When I was an undergraduate, I had a crazy idea to try and interview one of my favorite musicians, Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater. We had both attended the same small liberal arts college, tucked away in the deep forests of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, and as a senior and editor-in-chief of our college newspaper … Continue reading Ladies We Love: Emily Lee
The Return of the Riot Grrrls
On September 22, the pioneering riot grrrl band, Bikini Kill, reissued their original demo, Revolution Girl Style Now! The album is available through their eponymous label on vinyl, CD, digital download, and for full '90s nostalgia—cassette tape. Drummer Tobi Vail largely credits the demo with the band’s success. She told The Olympian in a recent interview, “The band … Continue reading The Return of the Riot Grrrls
Whose Bass Is It Anyway? (Or, The Problem with Pop’s Empowerment Anthems)
This article was originally written as a producer piece for Things Not Seen. This summer, a wave of up-beat, supposedly empowering pop songs came out. A similar outpouring of self-esteem boosting anthems happened in 2011, with Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way,” Katy Perry’s “Fireworks,” and Pink’s “Perfect.” The music industry has apparently discovered that inspiring … Continue reading Whose Bass Is It Anyway? (Or, The Problem with Pop’s Empowerment Anthems)
Ladies We Love: Emmy the Great
About six years ago, a friend gave me a mix CD (remember those?) with recordings of SXSW performances, including tracks from a set by Emmy the Great (the stage name of London-based songstress Emma-Lee Moss). Ten seconds into the first song, "We Almost Had a Baby," I had chills running down my spine. "Well you didn't … Continue reading Ladies We Love: Emmy the Great
Dinner Party 