Mad At BP, Write A Song

The Queen of anti-folk Kimya Dawson has recently posted a video of a new song where she attacks the major oil giant BP for...well you know what they've done.

I love that Kimya has always stuck to her guns and protest songs are her thing - her 2006 album Remember That I Love You had the song '12/24' which criticises the American government for not sending enough aid during the 2004 boxing day tsunami disaster.

Lyrics:
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I read blogs by scientists
And I believe they know, more than we are being told
By the mainstream media sources who want the truth to hold it's horses
so there isn't mass hysteria as the sea floor erodes

And those in and on the ocean all say hey what's this commotion
and they try to get away but they are moving in slow motion
because their bodies are so heavy from a substance thick and deadly
they say I don't want to die It's all your fault I wasn't ready

I'm so sorry and I'm scared and sad and mad and unprepared
to see the stuff that's in the sea evaporate into the air
where it will gather and form clouds that travel north upon the wind
and drop their cool refreshing poison raindrops on our crops and children

on our crops and children.
So this may be the end I've always thought the end of man
would be exactly what we need for the earth to stand a chance
And I always thought I would be fine If this happened if my lifetime
But now that I'm a mother it seems much more terrifying

And I've always identified with a turtle's soft insides
Because there are times when I really need to hide
But even the strongest, hardest, thickest shell is not designed
to survive, to survive, to survive

Something of this magnitude

Because water is fluid and oil is crude
And it billows way down deep and it sticks to grains of sand
And it floats upon the surface where the birds all try to land
And the marshes are all ruined and ecosystems destroyed

And the people all along the Gulf Coast are now unemployed
While the men who cut the corners still scream DRILL, DRILL, DRILL
from their yachts so far away and their mansions on the hill
And they turn away the cameras and scream KILL, KILL, KILL
As they light endangered sea turtles on fire

They light turtles on fire (I'm on fire)

Because the seas are all connected, And we are all connected
And you are in denial if you think you won't be affected
You can't hide behind your flag because water knows no border
It will creep in every crack and seep in every pore

They lie about the numbers the solutions are illusions
But no cover up can hide this huge of a contusion
On the face of our mother, that's right, mother earth
Is the cost of every living thing what your product is worth?

Well, we are all afflicted with an underground addiction
Will our desire for convenience be the cause of our extinction?
And the industry's the master and we are all the slaves
And we're DRIVING, DRIVING, DRIVING to our GRAVES, GRAVES, GRAVES

We must teach our kids to love themselves and let them live their lives
What will they be if they grow up? Whatever they like.
It's crucial to raise children who don't do what they're told
Who will fight for what's right and who can't be bought or sold

I want nothing of this business I am staying underground
And I'm gonna ride the railroad and let my guard down
We can forage, and ride bikes, and jump in lakes, and go on hikes
We can sing and sing for hours and click LIKE, LIKE, LIKE

When somebody posts something good we share and spread the truth
It's time to define what success means to you
I hope my kid will never be another cog in their machine
Trapped inside a box trying to remember her dreams

They will sell us all out for their GREED, GREED, GREED
As we cry for the earth as she BLEEDS, BLEEDS, BLEEDS
So hold on to your loved ones, yeah, hold on for dear life
Try to walk like thunder leaving footprints that are light
Hold on to your loved ones, hold on for dear life
Try to walk like thunder leaving footprints that are light
Footprints that are light.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I read blogs by scientists
And I believe they know, more than we are being told
By the mainstream media sources who want the truth to hold it's horses
so there isn't mass hysteria as the sea floor erodes
And those in and on the ocean all say hey what's this commotion
and they try to get away but they are moving in slow motion
because their bodies are so heavy from a substance thick and deadly
they say I don't want to die It's all your fault I wasn't ready
 
H/T Jigsaw Underground

**GOLDEN OLDIES**

I was procrastinating on the web the other day looking for stuff on the post punk band The Mo-dettes when I came across this seemingly long forgotten band from the same era.

Dolly Mixture were an all girl British post punk band who released a series of lo-fi, jangly sing song singles about boys, romance and girls they don't like.




Dolly Mixture consisted of Debsey Wykes, vocals, Rachel Bor, guitar, and Hester Smith, drums. They mixed the romance of the Shangri-La's with the awkward, girlish charm of the Raincoats and their own pop sensibilites.




Even though they formed in 1979 in the era when punk ruled all and were girlfriends of punk band The Damned they never took the punk attitude seriously. Instead the girls enjoyed knitting and riding bikes, hobbies I know a few post riot grrrls enjoy.




The fact that I love most about Dolly Mixture is that their song 'How Come You're Such A Hit With The Boys Jane' is a direct jab at the Mo-Dettes bassist Jane Crockford. Oooh I love a bit of drama.

Dolly Mixture, along with a few other post punk bands of that era, were the template for basically every lo-fi, bike riding, knitter loving, crafty girl bands.

Dolly Mixture broke up in 1984 and each member went off to form their on respective bands including Coming Up Roses and Saint Etienne.

In July the band will release a three CD box set that will feature the 'demostration tapes' album, all of the bands singles, additional demos and rare live recordings.

I love Dolly Mixture and I hope you do too.

For more information: dollymixture.net

Dolly Mixture- How Come You're Such A Hit With The Boys Jane

**MIXTAPE ALERT** Bad Girls Go Everywhere

For this month's mixtape I wanted to pay homage to the girls that are immensely braver than me.

At some point in our life us women need to be hard, we need to be strong we need to be bitches and not give a hoot.

Remember if you're being called a bitch, a slut or a whore it's just because you're saying something people don't want to hear so say it louder.

This is for all the girls that say it loud and proud.

Tracklisting:
1. Bad Reputation- Joan Jett
2. Hard- Rihanna
3. Brat Girl- Bratmobile
4. Cherry Bomb- Runaways
5. Teenage Whore- Hole
6. You Know I'm No Good- Amy Winehouse
7. Bad Girls- Donna Summer
8. O Chenilla- Cadallaca
9. My Alcoholic Friends- Dresden Dolls
10. Hella Nervous- Gravy Train
11. Jail La La- Dum Dum Girls

And The Winner Of The Julie Ruin T-shirt Contest Is...

....Joshua Elowsky aka Joshua Shame.

It's a very simple design and I think it works really well.

Click here for more information.

Girl Germs Presents...A Ladyfest Ten Fundraiser

LadyfestTen.com

MySpace.com/girlgerms

twitter.com/girlgermslondon

Christina + Le Tigre = Woohoo

Wanna hear what it sounds like when you mix 3 parts Le Tigre with 1 part Christina Aguilera, add a dash of new hip hop sensation Nicki Minja and shake.

Well it sounds like this, pretty good if you ask me.

ps. I think woohoo is slang for their vaginas but don't say anything it's a secret shhhh.

**RANDOM SELECTION**

This month's selection are Throwing Muses. Again like Joan Armatrading, who I discovered last month, I had only heard of Throwing Muses in reference to other bands and in casual conversation. I know little to nothing about them so lets discover something new.

Throwing Muses are a post-punk/ alternative rock band that formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island. The band consisted of Kristen Hersh on vocals and guitar, Tanya Donelly (later of Breeders and Belly) on guitar and David Narcizo on drums. The band has had various line up changes over the years and now consists of Hersh, Narcizo and Bernard Georges, who has been part of the band since 1992, on bass.

What set Throwing Muses apart from other bands coming out of the America alternative rock scene in the 80s was Hersh's vocal warblings, her surreal lyrics and their creative, unorthodox song structures.







The first song I heard was Bright Yellow Gun from their 1995 album University, a song that propelled the band into the mainstream and saw them getting coverage in The Rolling Stone and other major music magazines. This song grabbed me from the opening glommy, heavy hook and had me spinning round the room. It's even better when you watch them live and see Hersh writhing behind her mic.







Another great from University is Shimmer which is a great 90s noise track.
"Don't follow me home. Don't follow me home."







Counting Backwards, an earlier song from their 1992 The Real Ramona LP, is an upbeat song that relies on the vocal harmonies of Donelly and Hersh and the ever present harsh guitar riff that we hear throughout the song.







The last song I want to share with you is Not Too Soon which is also from The Real Ramona and sees Donelly take lead vocals. It is a sweet almost poppy song that kinda reminds me of the late 80s C86 bands.

I love Throwing Muses. Their original, thrash, candid take on alternative music is amazing and can be heard in their side projects from Belly to 50 Foot Wave.

Definately recommended for anyone with a penchant for loud 90s music and Sonic Youth like lyrical craziness.

For more information: kristinhersh.com

**SONG OF THE MONTH**

Summer has come so you will "see me in me heel n'thing" to quote this month's song.

Yes since we're all feeling like we're basking in the hot Caribbean sun, even though you're really in Basingstoke, so here is a little Jamaican treat tastier than festival, which is very nice by the way, in the form of "Uptown Top Ranking" by Althea and Donna.

The young Jamaican singers, Althea Forrest and Donna Reid, were only in their teens when their record, which samples the 1967 Alton Ellis song "I'm Still In Love" and is a response to the deejay track "Three Piece Suit" by Trinity, went to number one in 1978.

The song is about young girls who go out uptown and basically looking good and know it.

Unfortunately Althea and Donna were a one hit wonder and never followed up the success of Uptown Top Ranking but there's still a place for them in my top ten.