Typical Girls: Women in Punk/Post-Punk/Underground Music (Circa 1975-1980s)

["Sara Sherr" <sarasherr AT gmail.com>]

If any of you are in Philly, please check this out, or fwd it to
someone who would. Thanks!

SUGAR TOWN'S SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY!
Seven Years of Lady Rockers & DJ's!

SAT 1/26
9pm $7 21+
Tritone
1508 South Street
215-545-0475
http://www.tritonebar.com
http://www.myspace.com/tritone


THE SHONDES (NYC, Record Release Party)
http://fanaticpromotion.com/current/theshondes.html
http://www.myspace.com/theshondes
The Shondes, a Brooklyn, NY quartet taking its name from the Yiddish
word for ''shame'' or ''disgrace'' has launched a winter tour to
preface the release of its debut album, The Red Sea produced by Tony
Maimone (Pere Ubu, Book Of Knots) in early 2008. The Shondes' dramatic
rock has been compared to Sleater-Kinney, Patti Smith and Rasputina,
but audiences tend to marvel at the band's urgent, genre-breaching
live sound. The Shondes -- Temim Fruchter (drums/vocals), Louisa
Solomon (bass/vocals), Ian Brannigan (guitar) and Elijah Oberman
(violin/vocals) -- quickly gained popularity in its native city thanks
to its complex melodic song structures combined with rich, intertwined
vocals.

The Shondes' songwriting fuses the various musical traditions of
feminist punk, classical, Jewish and queercore, while the band's vocal
melodies move effortlessly from anthemic to haunting -- textured by
the distinct qualities of each of their voices. The result is a unique
sound that is both heartbreaking and hopeful. The high energy of its
live shows bring audiences along for the ride, with audience members
often singing along and swaying to the punchy rhythms and soaring
melodies.

>From its formation, The Shondes has maintained a rigorous tour
schedule including 2 national tours, a midwest mini-tour, regular east
coast dates, and festivals such as North by Northeast and Homo A Go
Go. The group has shared the stage with indie luminaries Electrelane,
Erase Errata, Amy Ray, Mecca Normal, Joe Lally (Fugazi) and Lesbians
on Ecstasy, among others. The band also organizes events, often in
partnership with local activist organizations, such as the Jews
Against the Occupation Chanukah Ball and the Sylvia Rivera Law
Project's Valentine's Day Party. The Shondes debut album, The Red Sea
will be released on January 11, 2008, following its nationwide winter
tour.


GIRLZ ON BIKES
http://www.myspace.com/girlzonbikes
Girlz on Bikes are a female electro hip-hop duo from Philly. Their
influences on the space include androgyny, massive bike rides, neon
colors, dancing, spandex leotards, partying, and new haircuts. Upon
first listen, comparisons could be immediately made to New York-based
group Avenue D. However, Girlz on Bikes' lyrics are less vulgar,
political, or in-your-face. It seems a little silly to say, but they
appear to take their ass-shaking a little less seriously. While the
other two girls are concerned about asking why people call them sluts,
Girlz on Bikes asks one question-- "Is this leotard too tight?" The
answer is coupled with a sucking of the teeth, as if it's all too
obvious-- "No. But this track is." And it's the truth. While "Workin'
Out" may only clock in at a little less than two minutes, it is sure
to be the number one anti-obesity party jam of this summer. Don't
dismiss it on the first listen. By the fifth or sixth time, you'll
want to throw on a spandex jumpsuit and gyrate all over your room. Not
that I did that or anything  (Joseph Sanchez, It's The Money Shot)

SANTA MARIAS (NYC, Ex Friggs/Booty Olympics)
http://www.myspace.com/santamarias
NYC's Santa Marias is a smart, strong, expressive trio with a penchant
for the cranky who've got a recipe for sound that supports their
diverse/insane musical tastes - from Godspell, to Sonic Youth, to PJ
Harvey, to Trini Lopez, to Shellac. These tri-borough noise-pop girls
rock an fierce blend of bare-naked vocals and yearning lyrics that
suggests an allegiance to the early pop vocal arrangements of girl
groups like the Shangri-La's set
against an articulately produced garage-pop sound of dirty, noisy,
rusty guitars.

Santa Marias rose out of the ashes of several highly regarded NYC rock
acts. The line up: chief songwriter Mitzi Dodge (STP, the Friggs),
Palmyra Delran (The Friggs, Pink Slip Daddy), and Betsy Todd
(MotorDolly, Old Baby). After the dissolution of the Friggs, Dodge and
Delran began playing shows as a guitar and drum duo. One stormy night
fate stepped in, in the form of Betsy Todd, also an improv comedian
(UCB Theater, Magnet Theater) to fill the bill as bassist & vocalist.
In 2002, they released one full-length, raw, garagey CD as The Booty
Olympics. Five years later, having evloved sonicly among other things,
the three reinvented. Recorded in NYC and mixed by the production team
Super Buddha (Rufus Wainwright, Debbie Harry, Scissor Sisters), Santa
Marias' self-titled, full-length debut was released in the the fall of
2007.

CYNTHIA G. MASON (High Two)
http://www.cynthiagmason.com/
http://hightwo.com/htwo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43
Cynthia G. Mason's haunting voice, razor-sharp insight, and delicate
guitar-work create a mood not unlike that of Philadelphia itself— a
mix of melancholy and hope. Her unique songwriting and captivating
live performances have earned her both local and national praise.
Performing Songwriter Magazine called her self-titled CD "startlingly
intimate, confessional, indicting, personal and fierce." Time Out New
York wrote that "her graceful, understated songs frequently awed clubs
full of noisy chatterers into silence." The Philadelphia City Paper
not only nominated Cynthia as the Best Female Vocalist in the city,
but they threw her on the cover of their music issue.  Last year,
Cynthia finished a new full-length album with the help of friend and
musical partner Larry D. Brown (a.k.a. Grey Reverend.)  The new album
Quitter's Claim is out now on the High Two label.


DJ M.J. FINE (O.G. Sugar Town DJ, City Paper)
M.J. Fine was one of the original Sugar Town DJ's when we started in
2001. She is a true Girl Rock expert, able to find the best tracks on
all the mediocre Juliana Hatfield and Liz Phair albums that I'd long
since forgotten about. This self-described "word nerd" is a copy
editor for the Courier-Post, a music columnist for The Jewish
Exponent, and a longtime contributor to the Philadelphia City Paper,
where she writes the "Reconsider Me" column.