Happy New Year!

On behalf of Elizabeth, Emily and myself - plus our friend Mr. Snowman - we wish you a very Happy New Year and a 2010 filled with joy, laughter and great music!

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Top Twelve Records of the Decade, WOW Style

I can't believe another decade has flown past us. It was ten years ago that I first stepped into a radio station booth and that I met my lovely co-bloggers Emily and Jen, and in those ten years some damn fine records have come out. The 1990s were a great decade for music - it brought us Riot Grrrl and my all time favorite record, Tori Amos' Boys for Pele. But the 2000's had some great lady jams in it, too. Here's my top twelve list of records from the last decade, in no particular order.

1. P.J. Harvey, Uh Huh Her
2. Bjork, Vespertine
3. The Dresden Dolls, The Dresden Dolls
4. Metric, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?
5. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Dap Dippin' With Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
6. Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous
7. Yeah Yeah Yeah's, Fever to Tell
8. The Gossip, Movement
9. Le Tigre, Feminist Sweepstakes
10.Sleater Kinney, One Beat
11. Broken Social Scene, You Forgot It In People
12. The New Pornographers, Twin Cinema

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

We haven't come a long way, we've come a short way.
If we hadn't come a short way, no one would be calling us baby.
~Elizabeth Janeway

Merry Christmas! Video Fridays: The 12 Days of Christmas by John Denver & The Muppets

A very Merry Christmas from all of us here at the Women on Women Music Blog!

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

It starts when you sink in his arms and ends with your arms in his sink.
~Author Unknown

Video Fridays: Fairytale of New York - Kirsty MacColl & The Pougues

One of our favorite and most amusing Christmas-themed songs, featuring the late great Kirsty MacColl. Sadly, Kirsty's mother's campaign for justice in the mysterious circumstances surrounding her 2000 death while scuba diving in Mexico disbanded earlier this month, due to Mexican authorities closing the case. Although we may never have satisfactory justice regarding her death, we can always honor Kirsty's legacy of great music.

Lilith Wants You, Aspiring Chicago Band!

Lilith Tour is looking for an aspiring Chicago band to perform a set at the Chicago stop on the 2010 tour this summer. For that matter, they're looking for a local artist or band in each of the cities on the tour schedule. To submit your band for consideration, upload a song to the Lilith Local Talent Search page, then get your friends and family to register to vote, starting in April. Winners will be announced in May. Good luck - and post in the comments if you've entered so we can vote for you!

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

Whether women are better than men I cannot say -
but I can say they are certainly no worse.
~Golda Meir

Video Fridays: Martha Wainwright Covers "Christmas Wrapping" By The Waitresses

Christmas Wrapping has always been one of my favorite Christmas songs - the irony, the sad grocery store scene, the happy ending, all set to 80s new wave... what's not to love? The song itself has quite the history, sending The Waitresses to an unlikely fame, just before its breakup. Unfortunately, The Waitresses never made a video, but I've found Martha Wainwright's cover of it here. Enjoy, and happy holidays!

Lilith 2010 Lineup Announced, To Our Delight

When it was announced earlier this year that Lilith Fair was returning in 2010, we were excited, but slightly nervous - bringing back a tour like that is a lot of work, and sometimes nostalgia makes things seem cooler than they actually were. Could they still get great artists? Would we still be excited about the lineup? Would it still be a celebration of women in music?

The answer is yes, yes, yes, as the Lilith lineup was announced today. There's a delightful combination of original members of the 90s Lilith lineup, like Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Indigo Girls, Tegan and Sara and Erykah Badu, as well as newbies to the Lilith experience like Metric, Mary J. Blige, Miranda Lambert and Ingrid Michaelson, and there's a mix of genres, from singer-songwriter to rock to pop to country to hip hop. If only all music festivals (ahem, Perry Farrel) were as diverse as this lineup. The organizers say there's more to come, but in the meantime, here's the confirmed lineup so far -

A Fine Frenzy
Ann Atomic
Ash Koley
Brandi Carlile
Butterfly Boucher
Chairlift
Chantal Kreviazuk
Colbie Caillat
Corinne Bailey Rae
Donna De Lory
Emmylou Harris
Erykah Badu
Grace Potter And The Nocturnals
Ima
Indigo Girls
Ingrid Michaelson
Janelle Monae
Jennifer Knapp
Jill Hennessy
Jill Scott
Katzenjammer
Ke$ha
Mary J. Blige
Meaghan Smith
Metric
Miranda Lambert
Nneka
Sara Bareilles
Sarah McLachlan
Serena Ryder
Sheryl Crow
The Submarines
Sugarland
Tara MacLean
Tegan And Sara
Vedera
The Weepies
Vita Chambers
Ximena Sarinana
Zee Avi

Stay tuned for more Lilith news!

Witty Women: Quote of the Week

Some of us are becoming the men we wanted to marry.
~Gloria Steinem

Stupid in Love

Last winter, the pop and R&B world was rocked when fan favorite Rihanna failed to make her scheduled appearance at the 2009 Grammy awards. Her absence was due to an incident that occured the night prior, when she was beaten by boyfriend Chris Brown. The paparazzi and press jumped on the story, and on her, and not only published the photos of her bruised and cut face but followed her every move following her release from the hospital. In the weeks following the abuse, Rihanna spent time with Brown, which was also captured and published for mass consumption.

The press and blogosphere judged her quickly, the general sentiment being "How could she even think about spending time with someone who would hit her?". Pop stars aren't the only ones who deal with this kind of judgment. Conversations around domestic violence frequently include place an expectation on the abused partner that they can easily remove themselves from the situation. That it is easy to leave, especially if there are no financial barriers, as in the case of Rihanna and Brown. That if someone won't leave then they deserve it, or don't deserve support, or are just plain stupid.

As someone who has both been a survivor of domestic violence and has worked in the field, I can tell you: it isn't that easy. The shock that someone you love, and who loves you, would harm you is overwhelming. Someone's palm on your face doesn't erase the good memories, or the positive parts of their personality. It doesn't eliminate your relationship or friendship. And if that person is your main source of emotional support....it gets so much harder. There is an impluse to try and make it work out, if only to show those around you that you weren't stupid enough to fall in love with an abuser. And to prove to yourself that you were right in seeing good things in them - that you aren't such an idiot as to give your heart to a monster.

This aspect of abuse, though, is rarely discussed. We expect abuse survivors to have the emotional strength of a herd of clysdales and to be able to cut off all contact with their abuser, to leave them in the dust, as soon as the first hit lands. It would be great it if were that easy, as that is the only way that the abuse cycle will end. As with most things, reality is so much more difficult.

Now that the dust has settled from the press bonanaza that occured this weekend, Rihanna has come out with a new album addressing issues around abuse that are usually kept in the dark. This blog is not intended for lauding the mainstream - commercial music gets enough press as it is - but I was so struck by her new record, and her bravery in addressing the more complicated issues that survivors face, that I had to write about it. Embedded below is a track off her new record, R Rated, "Stupid in Love". A warning to survivors - the song may trigger flashbacks or strong emotions.