DDHDBs has moved

So after four years on Blogger I've decided to move this blog to wordpress.

You can find the new and improved Don't Dance Her Down Boys here: www.dontdanceherdownboys.wordpress.com 

See you there,

Steph x.x.x.

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

 

**UNDER COVER** You said you were high class...

**RETROSPECTIVE** Goldie and the Gingerbreads

Goldie and the Gingerbreads were pioneers in the real meaning of the word. The band were the first all female band to be signed to a major label, paving the way for groups like The Runaways, the Go-Gos, Sleater-Kinney and many more, giving them a chance to take the stage and do their thing.

Formed in 1963, the band had hits with the songs 'Can You Hear My Heartbeat' and 'Think About The Good Times'. The Gingerbreads were singer Genya (Goldie) Zelkowitz, drummer Ginger Panabianco, guitarist Carol MacDonald and organist Margo Lewis.

The seeds of the gingerbreads were first sowed when Genya, then the lead singer of The Escorts, saw Ginger perform at a club in New York. She was so bowled over by seeing a female drummer that she was inspired to form an all female rock n roll band and went over to Ginger after the gig. It wasn't easy to find other members, finding a guitarist seemed to be the trickest stumbling block, but eventually they were complete with the addition of Margo and Carol. It is thought the band's name was a play on Genya's nickname, Goldie, and Ginger's name. 





Their big break came when they played the Mods and Rockers ball in 1964. The band mingled with The Rolling Stones, Warhol favourite Baby Jane Holzer and Ahmet Ertegun, chairman of Atlantic Records who promptly signed them to his label.
The band went on to tour Europe extensively with The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Kinks and the Hollies. While their were performing at the Peppermint Lounge in New York the band caught the attention of The Animals and their manager Mike Jeffries who were lured in by the music they heard coming from the club. They were amazed by what they heard. Eric Burdon, lead singer of The Animals, said: "There was so much feeling in Goldie's voice that I was stunned to find such a 'black' sound could be produced by a group of white girls."
Their first hit single in the UK, 'Can You Hear My Heartbeat', was produced by Animals keyboardist Alan Price who said that Lewis' organ playing was so good it made him want to go out and get drunk. The band had hopes of the single being a success in the US but this was thwarted by Herman's Hermits version, which was released just two weeks before the Gingerbread's US release.

When the band returned to the States they tried desperately to garner success, both professional and commercial, to no avail. Over the course of 1967 and 1968 the band slowly broke up.  Carol and Ginger went on to form jazz-fusion band Isis, Genya went on to release several solo albums and form the band Ten Wheel Drive and Margo is now the owner and president of a talent booking agency based in New York. 
Despite their short career the band made a huge crack in that 10in thick glass ceiling the music business prefers not to acknowledge. It took guts to get up on stage as an all female band in the early sixties, in an environment where we can barely imagine the kind of crap they had to deal with on a daily basis to be taken seriously. As I said before without them we'd have no Runaways, no Bangles, no Riot Grrrl and no Don't Dance Her Down Boys, it was the Riot Grrrl movement that inspired me to write this blog. We all need to take a second and remember those who came before us, remember the Gingerbreads.

**ONES TO WATCH** M Women

M Women

The internet's a wonderful thing isn't it. Let's say I like sparkly, multi-coloured roller skates. Well I could search for 'sparkly, multi-coloured roller skates' and find everything related to that subject. The same goes for musical genres.

The other day (or two months ago to be precise) I searched for Seattle grunge and found the delightful Seattle-based grunge three-piece M Women. I've been obsessed with them ever since, I mean, how can you not be? The absurdly lo-fi production, the snappy rhythms and crashing cymbals highlighting every aspect of their songs. M Women sound like the band I formed in my dreams where I suddenly develop a bucket load of talent that I use to entertain the masses.

M Women is made up of Schanen, Carrie and Andrew who together form an impenetrable punk crew who protect themselves with their razor sharp riffs and barrier of noise they create. The band released their debut album Faithful, last October on Couple Skate Records. Previously they had released a few demos on cassette and a 7" titled Aubrey in 2009.

Opener 'Tense Hands Talk' is definitely M Women's definitive track. It's a shattering, explosion of a song that has touches of lo-fi favourites Beat Happening, as well as their contemporaries Grass Widow, nestled within the beat. Other treats include 'Mackrel Gray' and 'Dark Space'.

M Women are a band only at the beginning of their career, yet to peak and show us everything they have to offer. Make no mistake when they do, you'll be amazed at what you see.
 

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

**SONG OF THE MONTH**

Marianne Faithfull was previously just a name to me. Around in the 60s. Had something to do with Mick Jagger. I knew little after that. That was all until I heard 'Why D'ya Do It', from her 1979 album Broken English, and the name Marianne Faithfull meant a lot more to me.

The lyrics, written by the poet Heathcote Williams, depict a graphic, emotional rant of a jilted woman who discovered her lover's adultery. Lines such as "Cause she had cobwebs up her fanny and I believe in giving to the poor" caused controversy when it was released in 1979 and led to the record being banned in Australia.

It's hard to imagine that anyone else could do this song justice the way that Marianne has. You trying singing about a "barbed wire pussy" with a straight face, it's tough. Saying that listening to it does make you wanna scream along with it, which can be a bit tricky at 8am on a packed bus. Oh how my fellow commuters love me. They should be looking past the filthy outbursts and loving Marianne, she's the way to go.

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

**ONES TO WATCH** THEESatisfaction

I had more or less given up on hip hop for a good few years. I was taken in by the blissfully raucous noise that is riot grrrl as a teenager and since then I have found a home for my feelings and emotions in growling distortion and the twang of tight guitar strings. I'm like the guys from Flight of the Conchords, I can only express myself through music (except I don't write witty comedy tunes, just a sparsely updated music blog). Try as I may I can't say I've ever found a home  in hip hop like I did with riot grrrl, but that doesn't mean I've given up all hope of finding it. I always have time for someone who wants to shake me by my shoulders and scream "what are you talking about hip hop is the future". Futuristic hip hop duo THEESatisfaction did just that to me.

THEESatisfaction, Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White, are a spaced out, jazz-infused hip hop duo that are a step and half ahead of the rest of their contemporaries. The duo are both musical and real life partners. Listen to any THEESatisfaction song to hear their closeness in every melody and every beat. Irons delivers a silky lyrical rhyme for Harris-White to take and inject a kind of soul Aretha would be jealous of into every nook and cranny of the song.

Their style is minimalist, some songs, such as 'Bitch', are just a few simplistic beats and vocals. The duo takes cues from acts such as De La Soul, Erykah Badu and that type of early 90s hip hop that was influenced by jazz, funk and spoken word poets. 'Do You Have The Time' samples an addictive falsetto vocal, which is apt since the band spend the rest song singing about getting high and "chilling out easily".

Along with a love of capitalisation, something that makes someone like me who edits copy for a living very anxious, THEESatisfaction also love to pay homage to their roots with songs like 'On What It Means To Be Black' and 'I Nigress'. They are a powerful sight to behold as well. They command the stage with just a laptop to keep them company, clad in dashikis and afros Angela Davis would be proud of. I almost want to email them just to ask them hair tips. So Catherine how do you get your hair to stay so strong? Stasia come on girl be honest. You're using a special conditioner in that aren't you? That's not just a wash and go do.

It may seem strange but the idea of a hip hop duo that consisted of two black women who shied away from  weaves, fake nails and butt surgery, and they were also stridently political seemed so amazing to me I had to check again just to see if I hadn't imagined it. I love that I can listen to a band and know that they represent a part of myself that is rarely represented well, if at all. THEESatisfaction have just realised their debut album on Sub Pop that is full of fuzzed out, laid back soul and they know how to rock a dashiki. What's not to love about them.

www.theesatisfaction.bandcamp.com

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

**MIXTAPE ALERT** Treats and Sweets

This post was meant to go up around Easter, in time for the gluttonous religious event that has everyone gaining an extra 4lb by the time it's over. A few weeks too late shouldn't matter too much because this mixtape is relevant all year round. I've decided to dedicate an entire mixtape to the delicious treats that we like to have on occasion (i.e. every day. Don't judge me).

From 'milkshake' to 'chocolate' there are a lot of tracks that make my mouth water for many reasons. Take my advice, this mixtape is best enjoyed in the company of Ben, and Jerry too, lying in a bathtub full to the brim with dairy milk chocolate. It would mean you'd have to face cleaning the bathroom the next day but it'd be worth it.

Tracklisting:
1. Sweet Like Chocolate- Shanks & Bigfoot
2. Milkshake- Kelis
3. Burger Baby- Gravy Train!!!
4. Mama's Gonna Make Us a Cake- The Casual Dots
5. The Beer- Kimya Dawson
6. Chocolate Eyes- Voodoo Queens
7. The Sweets- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
8. (Yr So Sweet) Baby Donut- Cold Cold Hearts
9. Forming / Hot Chocolate Boy- Hole
10. Licorice Whip- The Bangs
11. Cakewalking- Young Marble Giants

 

Treats and Sweets from Steph88 on 8tracks.

Ladyfest Bristol 2012

Ladyfest Bristol UK is taking place on the 7-8 July 2012 at the Fleece.

The festival features acts such as She Makes War, Gabby Young, This is the Kit and Hysterical Injury.

Festival goers will also be able to enjoy workshops and screenings during the day.

Ladyfest is a DIY arts and culture festival designed to showcase women artists, musicians, filmmakers and writers.

It started in 2000 in Olympia, US, and has since travelled all over the world.

Tickets start at £20 and are available at Drunken Werewolf.

For more information: bristolladyfest.wordpress.com

**UNDER COVER** There is a House in New Orleans

**CLUB NIGHT** Fanny Pack- Adventures in Neon

ohSHITlondon presents... Fanny Pack | Adventures in Neon

FANNY PACK IS BACK for more adventures in 90s neon!

We'll be kicking it at our new home, THE WAITING ROOM, (formerly The Drop) on Stoke Newington High Street - a 5 minute bus ride from Dalston.

-- -- -- --

On the decks, giving you eargasms all night:

** DJs B-Low and G-Child **

(the girls are, Girl Germs, spit., She Runs With Wolves, Ladyfest Ten, Now That's What I Call A Clubnight)

More DJs TBA.

Visual delights played out by our amazing VJ **Luvmeat**

We'll be shaking our moneymakers to:

Salt N Pepa - Arrested Development - Hole - Pulp - Ace of Base - House of Pain - Elastica - L7 - Bikini Kill - Michael Jackson - Coolio - Nirvana - Blur - Skee Lo - Deee Lite - Smashing Pumpkins - Placebo - 2 Unlimited - Aqua - Breeders - Prodigy - Garbage - The Fugees - No Doubt - Lush - Luniz - Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - MC Hammer - Babylon Zoo - The Shamen - Scatman John - Baby D - TLC - Snap! - Vanilla Ice - and much more...

-- -- -- --
Date: Friday 13th April
Door: £3 before 11, £4 after 11
Time: 10pm - 4
Venue: The Waiting Room, 175 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 0LH

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

**GOLDEN OLDIES** Lijadu Sisters

As a connoisseur of this grand old art called music I generally think I've heard pretty much every genre going. So you could guess when I heard about this band that were making, what the writer described as,  'afro-beat soul' I was pretty intrigued.

The band in question are The Lijadu Sisters, identical twin sisters Taiwo and Kehinde Lijadu, who decided to make forward thinking, funk, post-punk music in 1970s Nigeria, which, as you could imagine, was not an easy task. The sisters had to fight for their right to be heard and remembered, they have recently released a collection of their greatest hits, in an industry and decade that didn't want to hear women sounding anything other than 'nice'.

As you'd expect their sound could be described as many things but never 'nice'. They sing the same thing at the same time throughout all their songs, which takes a while to get used to at first. Jagged guitars and nagging synths constantly weave themselves in and out of songs that are based around an steady, afrobeat rhythm. I know. It's a lot to get you're head around. Too many genres, too much to think about but stay with me here.

Not only is their music interesting but their lyrics show that the sisters were more than just two pretty faces. 'Danger' documents a turbulent relationship with, what we are to assume is a violent lover, as the sisters sing that he "came into my life and dispersed danger". 'Cashing In' is a cynical take on the consumerist world, which sees the sisters shout in unison "We're cashing in, prostitution, yeah, we're cashing in, revolution yeah / Poverty is still a common sight." It's that kind of social commentary that you would expect to hear from The Clash or X-Ray Spex, which makes the Lijadu Sisters so intriguing. 

There are a few interviews with the sisters here and there but not enough. I wish there were more out there about them that I could find but short of going on a trip to Nigeria and asking them myself some questions may have to remain unanswered. In the meantime I'll be listening to their recently released best of album and then finding someone who looks slightly like me to sing in unison with. I think it's a good plan.

**SONG OF THE MONTH** Trailer Trash Tracys

I heard about the Trailer Trash Tracys a while ago, back in the day when I was interning at Plan B magazine. My task for the day was to find out more about a of couple of up and coming bands at the time, one of them being Trailer Trash Tracys.

I thought it would be an easy task but after hours and hours of searching all I could find about them on the internet was one extremely sparse Last FM page. Not very useful to me at all. Fast forward three years later and TTTs are everywhere and they're only going to get bigger.

The main reason I love this band also is because when I hear their name I think of an old time country band with banjos and homely looking women screaming their lungs out.

TTTs are obviously nothing like that. Their brand of spaced out, electro fuzz is perfect for those who want to reminise about the good old days when bands like My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain and Mazzy Star ruled the indie world. They're essentially the 80s in smaller, cooler, better dressed nutshell. Now I don't know about you but, I, for one, am excited about that whole idea.

www.trailertrashtracys.com

**UNDER COVER** Why Does The Sun Go On Shining...