"We’re sometimes told ‘you’re good …. for a girl.’ We’re here to disprove that whole sexist idea.”
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Pussy Riot: “Show Them Your Freedom!”
If you followed the news coverage of the 2012 arrest and trial of three members of Pussy Riot, the Russian feminist punk collective, then you know that Nadia, Masha, and Katia are not the only women in the group, even if they are the most famous. Pussy Riot is one part punk music, one part performance art, and one part guerrilla feminism. Members refer to the band as “they,” refuse to give details about their activities, and perform in colorful balaclavas to protect their anonymity. They perform spontaneously and in guerrilla fashion in public spaces in Moscow, such as beauty salons, prison rooftops and, of course, church altars. Pussy Riot…
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It’s Oh So Noisy: The Icelandic Punk Museum (Pönksafn Íslands)
You don’t walk into Pönksafn Íslands; you descend into it. The new Icelandic Punk Museum in Reykjavík is located in a former public toilet: 0 Bankastræti in the city centre. As I descend into Pönksafn Íslands on my second day in Reykjavík, curator and famous Icelandic punk Svarti Álfur Mánason is rocking out, noisily and messily, at the bottom of the graffiti-covered steps, his pink spiked hair the first thing I see. He apologizes for his messy riffing, welcomes me to the museum and tells me I can play any of the instruments and put on any of the clothes in the place. “Go in order,” he advises. “And…
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Song of the Moment: “Nothing’s Gonna Change That Girl” by Hurray for the Riff Raff
I’ve been obsessed with Hurray for the Riff Raff for years, in love with their bluesy bayou folk and with frontwoman Alynda Segarra’s brilliant songwriting. But in the indie folk band’s newest album, The Navigator (2017), Segarra draws on Puerto Rican protest music too. The Navigator is a political concept album about a Nuyorican girl (quite like Segarra) named Navita Milagros Negrón who learns about her ancestral history and develops a resistant consciousness. She sings about gentrification, genocide, and gender politics. My current Song of the Moment, “Nothing’s Gonna Change That Girl,” is a danceable, defiant ballad with Segarra’s characteristic illustrious strumming and unforgettable voice. Listen for my favorite part, the shift…
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The Venus Flytraps: We Met in a Dream
The Venus Flytraps (Cleveland, Ohio) chats with Women in Rock about animal language, biker bars, and wanting to do everything. Your first EP, Clamp Down, was released on Quality Time Records just last year. Congrats! When and how did you start playing together? In the spring of 2016, we met in a dream. Besides a mutual fascination with all things other-worldly we are drawn together inexplicably and irresistibly and now here we are. Can you describe your sound in your own words? Rock n roll from the midwestern jungle. Do you have a favorite song or lyric from your album? (Personally, I love the title track and “Cherry…
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An Interview with Joe Klug from Wussy
We had the opportunity to sit down with Joe Klug, the drummer from Wussy, and ask him about his work with Cincinnati’s most beloved indie band, the role of indie music, and being a stay-at-home dad. How did you get your start playing with Wussy? Some years ago there was a benefit at the old Southgate House (I believe it was for Donna Jay’s dog “Bunny”) where there were like fifteen to twenty bands, and we all had to play one song that had something to do with a dog. I was playing in Staggering Statistics at the time, and Lisa Walker walked up to me and said: “Our drummer’s…
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Sharon Jones Brought the Funk (Over 40)
"To see me, the same woman that – the guy from Sony said I was too fat, too black, too short, and too old. And look at me now, you know?”
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SOTM: Alabama Shakes, “The Greatest”
Brittany Howard — the big, beautiful lead frontwoman and guitarist for Alabama Shakes, whose 2015 album Sound and Color is a masterpiece of brilliant, erm, sound and color — rocks. Just listen to this fun, rockin’ freak-out showcasing Howard’s soulful voice and brilliant riffs. Now listen again, this time to a bluesy live version that switches up the pace (plus, check out Howard’s awesome glasses!). She is THE GREATEST!
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The Collected Lives of Patti Smith
Someone asked if I would consider Woolgathering a fairy tale. I have always adored such tales but I am afraid it does not qualify. Everything contained in this little book is true, and written just like it was. ~Patti Smith Two years ago, a dear friend gifted me a signed copy of Patti Smith’s little book, Woolgathering. Published in 1992 — nearly two decades before the National-Book-Award-winning Just Kids & a full twenty-three years before the bestselling M Train — Woolgathering is a lesser-known work, an unassuming 76 pages of lyrical vignettes and photographs depicting Smith’s early life. I read Woolgathering during a time of upheaval in my life, a series…
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:) :) Celebrate! :) :)
We’re celebrating our first print issue of Women in Rock — released August 16, 2016 — with summery songs that make us jump for joy! Here, you can listen to the playlist! We had such a fun time at the Women in Rock magazine release, thanks for being there! Le Tigre– “TKO” Best Coast– “Happy” Kimya Dawson– “Loose Lips” Lady Lamb– “Vena Cava” Patti Smith– “Redondo Beach” Tegan & Sara– “Northshore” Courtney Barnett– “Aqua Profunda!” Screaming Females– “Boss” THEESatisfaction– “QueenS” tUnE-yArDs– “Hey Life” PJ Harvey– “Good Fortune” Wussy– “Happiness Bleeds” Hurray for the Riff Raff– “Too Much of a Good Thing”…
