INTERVIEW: Dee Sada

I'm sure many readers know Dee from her last band, An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump. Sadly, they broke up last year but, luckily for us, Dee continued on with a new project, Blue On Blue, with Billy Steiger. A little while ago Dee very kindly agreed to an email interview, and here it is! Thanks, Dee!

--

Blue on Blue have an EP, Vision Imaginary, coming out very soon. Can you tell me a bit about some of the processes leading up to its completion?

The writing for the EP was very quick, intense and exploratory in nature. This EP was different from our debut in sense that it all came from the same place. These 3 new EP songs really epitomise who we are and where we are headed.

'Silent Walls' is a song Billy wrote which deals with being very isolated both mentally and physically and deeply questions why we are here and what's the point of things. 'The Machinery Link of Heart and Soul' is our first ever instrumental piece. I wrote the original melody when I knew someone close to me had betrayed me so it was like a death knell to the end of trust in a relationship. Betrayal is the worst emotion ever - it is anger, regret, guilt, sadness, paranoia, insecurity and hate all in one, everlasting emotion. Knowing the person you love doesn't respect you or want you and is capable of throwing it all away for just one night of lust and desire for someone else shatters the very core of your being.

When we developed the melody and played it out as a band, it turned into a sad symphony tribute for my friend, Joel Dever from Battant who tragically died last year.  It is interesting how songs can form different shapes and emotions and frame vastly fluctuating events in your life.  The final song on the EP is 'Night Terrors' and I wrote this about the paranoia and insomnia that can keep you awake at night. Again, this was a direct result of a betrayal. I couldn't trust that person after it had happened and would lie awake at night with all these nightmares about what he was getting up to and so I would try and keep my eyes open for as long as I could so I wouldn't have to see these things I never wanted to see.  It felt like depriving myself of sleep was the only way of getting through my emotional upheaval as when your paranoia manifests itself into your nightmares, that is even worse. The EP came out on Robot Elephant Records digitally in May and on vinyl at the end of July so it's available right now!

Last year you announced the breakup of An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump, and you mentioned you'd be moving on with your new project, Blue On Blue. How do you think the end of your previous band influenced the music you were making with your new one, if at all? Was there a transition period?

I've actually never thought about that until now. When BoB first started the audience was sharply divided -there were staunch Bird fans who were devastated by the break-up and didn't pay any attention or support to the new project (a lot of "good" friends who turned out to be mere acquaintances were in this camp), there were those fans who continued to support my new project and those who hadn't heard of either band but liked Blue On Blue! So I had quite a varied response which was good.

Personally, Blue On Blue started in the last 6 months of The Birds. I developed swine flu, was bedridden and we cancelled a whole load of Bird shows and I couldn't do anything for 8 weeks apart from waste away in bed. I mustered the strength to pick up my bass and wrote 2 songs - Summer Daze and Fallen. They just fell out of me. They made me think and I didn't know where to put them. They couldn't just slip back in and be forgotten. So what originally started out as bedroom music eventually became a band, started touring, writing and recording….The instrumentation and song structures are very different to The Birds however the lyrics are still deeply personal and confessional.

Has playing live changed for you at all since starting Blue On Blue?

Yes it is completely different. Playing live with The Birds was a completely physical experience -the core instrument-swapping nature of the band made it a real physical and mental challenge. With Blue On Blue, there isn't so much a physical element despite us using lots of instruments however being the main singer is cathartic at times but can leaving you feeling very exposed. It's completely different to hiding behind a drum kit which is how I started my musical career….Sometimes, I really miss that.

Tim Burgess has recorded a couple of songs for Blue On Blue – how would you describe your relationship with him? Is the Charlatans an influence of yours?

We recorded 2 songs with him a couple of years ago however while waiting to release them on his label, we changed our sound dramatically and parted with our drummer. We wanted to re-record with him but Tim was very keen to release the original songs and we felt that as our first ever release, it wouldn't be right to release 2 songs that didn't sound anything like our new sound and that new sound was truly and definitively us.

It was a tough decision but one that we haven't lived to regret. Our core belief is making and releasing genuine, honest expressive music. Those songs we recorded didn't represent us in that form or how we now are as a band and to relinquish our artistic integrity we just had to walk away. When we released our debut EP on Tip Top Records, the EP was entirely self-produced and we were so proud as it sounded and represented us perfectly. It was the right decision all the way.

Tim is an animated and passionate soul, a real driving force to be around and I think a lot of London bands would agree. He immerses himself in all kinds of music, particularly new music coming out of London and that is very inspiring.

In an interview with i-D, you talk about how you approach lyric writing in a self-focused way and that it's important to write with an audience of one in mind. What influence do you think the internet has on this type of creativity, now that almost everything is part of a global conversation involving an audience of thousands?

For me, the internet has had no effect in the creation of my creativity but I definitely use it as a tool after I have written a song. I, like millions of others, originally used MySpace to promote my music. The instantaneous way of connecting to friends and strangers around the globe felt like a solitary experience until you got a comment or a like and then it did become a global conversation. I'm all for it. Yes it's much harder to make money as a musician but that's always been the case with this kind of underground music. Only the very, very few have made millions from it.

Back in 2009 you wrote that you felt something exciting was happening in the London music scene. Three years later, what are your thoughts?

All the bands that made me excited about music e.g. Factory Floor and Teeth of the Sea have gone on to the next level now. It was fun being a promoter and in a band in 2009 and it's been great watching the rise of some of the bands I have played with and hung out with. As for current music, there is very little I am excited about in 2012. I love Dogfeet - I think the band is doing something extremely original and relevant. Singer Jimmy has this unique charisma and his lyrics are honest and amazing. He means it and you can tell that he is a truly genuine artist. Outside of London, I really like Willis Earl Beale; he's doing modern days blues but definitely in a punk way. He's very cool.

It seems like feminism has always been an important part of your music, do you have any comments about the role of feminism today, particularly in music? Do you feel like things are heading in a positive direction?

I think a lot of times, issues like diversity and feminism are completely relative to where you are in the world. Yes, I am a woman and have been largely inspired by female musicians and my music is written from a female perspective because my lyrics are confessional. However, I am nowhere near the chaos that surrounds a band like Pussy Riot. Their international plight is definitely making a statement and their music will inspire a whole new generation in Russia and elsewhere. It has brought the role of women in politics, as musicians and as activists to the front pages of the media across the globe. That really is an incredible thing.

It’s easy to see where Pussy Riot’s musical influences have come from e.g the whole 90s riot grrrl movement, however they have taken the ethos behind the thinking and applied it to a very real political situation. To me that is true progression; not copying your influences but channeling your influences to create something original and new. That to me is what most artists and musicians find extremely difficult.

U.S Girls New Single + Limited Edition Print

U.S Girls has a new single coming out, and you can get it here.

But wait! There's more! She's also putting out a limited edition print (50 copies worldwide, so get your skates on) which is going to look absolutely bitching in my living room.

Side note: Bitching In My Living Room is a fantastic name for a band. You can have that one for free.

 

The print is only three pounds (two ninety nine if you want to be pedantic) and you'll get the single as a free download with your purchase. Do you need any more reasons to get one? It's Monday, summer is pretty much over (face it) and I find the most effective way to keep my mood up is knowing that something great is coming for me in the post. Etsy is going to clear me out in February.

And anyway, U.S Girls is great so we should all just be throwing money at her regardless. The single is called 'Jack', it's being released on FatCat Records and is coming in advance of her album 'GEM', due for release in October. 

Magic Eye, Nite Jewel, We're Back

... Aaaannndd - as promised - we're back! For the first post after the break here are some pictures of Nite Jewel's recent XOYO show, with support from Magic Eye.

Quick Breathe And Regroup

Okay, I'm going to take a quick (very quick! Momentary!) hiatus from updating here, just so I can get properly organised and start posting more interviews, photos and such like. P.S.I.M.H.G will be back on the 30th of July better than before. Until then -

SIOUXSIE SIOUX Is My Homegirl

Wishing you all an awesome weekend x

New album! New album! New album! New album!

Natasha Khan (Bat for Lashes) has announced a follow up to 2009's Two Suns. It will be titled The Haunted Man and is going to be released in October. Two Suns is one of those albums that, when it came out, I listened to it constantly. Like, in the morning while I was getting ready for school, then on my iPod on the bus going there, and again on the way home. For weeks and weeks, I loved it so damn much. And then, inevitably, got sick of it and had to stop (though it still gets in there every now and then). So needless to say I'm looking forward to some new Bat for Lashes material! Come on October!

DON'T SMOKE MY BLUNT BITCH

This song was recorded in ten mins, the video was made in less than an hour. I've watched it three times today.

Banga

'Banga meditates on ideas about exploration and adventure, and though the longer tracks tackle these themes more explicitly (the 11-minute "Constantine" was inspired, serendipitously, by a postcard she received of a Dimitri Levas painting of a conquistador), it's actually the shorter, less assuming tracks that best capture that spirit of discovery. The opener "Amerigo"-- which reimagines Vespucci taking a more sympathetic view of the indigenous people of his "new" continent-- has an infectiously buoyant energy that doesn't distract from its political consciousness... Banga pulses with the notion that there are still good books we haven't read, old ideas waiting to be fucked with, and new lands we haven't yet explored.' (Pitchfork)

Western Esotericism

So we have a new video clip from the Flaming Lips, featuring Erykah Badu. It involves nakedness and bodily fluids and has provoked all kinds of responses from people - people trying to figure out what exactly is going on and people dismissing it as a terrible song and shitty video. Myself, I like it, I think it's gorgeous and that the imagery matches the song really really well. And even though I have a pretty much non existant understanding of art criticism I managed to form an almost coherent opinion on what the video represents: Nudity and Wayne Coyne's silver flag thing aside, I think it represents the progression of a romantic relationship. From glitter (happiness, falling in love, all that carry on) to something more real and human, e.g. blood and semen, e.g. that stage where you realise your partner really does poop and fart and doesn't look like a total dream boat 24/7. What do you think? (Click here to watch the video).

1991

Thank you, Jesus! We finally have a release date for Azealia Banks' EP, and it's out in two weeks! Titled 1991, it will be available online on the 29th of May (and in three dimensions on the 12th  of June). I have a feeling this'll be one for weekday mornings or Friday night - something to get you pumped the hell up. A couple of hours ago, Banks tweeted "#1991EP on May 29th then my birthday  on May 31st! YAY!" DOUBLE YAY!

Gtting major shades of Grace Jones/Legend of Zorro from the cover.

While you're sitting chewing your nails, anxiously glancing at the clock and waiting for the 29th to arrive, go listen to 'Jumanji', produced by Hudson Mohawke and Nick Hook, off her forthcoming mixtape, Fantastic.

JOAN JETT Is My Homegirl

Go out and raise hell! Have a bitchin' weekend!

Oh, Ugh

Allow me to preface this post with the assertion that I do not read Rolling Stone and am more or less of the belief that it stopped being culturally relevant before I was even born. But I do read Blood Blister Sisters, and wehavethingstolookforwardto wrote something interesting today about the above headline from this month's issue, 'The Secret Life of the Rock Star Who Became a Woman.' My general response to Laura Jane Grace's announcement was some mélange of 'good for her' and 'meh.' I've never been an Against Me! fan, so I'm not awfully familiar with their music or the people in the band. I wish her all the best, but that's pretty much as far as my thoughts on the matter go.

Anyway, this headline is kind of messed up on a couple of different levels. Women can't be rock stars? She's going to stop being a rock star once she starts the transition process? As whttlft puts it, its 'internal logic assumes that “rock star” = “not a woman”. As if we can’t start off imagining a rock star who is a woman. If we did consider women in our definition of “rock star” this headline wouldn’t make any sense... I don’t mean to derail the conversation about Laura Jane Grace’s transition and the rhetoric used to talk about trans folks in the media. I definitely don’t think “rock star” should stop at “man or woman.” Instead I want to say HEY ROLLING STONE A LOT OF PEOPLE OF A LOT OF GENDERS MAKE MUSIC AND THEY ARE ROCK STARS. I know you are trying to be progressive but think a little harder, please. This stuff matters a lot. >:('

Yes! I mostly try to steer clear of getting too deep into issues of semantics because I often feel like sexism can be one of those things where the more you look for it, the more you see it, and you start to see it in places where it really isn't. Or you start seeing mountains which are actually small piles of common irrelevance. But this nonsense on Rolling Stone's cover is a good example of language betraying prejudicial thoughts. As the quote from BBS makes clear, the statement is based on the fact that "a Woman" is not a "Rock Star". If "Rock Star" wasn't a gendered term, the headline would lose its meaning. And yes, this stuff does matter. Language is a person's way of seeing the world, and when a person's way of seeing women is that they're somehow antithetic to "Rock Star" that's just fucking stupid.

Nite Jewel / Computer World

I'm turning green over here, Los Angeles! Nite Jewel - a.k.a Ramona Gonzalez - is going to be performing Kraftwerk's Computer World on the first of June as part of an event called Kraftwerk classics, at the Ford Amphitheatre. She'll be joined on stage by Peanut Butter Wolf, Secret Circuit, Nedelle Torrisi and Sun Araw. Computer World is an amazing album, I love Kraftwerk, I love Nite Jewel, I love pretty much everyone on this line up. If you're able to go and don't get a ticket, I will make my way to California and strangle you with my bare hands. God help me, I'll do it.

MCA

By now we've all heard that Adam Yauch has passed away, which is a terrible loss and while this is a site dedicated to women in music, I wanted to take some time to talk about the Beastie Boys' path to feminism and what it meant for their music, particularly their genre.

Their early albums, such as Licensed to Ill, are fairly misogynistic – like most hip-hop, the songs make various references to date rape, “bitches” and what a total drag chicks are in general. Though in fairness, even in the 'Hey Ladies'/'To All The Girls'/on-stage cage dancers days, they were speaking against domestic violence - “Why you gotta treat your girl like that?” True, this isn't exactly a strong anti-violence against women line to take but it was certainly more than a lot of rappers at the time were saying on the issue. And they did make genuine steps to correcting, and apologising for, their formerly held views.

At the 1998 Reading Festival, the band asked Prodigy not to sing 'Smack My Bitch Up' as it “clearly promotes violence against women”. Howlett responded with “they should respect other people's freedom to express themselves” (and went home feeling terribly accomplished, I'm sure). Then just over a year later, in December 1999, they wrote an open letter to Time Out New York, apologising for their “stupidity” and the “shitty... and ignorant things” directed at homosexuals and women in their earlier work. They wrote, “There are no excuses, but time has healed our stupidity... We have learned and sincerely changed since the 80s. We hope that you'll accept this long overdue apology.” Not to mention that for a long time now, they've refused to play or talk about their older songs like 'Girls' and 'Brass Monkey'.

Performing a complete one eighty like that, especially in the public eye, is something that takes a whole heap of courage and conviction, and deserves so much respect. Particularly in the world of hip-hop, coming out against sexism and homophobia is not expected of you. Unlike other musical genres, when a rapper states publicly that they support the rights of women and homosexuals – and actually follows through on that statement – it's (unfortunately) kind of a big deal. As was written on Philolzophy this time last year, “They may not use the word ‘androcentric’ or know what a ‘cis male’ is but they seem to have taken an earnest and personal journey to thinking that respecting women is important. I like this a lot more than douchey self-identifying feminists that know the right words because it’s cool in their social circle. For Beastie Boys, feminism is not the path of least resistance. They exist in a world where no one gives a shit if they are self-aware or culturally conscious.”

I think this is an important point – MCA wasn't a Women's Studies major, he didn't write songs about Gertrude Stein or Julia Kristeva. What he, and the Beastie Boys, did was recognise the flaws in their way of thinking and made an unaffected move to change, without pretension or entitlement. Which is worthy of recognition, whatever side of the fence you sit on. Plus Ad-Rock is married to Kathleen Hanna.

Anyway, let's all pour one out as we listen to 'Sure Shot' and know that Yauch is surely sitting easy in the big skate park in the sky.

My Country

tUnE-yArDs again! Her latest video clip has been released for her track 'My Country', which the director  Mimi Cave says was inspired by the video to 'Bizness'. They are both quite similar, though this one seems a bit more oppressive as opposed to the abundant joy which was on display in 'Bizness'.

The clip also has a message: "In recent years, many arts programs in public schools have suffered major cuts in funding, so when it came time to make a video for the politically charged w h o k i l l track 'My Country', frontwoman Merrill Garbus and director Mimi Cave wanted to make something visceral that also raised awareness. "Merrill's voice tends to hit people pretty hard in the gut," Cave says. "All I can try to do is represent that visually." (There's also a Kickstarter campaign associated with the video that's trying to raise money for Rock Project.)" (via Pitchfork).

Annie Clark & tUnE-yArDs Back & Forth

M.I.A: Come Walk With Me

Over the weekend M.I.A tweeted "mannnnnnn , days like this i wanna jus upload the songs right now and go clime the himalays with ikhyd on my back." and followed that up with a two minute preview of the video for a new track 'Come Walk With Me'. The song sounds dope, the video so far looks cool and is definitely visually arresting. I'm hoping once the entire thing is released we'll get to see the ladies at the back in the yellow tops come forward and have a dance but aside from that, all I have to say is I can't wait to hear her new album. 

ELLA FITZGERALD Is My Homegirl

Happy belated birthday to the "First Lady of Song" and enjoy your weekends.

The Pram In The Hall

The other day, Jezebel.com published an article criticising a piece on xoJane.com about a 30-something single man's experience with one of those “crazy” women who, like, tell guys that they're interested in them and reply to texts and stuff. Jenna took the opportunity to briefly explore the history of calling women crazy, and she made some interesting points which moved me to think of how this cultural framework has affected/is affecting women in music.

She writes, “As a term, 'crazy' is entirely of a piece with the long and nasty tradition of pathologizing female emotion (and particularly sexuality). Hysteria comes from hystera, the Greek word for uterus, after all: "crazy" has been a gendered trait in Western culture for thousands of years. The male gaze was for virtually all of human history synonymous with the medical gaze, and men assigned themselves the authority to determine which bodies are sick and which are hale. (In some U.S. states, they still arrogate that right.)” I would add that this “pathologizing (of) female emotion” applies particularly to creative women, and can do the most harm in this area.

I don't think I'd be reaching in saying that women who are especially atypical or outlandish in their art inspire a certain brand of dismissiveness which their male (or mainstream) counterparts do not. They're “crazy”, “eccentric” and rarely, if ever, exalted as musical geniuses the way men like Brian Eno, Thom Yorke or David Bowie are. Their music is almost never reviewed in a positive way without first being prefaced as something crazy, seemingly by virtue of it being strange and being created by a woman. Yoko Ono, Lydia Lunch and Nina Hagen come to mind.

A few years ago, not long after Björk's album Volta had been released, Luiza Sauma wrote a great article for the Independent about this phenomenon. She proposes (and I'm inclined to agree) that their lack of mainstream feminine indicators like diets and plastic surgery – à la Madonna or Dolly Parton – is off-putting to a lot of men. Sauma asks, “Why is it that one of the greatest musicians of the last 15 years is still pigeonholed as an elfish eccentric, when so many of her male peers (Oasis, Blur, Nirvana, Radiohead - the list goes on) are so readily accepted into the pantheon of musical immortality?” And then there's this: “Rowan Pelling - journalist and Kate Bush super-fan - has various theories on why brilliant female musicians never reach the god-like status of, say, Bob Dylan. 'Music critics are historically quite macho,' she explains. 'So that Dylan worship, for example, is a given... I'm a huge Kate Bush fan; she sings the interior landscape for women, just as Paula Rego paints it. I think it leaves men bewildered.'”

All good points, but a disheartening situation nonetheless. Is there something inherently threatening or ridiculous about a woman who makes experimental music and is asking to be taken seriously as an artist? A woman who isn't interested in denying or simplifying her gender? As Luiza Sauma points out, musicians like Björk and Kate Bush and, more recently, Joanna Newsom, are frequently burdened with adjectives like “pixie” and “elfin” as if they're mythical creatures from another universe. Apparently one where women can make creative music without being treated like medievil novelties.

But the thing is, they're actual humans with actual butt loads of talent. And if a music critic can't take these incredible artists seriously, then I think we all need to stop and think about who the crazy one is.

Cat Power Power!

"Chan Marshall (a.k.a Cat Power) announced on Twitter this weekend that her new album will be called Sun and will be out 9/11 on Matador Records." (via Minneapolis Fucking Rocks)



Talk about a beam of sunshine on this rainy London day. Thank you, Chan!

INTERVIEW: Kate Wilson

Kate plays the drums in two of Sydney's best loved bands - the Holy Soul and the Laurels. The former has played with such talents as the Drones, Mudhoney, David Thomas of Pere Ubu, and are sound carriers in Damo Suzuki's network. The latter has shared a stage with A Place To Bury Strangers, Swervedriver, Tame Impala and Surf City. When I met up with her back in December last year, the Holy Soul had recently arrived back in Australia from a European tour. We talked about the complications of playing in two bands, being casual with Damo motherfucking Suzuki and the declining state of local music in Sydney.

You guys recently got back from a European tour – where did you go, what did you get up to?

We started in France so we kind of went 'round, did our first show in Paris and went up 'round Brittany. We've got a guy in Reims who runs a label called Beast Records – I hope I got that right, it'd be so embarrassing if I didn't – and he kind of, I think he had a part in the reason we went to the north of France for a while. It was great, then Germany we did. We were a few days there... it's becoming hazier and hazier, I've been writing it all up for this blog thing and uh... I have extensive notes. So yea, a few shows in Germany, we did three in Berlin all up, Mannhiem, Hamburg, um, then we had one day in the Netherlands, then back to France and we finished off in Spain.

I was talking to Sol from the Walk On By a while ago, and he said people in Spain just go nuts at live shows.

We had a really huge one in Tarragona, that was unreal. I think we combined with somebody's birthday party so there were quite a few people and it was going a bit crazy. I guess, well I got the impression, that everything seems to start a bit later over there... I wish we had stayed a bit longer, I'd love to go back there. I ended up getting sick just before the last show, that was a real pain in the bum. I didn't get to see any of the awesome Gaudi stuff in Barcelona.

Was that the first time you guys had toured Europe?

Yea, the last time would have been about five years ago but I wasn't in the band at the time. I think they kind of hooked up with Mudhoney for a few shows and did a few of their own. I think they did about thirteen dates last time and this time it was about eighteen.

And last year you guys did the collaboration with Damo Suzuki, how was that?

That was nuts. We did it in Berlin as well. I don't know, now it's like we're used to it because we've done it so many times and there's lots of that like, being really freaked out by this amazing dude whose records we've loved forever. And now it's just like, 'Heeyy, Damo', it's just like seeing an old friend again. Whereas before, like the first time, I was actually losing my shit. It's always awesome but it's gotten a lot easier.

But do you still get that thrill like, 'Myeah, just hanging with Damo Suzuki. No biggy, we're friends.'

Yea, absolutely! Absolutely. He's a really cool dude.

How did that come about, did he just email you guys?

It's a pretty good story, Sam hates telling it. He gets asked all the time, it's just one of those stupid things. So you know Lyndal, his girlfriend? She's a massive fan of Can and Damo Suzuki, and Sam thought it'd be a really cool present if he could get him to sign a birthday card for Lyndal. So he emailed him just like, sorry, this is a bit weird, but would you mind signing a birthday card for my girlfriend? And he obliged and Lyndal got this awesome card like, happy birthday Lyndal from Damo Suzuki. How cool is that? So a couple of years later, Damo had been booked by those Lilypad people who put on that stage at the Big Day Out and Damo had kept Sam's email and just said hey, guy I know in Sydney, do you know of any bands that want to back me? Sam was like, oh actually, I know a really great band... so that's how it all came about. It was all just purely... so chancey. It seemed to go well, obviously.

You play in the Laurels as well, how do you find that, playing in two different bands? Does it get difficult or has it been all right so far?

Um, sometimes, like the nightmare thing is a clash, when you have two gigs on the one night. And yea, I've had some pretty funny ones. I think the last one was a few months ago, it happens a couple of times a year. The last one was just nuts cause we were playing – both were really great shows – the Holy Soul had this show with Kim Salmon, which we had booked first. And then the Laurels had a show with Seekae at the Metro and obviously, you know, we love those guys. And what ended up happening was the dudes who manage the Laurels were waiting outside with this car running. It was just so like, bank robber. And I basically just had to run on to stage and just play straight away. It was pretty funny.

I always have visions of you like, going between songs. Like play one song and then quickly drive to the other gig, play another song. Getting changed in the car, like that 27 Dresses movie.

Oh man, I don't think I ever... like there was only half an hour between having to get to the Sando from the Metro. So it was pretty hectic and I don't wish to repeat it. Stylistically it's not really a big deal 'cause I don't know, maybe I just play the same thing all the time. It's not like I really get confused.

So do you think there'll come a point where you have to choose a band, or you happy to just -

I try not to think about it, 'cause I love both of them. But yea, there's always a bit of it, like I totally freak out thinking about it because I really don't want to. So hopefully they can happily coexist. Everyone's mates with each other so there's no weird...

No competition or anything.

Nah. It's still kind of a shitty and weird position though.

How did it come about, you playing in two bands?

Well I think... it's a bit blurry. I was kind of jamming with the Laurels and then the Holy Soul, like I knew Jon and it was kind of funny. I didn't really know them that well though, I knew Jon through his ex partner, and they invited me to dinner and I swear they were grooming me or something, like 'ha ha, the whole band's here!' Like going to Lyndal's house which is this secluded farm house out in Cattai. But no, it was all cool we just got really drunk and watched Father Ted the next day and then they asked me to join. Maybe, I don't know, the reckon they weren't scoping me out but I don't really know.

So it was never like, 'I can't join this band, I'm already with these other guys'?

No not really, 'cause the Laurels weren't doing much. I'd just had this other band break up, so I wasn't really doing anything so it was kind of like, yea I may as well play with a bunch of dudes. It was all pretty casual.

But it seems like the Laurels have really blown up lately. You guys played with Swervedriver -

Yea, they're like my favourite band ever. So that was a total dream. But yea, it's pretty weird. It's pretty funny. It's really weird, now we're getting good shows and I'm used to playing shit ones. I mean, not with the Holy Soul, just in general. Like, I expected to be slogging it out at hotels for the rest of my life.

This is probably a really dumb question, but there's that cliché of drummers being frustrated song writers. Do you have any thoughts about that?

It's pretty creative, I'm not at all dissatisfied. I guess for me it's just a time thing. I mean, yea, I am pretty frustrated, I've got this piano and this guitar in my room but I just haven't really had time to play them. Or do anything. I'm not by any means a song writer or, you know, an under utilised song writing talent. But yea, it would be fun to do more of that.

Do you have any opinions or thoughts on the way the local music scene is going in Sydney? I guess playing in two fairly big bands, you're kind of exposed to what's going on.

Yea it's weird, I think about it a lot. We were lucky enough to kind of play heaps of shows at say, the Hoey for example, it was my favourite venue in Sydney, I thought it was so awesome. And they really liked having both of us there, so it was always a rad night and we would always get awesome crowds and so on. So when it closed I guess we were kind of in a position where, you know, we have a bit of notoriety, we weren't just a band that was starting out. So people would ask us to be their support bands and stuff. I guess, we haven't been directly – like, it would have been a lot worse an impact with all these venues closing if we hadn't already been established. Yea, it really fucking sucks.

Does the Laurels have a release coming out? I saw you guys were recording some stuff.

Yea, we're going to go back and record some more, hopefully at the end of January. We've done like two songs but we're gonna do an album so we've got to do another eight to ten.

Is it the same sort of direction as your first couple of singles?

It's a bit different, it's probably like, shorter songs and a bit heavier. Luke's got more pedals so it's louder and shittier now. Which is pretty awesome. I don't know, it's always been loud and shitty though. It's pretty cool, we've had these songs for ages but we never really learned them properly so we've been having all these practices like, oh shit we've actually got to learn these songs properly, we suck. But yea, hopefully it'll be decent.

You Have The Right To Get Strangled By A Bra Strap

I'm going to the beach / Gonna eat some eggs / I don't give a fuck if that didn't rhyme / I don't give a fuck if that didn't rhyme

I have spent the last ten or eleven hours schooling myself on Amber Tamblyn and have come to the conclusion that she is possibly the second coming of Wonder Woman. I mean, I had a previous foggy notion that she was an actress or something (she is an actress) but she's also a writer, rapper and recent collaborator with Dan the Automator. And she's funny as all get out, as proven in these awareness raps which she wrote because Tyrese is a nosy nelly and thought her email address - which he saw cc'd on someone else's email - was that of Amber Rose and contacted her about making some music together.

This all happened a little while ago and you can read about it on her website, but the songs are finally available for download and all proceeds go to the Write Now Poetry Society, which funds creative writing workshops for women and girls and other organisations working to end violence against women. Everything about this makes me so happy. My favourite is 'All In Favour', about the recent bat shit actually insane woman hating birth control legislation that's going on in the US right now:

You think sanctioning my ovaries won't bring me to violence? / How about I tell you what to do with your caucus? / It is now illegal to think about me topless / To keep your lotion where your socks is / To refer to powerful women as monsters / Like those jocks at Fox did / I am not afraid to cock block dick / To sew an instructional video of rape kits to your eyelids and make you watch it

The song manages to simultaneously make me want to dance and grind and also go get on a plane, fly to D.C. and knee these douche nozzle policy makers in the ball sack. And as Melanie wrote last week in her blog, The Feminist Guide To Hollywood, "Why aren't actual musicians writing songs about this and bringing attention to the fact that the United States Congress is trying to ban birth control?" You can listen to all the tracks at Tamblyn's Soundcloud.

And if that doesn't get you all riled up about the situation, here's a video of Kathleen Hanna speaking at last year's Planned Parenthood rally (I know it's an old video, but I think it's worth watching again seeing as Planned Parenthood in Texas just lost some of its government funding, and Texas' Medicaid Women's Health Programme has lost all of its funding). As sickening as some of these potential laws are, I take heart in the fact that there are these inspiring women getting up and telling those stupid old men to fuck themselves.

Cards!

HOW EFFING COOL IS THIS. Playing cards decorated with feminist musicians! Done by feminist artists! Once my new credit card arrives, I am so taking advantage of their special offer and getting two decks for the low low price of $25. I'll post the second deck to my sister and we can play Nico Bingo together over the phone. Go to the Kickstarter page to see the full list of artists and some of the drawings. Everybody's there: Ari Up, JD Samson, Poly Styrene, Carrie Brownstein... They're about $3000 short of the $12000 goal, so everyone needs to go and donate. This has to happen guys, I'm already planning awesome new versions of Solitaire and Go Fish.

AMP

The 2011 Australian Music Prize shortlist was announced a few days ago (The Jezabels won) and if you've been following the award since its inception you may have noticed a growing trend: the number of female nominees is steadily rising. This year we've got a heart stopping three and a half representation! That's three and a half of the nine artists listed. They are Abbe May, Adalita, Kimbra and the female half of the Jezabels. Compare that to two last year, who were Pikelet and Sally Seltman, and the year before that we had the Lisa Mitchell shitstorm which, I think, planted the seed for this year's showing.

The 2009 awards were an interesting moment for the place of women in Australian music. Bernard Zuel (rightly) pointed out that the AMP had fallen under a "The Drones/Mess Hall/Augie March/Eddy Current hegemony" and wrote that he feared it was becoming a male rock award. As he put it, "I don't think anyone could argue that we the judges have fallen short if over the past four years only five women and two predominantly female groups have made it into the shortlist, compared with 29 men or predominantly male bands... This is a failure, for common sense would tell you there were not four times as many men as women making high quality music in those years." (Reminder: before Lisa Mitchell, no women had actually won. She still stands as the only female artist to have been awarded the prize).

Fast forward to yesterday and we have our most woman heavy shortlist yet, with three artists. Why? If Mr. Zuel hadn't put up his hand and pointed out the obvious would things have continued the way they were? Seeing as the output of female Australian artists hasn't changed much in quality or quantity since 2008, a scientific approach would tell us that Bernard Zuel's article, and the response to it, was the precursor for the changes we're seeing now.

Not that I think the AMP or its judges are necessarily sexist. Like so many forms of institutionalised discrimination, it sometimes takes a person pointing it out for anyone else to be able to see it. Like a Magic Eye puzzle or a fart, it reveals itself slowly. And what we're seeing now is certainly progress - if things keep going the way they are, next year there will be four women nominated! Practically half! I do think it's a shame that it took four years for us to see three women in the shortlist, but hey. At least we're getting somewhere?

Lady Gardens

“Lady Gardens is a zine that is the result of my research and polling about female pubic hair maintenance, a response to what felt like an assumption that a bush was reserved only for gnarly women. It is heavily illustrated and contains both scholarly research and more candid commentary from females.” - http://suckmyleftone.tumblr.com/

This is such a great, fun, interesting idea for a zine! And I am so getting one for myself and an extra one to mail to Rush Limbaugh.

The issue of female pubic hair maintenance caused so much consternation in my family last year, when my little sister decided to stop shaving her armpits, that I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about it. My older female relatives were completely squicked out - I tended towards a more neutral position because, deep down, I totally admired her for it. And I began to think a lot about why a hairy armpit on a woman was so utterly revolting, particularly to other women. So anyway, this should be a good zine to read.

INTERVIEW: Violet Pulp

You guys just finished recording some demos, how was it?

Jess: We are quite happy with the new songs that are on the demo. It's still early days. We are definitely looking forward to the finished products

Betty: …but think our first draft has turned out quite well & hope we will be able to use some of the songs on our next EP.

What inspired both of you to get together and start a band

Betty: I always really wanted to be in a band. 3 years ago my friend told me to stop playing "for the neighbors & birds" (quote) and to get onto a stage instead. I started looking for bands online and came across Jess on Musolist.

Jess: Before we formed Violet Pulp, I was happy just making demos on my own but eventually I realised that I needed more than that. Being in a band certainly helped both of us grow as musicians.

How do you guys usually approach live shows? Do you have any preparation rituals or warm ups?

Betty: I tend to wear something purple, use a particular nail polish and wear my gig shoes.

Jess: I tend to feel slightly nervous before gigs so I try to calm myself down by distracting myself. I would usually escape to my happy place before hopping onto the stage.

I really love your cover of 'I Shall Be Released', what was it that made you want to this song? Do you plan on doing more covers in the future?

Jess: We have always adored Dylan and 'I Shall Be Released' is one of our favourites.

We love doing covers. It is far more challenging for us to do covers since there are only two instruments to work with (guitar and drums) but we love to experiment and play our own interpretations of songs by other artists.

Betty: We are currently working on 'Summertime' the Gershwin classic & will also attempt PJ Harvey's 'Down By The Water'.

Who are your dream collaborators – alive or dead – and why?

Betty: I would love to collaborate with Joy Division – their music has had a huge influence on Violet Pulp.

Jess: George Harrison- I wouldn't mind experimenting with sitars and jingle jangle percussions

What are your thoughts about the place of local music in Sydney?

Jess: We have been fortunate enough to play in great venues in Sydney in the past few years, but we honestly wish there were more venues out there for local bands. Most venues these days are happy to hire a DJ instead of live bands, which is kind of disappointing.

Betty: Unfortunately it seems the live music scene is dying a slow death which makes us even more determined to be heard.

How would you describe the band?

Betty: post punk / psychedelic folk / experimental and everything in between . We don‟t limit ourselves to a particular sound but are inspired by many bands and genres.

Jess: we definitely have our own distinctive sound due to our vast musical influences.

Do you have a favourite musical time period? (60s, 70s etc)

Betty: I like the 1920's & 1960's.

Jess: I am personally fascinated by music from the 60s. I think that was the best decade for music and art.

What are excited about for the future?

Writing new songs, hopefully recording our single and EP soon, playing more shows. There are plenty of things to look forward to. This is just the beginning for Violet Pulp.

Hear more of Violet Pulp's music at http://www.triplejunearthed.com/VioletPulp

LYDIA LUNCH Is My Homegirl

Sisters

And on it goes! In a completely shocking and surprising to no-one statement made to Andy Cohen the other night, Li'l Kim called Nicki Minaj a stupid hoe. Nicki is said to have responded by pulling Kim's hair and calling her a liar liar pants on fire.

Not that beef between hip hop artists is anything new at all - and it's entirely possible that this one is being fabricated to generate page views - but seeing two female rappers yelling shit at each other across the playground is especially disheartening. Firstly, because hip hop is so male dominated, it's a shame to see two of its (relatively very few) successful women trying to put each other down instead of uniting. And secondly, in a genre that is notorious for shortchanging women, do we really need these two artists insulting each other? What ever happened to sisterhood? It doesn't seem that long ago that bands like TLC and SaltnPepa were singing about camaraderie and self esteem. As far as I know Lauryn Hill found success without any random, generalised but female specific insults. Seriously, what happened to all that?

To be fair, this all seems to be contained to the mainstream level, but that doesn't really answer the question. I think it's clear to anyone who's followed their careers that both Li'l Kim and Nicki Minaj are capable of being extremely thoughtful and well spoken people, and both have talked about the need for empowering women in their music and in their interviews. So what the hell is going on here? Can't we all just get along?

As we all ponder this, I'll let TLC close the post:

INTERVIEW: Bossy Love

Can you give me a quick history of Bossy Love?

Bossy Love is a project that is a step further into the pop realm for me. It further allows me to explore at depth my love for all things 80s, 90s, Pop and RnB. On the 2nd of December I released my debut single "Fight This Off" which is now available globally on itunes! I will continue to write, record and make videos independently under Bossy Love Records at this point in time.

It's about getting back to basics, remembering to have fun, doing what feels right
and letting the natural course of writing occur, what comes out essentially stays in it's
original form. All of these songs were originally intended as demos but I feel they are already where they need to be, so I've chosen to upload and release them. I am planning to have the full Bossy Love live show ready for 2012, although - nothing is being rushed, taking the time that is necessary to make sure everything is done right and no details are missed.

The name Bossy Love, to me is bittersweet. It's about being able to hold your own but not letting that completely overtake your everything, that's where the "Love" comes in, the lighter, positive side. It's a bit of fun, not too serious, but I think it embodies all that Bossy Love is visually and musically.

This is a fresh slate for me. Each member of Operator Please are doing their own thing for a while. We've been together for 7 years and during that time we've never had proper a break, we have constantly been either in the studio or on tour. It's time to refresh and work on our projects to avoid everything becoming a routine.

You've recently finished work on your single "Fight This Off" with Kween G of Killaqueenz, what was the process like?

I remember seeing Killaqueenz play at Good Vibes in 2010 and when I realised they were based in Australia I was even more excited. It was fresh, there is nothing like them and I loved that they were fronted by two strong females. I was working on this track with UK born, Sydney based writer/producer Lee Groves at the time and we had nearly finished it but I felt like there was something missing. We needed a voice on the verses to complete the story. I knew from the
beginning that I wanted Kween G on the track, so I got her number and sent her a text. I pretty much had the mentality "what have I got to lose?" - so I just asked. She told me to email her the track, so I did and she was into it. Kween G began sending me her verses and I was instantly happy with how it all sounded, so when I was in Sydney next I organised for her to come into the
studio with Lee and I and lay down her verses.

It was all very smooth sailing, she was done within 30 minutes, we mixed the vocal in and the song was complete. It was an easy and enjoyable process.

The video for it is very cool, can you tell me a bit about it?

The clip for 'Fight This Off' was directed by Elvissy who is a creative all rounder who I have previously worked with on projects for Operator Please. The concept of the clip includes the idea that there are many sides to a person/an event/a moment in time/a cycle/a thought. In a way the character in the video is talking herself through her thoughts and at the same time battling with decisions made along the way. We also wanted to keep the character anonymous, it could be anyone and not necessarily from one person's perspective. Visually we also wanted to celebrate the coming of summer and all things tropicana - the positive vibes that come with anything new, a new cycle/a new beginning.

We chose to recuite a young lass for the clip in place of us both. She is a sisterly friend of mine who I felt could embody the character to be portrayed in the clip. Elvissy and I briefed her on what we were looking for and she brought her interpretation plus more. I guess with video concept aside we also wanted the clip to have a sexy 80s/90s feel and we think Ruby managed to pull this off.

What do you enjoy the most about music? Do you look forward to performing or are you
happier when you're creating the music?

I enjoy that you can say anything you want, when you want and how you want. It is a place of release and it snapshots where you are at that particular point in time. To me it's like taking photographs, documenting you along the way. I love both writing and performing. The writing process is one of my favourite parts, you get to flesh out all of your ideas and give them life. I am also a huge fan of collaboration, I love writing songs with other people in mind, writing and
co-writer for and with others and the idea that you can write whatever you like but not have to sing it yourself. I like the idea that you might write a song but someone else might suit it more, so you don't have to keep it.

I also love performing though. That's what it's about, you're making music for yourself in the hope that even 1 other person can connect with it. A live performance is all about connecting, in that place at that time. It's an amazing feeling, the energy and everything about it. I guess when you're performing the songs, they truly come to life. And everything that you sing and do on stage is out there, can't be taken back. You've let it go. All in all it's fun.

You're on facebook, myspace, twitter, soundcloud and tumblr - what are your thoughts
about internet exposure and the way it's changed how we access music?

There are obviously always going to be positive and negative sides, I'd prefer to look at the positive because it is how it is and I think instead of resisting change we have to go with it. You can reach audiences you never thought were possible with the internet, whether it be because someone can identify with your visual identity and aesthetic ( blogging photos on tumblr etc ) - someone has heard your song on a blog, or seen your video posted somewhere. People in
countries other than your own have access to your music, places you never thought people would hear your music / know anything about what you do. Anyone can find you, whether they stumble upon it or not. All of the exposure on the internet and music being available gives the chance for people to discover you and hopefully in the future turn up to one of your shows and experience
everything live. I know that when I find things for myself online, it's special, I wanna hold onto it and I end up wanting to find out more and more about the artist. It keeps people looking. I guess we can only hope that these people become people that listen to your music over a long time, people that come to shows.

How would someone describe your sound to someone who hasn't listened before?

I guess I would call it Tropical Pop / Island Jams ha ha.

What are your thoughts on RnB these days? Do you draw much inspiration or optimism
from current artists?

I love RnB these days, I think there are so many amazing artists, writers and producers at the moment.

You've got one of my favourites Terius Nash ( The Dream ) who is an incredible artist in his own right but has written and produced some of the biggest songs in pop music for artists like Rihanna, Beyonce, Ciara to name a few.

You have The Neptunes - that have been dominating the charts for years, they've literally worked with EVERYONE.

One of my favourite artists right now that was introduced to me just last week is Bluey Robinson from the UK. "Showgirl" is my new favourite jam. It's a new spin on 80s / 90s rnb. Amazing song. I highly recommend him.

I think there are artists doing interesting things and we are seeing it emerge more and more this year. It's exciting! I really admire these artists mentioned for so many different reasons, some purely for production value, some for the amazing quality of the songs and some for execution. There's a lot to take in and plenty to learn from.

What are your plans for next year?

I'm just rolling with what feels right at the moment. Definitely more music and live show is on the cards, but all in due time, no rushing. More about doing things that are right and doing it all properly and above all having fun. Enjoying it.

1963 - 2012

On so many levels this is really, really sad. There's no need to write anything here about her talent, Bobby Brown, her comeback tour, her rehabilitation and so on etcetera as all of this will doubtless be hashed out and re-hashed and examined for the next, oh let's say, four or five weeks by writers way more eloquent and knowledgeable than me. But I would like to add this: as an artist and as a woman, Whitney Houston was a f-o-r-c-e. She is the only female artist to have two number one Top Billboard 200 Album awards, her first release in 1985 became the best selling debut album by a woman at the time of its release. Her second album in 1987 became the first by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 charts. 'I Will Always Love You' is the best selling single by a female artist. Ever!

Actually, I'll also say this: it sucks that yet another legendary musician has been wasted and destroyed by their own fucked up decisions. She was 48, Whitney Houston doesn't need to be dead right now.

Origins

Don't forget: Tennis have a new album coming out on Valentine's Day.

Twinterview

When I first started thinking of some bands I wanted to interview for this site, one of the first people who came to mind was Laura from Twincest (previously Creepers), who I'd met a few nights before. Twincest is comprised of her and Hayley from Chaingang, and man alive, those two make a powerful sound when they come together. They have a soundcloud for downloading and a facebook page for liking. And they, awesome ladies that they are, submitted to being interviewed so what follows is for reading. Also scroll down to Sunday's post for some behind the scenes pictures from the video shoot for their song 'I Won't Go'.


You guys are a fairly new band, could you tell me the Twincest story from the beginning?

I used to go and see Hayley play in her last band Chaingang, and was so amazed by this powerful frontwoman, I wanted to put my own band together, I collected beautiful women and Creepers was born. I wanted to create a collective of powerful and inspiring women. It wasn't until Hayley and I met face-to-face at a show that our real story started. We had so many overlapping influences and similar attitudes and philosophies that starting a duo was an incredibly natural and organic thing.

Creepers and Chaingang played a show together in April, that ended up being Chaingang's final show. Hayley and I started hanging out in her bedroom and writing for Twincest a few months later.

How do you guys think your sound or your talents have evolved since then?

In absolute leaps and bounds because we've really sat down and taken the time to listen to ourselves and each other and realised exactly what we can create with our combined skills. Our production skills, songwriting and ability to make our concept visceral and real have grown with us over the past few months.

Where does the name come from?

I used to read a lot of fan fiction, and boy-on-boy was my favourite - so when Hayley suggested the name, I freaked out. It was so perfectly fitting for us, because we do look and feel like twin sisters, but we're both obsessed with this project and even each other. It makes total sense that I am in a project called Twincest. Check me out, tween me!

How would you describe your music to someone who hadn't heard it before?

It's like jungle meets punk - beats-based, with two powerful frontmen with different but complimentary vocal sounds.

How was it recording your first demo together?

A beautiful, fulfilling journey. We learned the ins and outs of self-production in a very trial-and-error way, but the process was incredibly fun and eye-opening for both of us. We're really hungry to keep improving our production skills. We started out jamming with a drummer in a rehearsal room, but realised it was more important to focus on creating our sound in Logic with the kind of layered arrangements you hear on our demos.

Do you guys have any rituals or specific methods for songwriting? How do your lyrics

usually come about?

By chance, we both owned a weirdo apocalyptic-themed book that we were conceptually inspired by. We pored over the novels and found interesting ways to put words together, and took inspiration from New Wave songwriting and dramatic lyrics. Lately, we have been endeavouring to write bold lyrics along the theme of empowerment and desire, and Hayley retelling the story of Saint Agnes from her Catholic primary school days kind of kicked off the theme for 'Saint'.

What are your thoughts about the position of women in music at the moment? Do you feel

any sort of pressure or expectations being an all-girl band?

I think it's great. We're all about female empowerment and stuff but it's not about division, it's about unity. We don't feel the need to be separated from men, we want beautiful boys and girls dancing to this shit, and being able to find the same joy in the music that we feel.

What are you guys excited about for the future?

2012 will be a year of opportunities, travel, sweaty video clips full of beautiful souls, and the continuation of creating the most fulfilling and honest music for us. It's purely a joy because it is the articulation of something we've never been able to grasp before.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Twincest 'I Won't Go' Video Shoot