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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A Rock n’ Roll History Lesson, An Interview with Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison has forged a path for herself that has lead to an accomplished and unusual life. She was the editor-in-chief of Jazz & Pop and one of the first female rock critics. The job as a critic is, of course, what lead her to meet the love of her life, Jim Morrison. As a practicing witch, Patricia and Jim were married in a Celtic handfasting ceremony in 1970. As Patricia says, the handfasting ceremony goes beyond life, it lasts forever. Patricia has written of her life with Jim in the book Strange Days: My Life With and Without Jim Morrison. She has also written the Keltiad novels, a series…
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10 Ways To End A Bad Date Early: Advice from Reformed Whores
Reformed Whores were ever so kind to help a sister out and give advice on how to end a bad date early. Here are there top 10 methods. By Reformed Whores (Self-proclaimed Feminists with a capital “F”) Prepare you girlfriend and have her text you half way in case you need an emergency exit. Hit on whoever is next to you (not your date). When you’ve had one beer and he asks to get you another end the date (the honesty tactic). Figure out what political leaning they are and push the opposite. Get bitchy to the big dude sitting next to you so your date has to fight for…
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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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6 Great Rock n’ Roll Biographies for Summer
6 Great Rock n’ Roll Biographies By: Theresa and Izzi Summer always permits more time, more sunlight, less homework (if you still do that stuff). Who wants to lay out in the sun and just lay there? No, these warm months provide a great opportunity to pick up a good book. We’ve compiled a list of 10 rock n’ roll biographies that will inspire you to pick up an instrument, go to a show, or just live a rockin’ life. Theresa’s picks: Tina Turner, I, Tina: My Life Story (1986). Tina Turner’s memoir records an extraordinary music career, her violent marriage to Ike Turner, and her strength to come out…
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A Band’s Band, Partying with The Detroit Cobras
My friends and I drove up to Detroit on a Saturday in May to catch The Detroit Cobras at the El Club. The show was sold out and the club was so packed you could barely order a drink- a direct reflection of how loved the Cobras are in their hometown. Opening for the Cobras were the awesome local bands, Prude Boys and The Deadly Vipers. This was not a show to miss. Rachel Nagy, now a resident of New Orleans, was clearly happy to be back in Detroit as she spent moments in between songs bantering with the audience, prodded gently to get back to the music by guitarist,…
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Teri Gender Bender of Le Butcherettes Talks of Feminism Today
Le Butcherettes are the brain child of Teri Gender Bender formed in 2007. Teri Gender Bender, from Guadalajara, made the move to the US and is currently working on Le Butcherettes’ fourth studio album due out later this year. Here are some questions I had for Teri on breaking gender norms and being a feminist musician. Izzi Krombholz: How did you get your start playing music? Teri Gender Bender: It started with an uncontrollable urge to want to play an instrument in kindergarten. We were all (all of the kids) sitting on the carpet while the substitute teacher specifically brought in her home piano into the classroom, she said we…
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An In Depth Look At Fetch; Nicole Georges Answers Questions About Her Graphic Memoir
Fetch, a graphic memoir by Nicole Georges is out July 18th on Haughton Mifflin Harcourt and we got a sneak peak! Fetch tells the story of Nicole’s childhood and teenage years when Beija, the loveable but quirky dog, came into her life. Together, Beija and Nicole blossomed into feminists, seriously, this dog was a total feminist. Nicole Georges graphic memoir is witty and charming and a wonderful read for pet-lovers, feminists and punks alike. Nicole was so kind to answer some questions I had after reading, Fetch. Izzi Krombholz: In Fetch, you talk about your friend who had a bad experience with an older guy and needing to speak out…
