Happy Birthday to The Pill!

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granting approval to the birth control pill, a decision which revolutionized women's reproductive health.  The domino effect of the availability of reliable birth control in this country was wide-ranging.  Single women could embrace their sexuality without fear of pregnancy and married couples could plan if and when they wanted to start a family.  How many marriages were strengthened or saved, and how many bad marriages prevented in the first place, we will never know.  But beyond the biological effect of The Pill, in a time where women could be fired from their jobs simply for getting pregnant, it meant that women could think long term about college, post-graduate studies, career plans, travel, and anything else that they wished to achieve or do in their lives.  In this way, the ability to choose when and if to have children resulted in more women going to college and becoming doctors, lawyers and scientists, more women going further in the field of business, more women being free to dedicate their early career years to more challenging work or service opportunities... all of which undoubtedly improved the standard of living of their families as well.  Plus, when those women did decide to have families, they were much more likely to be in stable marriages and less likely to be living in poverty.

One outspoken woman who heartily embraced The Pill was the legendary singer Loretta Lynn.  Married at 14 years old and a mom of four by the age of 17, Loretta's 1974 song "The Pill" was the first to discuss the subject, and it did so from a very personal perspective of a woman tired of being pregnant every year.  Though it was banned at my radio stations, Loretta was later told by doctors working in rural areas that it had done more to increase awareness of the pill's availability than anything else - something no doubt Loretta had in mind when writing a song that would speak to her own background.  Here now is Loretta Lynn with "The Pill" -

Riot Grrrl History! Kathleen Hanna Papers at NYU Library

I have to admit that I felt a little bit old when I read that NYU Libraries had just acquired the Kathleen Hanna Papers as the first major acquisition in their Riot Grrrl Collection. Are we so old that riot grrrl now needs to be preserved in libraries? I guess so. But nonetheless, I think it's a great thing that Kathleen has donated her papers to be preserved for future generations of feminists. No one knows what might be in the papers yet, but it is presumed that they include some copies of her early zines Revolution Girl Style Now, Bikini Kill, and riotgrrrl, as well as correspondence and paperwork related to her long musical career in Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. You can bet that once the papers are sorted and cataloged, there will be a bevy of feminist scholars and women's studies students writing up a storm - and I can't wait to read it!

Video Fridays: Teenage Jesus & the Jerks

A clip from the legendary no wave band Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, from their Empty Bottle show earlier this week:

Mary Travers Now In Honah Lee

How many times in the last few months have I turned on CNN in the morning, looked at the little bar scrolling across the bottom, and thought "Awww, shoot" as another icon has died? Too many times, I think - maybe it's a sign of my own getting older. The latest instance of me shaking my head sadly is the death this week of Mary Travers, best known as Mary from Peter, Paul and Mary. After successfully battling cancer since 2005, she died from complications from chemotherapy this week at the age of 72.

Mary Travers' importance to folk music and women musicians cannot be overstated. In the trio, she was the focal point, the pretty girl with the beautiful voice that captured more mainstream attention for the Greenwich Village subculture of the 1960s. Through her humanity and talent, she put a face on the folk music movement which had been largely ignored or ridiculed prior to that time. When the group did their own versions of important songs in the folk music subculture, suddenly, people took notice. Of course, it didn't hurt that she was beautiful, which may have been why mainstream culture was willing to listen. But Mary took that attention to heart, using her platform to advocate for political causes through music like Pete Seeger's "If I Had A Hammer" and the remake of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind", as well as through where the band chose to play, including the 1963 March on Washington and the voting-rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., in 1965. Throughout the rest of her life, she would be an advocate for civil rights, nuclear disarmament and other political causes.

Peter, Paul and Mary weren't entirely serious though. One of their most popular and beloved songs, "Puff The Magic Dragon", was a whimsical tale of the adventures of a misunderstood boy and the dragon who teaches him to be brave. It later became a children's television special, and then movies, extolling the values of imaginary friends, adventures, understanding creatures who are different than us, and being courageous. Doubtless it spawned many of my own imaginary friends. Ready for a singalong?

Statement of Vindication

Yoko Ono Gets Her Due

"To a younger generation growing up after the baggage of Lennon's personal life had largely been laid to rest, Ono became an esthetic godmother. As the world itself got noisier, her scream seemed more and more legitimate as a response—to anything from the panic of AIDS to the specter of WMDs. "It is a scream of the human race, in a way," she says today, and it makes sense: you can think of her music as an aural accompaniment to the paintings of Munch or Bacon. It may have taken a couple of decades, but the world caught up to that sound. It's difficult to imagine the X-Ray Spex anthem "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!," the Riot Grrl movement of the '90s (featuring groups like Sleater-Kinney and Bikini Kill), or even contemporary dance-punk heroines like Peaches or Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs existing apart from Yoko's trailblazing, proto-feminist howl."


(Courtesy of Newsweek.)

R.I.P. Ellie Greenwich

Aw. :(

Songwriter Ellie Greenwich dies at age 68.


As the co-author of some of the most enduring hits of the girl group era -- "Be My Baby," "Leader of the Pack," "Da Do Ron Ron," "Chapel of Love," and "Then He Kissed Me," to name but a few -- Greenwich lent a distinctly feminine voice to the the male-dominated music industry of the 60s. She also worked as a session vocalist, sang backup for artists such as Dusty Springfield and Frank Sinatra, and even fronted the short-lived Raindrops with her husband and songwriting partner Jeff Barry. For a moving tribute to her life and works, check out this article by Ann Powers.

R.I.P. Les Paul

In honor of the passing of guitar legend Les Paul yesterday, here's a trio of videos documenting his appearance on the Colgate Comedy Hour in 1954, with his wife and musical partner Mary Ford.

Video Fridays/Bands You Should Know: The Mo-Dettes

Since we're on the subject of the founding mothers of punk...

The Mo-Dettes were formed in London in 1979 by American guitarist Kate Korus/Korris (an original member of the Slits), along with bassist Jane Crockford, June Miles-Kingston on drums, and Swiss-born Ramona Carlier on vocals. The band would later be augmented by Melissa Ritter on second guitar, and for the last six months before the band's dissolution, Sue Slack on vocals.

(Inconsequential, but interesting: like the Slits, the Mo-Dettes were oddly connected to the Sex Pistols. June worked on the film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, which is where she met Kate. June's brother Bob Kingston was the guitar player for Ten Pole Tudor, featured on the soundtrack for the film. Jane had reportedly shared a squat with Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious at one point, and June bought her first drum kit from Paul Cook. We won't mention their connection to other notable names in punk, but look up Shane MacGowan and the "Cannibalism at Clash Gig" incident and see if you can't spot our girls.)

Frequently overlooked in the annals of punk/post-punk and the history of women in rock for bands that were more ostentatious, more aggressive, more overt in their feminism, or simply more prolific, the Mo-Dettes were nevertheless a solid band, notable for their hooky, melodic bass lines, sparse, angular guitar riffs, and a simple yet irresistable backbeat.

In their three short years of existence, they released only a handful of singles and one full-length album, The Story So Far. Fortunately, Cherry Red released a remastered version of the album on CD last year. It includes B-sides and non-album tracks, such as their first single and possibly best known song, "White Mice," (featured below) as well as extensive liner notes outlining the history of the band.

Enjoy!

Holy Slits!

The Slits have a new album coming out!

Slated to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the group's legendary album Cut, Trapped Animal will be released on Narnack Records this fall. We can expect to hear the first single, "Ask Ma," as early as August.

After breaking up in 1982, original singer Ari Up and bassist Tessa Pollitt reformed in 2005 (sans guitarist Viv Albertine, or original drummer Palmolive) for a few one-off reunion shows and an EP, Revenge of the Killer Slits. In this latest incarnation, Up and Pollitt are joined by Anna Schlute on drums, Adele Wilson (or Michelle Hill, reports differ) on guitar, and Hollie Cook (daughter of Sex Pistols* drummer Paul Cook) on keyboards. Hopefully a full tour will be in the works as well? We'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, here's a video of one of my favorite Slits' songs, "Typical Girls," from 1979.




* Bizarre factoid for the day? John Lydon is Ari Up's stepfather. No foolin'!

She Was A Woman - R.I.P. Koko Taylor

Sad news tonight as we learn that Chicagoan and Queen of the Blues Koko Taylor has died at the age of 80 from complications from a gastrointestial surgery. The daughter of Tennessee sharecroppers who both died before she was 11 years old, Taylor was entranced by gospel music at church, as well as blues DJs on her radio at a young age. She and her five brothers and sisters made homemade instruments and starting singing the blues. After she was married, Koko and her husband traveled to Chicago where he found work at a packing company and she cleaned houses. The young couple would often visit the blues clubs on Chicago's south side, and her husband "Pops" Taylor encouraged Koko to sit in with the musicians. There, she was discovered by Willie Dixon, who was intrigued by her voice and eager to have a woman be a blues band leader. He landed her a contract with the famous Chess Records in Chicago, where she released many Grammy nominated albums, including the hits "Wang Dang Doodle" and "I'm A Woman". Taylor traveled the world, becoming the first high profile woman to sing the blues, and earning her nickname of "Queen of the Blues". After Chess Records went out of business, Koko moved to another Chicago label, Alligator Records, where she enjoyed continued success. Her many awards from the city of Chicago as well as national and international music organizations included the Blues Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. Even at age 80, Koko was still going strong. She was scheduled to perform in Spain next week, and recently performed at The Kennedy Honors in Washington DC in honor of Morgan Freeman. She sang "I'm A Woman" for that appearance, and was she ever. Go in peace Koko... Chicago thanks you, for everything.

R.I.P. Estelle Bennett of The Ronettes

We share the sadness of fans across the generations and around the globe at the death of Estelle Bennett, one of the iconic Ronettes. Rest in peace Estelle.

R.I.P. Lux Interior

Cramps singer Lux Interior dead at 62.

We here at WOW have long loved the Cramps for many reasons... for their embodiment of sex and sleaze, for their embracing of kitsch and camp, for Poison Ivy's guitar prowess, for Lux Interior's leopard print panties, for their raw, no bullshit, rock and roll sound, for the way they challenged, tore down, and redefined gender roles in rock. Lux, you will truly be missed.

For an excellent write-up of the life and times of Lux Interior and the Cramps, check out Owen Adam's music blog at the Guardian.

Dance This Mess Around

Everybody goes to parties
They dance this mess around
They do all 16 dances
They do the Shu-ga-loo
Do the Shy Tuna
Do the Camel Walk
Do the Hip-o-crit

Everybody goes to parties
They dance this mess around
They do all 16 dances
Do the Coo-ca-choo
Do the Aqua-Velva
Do the Dirty Dog
Do the Escalator

Last week on the show, I was chastizing the B-52's for only naming 8 of the supposed 16 dances in the song "Dance This Mess Around." (Seriously B-52s, what ARE the other 8 dances? Although to be fair, I suppose they did do better than Wilson Pickett, who claimed there was a "Land of 1000 Dances," yet left us hanging on the names of 994 of them.) Naturally, this led to Jenny and I ruminating on whether any of these dances even existed in the first place, and if so, how were they done?

Well, my little waltzing matildas, it's time to do 'em right!

First and foremost, the Camel Walk most definitely exists. Heck, we've even played a song by Southern Culture on the Skids called "Camel Walk"! You can read more about the history of the dance here, get step-by-step directions here, see a video of James Brown doing it here, or check out the belly dance version here.

The Dirty Dog gets a brief name drop as a dance craze from the 50s here and the 60s here, but sadly, no instructions. The name, however, resurfaces periodically, suggesting that it's a common/popular name for a dance, rather than one enduring dance move in and of itself.

Unfortunately, the rest of the songs are either complete fabrications, or were fad dances so localized and/or short lived that they've ceased to exist outside the lyrics to this song. Rumor has it, however, that the B-52's have been known to demonstrate the steps to the Shy Tuna and others on stage from time to time... but until you can witness this for yourself, you'll just have to be content to Mess your Dance Around freeform style.

She deserves the applause / I surrender because...

I'm currently obsessed with figuring out who plays the guitar solo in the video for Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible":



(NOTE: For those of you not familiar with the 80s, this video is possibly not work-safe, as it contains a whole lotta spandex-clad T&A. For the rest of you, fast forward to about 2:45 to see the guitar solo... or hey, maybe you like T&A, you don't have to fast forward.)

Now, I'm not talking about who plays the solo on the recording, as I'm pretty sure the two are not one and the same. Besides, the guitar player in the video doesn't much look like a John, a Dennis, or an Eddie. And in contrast to the girls from the "Addicted to Love" video, who are the least convincing fake musicians ever*, I'm fairly certain this chick knows what she's doing. If only I could find the Pop-Up Video version of this online somewhere... I bet it would tell me.

I'll continue my research and keep ya'll posted.


* According to Wikipedia, rumor has it that "a musician was hired to teach the models basic guitar fingering techniques, but 'gave up after about an hour and left'." Heh. I'm also starting to have a sneaking suspicion that the hands you see playing drums at 1:17 in on the "Addicted to Love" video might not belong to the girl sitting behind the drums for the rest of the video... or even to a girl, for that matter. I wonder if they stuck one of the dudes on crew in a dress and slapped some fake nails on him to get the shot?

Women are Instrumental

A few years back, a listener of the show called up and made a request. He said he wanted to hear an instrumental song by a band made up exclusively (or at least primarily) of women.

We were stumped.

After much thought, we finally played "Take the Pain and Use It" by Bratmobile, which is 95% instrumental. (No verses, but it does repeat the title from time to time as a chorus. I didn't think of this song as a true instrumental at the time, but in hindsight, it's actually no less of an instrumental than, say, "Tequila" by the Champs, which is frequently counted among the ranks of the great instrumentals in rock and roll.)

Ever since then, this question has bugged me. What ARE the great instrumental songs by female musicians? Why are there so few of them? I hit the stacks to do some research and get to the bottom of this.

(Disclaimer part one: since our show focuses primarily on rock music, that's where I'm focusing my brunt of my research. I'm sure there are marvelous all-girl jazz quartets that exclusively perform instrumental numbers, but as instrumentals are more of a standard in jazz, I would argue that it lacks the same impact as instrumentals by all-girl bands in rock and roll. Disclaimer part two: I have an MA in Women's Studies, and spent the brunt of my time in grad school researching and writing about women in music. So allow me to nerd out for a few paragraphs.)

Historically, in the world of rock and roll, the men have far outnumbered the women. (Duh, that's why our show exists.) Of those women, there have been far more female vocalists than female instrumental musicians. Traditional constructions of gender in the western world connect masculinity with strength, rational critical thinking, technology, and the public/professional world. Femininity, however, has been traditionally associated with emotionality, physical frailness, an inextricable closeness to nature/innocence, and the private sphere of the home. While it was not uncommon for a woman of the 19th century to play an instrument such as piano in her home, in church, or as a means of instructing children, professional orchestras were made up exclusively of men, and the serious study of music restricted to same. When women eventually protested and gradually began to pursue the study and performance of music outside the home, the instruments available to them were few: the flute and acoustic guitar were acceptable because they were light, corresponded with the higher ranges of the female voice, and did not distort or strain the body or face. Percussion, low brass, and cello, on the other hand, were all seen as too heavy, requiring too much physical exertion, or ungainly for a woman to play. Furthermore, critics of the time doubted that any woman possessed the emotional self-control, physical endurance, or presence of mind necessary for the professional study and performance of music. This attitude perservered well into the 20th century, and while female instrumental musicians existed, they were few and far between (and frequently marginalized as gimmicks and/or ghettoized on a select few instruments). Heck, this attitude stubbornly perserveres to this very day, albeit to a less obvious extent... just look at the gender division along instrument lines in any high school band and you'll see what I mean.

So while women were long discouraged from becoming serious instrumental musicians, the flip side of the coin is that female singers have always been widely accepted and celebrated. A female vocalist in the classical sense (we're not talking about growly riot grrls here) supports stereotypes of femininity: the voice is a natural instrument (i.e. not manufactured by technology, nor requiring serious study for basic aptitude), singing is an obvious vehicle for emotional expression, and since there is no heavy lifting or unladylike distortion of the body, it puts the body on display as an object to be admired. When rock and roll came along, with the raw power of electrified instruments, the primal, sexualized beat, the sheer volume and energy... well, it was not a thing nice girls were supposed to DANCE to, much less learn how to play. The old gender biases of instrumentation perservered with electric guitar, bass, and drums, which were all overtly coded as masculine (if not straight up phallic) instruments. When women did make their presence known in rock and roll, it was overwhelmingly as vocalists, and has remained so to this day. (I'll allow that there are a lot of bands out there with female members, especially in the punk and indie world... but sit down and listen to any mainstream radio station. How many bands are made up of exclusively men? How many women are getting airplay? How many of those women are playing an instrument? What kind of music are these women playing, and what kind of music are the men playing?)

My point is this: traditionally, women have not been granted the same access to instrumental study as men. Mainstream rock and roll, despite slooooowly evolving gender equality, is still largely a boys' club, and gender biases still exist in regards to women as instrumental musicians. If one were to look at any of the gear magazines (Guitar World, Modern Drummer, etc.), nearly all the highly accomplished and lauded technical wizards featured are men. Or poll your friends, chances are the gearhead geek-types, the ones that spend hours in their bedrooms learning crazy hard metal solos, are going to be dudes. When women form bands, more often than not, it seems the point is that they formed a band in the first place, and/or they have something to say. (A friend of mine offered another perspective: he always thought that female voices were so pretty, they didn't need technical prowess on an instrument to underscore what they were saying. Men, on the other hand, had shitty voices and needed to express themselves through an instrument. Interesting point, but no excuse for not learning your scales, young lady.)

Despite all that, however, more and more women are forming bands, more and more girls are starting to play at a younger age, and more and more women are becoming technical wizards on their instruments. And yes, some of them even play instrumental songs. So I've started to compile a list of instrumentals by all-girl bands, which you can read below. This list is by no means exhaustive, so if you can think of any others, by all means, please leave a comment!

The Breeders - "Flipside"
The 5.6.7.8's - "Jane in the Jungle," "Road Runner," etc.
Luv'd Ones - "Scratchy"
ESG - "UFO," "Tiny Sticks, "Parking Lot Blues," "Chistelle," etc.
Heavens to Betsy - "Intermission 247"
Blevin Blectum - "Squeezed"
OOIOO - "tune"
The Josephine Wiggs Experience - "Downward Facing Dog," "Trieste," "Mr. B Goes Surfing," etc.
Ladies Who Lunch - "Gigantic"
All Girl Summer Fun Band - "Looking Into It"
Tori Amos - "All the Girls Hate Her"
Shonen Knife - "Milky Way"
Yoshimi and Yuka - "UMEgination," "KoRoKoKoRo'N Insects," etc.
Dara Puspita - "Bandung Selatan"

Random Music Factoid for 12/18/08

Did you know that Suzi Quatro is Sherilyn Fenn's aunt?

Apparently it really is a small world after all!

Accolades for The Accolades

Check it out, Saudi Arabia's first all-girl rock band!

Fighting still-oppressive public morality standards, The Accolades are a group of college-age girls who, encouraged by the growing trend of rock and roll in the country's more urban settings, have decided to start their own band.

In a country where women are not allowed to drive and rarely appear in public without their faces covered, the band is very different. The prospect of female rockers clutching guitars and belting out angry lyrics about a failed relationship... would once have been unimaginable here.

“In Saudi, yes, it’s a challenge,” said the group’s lead singer, Lamia, who has piercings on her left eyebrow and beneath her bottom lip.... “Maybe we’re crazy. But we wanted to do something different.”

Read the full article (courtesy of the New York Times) here.

RIP Odetta

Legendary African-American civil rights folk singer Odetta died yesterday at the age of 77, just weeks before she was to perform at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Odetta started her singing career in the opera and musical theatre as a teenager in Los Angeles (cleaning houses with her mother to pay for classes), but made the move towards folksinging in 1950 after encountering the new American folk revival in San Francisco. She toured extensively across the country, bringing a sound of jazz and blues mixed with American folk revival and spiritualism to audiences from New York to Los Angeles and influencing artists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Using her musical skills to give voice to the civil rights struggle, Odetta toured the country, marched on Washington, and met with Presidents of many administrations, including Bill Clinton who introduced her as the 1999 winner of the National Endowment for the Arts National Medal of Arts. When her health failed in recent years and her doctor forbid her from performing, she switched doctors and defiantly went on stage in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank. We wish that Odetta could have lived to sing at the inauguration!

RIP, Yma Sumac

It is with great sadness that I announce the death of one of our perennial favorites, Latin/Lounge/Exotica singer Yma Sumac.

Renowned for her astonishing vocal range (five octaves at the peak of her career!), Yma started out as Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chavarri del Castillo, an untrained and unknown singer from Peru. Before moving to the States in the mid 1940s with her bandleader husband, she adopted the stage name Yma Sumac (originally Imma Sumac) and with it, an exotic, mysterious, and glamourous persona. Sometimes claiming to be an Incan princess, and the direct descendant of Peru's last Incan emperor, Yma took Hollywood by storm. Throughout the 50s, she worked with Les Baxter and Billy May, producing the best known works of her career, including Mambo! and Voice of the Xtabay, among others.

Her songs can be heard on the soundtracks to films such as Death to Smoochy and The Big Lebowski, and her "Bo Mambo" was sampled by the Black Eyed Peas on "Hands Up" from 2003's Elephunk.

Here is a video tribute to Yma Sumac, set to the song "Malambo No. 1."

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.