Help My Puppy

Although there are many ways to make money with blogs, I have never used this site to do so.  But I am asking for your help. I rescued my dog Foxy four years ago. He was four years old and had already had four other homes because of a lot of issues with separation anxiety and house breaking, but I refused to give up on the lil bugger! Fast forward to last week, when he was running up the stairs and tore his cruciate ligament. He had surgery on Friday which cost almost $1700.  I am going to be selling a bunch of stuff on ebay so I can try to pay my vet bill. Please show your support to my lil puppy and buy something, and spread the word! My name on ebay is suckmyleftone and you can find my items here.  Below are just a few of the items that went up today but I plan on adding more so please check back and thanks so much for your support!

 

love, Casey and Foxy

 Vest I made with a Bikini Kill backpatch I screen printed, studs, a "riot=not quiet" patch, and some pins!

I got this one of a kind screen-printed Yeah Yeah Yeah's Purse at a show! 

 

 Another Vest I made featuring Pink studs!

Le Tigre Tour Shirt from 2003 "Bands Against Bush Tour"

A lot of Grrrl patches 

 

Pink jean jacket!

A lot of punky, spikey, studded bondage and leopard type things (belts, chokers, bracelets, etc.) 

Lot of 10 punk grrrl skirts and a pair of zippered knee-high stockings.

And for your reading pleasure.....

Flipside with the Lunachicks, Bamboo Girl zine and a special collectors edition of Ms. 

First issue of ReadyMade Magazine!

 

 Hole Courtney Love Magazine Lot

Bitch Magazine Lot

And last but not least....

 My pink puma roller skates! I love these!


   

Legal Weapon

And another great band from California is Legal Weapon. I'm lucky to have gotten my hands on this. When I hear this stuff it makes me feel alive. Like the first sunny day after a terrible New England winter.

   

NME Asks: What Happened to All the Ferocious Female Punks?

Rae Alexandra wrote an article for NME.com titled What Happened to All the Ferocious Female Punks.  Rae feels it is sites like SuicideGirls.com that are to blame for the demise of women in punk.  Hmmm.  This seems like a gigantic leap.  I don't know much about the SuicideGirls but I remember reading this article in Bust about their sketchy practices few years back.  And hey, while we're on the subject, what's up with that misanthropic terrible name anyway -- suicide girls. Are you serious?

But let's get back to the point of women in punk.  I don't think it's fair to say that there aren't women in punk currently!!!! There are TONS. Maybe they're just not being written about in glossy mags like NME. I could list a ton of current punk bands with female musicians but for now check out:

Naked Aggression who started in 1990 in Wisconsin in response to the Gulf War. They are still kickin it.

The Headless Marines Swedish punk.

For Fuck Sake crusty punx from California.

And check out Anarchcunts, a new band from Boston.

   
     

Ligotage

In 1983 Beki Bondage left Vice Squad to form the band Ligotage with Steve Roberts of the UK Subs. I recently picked up their only album Forgive and Forget which was recorded live and released on Picasso Records label in 1984. I'm not sure why this band didn't do well because the record is great.

My introduction to riot grrrl

In the 90's, like the rest of the world, I got into grunge. I was coming of age in a time when alternative music was pretty exciting, and with the rampant furor of a pre-teen, I ate it all up. In middle school I found punk, which I wholeheartedly embraced. I started going to tons of shows, writing zines, trading tapes, and eventually putting on shows. At this time I was a typical punk teenager sporting a mohawk, piercings, ripped fishnets and mini-skirts.

But I slowly became disillusioned with the punk scene. There was so much testosterone around and I didn't want to be a coat-rack at a show, I wanted to dance and jump around like the boys. I believed in the DIY ethic, and I wanted to make music too! There were other things in the scene that I felt conflicted with as well. For example, at the time in Boston there were tons of fashion punks, and I thought it was really superficial. I didn't necessarily want to conform to the standard punk uniform, and people looked at me weird because of that. It had become just like what I was trying to escape in my lame high school. I dreamed about the '77 days, when women seemed more of an integral part of the punk scenes (maybe I am romanticizing this?)

Anyway, when I was about 15 years old I remember being at the library to use their internet and printer. I was depressed and looked up "Sylvia Plath" online (hahah - so cliche.) The lyrics from Bikini Kill's "Bloody Ice Cream" came up on my screen:

Image via Wikipedia

"The Sylvia Plath story is told to girls who write
They want us to think that to be a girl poet
Means you have to die
Who is it
That told me
All girls who write must suicide?
I've another good one for you
We are turning
Cursive letters into knives"

I remembered a boy at school who was obsessed with Hole, mentioning Bikini Kill to me, talking about some scandal at Lollapalooza. Next thing I know, I bought The C.D. Version of the First Two Records and couldn't stop listening to it. I remember something clicking for me. I remember thinking, okay, this is it. I felt like I finally belonged somewhere. That someone got me. That was my introduction to riot grrrl.




Now tell me... How did you get into grrrl music?

She's a Punk Rocker, Trailer

To avoid P&P charges you can buy the film direct from the director Zillah Minx at sidandzillah@hotmail.com send £10.00 and a request a copy

more info: http://www.myspace.com/shesapunkrockeruk

Rubella Ballet

Formed in London in 1979, Rubella Ballet's original name was "Rubella Babies" but they decided to change it to "something meaningless" instead. At this time Sid and Zillah were 14/15 year olds, with a somewhat revolving line up. According to their website, the band started when "One night at a gig we the audience were told we could use the equipment so Sid played drums and Zillah sang for the first time using any one who wanted to play the guitars, we just made it up as we went along."

At the time Gemma and Dan (children of Vi Sub Versa, Poision Girls lead singer/guitarist) were already in the band Fatal Microbes, who released the well received Violence Grows in 1978. But their lead singer Honey Bane left the band to record with Crass, and then signed as a solo artist with EMI.

So Zillah, Sid, Gemma and Dan (a.k.a. "Pete Fender) began practicing using the Poison Girl's equipment. At the time Gem was 12 and Pete Fender 14. They played their first gig in 1979 with Poison Girls, Crass and Charge. Next thing they knew, they were playing shows almost every night.

In 1981 they released a cassette package called Ballet Bag on the Poison Girls label and sold 3,500 copies, and then did some Peel sessions. Then in 1982 they released the Ballet Dance EP on vinyl. They toured the UK with Death Cult (The Cult.) During this period, Pete Fender left the band a couple of times and was replaced by a few different guitarists.

In 1984 they released the 12" record 42f. They garnered some good press throughout these years, and were offered major record deals, but declined them. In the mid 80's they started their own label, Ubiquitous, and they began releasing their own stuff, including 6 albums and some music videos.

In 1987 they played with the Dead Kennedys, Faith No More and The Mission in the US. But in the 90's they sort of faded down. At this time Zillah and Sid experimented with some techno music under the name Xenophobia and played at raves.

In 1999 they bagan to have gigs offered to them again, especially in the UK, but they continued to have trouble securing a guitarist who could tour. In 2000 they played some big punk festivals. According to their website, in 2006 Sid and Zillah were still looking for some permanent members to tour with them. They also made a film called "She's a Punk Rocker" about women in the early punk scene (more about this to follow)



http://www.myspace.com/rubellaballet
http://www.geocities.com/rubella_ballet/discography.html

The Expelled

If you like Vice Squad, you should definitely check out The Expelled. "A Punk Rock Collection" was released on CD in 1999 by Captain Oi! which features 17 tracks, from their 7"s and some demos (without Jo singing.) The most catchy track is probably "Cider." I like the songs sung by Jo the best. This UK '82 band had a short lived career but left behind this great album.

  

Women in 1980's Punk

Although this website hasn't been updated since 1996, it has some cool information on women in punk bands in the 1980's. I found it when I was looking up The Expelled but there is also information on the A-Heads, Anarcha & Poppy, Brigandage, Decadent Few, Honey Bane, Pulex Irritans, Rubella Ballet, Splodgenessabounds, Kathy Acker and Nasty Facts.

check it out! http://www.geocities.com/punkettes80s/index.html

More information to come on The Expelled and Rubella Ballet.


   

Spinnerette

If it's another Distillers album you're looking for, you are coming to the wrong place. But this isn't a Distillers album! That would've been weird anyway, so I think the split makes sense. Spinnerette, led by Brody Dalle, recently released a full length self titled album. And a while back we got our first taste of the new sound with the Ghetto Love EP. I do have one pet peeve with this release (not just with Spinnerette, but with many bands) why release an EP and then put the same versions of the songs on the full length? I want to support your music, but I'm buying the same exact thing twice!

So, I should preface this by stating that I am a Distillers fan. and when I was first anticipating this new sound, I did not know what to expect. I will officially say that I am very much into it. However, if you are a Distillers fan, you need to be open minded. This is not the punk stuff from before. This is much more experimental and melodic, and it seems a natural progression for Brody as a songwriter. I think it was a bold move too, since some members of the punk community can be so critical and close minded - which is so not punk! I hope this album will be well received. For you distillers fans, this is the type of record that the more you listen to it, the more it will grow on you. In some ways this new sound is more accessible to the general indie/alternative crowds too.

My favorite is "Distorting a Code." Brody's lyrics are still rich with imagery, and seem honest, sad and, I hope, cathartic. For example in "Driving Song" she sings "I find myself wrapped in the arms of emptiness, I can't stop running away, can't find a place to exist" and in "The Walking Dead" she sings "the womb is the safest place I've ever been, so carry me home baby, let me back in."

I look forward to Spinnerette touring the states, and hope they will come to Boston. It's been too long!
http://www.spinnerettemusic.com/
www.myspace.com/spinnerettemusic