You've Come A Long Way, Baby

I've written about how I just don't have time to keep up with new music like I used to do. It frustrates me at times that music is just one more thing that gets short shrift in my life next to my children. I think that means I am a good parent, but I still miss buying a new CD (and holding it and opening it, and smelling it, and reading all the liner notes while I listen).

Anyway, in a shotgun blast attempt to hear new music, I often listen to KEXP online (LOVE the morning show with John. Okay, love John) and I record MTV2's Subterranean weekly and watch it when I get a chance. (I am a first-generation MTV child, after all.) I hadn't watched in a while, though. Boy, was I surprised.

I think over half of the artists or bands they showed were female! And they weren't just bassists, either. (With apologies to the Kims, of course.) Feist, Lady Sov, Amy Winehouse, Charlotte Gainsbourg, new Bjork (great video, as usual), Lily Allen, new Tori Amos. I don't even like Tory Amos that much, but damn, she is looking good. She seems to have shed the hippy dippy, new agey blue-green look she always has going, and was pulling off more of a PJ Harvey attitude. Plus, she's got ginormous balls - I don't know if there is any amount of money that would make me utter any version of the statement "I am a MILF," much less have it flashing in my video in huge Frankie Goes to Hollywood block lettering. It was cool stuff.

Seems like music is such a male realm that the females that were there in the past packed a huge punch for me. I was elated that last night, I actually had the option of saying, "God, she sucks," or "Eaaahhh, not bad, but not really my style," or "ooh, it's nice to see a female playing guitar, even if I am not sure if I like the song or not." (Which usually means I will like the songs after a few listens.) There was a band, CSS, with more girls than guys from Brazil. Brazilian women, can't beat that.

Okay, now I went and looked at the Subterranean website, just to see if I missed anything, and there is a "Girls of Indie Rock Heat Up Subterranean This Week" headline. That explains that. It was a farce. That would explain the segment with Atlanta's Mastodon in between the videos; It's not like any female artists might have something interesting or intelligent to say about their music.

Guess we haven't come such a long way, baby.