Lilith Fair Chicago Date Info Revealed

Some information has leaked out regarding the upcoming return of Lilith Fair this summer. The Chicago date will be Saturday, July 17th, at the First Midwest Theatre. The lineup for Chicago so far includes Cat Power, Heart, Kate Nash, Kelly Clarkson, La Roux, Mary J Blige, Meaghan Smith, Sarah McLachlan, Vedera , and Vita Chambers, plus a yet to be determined local band.

Yes, that's the same weekend as Pitchfork Festival - kind of a bad scheduling call, in my opinion, as plenty of folks going to Pitchfork would probably have wanted to see Lilith. For more information, check out the Lilith Facebook page.

New Single From New Pornographers Released!

The New Pornographers have released the first single from their new album, Together, for free download! Click here to download and listen to the song, "Your Hands (Together)". I know its just the first song, but I'm already pretty sure I'm going to love this album!

Video Fridays: Charlotte Gainsbourg "Heaven Can Wait"

Charlotte's new album, Irm, was just released and its already becoming one of my favorites of this winter. This video is for the single, Heaven Can Wait, and features Beck!

CHIRPradio.org Launches Online Radio Station This Sunday!

The long wait is finally over, and after two and a half years of blood, sweat and tears, the Chicago Independent Radio Project will launch an online radio station this Sunday January 17th at noon! Chicago's only non-profit, volunteer-run, music-, arts-, and culture-focused radio station, CHIRPradio.org will broadcast live from studios in North Center from 6am to 3am seven days a week, 365 days a year - a remarkable feat for a group of music lovers, radio veterans and media activists who built the station step by step, literally and figuratively, all by themselves!

Emily, Elizabeth and I have all been involved with CHIRP since it's inception, and believe that community radio stations are a crucial part of a thriving democratic society. With a handful of large media conglomerates controlling nearly everything on the airwaves, few alternatives exist where alternative viewpoints and music can be heard. Access to the airwaves is a feminist issue - women comprise 51 percent of the country's population, but own just 6 percent of full power radio stations, according to a report from Free Press. In contrast, low power FM radio stations are run by community organizations, and tend to have far more diverse leadership and membership. (Fun fact: All of CHIRP's officers are women!) As CHIRP continues to advocate for the expansion of low power FM radio, they're going online to serve the community now with CHIRPradio.org.

Not only have the three ladies of WOW dedicated many hours of our life to CHIRP in the last few years, we're going to be on air as well! I'll be on every Sunday from 3pm to 6pm, and Emily will be on every Tuesday from 6pm to 9pm. Elizabeth won't be on air for now, but remains a CHIRP supporter too. We especially hope that those of you who listened to us on our previous radio station, WLUW, will follow us over to CHIRP and check out what we're up to these days!

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!

Lilith Rises Again - Tour Returns for Summer 2010

The rumors are true - Lilith Fair, the legendary all-female music festival championed by Sarah McLachlan, will return this summer! The new Lilith Fair website was launched yesterday, and although it doesn't have much in the way of details, Chicago is on the list of cities where Lilith Fair will stop. From 1997 to 1999, you may remember that Lilith Fair was one of the most popular and successful traveling music festivals in the world, with 1.5 million tickets sold, and $10 million dollars raised for charities. Pretty much every female musician who was around in the late 90s did a stint on the Lilith Fair tour roster.

So the question is, who will play this year? Tripwire is hosting a Lilith Fair Fantasy League contest with their predictions for 2010's lineup. Who do you want to see? Post your wishlist in the comments section!

Take This Job And.....

Starting out at the bottom and crawling your way to the top is common in many industries and in entertainment and creative fields especially. Workers spend years fetching coffee and job hopping to build a resume that will hopefully, someday, get them to their dream position. The years spent fighting for it are rough - but with a solid group of friends around, it is possible to get through anything.

The hard-scrabble years are noticeably absent from movies and television shows that depict twenty-somethings having their first go at their career. If we were to believe the media, everyone lives in gorgeous apartments in New York while barely working twenty hour weeks.

At last, a breath of fresh air has entered the world of the cute New Yorker making-her-way niche. The Underlings is a new web-series focused on a group of friends who are "underlings" in their various fields. Comprised of short episodes that you can watch on your lunch break, the show follows the cast through their job, love and friendship struggles with a sassy sense of humor and a refreshing dose of reality.

Created by an all-female team of funny lady writers and producers, The Underlings is a full web experience, with new music and discounts for already affordable stores on the website. Welcome to the web, ladies - we're glad you're here.

How Much of the Artist is the Art?

Michael Jackson. R.Kelly. Roman Polanski. All male artists who have histories of child abuse, or accused child abuse. All artists who have been successful. How much do their crimes influence their art? And how much should their success influence how we view their crimes, or accused crimes?

When Michael Jackson died, there was practically a national stand still. He was revered for his talent and his art, and the years of accusations seemed to fly out the window. An argument can be made that because he was acquitted that he committed no indiscretions, but a gut instinct (ok, my gut instinct) says that at least of those children were telling the truth as I have a tendency to trust survivors. So we, as a nation, forgot his strange past and celebrated him because he could make us dance and sing. It makes me wonder if it would have been possible to remember the songs and the dancing without celebrating the man. Can they be separated?

Roman Polanski is, in my opinion, a much more serious situation. He admitted to sexually assaulting a 13 year old girl in the 1970s and then fled to Europe before being sentenced. He has remained in Europe so as to avoid going to jail in the United States, and is now fighting extradition from Switzerland and asking high powered friends to petition the United States to drop the charges. He has a team of creative powerhouses standing behind him, dubbing his rape of a child a "little mistake" and touting the fact that he has been a successful director and his "genius" as a reason for both forgiveness and dropping the criminal charges for a crime he admitted to committing.

Polanski isn't my kind of director, but I understand that some people really enjoy his films. Is his art a redeeming power? I say it isn't. I don't think art should ever be enough to redeem someone from sexually assaulting a child. This is not only an issue of idiocy, but also one of class. What if the man who gave a 13 year old girl drugs and champagne had been a man in a trailer park or in a van - the picture we think of when we think of child abusers? I doubt folks would be rallying around him, saying that because he makes movies, his crime that he never served time for should be absolved. Then again, someone who wasn't already wealthy and privileged wouldn't have had the means to escape to Europe, purchase several homes and life a comfortable life.

Video Friday & Scotland Yard Gospel Choir Needs Your Help

As has been widely reported today, friends of our blog and all around good peeps Scotland Yard Gospel Choir were in a serious van accident yesterday while on tour involving multiple rollovers and head injuries. We've spoken with friends of their family and hear that they are all doing well, despite their serious injuries, and Ethan, Jay and Alison have already been released from the hospital. Mary and Elia remain hospitalized as of this writing, and Mark is in the most serious condition at this point, but all three are expected to recover and continue to improve. However, the band's van and equipment were destroyed in the crash, and they are likely to face mounting medical bills. SYGC is always one of the first bands to volunteer to support great Chicago charities like Rock For Kids, CHIRP and 826Chi - now it's our turn to give back to them. Bloodshot Records has set up a donation page for the band - throw a few bucks in the virtual donation bucket, if you can.

Help Kick Start the Chicago Independent Radio Project!

After many months of hard work, the Chicago Independent Radio Project is just about ready to launch an online radio station! The goal is to have a truly independent community radio station focused on independent and local music, arts and culture on the air by the end of the fall... sounds pretty great, right? We think so! In fact, we're all involved with CHIRP and hope to be some of those voices coming across your computer speakers later on this year!

But, we can't do it without your help. CHIRP is a 100% volunteer organization and receives no government or corporate funding - donations from individuals and a few small grants help to keep CHIRP's books in the black. Launching online means that CHIRP needs to pay for studio space rent, electricity, office materials, heating, telephones, and the streaming costs of putting a radio station online. Thus, the CHIRP Kickstarter.com campaign - chip in and you'll help CHIRP raise the $4800 needed for the first year of streaming costs for the radio station! Plus, you'll get to choose one of several fabulous prizes. (Including an exclusive mix tape featuring the best women in music from me!) Click on the widget above and donate today!

Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosed with Exene Cervenka

By now you may have heard that the legendary rock chick and bad ass, Exene Cervenka, has been diagnosed with MS, a debilitating disease that she's already backtalking in press releases... yep, that's our Exene. We really like the story up at Gapers Block by Jeremy Henderson, where he posits that perhaps MS has more to fear from Ms. Cervenka than she does from the disease! Coincidentally, X starts a three night run here in Chicago at Double Door tonight. Tickets are still available but no doubt will go fast.

Here's one of my favorite videos of X...

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'!

Theresa Andersson, Go!

Anyone else catch Theresa Andersson on the Craig Ferguson show last night?



Originally hailing from Sweden, multi-instrumentalist Andersson moved to New Orleans in 1990. While she cites New Orleans as having a big influence on her sound, it wasn't until she saw a one-man puppet show in Chicago that she was inspired to perform as a one-woman band. She builds layers of sound through the use of looping effects pedals, which capture snippets of sound and play them back in an infinite loop.

Her latest recording, Hummingbird, Go!, was released last fall on Basin Street Records. More information, along with tour dates and links to her Facebook page, can be found at her webpage. You can check out more videos here.

Le Tigre BACK! With Christina Aguilera...?

I know this sounds like the punchline to a hilarious riot grrl joke*, but it's actually true! Not only is Le Tigre off of their "hiatus", as hinted this spring in a blog post from Kathleen Hannah, they are working with Christina Aguilera on her new album. I can't imagine what a Le Tigre-Christina Aguilera collaboration will sound like, but Christina has also tapped Goldfrapp and Ladytron to assist with this album, so it is a safe bet that its going to be one hell of a party record. I'm more interested in the rumored DVD documentary of Le Tigre that the band has been workin on, as well as any possiblity of a new album. Perhaps Christina will inspire them... or maybe this outfit from her last Rolling Stone cover will? C'mon Le Tigre, we need some economic stimulus, and a new album would sell like hotcakes - do it for America!

* Actual hilarious feminist joke -  Q:  "How many radical feminists does it take to screw in a light bulb?"
A:  "The collective will discuss it and get back to you within a month with their consensus,
unless the self-criticism session takes longer or someone
unexpectedly hitch-hikes to San Francisco."

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.

St. Vincent - Neither A Saint, Nor Named Vincent, Just Great Music

My favorite album of the spring is Actor, by St. Vincent, a new-ish musical group that I just happened to come across about a month ago. St. Vincent is actually the stage name for Annie Clark, a sometimes member of the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Steven's touring band. She released her debut album in 2007, Marry Me, to fairly rave reviews from critics as diverse as Pitchfork and the New York Times. Now, as she returns with Actor, her star continues to shine. With, one assumes, influences from touring pals Sufjan and the Polyphonic Spree, as well as the darker sounds of her own imagination, St. Vincent is back with another winner. After playing her album several times through on a recent road trip, I've concluded that this is an artist who has true songwriting diversity, and staying power... her songs are sometimes light and airy, boardering on Spree-like uplifting sounds, while others are weirder, orchestral, cinematic. Simply put, this lady can write a song, not to mention sing them, and if she keeps it up, this is just the beginning. St. Vincent will play an all ages show this Sunday, June 6 at Metro, so if you want to see the woman behind the music, don't miss it!

More Gossip

And since we're on the subject of gossip, (instantrimshot.com), have you heard that they're making a film about The Runaways? Slated to come out in 2010, it will be a "coming-of-age biopic" directed by Floria Sigismondi, best known as a director for music videos by Marilyn Manson, David Bowie, and Sheryl Crow.

Now, I like a coming-of-age biopic as much as the next girl, but I love The Runaways just a little bit more. And I will admit, I'm a bit nervous that they'll screw this one up. Mostly because they've decided to cast Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame as Joan Jett, and precocious child actress Dakota Fanning as the corset-n-boots clad Cherie Currie.

Let that sink in for a minute: Dakota Fanning. As Cherie Currie.


But who knows? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe this will be like Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, where everyone was worried about exploitation and kiddie porn and she delivered nothing less than a totally solid performance that proved her versatility as an actress.

But then again, it could suck. Much like the vampires in Twilight. Ahem.

At least Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains has finally been released on DVD.

The Gossip's New Single & Sneak Peek at Artwork

They may have just released their Live in Liverpool album last month, but The Gossip isn't taking any time off. They've already released their new single, "Heavy Cross", the first off the forthcoming album Music for Men. You can hear the single online at The Gossip website. And how about a sneak peek at the album artwork?

Thank You!

Dear listeners, friends and supporters,
Tonight, as Emily, Elizabeth and I officially retire the Women On Women Music Program from WLUW, we wanted to again thank you for your support over the years.

On behalf of Emily and Elizabeth, I wanted to extend our deepest thanks to several people who have been with us for the journey. First, thanks to our parents and siblings - Frank and Colleen and Ang, Pat and Ned and Ang, Kay and Mr. A and Mike - and extended family members who have supported us in our time at WLUW. Some of our favorite shows were the ones where we had our moms on for Mothers Day and dads on for Fathers Day! Thanks also to our best friends, boyfriends, roommates and pets who have put up with our schedules, music, fundraising and events for many years. Without their support, we would never have made it this long.

Second, we'd like to thank our fellow WLUW volunteers. I’d especially like to thank the people who have been WOW’s “neighbors in radioland” over the years – Radio L’Union, who were always such delightful gentlemen, and taught us that music and radio is a universal language, The Hip Hop Project, who were our biggest champions against the occasional WOW stalker and showed us the hearts behind hip hop, Think Pink, who were our comrades in all ways always, Jen Van Matre (and Danny too), who is always a smiling face to see and tips us off to great underground music and crafty things, Ken and Darius of Reality Radio who are always indulgent of our crazy “last songs”, and Fred who has been our go-to man for basketball game nights. Thanks to the old friends who have been our friends, confidants, and colleagues for many years and with whom we’ve worked on many projects together – Mike Stephen and Andy, Ginny, Kate and Rachel, Razor and Di, Luke and Chris, Jerry, Eduardo, Philip, Carrie, Bohus, Mica, Tom Jackson, Shani and Slacky J.

Third, we'd like to thank the people who have been most instrumental in our radio careers, Craig Kois and Shawn Campbell, who served as the management of WLUW for nearly all of our careers. Not only did we learn more about community radio than we'd ever dreamed, we also learned a lot about how to life your life, and for that we can never repay them. Thanks also to the other folks who have passed in and out the WLUW doors and touched our lives in the last decade at various points - wherever you are now, thanks go out to Rob Creighton, Jim Lemon, Jammin Down JD, Eddie, Miss Konnie, Avi, Carly Chillmon, Kate Rainey, Caitlin, Mati, Mike G, Jim C, Steve Kallao, Jaime, Justin Government, Justin Indiana, KB, Lionel, Chris K, LJ, Rob A, Erik, Ruth, Ali, Tony, Andrew, Michael A, Michael Flavor, Dustin, Mary, Kristin, Chris S, the late Jack Trahey and everyone else who we are forgetting.

Finally, thanks to you, the listener, reader, and supporter of WOW. It is because of you that we have done this for so many years, and we appreciate your support more than you can ever know. I sincerely hope that you will stay in contact with us as we embark on this new journey. Please tune in tonight from 8pm to 10pm as Emily, Elizabeth and I play our favorites of all time and bid WLUW goodbye, and the world of the blogosphere hello!
With thanks and love,
Jen

A Special Announcement From WOW

Dear Listeners, Supporters, and Friends,

We’re very sad to tell you that the Women On Women Music Program will be retiring from the WLUW airwaves later this month. Our last broadcast will be on Tuesday, May 19, 2009. There is a silver lining, however, as we will carry on the good name and spirit of WOW through our blog, http://wowmusichicago.com/, where we will continue to write about music and women’s issues. (And hopefully soon, we will be able to bring you playlists and podcasts as well!) We hope you’ll bookmark this website, add it to your RSS readers, and keep returning for the spirited discussion, music reviews, and intelligent humor you’ve come to expect from the beautiful ladies of WOW. (And who knows? You may not have seen the end of the show format yet...)

The decision to retire our show from WLUW is one we’ve undertaken with much contemplation and more than a few tears. Producing the Women On Women Music Program, and being volunteers with WLUW, has been a large part of our lives for nearly a decade – from the time that we each walked into the station as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed students, through the many years of learning, growth, and development, through studio moves and management changes, through pledge drives and fundraisers and more…. WLUW has been a part of our lives, careers and friendships, and we will miss it greatly. We appreciate all the encouragement and support from all of our listeners and friends over the years, and it's our weekly live connection with you that we'll miss the most.

Part of the impetus behind our decision is the simple fact that individually, we are all in very different places than we were when we took over the show over six years ago, and certainly, from when we started at WLUW as student volunteers. Our current commitments, as well as the fact that the station itself is moving in a different direction, have made it unrealistic for us to continue on at WLUW. We’ve grown up with our listeners over the years, and we feel that we’ve come a long way, baby. We don’t often share our personal lives on the air, but we're all extremely proud of each other, and the fantastic projects we're working on outside of WOW: Elizabeth is graduating law school and will sit for the bar this summer, and recently completed an internship for LAMBDA on LGBT civil rights lawsuits. Emily has been busy drumming for a hot new local band, The Maybenauts, as well as performing with a prestigious percussion ensemble within Redmoon Theater. Jenny, in addition to her “day job” at Metro, is currently juggling an increasingly successful freelance writing career, and a position as Vice President of the Chicago Independent Radio Project. (All three of us, incidentally, are volunteering for CHIRP, a group that will launch an online community radio station this summer and is seeking a low power FM license. We urge you to visit the website and throw your support behind this great organization.) As you can see, we are three very busy ladies!

While we recognize that the blog format may not be exactly the same as a live radio show, we hope to keep things rockin', and we hope that you will continue your unflagging support of WOW. We've kept the show going for as long as we have because of you, our listeners, and the simple joy we get from hanging out and playing our favorite records for you. We plan on continuing this tradition, just in a slightly different format - more details will be coming in the next few weeks, so stay tuned to this blog. Please, come along with us as we start this new phase in the life of WOW!

buckets of love,
Jenny, Emily, and Elizabeth