Choice cuts:
"The Frown Song"
"Cologne"
"You Don't Know Me (Feat. Regina Spektor)"

Here is the the video for "You Don't Know Me". Enjoy!

You Don't Know Me

To Senator John McCain,

Sarah Palin is not my role model.

I saw this on many a G-chat and Facebook status on Thursday. And I can't help but echo the sentiment.

Do you know who my role models are, John McCain? My mom. My dad. My uncle, who is a kick-butt attorney and uses his powers for good. The women I write this blog with.
Your opponent.

Women are not monolithic. But I don't even think that was what you were getting at. I think that what you were trying to say, Senator, was that Sarah Palin is a role model for women because she has taken strides, because she could be in position of power this time next year that a woman has never had. And I will concede that she has had to deal with some sexist nonsense. Sure. But Obama has dealt with racism all through this process, too. And I don't think the paternalistic language that you use when talking about her helps. Just between us, I think you chose her because you don't see her as an equal or superior...but that is for another blog.

I don't think that someone who wants to deny women their right to choose is a role model for women. Or men. Or anyone. Or someone who thinks killing animals is a sport. Or who lets their supporters yell racial slurs at their crew. Or embraces the ridiculous, inflammatory language of calling Obama a terrorist. Someone who wants to keep letting the rich get richer while the poor and middle class struggle along.

If you were to present that list to someone and ask them if they were qualities of a role model for women and girls, I'm going to take a guess that many women would say no. These are not feminist qualities. They aren't principles of equality.

I think where you've gone wrong, Senator, is assuming that just because someone was born female that they represent us. If you wanted to talk about role models for women, you should have looked to your right. Maybe spend some time with Michelle Obama. Or Justice Ginsberg. Or even Dr. Rice. But don't try to pass off your choice as the new patron of strong women. Just don't. We're smarter than that.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth, age 27

Yo La Tengo - "Sugarcube"

I love, love, love this video. I'm posting it today for the following reasons:

1) The album it's from, "I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One," is a fall record to me (possibly due to the inclusion of the song "Autumn Sweater"), and there's been a hint of a chill in the Chicago air lately;
2) It's almost Halloween, and this video has costumes;
3) It features Bob and David from Mr. Show. Hooray!



(I could dissect this video and use it to discuss the "industry," what's wrong with major corporate labels, the production of an image and the manufactured culture of rebellion, the concept of authenticity, etc. etc. etc. Really, though, I just like the video.)

Blog Action Day 2008: Fight Global Poverty

In my internet travels today, I came across several blogs discussion global poverty and discovered that today is Blog Action Day 2008, a day when bloggers across the globe have agreed to discuss global poverty issues. It's only fitting that we at the Women On Women Music Program take part in this discussion, since throughout history and culture, women are consistently more affected by poverty issues than men. Sexism, violence against women, workplace discrimination, access to healthcare and access to child care are some of the largest issues contributing to the economic disparity between poor women and men, and not just in third world nations, but here in our own backyard. Want to help fight global poverty? Here are some suggestions -

Make the United States government accountable to you - pledge to vote today at the National Women's Law Center's Vote 2008 campaign.

Ask your Senator to support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which would allow women to sue their employeers for wage discrimination.

Start your own business, and once it grows, hire other women. Sound hard? Check out the Small Buisness Administration website for more information.

Owning your own business is the most effective way for women in third world nations to gain economic independence as well as political power in their local community. To help them be successful, consider using your purchasing power to support women-owned small buisnesses when you do your holiday shopping this year. Ten Thousand Villages and UNICEF's online store support the work of women around the globe.

Invest in women's businesses through Kiva. Kiva, one of the most successful micro-lending organizations, exemplifies the economic theory of giving women the means to create their own businesses, pay back lenders, and then invest in their communities. This theory, championed by Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, won them the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Sign up for action email lists from the ONE Campaign, which has been working on global poverty issues for nearly a decade.

Test your vocabulary skills with FreeRice.com, which donates food through the UN World Food Program for every correct answer.

Have more suggestions? Put them in the comments!

National Boob Month

You may have noticed by the plethora of pink during October that this is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While there has been some criticism in recent years of the focus on breast cancer as opposed to other more fatal types of cancer, as well as the commodification and over-pinkification of the disease, it never hurts to be reminded of the importance of knowing your own body. The American Cancer Society has an extensive document on Breast Cancer Early Detection, and the Susan G Koman Foundation has a guide to performing a breast self-exam - do yourself a favor and check them out. If you find a lump, monitor it for one month, and then call a doctor to have it checked out. Almost all lumps go away, or are non-cancerous, but you should pay attention to your particular body's quirks.

Oh Jessica Rabbit... how we love you.

Setlist 10/14/08 Women On Women Music Program, every Tuesday 8pm to 10pm on WLUW 88.7fm

Setlist 10/14/08:

Jolie Holland - "You're Not Satisfied" Springtime Can Kill You (Anti-)
The Poster Children - "Zero Stars" DDD (Spinart)
Slowdive - "Here She Comes" Souvlaki (SBK)
Azure Ray - "We Exchanged Words" Burn and Shiver (Warm)
Imperial Teen - "Sugar" On (Merge)
The Josephine Wiggs Experience - "Make Me Feel Like Doris Day" Bon Bon Lifestyle (Grand Royal)
Yo La Tengo - "Stockholm Syndrome" I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One (Matador)
Lois - "Return (Your Turn)" Strumpet (K)
Yoshimi and Yuka - "H Wa ii Na" Flower With No Color (Ipecac)
All Girl Summer Fun Band - "Oh No" Looking Into It (AGSFB Music)
Dressy Bessy - "If You Should Try to Kiss Her" Pink Hearts Yellow Moons (Kindercore)
Bangs - "S.O.S." Tiger Beat (Kill Rock Stars)
Cub - "New York City" Mauler (Au-Go-Go)
Lush - "Single Girl" Ciao! (4AD)
Saint Etienne - "Dream Lover"Tales From The Turnpike House (Savoy Jazz)
Prototypes - "Gentleman" Prototypes (Minty Fresh)
Ladytron - "International Dateline" Witching Hour (Ryko)
Eleni Mandell - "I've Got A Tender Heart" Country For True Lovers (Zedtone)
Jana McCall - "Carolina's Crown" Sluber (Up!)
Mirah - "We're Both So Sorry" C'mon Miracle (K)
Imogen Heap - "Goodnight and Go" Speak For Yourself (RCA/Victor)
The Groodies - "Sucks To Be A Girl" S/T (Redline)
X - "We're Having Much More Fun" More Fun In The New World (Rhino)
New Black - "Put It To Bed" New Black (Thick Records)
Nina Hagen - "Smack Jack" 14 Friendly Abudctions: The Best of Nina Hagen (Columbia)
Asobi Seksu - "Thursday" Citrus (Friendly Fire)
The Gossip - "Jealous Girls" Standing In The Way Of Control (Kill Rock Stars)

Thanks for listening!

Palin Forces Rape Victims To Pay For Evidence Collection

From the folks at Planned Parenthood, the latest reason why Sarah Palin is no friend of women.

Video Fridays: F*ck and Run

One of my favorite Liz Phair songs that we never get to play on the show.





(A note on profanity: Regardless of FCC "safe harbor" regulations, WLUW has a strict rule against profanity at any time of the day or night. I don't disagree with this policy, and whenever I want to play a song with a potty-word, I just bleep it out. Ms. Phair, however... well, she's rather liberal in her dropping of the f-bomb, to put it mildly, and I'd be bleeping out nearly half the damn song. I think I need to make a radio edit of the song so she's singing about ducks, or hockey, or tucking in her shirt or something.)

Boi, Do I H8 Rayon

In case you ever wondered what the Women on Women show looks like behind the scenes...

Also, who says there aren't enough girls starting bands? It's like a Shaggs pajama party!
(Click to enlarge.)

Thanks to the gang at the I'm Learning to Share! blog for the groovy images.

MYSTERY SOLVED

According to the Pipettes' Wikipedia page:

Their name, which is a reference to a laboratory instrument, is a nod to the experimental origins of the group. It should be noted that the groups' name is pronounced the same way as the instrument in British English: /pɪ ˈpɛt/ -- not /pai ˈpɛt/, as in American English.

See, that's why I was saying it PIE-pets, because I was remembering my bumbling years in high school chemistry. Jen was saying it PIP-ets, because that's what she'd heard other slick industry insiders saying. As it turns out, we were both right. As usual. Hooray!

Man, now I'm going to have "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" stuck in my head the whole rest of the day. Not a bad thing in and of itself, but unfortunately, I think my job frowns on random outbursts of doing the pony in one's cubicle.

Protect Women's Health Parity

You might not be a doctor, but you have a chance to be a guinea pig... of sorts... in Northwestern University's Women's Health Registry program.

Did You Know?

• Heart disease is the #1 killer of American women.
• Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of women in the United States. Colorectal cancer and breast cancer are the second and third leading cancer killers of women.
• Women are more likely than men to die from a stroke.
• Nearly twice as many women as men die from Alzheimer's disease each year.
• Seventy-five percent of Americans living with autoimmune disorders (such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis) are women.
• Women are far more likely than men to suffer from chronic pain and chronic fatigue.

Why do some diseases affect women more than men? Why do women respond to some drugs and treatment therapies differently than men? What environmental factors and behaviors most influence women's health?

Those questions have plagued doctors and researchers for years, and Northwestern is undertaking a wide ranging study of women's health to help answer these, and other questions about women's health. To participate, you just need to fill out a survey online and update it once a year. If you qualify for a research study, Northwestern will contact you and ask if you'd like to participate. There's no cost, no obligation, and your information is kept secure. Help yourself, help your daughters, help your granddaughters - join the registry today!

Setlist 10/7/08 - Women on Women Music Program, Every Tuesday from 8-10pm on 88.7fm/wluw.org

Concrete Blonde - "Everybody Knows" V/A: Pump Up the Volume Soundtrack (MCA)
The Pipettes - "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me" Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me EP (Cherrytree/Interscope)
The New Pornographers - "All the Old Showstoppers" Challengers (Matador)
The Go! Team - "Keys to the City" Proof of Youth (Sub Pop)
Architecture in Helsinki - "Heart it Races" Places Like This (Polyvinyl)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Down Boy" Is Is EP (Interscope)
The Kills - "Sour Cherry" Midnight Boom (Domino)
The Breeders - "It's the Love" Mountain Battles (4AD)
Office - "Suburban Perfume" A Night at the Ritz (Scratchie/New Line)
Yo La Tengo - "Deeper Into Movies" I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (Matador)
My Bloody Valentine - "When You Sleep" Loveless (Sire/Warner)
The 3Ds - "Outer Space" Hellzapoppin' (Flying Nun)
Shesus - "Hang On To Yourself" V/A: Spiders From Venus (Skipping Discs)
The 1900s - "Bring the Good Boys Home" Plume Delivery (Parasol)
Annuals - "Dry Clothes" Be He Me (Ace Fu)
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - "Jennie That Cries" I Bet You Say That to All the Boys (SYGC)
The Magnetic Fields - "Papa Was a Rodeo" 69 Love Songs Vol. 2 (Merge)
The Blow - "True Affection" Paper Television (K)
Stereolab - "Three Women" Chemical Chords (4AD)
CSS - "Give Up" Donkey (Sub Pop)
Sally Shapiro - "Anorak Christmas" Disco Romance (Paper Bag)
Murder By Death - "Brother" In Bocca al Lupo (East West)
The Runaways - "Cherry Bomb" The Best of The Runaways (Polygram)
The Shitbirds - "I Want You" Famous Recording Artists (SFTRI)

(Go Obama!)

Voter Registration Deadline TODAY

We've been warning you on the air and in this blog for months - today is the FINAL DAY to register to vote in Illinois. (If you're reading this from another state, your deadline is likely this week too.) If you've moved or this is your first time registering, quick, go to ChicagoElections.com and print out a voter registration form - make sure you get it postmarked and mailed in today. You can also pick up forms at your local library or post office. And, the Chicago Board of Elections office will be open until midnight tonight, so hurry!!!

If you don't make tonight's deadline, there is still one last chance for you to vote in this election. You can participate in the Grace Period Registration/Voting program at the headquarters downtown. This program takes place from October 8 through October 21. You must go in person to the Election Board office, located at 69 W Washington, 6th Floor, and register and immediately cast your ballot. If you decide on this option, make sure you have already decided who you will vote for, as you will need to make your choice immediately after you register.

Remember, its only been eight-eight years since women were given the right to vote - let's not squander what our grandmothers and great-grandmothers fought so hard for!