Flinty Kinda Ladysquad: On Music.

So, remember how we all loved The Dresden Dolls, and then we grew up and became Hearty Feminists and we suddenly had this bad taste in our mouth from Amanda Palmer, her "rape is okay if it's a joke about Katy Perry" stunts and her "what is your PROBLEM feminists, ablism is totally fun AND marketable!" attitude? 


Now, I'm not saying we have to give up Amanda, because when I am in a certain kind of mood, "30 Whacks" is still the only thing I want to hear BUT I did recently take a tour of my iTunes in search of LadyPositive Tunes, and it seemed like a fun blog because OHMYGOD it is also a playlist!  How great.  Okay.


First and foremost, do you know who will never let you down?  I mean, never, ever?  Dar Williams.  Dar Williams is the bloody Earth Mother Rock Goddess of Western New York.  


I mean, just look at her:
 


(more after the jump)




and did I mention this?  Because, yeah, this:



She is like a one-woman Peace Train.  And her music kicks it.  And by It, I mean Ass and also The Patriarchy.  


Recommendations:
-The Pointless Yet Poignant Crisis of A Co-Ed
-Empire
-I Won't Be Your Yoko Ono
-Teen For God


Her Message:  Don't sacrifice yourself, your happiness, or your (fulfilling) work, for anyone, especially not some dude.  Also, be critical of oppressive regimes and faith-based rigidity.  


The Anthem:
Flinty Kind Of Woman.
(which I could not find on YouTube so you will have to settle for When I Was A Boy)





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Okay, Part II!


Patti Mo'Fuckin' Smith.  Do I even need to continue here?  I am not telling you guys anything you don't already know. 





Anyone who doesn't want to be Patti Smith when they grow up is a fool. 


The Message: She does a lot of work with the green party, and uses rawwwk to oppose various imperialistic occupations--But her most famous song, a cover of Van Morrison's GLORIA is exceptionally great for us, Ladysquad, because, well, first because it implies lesbianism, which is Exciting And Awesome in a pushing the hetero-norm kind of way, but MOREOVER her orgasmic revving, her huge voice, her powerful shouts--could it be?  Is it-- Is it A DECLARATION AND RECLAMATION OF FEMALE SEXUALITY??? Hell yes it is.  


The Anthem: 
GLORIA.



Patti Smith - Gloria Live



 That's all I have time for, and I know it isn't really news to any of the Squad, since we have all been obsessively singing G-L-O-R-I-A for the last 4 months or so, and I've been digging Dar since I first started playing CDs (thanks, big sister Jen!) but I just thought we could use a reminder of some artists who are continuously awesome. 


Feel free to extend this, though!  Comment section, ahoy!  And some stabs at intersectionality would be most welcome.  I wanted to do Aretha Franklin and Sleater-Kinney but I reeeeally need to go to school now.