A Response To The New Kate Nash Song That Attempts To Explain Why People Are So Bloody Confused About It

Well, who'd have thought it. Of all the pop stars to get the interweb's knickers in a twist it was Kate Nash with her new written-and-filmed-in-24-hours song 'Underestimate the Girl'. Kate's come back with a bang, a new found love for the bass and an ever so slightly dodgy, culturally appropriated bindi (just throw it away Kate, just throw it away).

Basically, no one can make up their fucking minds about this one little song. After recording her latest album, which is yet to be released, Nash decided to get out all her frustration and write, record and film a video to song in just one day. The song itself is quite honest in revealing its inspirations lie in riot grrrl culture, the punk attitude of The Slits and X-Ray Spex and the experimental nature of The Raincoats. Everett True loves it, apparently Heat magazine want the old Kate back and I... I just don't know how I feel about it like most people. I don't like it, but not for the reasons one may think. I'll try and explain why here but if I waffle, I waffle so here it goes.

When Kate Nash first came onto the music scene I was so relieved. Finally a pop star with talent, that has a knowledge of herstory and can teach young girls and boys to put down that copy of David Guetta (I don't know what the kids listen to) and get some radical punk in their ears. She had balls, she had hips, she was our pop star.

But then came the disappointment, which isn't necessarily a fault that can be laid entirely at Nash's feet. Whenever you put anyone on a pedalstool they're going to disappoint you at some point. Nash's second album, My Best Friend Is You, saw her move further towards more experimental, punk orientated styles. While songs like 'I Just Love You More' and 'I've Got a Secret' were truly amazing the rest of the album floundered for me and not because I wanted to hear 'Foundations' again. It slumped because it simply wasn't good enough and this is the problem with 'UTG'. Nash is talented but sometimes she shoots and simply doesn't score. I can completely see the direction she was going for with 'UTG' and I want to reach that goal, I want her to get there but she didn't.

Nash has taken to her Tumblr site to dismiss the haters and claims that people only want the old Nash that could still be compared to the old Lily Allen. Well that maybe true for some out there but not for me. I want the future Nash that can mix what she loves about punk and riot grrrl with her own brand of cutesy pop and make an epic record with it. I support all females artists but I also think constructive criticism is a necessity and to deny female musicians of this would be to mollycoddle them and we're far, far stronger than that. Nash is far, far stronger than that. I still have high hopes for the new album though.

Corin Tucker Announces New Album

Ex Sleater-Kinney vocalist, Corin Tucker, has announced her second solo album, Kill My Blues will be out on 18 September.

Released via Kill Rock Stars Kill My Blues is said to see Tucker return to her "riot grrrl sonic roots". Now, we can't be entirely sure what that actually means or whether it'd just pr talk but it sounds pretty good.

On recording the album Tucker said: “After the past two years playing together, traveling and making music, I think we’re more comfortable. We collaborated on every song on this record and no one was shy about their ideas. I think you can hear that sense of joy and abandon in the songs.”

Tucker and her band have also announced tour dates for the American east coast. The Corin Tucker band includes Sara Luna (Unwound), Mike Clark (Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks), and Seth Lorinczi (Golden Bears).

Tracklisting:
01 Groundhog Day
0
2 Kill My Blues

03 Neskowin
0
4 I Don't Wanna Go

05 Constance
0
6 No Bad News Tonight
0
7 Summer Jams

08 None Like You
0
9 Joey
10 Outgoing Message

11 Blood, Bones and Sand

12 Tiptoe

 

Fear of Men Release New Single Green Sea

Fear of Men have announced the release of a new 7" Green Sea on Sexbeat Records.

'Green Sea' is a a warm, dreamy number that features a musical saw, an epic backwards guitar solo and the intimate, DIY sounds that first garnered the group the attention of the music industry.

Green Sea will be released on 18 June on white vinyl,with only 300 copies available.

Pre-order Green Sea here.

Live dates:

5th May- Camden Crawl- The Monarch
6th May- Sounds From The Other City- Islington Mill, Manchester
11th May- Great Escape- Queen's Hotel, Brighton
12th June- White Heat, London (supporting Purity Ring)
16th June- 02 Glasgow ABC 2 (supporting Best Coast)
17th June- HMV Ritz, Manchester (supporting Best Coast)
18th June- 02 Academy, Birmingham (supporting Best Coast)
20th June- 02 Shephers Bush Empire (supporting Best Coast)
21st June- Coalition, Brighton (supporting Best Coast)
London and Brighton launch shows TBC

Micachu and the Shapes Announce New Album

Micachu and the Shapes have announced the release of their second studio album Never.

Never will be released on 23 July on Rough Trade Records.

The follow up to their debut record Jewellery in 2009 was produced by the band in their own studio in Stratford.

The shapes have plans to record short films for all 14 of the album's tracks.

Tracklisting:
Easy
Never
Waste
Sick
OK
Low Dogg
Holiday
Heaven
You Know
Glamour
Top Floor
Fall
Nothing
Nowhere

For more information: micachu.biz

Sneakpeek Reveal New Song

It's a well documented fact that Don't Dance Her Down Boys are Sneakpeek's number one fan, so you could hardly be surprised that we were pretty darn happy to hear new track 'Another Girl To You'.

The song, which was premiered on the LA Times music blog, is a woozy lament to a lost lover.

Frontwoman Dora Hiller, adds a layer of subtle of obsession when she whispers the line "I don't wanna be another girl to you."

Devour this while you're waiting for their album release, due later this year.


Download: Another Girl To You- Sneakpeek

Ladyfest Manchester 2012

Ladyfest Manchester 2012 have put call for donations to help raise funds for the festival.

The organisers are looking for £550 to cover venue hire, promotional materials, travel expenses for artists, insurance and refreshments.

Ladyfest Manchester says: "Ladyfest is a global festival which promotes & celebrates women in arts and music. It's an opportunity for anyone - regardless of age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, background or ability - to become involved in a safe, fun, supportive and inclusive non-profit, non-hierarchical event."

Ladyfest Manchester 2012 is set to take place in August 2012.

The female-focused arts and culture festival that is run solely by volunteers.

To donate and find out more information about Ladyfest Manchester 2012 follow this link.

Gaggle Announce New Album

The all girl, diy choir, Gaggle, have announced the release of their debut album From the Mouth of the Cave.

The album will be released on June 4 on Transgressive Records and will be preceded by the single 'Army of Birds' on May 21, which you can catch a snippet of below.

Gaggle is led by Deborah Coughlin who has written the album with Simon Dempsey.

Last year Gaggle took on the enormous task of reworking the 1969 opera The Brilliant and the Dark at the Royal Albert Hall.

Gaggle are set to announce live shows for this year soon.

Tracklisting:
From the Mouth of the Cave
Army of Birds
Power of Money
5/4
Gaslight
Liar, Interlude. Congo
Bang on the Drum
Crows
Lullaby
Hello Spider
Leave The City

She Bop A Lula: The Women in Pop Exhibition

©Jill Furmanovsky / courtesy Rockarchive.com Print Bank

Yesterday saw the opening of a new photo exhibition that pays tribute to women in pop and rock at Strand Gallery in London.

She Bop A Lula features over 60 photographs of the women who made this genre what it is.

The exhibition, which opened in time for International Women's Day, features clips of leading ladies including    Beyonce, Tina Turner, Debbie Harry, Diana Ross, Siouxise Sioux, Amy Winehouse and many more.

All the images were taken by female photographers who agreed to donate them to the exhibition.

The exhibition is free and is open until 1 April.

All profits from the sales will be donated to Breakthrough, a breast cancer charity.

View a snippet of the exhibition at The Guardian.

www.shebopalula.co.uk

Le Tigre Annouces Live EP

Everyone's favourite electro pop, feminist band Le Tigre have announced the release of a new Live EP.


Le Tigre Live!, released on 13 March, features recordings from the band's tour in 2004 - 2005. The EP will be released on the band's own Le Tigre Records.

The release will be a relief for fans who have been waiting for news since the band went on hiatus after their last album This Island in 2005.

Currently JD Samson and Johanna Fateman are working on the project MEN, who released their first album last year, and Kathleen Hanna is in the middle of recording an album with her new outfit The Julie Ruin.

Le Tigre Live!

1. Deceptacon
2. Hot Topic
3. What’s Yr Take on Cassavetes?
4. Mediocrity Rules
5. Well Well Well
6. F.Y.R.
7. Keep on Livin’

Riot Grrrl New York Documentary

Photo: Riot Grrrl NYC

Riot Grrrl certainly coming back with avengance. If you thought the return of Julie Ruin and a Kathleen Hanna documentary in the works is mind blowing you'll love this snippet of the the riot grrrl scene in the early 90s.

Grrrl Love and the Revolution: Riot Grrrl NYC, released in 2010, documents the feminist music movement Riot Grrrl in New York from 1993 to 1996 through the eyes of documentary maker and Riot Grrrl participant Abby Moser.

The film features interview with musicians, including Kathleen Hanna, and Riot Grrrls themselves discussing what the movement means to them and why it matters.

After the film's release it had limited screenings and there is now little information available regarding whether  the film is still being screened or available to buy on DVD.
 

Grrrl Love and Revolution Trailer from Abby Moser on Vimeo.


For more information: riotgrrrlnycdoc.com/about

In Memory

Blood Red Shoes Announce Third Album

Everyone's favourite boy / girl grunge duo Blood Red Shoes have announced the release of their third album today.

In Time To Voices will be released on 26 March 2012, the tracklisting is below, and is currently available to pre-order via iTunes. Tickets for their April and May UK tour go on sale on Friday 27 January.

You can listen to the first single from their new album Cold on Blood Red Shoes' site and on the video below.

Tracklisting:
1. In Time To Voices
2. Lost Kids
3. Cold
4. Two Dead Minutes
5. The Silence and the Drones
6. Night Light
7. Je Me Perds
8. Stop Kicking
9. Slip Into Blue
10. Down Here in the Dark
11. Seven Years

www.bloodredshoes.co.uk

Santigold Announces New Album

The Queen of genre-bending, day-glo wearing pop Santigold is back with a new album and a new video.

The long-awaited follow up to 2008's Santogold will be called Master of My Make Believe. The new album is due for release this spring on Downtown and Atlantic Records.

As a mini teaser, fans can download the first single from the new record from Santigold's site. If that weren't enough here's a video for the new single which features animated mermaids and Santigold wearing a crayola crown.

For more information: www.santigold.com

Sleigh Bells Announce New Album

Bass enthusiasts Sleigh Bells have come out of hiding to announce the title of their forthcoming second album and have decided to throw a little taster our way.

The Bells released a rather slick trailer video to announce their second album, Reign of Terror, which is set for release on February 13 2012 on Mom + Pop Records.

Produced by Derek E. Miller their extremely enthusiastic PR described the album as featuring "songs that are as crushing and authoritative as their title suggests; they're effortlessly robust and heavier than any of the band's previous output ... the sonic equivalent of a beautiful shotgun to the head." Yipes.

'Born to Lose', which you can listen to below, is the first single from the album and it features Sleigh Bells trademark shouty, girlish vocals layered over ample bass and distorted guitars.

The track list for Sleigh Bells' Reign of Terror:

1. True Shred Guitar
2. Born to Lose
3. Crush
4. End of the Line
5. Leader of the Pack
6. Comeback Kid
7. Demons
8. Road to Hell
9. You Lost Me
10. Never Say Die
11. D.O.A

Born To Lose by Sleigh Bells

PJ Harvey to Release New DVD

A collection of short films created for PJ Harvey’s Mercury Prize award-winning album, Let England Shake, will be released on DVD it was announced yesterday.

The DVD, called Let England Shake: 12 Short Films, features all of the 12 short films created by photographer / videographer Seamus Murphy to accompany every song on Harvey latest album.

If that isn’t enough there is a previously unseen short film for the song 'England' and personal notes from Seamus Murphy on the making of the films.

The DVD will be released on December 12 on Amazon and iTunes and can be pre-order from pjharvey.net.

Courtney Love to Pen Memoir

So you thought you knew everything there is to know about Courtney Love well think again there's a whole lot more to learn apparently since Love has announced she will be writing her own memoir.

After signing a deal with William Morrow, an imprint of Harper Collins, it was announced that the Hole front woman plans to "set the record straight" with her new book.

It's hard to think that there might be any aspect of Love's life that we don't know about given the intense media scrutiny and numerous documentaries on Love and her life with Kurt Cobain but officials claim her memoir will address Love's marriage to Cobain, her drug addiction issues and her childhood.

The book is as yet untitled and is due for release in autumn 2012.

Girls Get Busy Mixtape Want Your Demos

Although I officially make the best feminist mixtapes this side of South London, don't believe me check my track record, I'll allow someone else to have a go at it. Sisterhood and all says I should doesn't it.

Girls Get Busy, a feminist collective supporting female musicians, artists and writers, is searching for bands to fill up their second Chixtape mix tape.

Given the brilliance of their first mixtape, available here, I have high hopes that their second mixtape is going to be just as amazing.

If you wanna get in on the feminist mixtape action then send over your demos to girlsgetbusyzine@gmail.com.

For more information: girlsgetbusyzine.tumblr.com

PJ Harvey Wins Her Second Mercury Prize

PJ Harvey became the winner of the Mercury Prize 2011 and the first person to win the prize twice last night at the Mercury Awards.

Beating off artists such as Katy B, Adele and Tinie Tempah Harvey won the £20,000 award with her critically acclaimed album Let England Shake an album influences by the horrors of war and the intricacies of her home England.

Harvey first won the Mercury prize in 2011 for her album Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea. In her acceptance speech Harvey thanked her management, her band and mentioned that the last time she won the Mercury it was 9/11 and she was watching the Pentagon burn from her hotel room in Washington.




Now in my opinion although Adele, Katy B and Tinie Tempah and made amazing albums they were no competition for Harvey. It was almost unfair to pit artists who just made their debut album against one with a 20-year career.

Over the years Harvey has released 10 studio albums including 2 collaborations with John Parish.  It has been a good year for Harvey as she was recently awarded for outstanding contribution to music at the NME awards and has spent the last few months playing shows that had sold out in under 10 minutes.

Harvey fans are crossing their fingers in the hope that Harvey will do what other artists have done after winning the Mercury and embark on a new tour though Harvey's notorious dislike of big tours suggests she won't.

Wild Flag Album Trailer

Indie rock supergroup Wild Flag have released a trailer to announce the arrival of their debut album out on September 13th.

The 'Album Trailer', a new concept for our modern times, features a variety of pretty people firing arrows off like nobody's business with Wild Flag's raucous music playing in the background.

The group, made up of members of Helium, The Minders and Sleater-Kinney, have been working on their debut and album and toured North America extensively during the last couple of months.



Wild Flag - Album Trailer from Merge Records on Vimeo.

For more information: www.myspace.com/wildflag 

Beyonce Bloody Well Runs This Mother

Well I'm a bit late on this one but I could not resist commenting on my girl B's new girl power single 'Run The World'. The song, which is a little heavy on the Major Lazer sample, is a feministy number that claims it is fact the ladies that run the world and dem menz need to keep up with us girls before we leave them behind.

This is not the first time Beyonce has sprinkled her tunes with a little girl power magic in fact 'Run The World' is just one song in Beyonce's ever increasing 'Girls Rule' set list- think back to 'Bills Bills Bills', 'Independent Woman', and 'Single Ladies'.

For young girls this idea that they can run the world would be incredible. I know because I was the little girl inspired by 'Bills Bills Bills', a song I still love to this day and was probably an inspiration for this here blog.

But it is this Girls Rule attitude that has got a lot of feminists confused as it would be great if we girls did rule the world but we do not and have not at any particular time in history. The battle of the sexes game of girls are better than boys etc is pretty tiring and doesn't really help anyone in the long, long road towards equality.

There have also been complaints that Beyonce simultaneously bigs up her own independence whilst calling back to the boys to see if they still fancy her. For example B croons "Boy you know you love it/ How we're smart enough to make these millions/ Strong enough to bare the children/Then get back to business....Hope you still like me". Can you really say that you believe in female empowerment when you're are also concerned with your own sex appeal.

Well the simple answer is that there is no simple answer. As an artist Beyonce can interpret her idea of empowerment as she wishes and it is up to the listener to judge whether the balance of sex appeal and girl power actually work. What I do know for definite is that Beyonce is back on form and its amazing to see her again.