Grammys 2010 – Feminisim, backlash and everything in between.
I was going to write a Grammy opinion piece (yes, as late in the game as I am and as tired as everyone is of hearing about this stuff), but I found a brilliant article that I agree with 95%, is humorously and intelligently written and argued, and is just a general fun read. Click here to read it. I’ve re-posted my favorite quotes below; hopefully these will entice you to read the whole article.
I will say a quick piece on what I disagree with about the article – I don’t think Lady Gaga is the pinnacle of feminism, either. The fact that she hides her unusual-by-pop-star-standards face and wears “crazy outfits” that tend to show off her figure doesn’t make me feel like she’s fighting against any stereotypes, and I think in raising her up on some high-art pedestal reinforces the same dichotomy of virgin-vamp that Riese rightly proposes we should fight against. In an ideal world, women could make their choices freely (abstinence, sexual experimentation and everything in between) without feeling lame, shamed, or frightened. I also think that, dress in strange costumes and film stranger music videos though she will, Lady Gaga is still just churning out catchy, danceable pop sugar for us all to enjoy. Though I admittedly have not delved into her whole catalogue of songs, the popular ones I’m familiar with don’t tread on unfamiliar territory anymore than Swift’s do. She sings about getting wasted at parties (“Just Dance”), and love (“Poker Face,” “Love Game,” “Bad Romance,” and to an extent “Paparazzi”). Yes, Gaga’s version of love is dirtier than Swift’s…but can we all agree that women might want more than romantic love? This is why I’m 100% behind Beyoncé, who kicked out a tune about how women deserve to be treated with an all-female backing band to boot.
Friendship, self-love, adventure, meaning; all these are song topics that would be truly revolutionary.
Filed under Music, Reviews | Tags: Beyonce, Grammys, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift | Comment (0)New site! + Loxsly review
Hey friends,
I am launching a new music blog, AustinWritesMusic.com. It is still very sparse at the moment, but I’m hoping that now that it is out in the ether, I’ll receive submissions from other folks who can help me generate content for it. Check the “About AWM” page for an explanation of why I’m doing this; the quick-n-dirty is that I’ve got tons of creative friends (writers/photographers/designers/musicians/etc.) and I want a place to showcase their work. I currently have a review up of Loxsly’s last show as Loxsly, which you can read here.
A review with Canadian-turned-New Yorker JBM will be up this week, too. This little blog might see less traffic since I’m shifting my focus to AustinWritesMusic.com, but I’ll still try to populate it with fun stuff every now and again. And please, if you’ve been reading my reviews and have enjoyed them, just shift on over to the new site; I’ll still be posting there frequently! Also check out my work at my friend Chris’ music blog, Neon Musical Insight.
Filed under Misc., Music | Tags: Austin Writes Music, Loxsly, Royal Forest | Comment (0)Review – JBM and Sondre Lerche at The Parish
Although New York-dwelling singer-songwriters JBM and Sondre Lerche may have kicked off their tour in Texas in hopes of escaping wintry northern weather, they were out of luck when they came to Austin on February 3 – it was cold and rainy, the worst of combinations. Still, these gentlemen brought the love for the “Live Music Capital” and completely wowed an appreciative, full crowd at The Parish.
Filed under Music, Reviews | Tags: Austin, JBM, Jesse B. Marchant, Jesse Marchant, Sondre Lerche, The Parish | Comment (0)