Gina Harris's Blog, page 170

Musical Black Girls

When I write a negative band review, I feel horrible about it. I still feel like I need to publish it, but I cringe inside and I may not send a link to the band.
That happened a few weeks ago, but the musician found it anyway, and he thanked me. We had a nice exchange. I have been thanked for some other reviews that aren't great, and usually the reason is because I gave them a chance. I listened (at least three times), I paid attention, and I took their efforts seriously. That is something musicians want.
During this last project I was also reminded me of when I finished going through the "Greatest Guitar Songs" and started "Women Rock". There didn't seem to be many women who would go onto the Greatest Guitar Songs list, but then we you step back, there were a lot of women who were important to rock, and good at it. It just took making an effort to see.
Looking at black women in music, I found a lot.
They were not all singers. Melba Liston was a trumpet virtuoso. There are amazing piano players, some of whom sing as well. I didn't know A Taste Of Honey featured women playing guitar and bass.
I found a better understanding of rock and it's development. It's important to know about Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I found a whole documentary about her. Once I knew the name Mavis Staples, she seemed to be turning up all over the place.
It reminded me of how much we don't know. Geeshie Wiley and Elvie Thomas were innovative players, but we don't have a lot of information on them. There could be many influential blues artists who have disappeared. There could have been more women than we realized.
There are songs that were made famous by men or white women, but they started with black women. That's not surprising, but I'm glad to know. Those things shouldn't be forgotten. I am glad to have heard Erma Franklin's "Piece Of My Heart" and Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog".
I'm sure the list could have been curated better. I tried go in roughly chronological order, but things get messy. Some of these women have had really long careers, and don't fit into any one time period.
Often they don't fit into any one genre. The first thing I heard about Cissy Houston was that she was a Gospel singer. That's not exactly untrue, but she was in a girl group, and if the Sweet Inspirations were more spiritual than the Shirelles, that's not all they were. I have her with them and I have her singing a disco song. No one mentioned that she did disco.
It brought up a lot of good memories - I'd forgotten Brenda Russell - and showed me a lot of music I'd missed.
I tried to do Gospel songs on Sunday. Everyone seems to have a Gospel song, even if that's not what they do for the most part.
Mainly it opened up new things to me. If you can't change anyone else, you can still change yourself.
The thing that will stay with me the most is just the sheer volume. I was looking at one month, and it's been nearly six. I could keep going. Even today, I was checking to see if I really loved Abbey Lincoln or just "Throw It Away". That lead me to Esperanza Spalding.
I loved Ledisi so much I did a regular review of her. I may also do that with Sharon Jones,  Joan Armatrading, Fefe Dobson, and Leona Lewis. I know I want to listen to them more.
 I owe great thanks to Sydette Harry and Aundrea Matthews.
Here is the full list.
2/1 "Wade in the Water" by Sweet Honey In The Rock2/2 "Piece of My Heart" by Erma Franklin2/3 "Last Kind Words" by Geeshie Wiley2/4 "Motherless Child Blues" by Elvie Thomas2/5 "Wild Women Don't Have The Blues" by Ida Cox2/6 "Prove It On Me Blues" by Gertrude "Ma" Rainey2/7 "Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out" by Bessie Smith2/8 "Move On Up A Little Higher" by Mahalia Jackson2/9 "C'est Lui" by Josephine Baker2/10 "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton2/11 "What A Difference A Day Makes" by Dinah Washington2/12 "The Very Thought of You" by Billie Holiday2/13 "At Last" by Etta James2/14 "My Funny Valentine" by Ella Fitzgerald2/15 "My Lord What A Morning" by Marian Anderson2/16 "O patria mia" by Leontyne Price2/17 "Misty" by Sarah Vaughn2/18 "I'd Rather Go Blind" by Irma Thomas2/19 "Stranger To My Happiness" by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings2/20 "Georgia On My Mind" by Ethel Waters2/21 "So Long" by Ruth Brown2/22 "Somebody Bigger Than You and I" by Marion Williams2/23 "Throw It Away" by Abbey Lincoln2/24 "But Beautiful" by Betty Carter2/25 "No More Blues" by Carmen McRae2/26 "Pow" by Melba Liston2/27 "Taking A Chance On Love" by Dorothy Dandridge2/28 Forgot3/1 "Stormy Weather" by Lena Horne3/2 "Mr. Lee" by the Bobbettes3/3 "Maybe" The Chantels3/4 "Baby It's You" by The Shirelles3/5 "Darling Forever" by The Marvellettes3/6 "That's When The Tears Start" The Blossoms3/7 "Nowhere To Run" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas3/8 "Sweet Inspiration" by the Sweet Inspirations3/9 "Needle In A Haystack" by The Velvelettes3/10 "He's Got The Power" by The Exciters3/11 "I Never Dreamed" by The Cookies3/12 "(Like A) Nightmare" by The Andantes3/13 "One Fine Day" by The Chiffons3/14 "Chapel of Love" by The Dixie Cups3/15 "Up Above My Head" by Sister Rosetta Tharpe3/16 "Can't Let You Go" by The Geminis3/17 "Attack" by The Toys3/18 "Then He Kissed Me" by The Crystals3/19 "Baby I Love You" by The Ronettes3/20 "All Or Nothing" by Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles3/21 "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes3/22 "Take Me" by Mable John3/23 "My Guy" by Mary Wells3/24 "After All" by Claudette Rogers3/25 "Down To Zero" by Joan Armatrading3/26 "Don't Make Me Over" by Dionne Warwick3/27 "No Tears (In The End) by Roberta Flack3/28 "Four Women" by Nina Simone3/29 "Down In Mississippi" by Mavis Staples3/30 "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" by Honey Cone3/31 "Skate To The Rhythm" by High Inergy4/1 "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston4/2 "Half and Half" by Vicki Sue Robinson4/3 "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste Of Honey4/4 "Saturday" by Norma Jean Wright4/5 "Jesus Love Is Like A River" by Gladys Knight4/6 "Encore" by Cheryl Lynn4/7 "Sweet Splendor" by Anita Ward4/8 "Think It Over" by Cissy Houston4/9 "I Am What I Am" by Gloria Gaynor4/10 "I Feel Love" by Donna Summer4/11 "Do You Know Where You're Going To (Theme from Mahogany)" by Diana Ross4/12 "I'm His Child" by Zella Jackson Price4/13 "Slave To The Rhythm" by Grace Jones4/14 "What A Little Moonlight Can Do" by Cassandra Wilson4/15 "Soft Place To Fall" by Deborah Coleman4/16 "Lost In Music" by Sister Sledge4/17 "Back Down Memory Lane" by Minnie Riperton4/18 "I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters4/19 "Where There Is Love" by Patrice Rushen4/20 "Born To Swing" by Lil Hardin4/21 "Hazel's Boogie Woogie" by Hazel Scott4/22 "Hallelujah Boogie Woogie" by Dorothy Donegan4/23 "I Apologize" by Anita Baker4/24 "Cherish The Day" by Sade4/25 "Chain of Fools" by Aretha Franklin4/26 "Plant My Feet On Higher Ground" by The Davis Sisters4/27 "What's Love Got To Do With It" by Tina Turner4/28 "Buffalo Stance" by Nenah Cherry4/29 "This Will Be" by Natalie Cole4/30 "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan5/1 "Party Up In Here" by The Brides of Funkenstein5/2 "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston5/3 "I'll Tell It Wherever I Go" by Sallie Martin5/4 "Paper Thin" by MC Lyte5/5 "U.N.I.T.Y." by Queen Latifah5/6 "Shoop" by Salt-N-Pepa5/7 "Sock It 2 Me" by Missy Elliott & Da Brat5/8 "Satisfaction" by Eve5/9 "Baby-Baby-Baby" by TLC5/10 "Lord, Look Down On Me" by Bessie Griffin5/11 "Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman5/12 "Rhythm Nation" by Janet Jackson5/13 "I Know" by Dionne Farris5/14 "Piano In The Dark" by Brenda Russell5/15 "Say...If You Feel All Right" by Crystal Waters5/16 "Be Without You" by Mary J. Blige5/17 "How I Got Over" by the Clara Ward Singers5/18 "Fa All Y'All" by Da Brat5/19 “Lighters Up” by Lil Kim5/20 “My Story” by Jean Grae5/21 “A Girl Named You” by Psalm One5/22 “Afro Puffs” by The Lady Of Rage5/23 “Heaven Sent” by Keyshia Cole5/24 "Lord Don't Leave Me By Myself" by The Famous Davis Sisters5/25 "Breathe Again" by Toni Braxton5/26 "Don't Let Go" by En Vogue5/27 "Doo-Wop (That Thing) by Lauryn Hill5/28 "I Try" by Macy Gray5/29 "Have You Ever" by Brandy5/30 "Don't Ask My Neighbor" by Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold5/31 "I Thank You Jesus" by Marie Knight6/1 "Didn't Cha Know" by Erykah Badu6/2 "400" by Genesis Blu6/3 "You Could Fall In Love With Me" by Countess Vaughn6/4 "Faithfulness" by Skin6/5 "Betty Shabazz" by Rapsody6/6 "I'd Rather Go Blind" by Koko Taylor6/7 "My God Is A Powerful God" by Sister Souljah6/8 "You Can't Play With My Yo-Yo" by Yo-Yo6/9 "Echelon" by Honeychild Coleman6/10 "Miss Moon" by Cree Summer6/11 "Warrior Bones" by Tamar-kali6/12 "Legacy" by Fefe Dobson6/13 "Running Song" by Ambersunshower6/14 "Psalm 8" by LeJuene Thompson6/15 "Missing You" by Joi6/16 "The World Is A Beat" by N'Dambi6/17 "Turn The Heat Up" by Shemekia Copeland6/18 "Conversion" by Straight Line Stitch6/19 "'86" by Dawn Richard6/20 "I Blame You" by Ledisi6/21 "I Have A Father Who Can" by CeCe Winans6/22 "I'm A Tree" by Imani Coppola6/23 "I Am American" by Shelley Nicole's blaKbüshe6/24 "Let It Burn" by Jazmine Sullivan6/25 "You Can't Be Told" by Valerie June6/26 "Deep Sea Diver" by Angel Haze6/27 "Get Along With You" by Kelis6/28 "Who Feels It Knows It" by Rita Marley6/29 "Transformation" by Nona Hendryx6/30 "Dizzy" by NoName Gypsy7/1 "Emotion" by Destiny's Child7/2 "Yoga" by Janelle Monáe ft. Jidenna7/3 "My Baby" by Zendaya7/4 "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Beyoncé7/5 "Somewhere In My Lifetime" by Phyllis Hyman7/6 "Whip My Hair" by Willow Smith7/7 "Take A Bow" by Rihanna7/8 "1991" by Azealia Banks7/9 "The Night Is Still Young" by Nicki Minaj7/10 "Rock The Boat" by Aaliyah7/11 "Guess Who I Saw Today" by Nancy Wilson7/12 "I'm On Your Side" by Jennifer Holliday7/13 "What A Feeling" by Irene Cara7/14 "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart" by Alicia Keys7/15 "Dreamin'" by Vanessa Williams7/16 "I Decided" by Solange7/17 "I Am" by Leona Lewis7/18 "Complain" by Tweet7/19 "I Believe" by Fantasia Barrino7/20 "Believe In Me" by Michelle Williams7/21 "Stole" by Kelly Rowland7/22 "I Am Changing" by Jennifer Hudson7/23 "Opportunity" by Quvenzhané Wallis

Black Girls Rock

Gentle reminder: If your response to this title is to be offended because what about white girls? Please see yesterday's post.
My songs of the day have featured black women artists since February 1st. Originally it was just going to be all of February. I would commemorate Black History month by giving the songs over to black women.
One reason is that I kept hearing of new artists. I had been keeping a list of names so I could check them out, but it was also because of how I heard of one of them. Really, it was kind of all for Azealia Banks.
The first time I heard of her was related to a feud with Iggy Azalea, who was also new to me. It was not the first time I had heard of cultural appropriation, but something in Banks' words stuck with me - I felt the pain in what she was saying, as well as the logic.
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/24/iggy-azalea-azealia-banks-hip-hop-appropriation-problem
Black Twitter was a big part of that, for the new artists, and the articles, and showing the hypocrisy in some of the attacks, and pointing out how the pictures in the articles used flattering shots of Azalea, but bad ones of Banks. I did a Google image search out of curiosity, and there are lots of good images of Banks out there. There might be copyright issues for some of them, but certainly not all of them.
I mention that to give some context, but also because history repeats. The other black women who seemed to get the most blow back are Nicki Minaj and Rihanna. (Beyoncé gets some too, but it's different.)
Well, recently Rihanna released a new song, "BBHMM", and some "feminist" writers decried the violence against a women but have also recently defended the violence against women in Grand Theft Auto. It may be worth noting that the video features Mads Mikkelsen, who plays a serial killer in "Hannibal" and I haven't heard anyone complaining about that violence.
Then just yesterday Nicki Minaj tweeted a comment (an accurate one) about the VMA's that was not about Taylor Swift. Because Swift nonetheless took it personally (just used to assuming everything is about her I suppose), then Minaj is "taking jabs" at Swift, and look at that! Flattering picture of Swift and unflattering picture of Minaj.
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/22/nicki-minaj-debate-bigger-than-taylor-swifts-ego
One guy tweeted that the attacks on Nicki don't matter in light of Sandra Bland, but it matters a lot, because it's that constant diminishment and erasure of black women that makes it so easy to kill them. They need to be celebrated instead.
So when I started it was to give some credit to Azealia, and to others. I didn't realize how many black women I would find, but I also didn't know how much more important it would seem.
One other incident that resonated was the jab taken by "Fashion Police" at Zendaya:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/zendaya-responds-giuliana-rancics-apology-777728
I'd never heard of Zendaya before either, but looking at the articles and the pictures, she looked beautiful, and well-put together, for both dress and hair. And again, they just couldn't let her have her moment, they needed to drag her down.
Zendaya responded with dignity and class. She could have been a lot nastier about it, chances are she would have been demonized for doing so. There are still people who feel she made too much of a fuss, when she did not fuss.
I was impressed with her, but also impressed with Amandla Stenberg.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/14/amandla-stenberg-cultural_n_7064420.html
She is so educated and poised and thoughtful for her age, and I was amazed by that, but then I remembered that her first entry into the public attention consisted of people angry that Rue was black, and feeling better about her death. I guess she had to learn fast.
http://jezebel.com/5896408/racist-hunger-games-fans-dont-care-how-much-money-the-movie-made
The sad thing is that I don't think that being so well-spoken means that Amandla or Zendaya get less pushback than Nicki or Azealia, who sometimes choose to be more aggressive. Actually, that's only one sad thing. There are lots of things that are sad about all of this.
What I am trying to switch into next week is different things that people can do, and so this was one for me. I could incorporate - into something I do anyway - a focus on black women. I can proclaim that black girls rock.
There are so many good examples.
Mo'ne Davis rocks.
Misty Copeland rocks.
Serena Williams rocks. Venus Williams rocks too.
Bree Newsome rocks.
Ava DuVernay rocks.
There's a lot more. Keep an eye out for them. Protect them. Support them. Let them lean on you. Two movements have leaned on black women for a long time, and they are getting tired. Make this a better world for them. Maybe buy the T-shirt:
http://www.blackgirlsrockinc.com/
Tomorrow: about 175 songs.

Black Girls Are Magic

From yesterday's post, there are a lot of factors that can move you down in the hierarchy. Not being male is a big one of course, and not being white. There is also a specific force of anti-blackness, which puts other non-white colors over black, and favors lighter hues over darker.
I'm not going to spend a lot of time on that. There is a lot of information readily available out there. I have referred to different books and articles in the past, and I will do that again. The point that I really want to get to now is that being a black woman is the bottom rung.
That can be an oversimplification, and we'll hit on that a little more soon. For now, it means that white women can abuse black women and black men can abuse black women, and both can feel free to shush complaints because it's in the service of the greater good. Black women must deal with the combined forces of misogyny and anti-blackness. Moya Bailey coined the term "Misogynoir" for this, so researching that would be a good starting point.
Speaking of oversimplification, if you are not an abuser, then it obviously doesn't mean you. However, if you're first response is to argue whether the abuse even happens, or to assert that you are not personally responsible, that does enable the abuse. It's like correcting Black Lives Matter to All Lives Matter. Of course all lives matter, but there are enough people who find that black lives matter less that it needs to be addressed.
If the title "Black Girls Are Magic" offends you, well, tomorrow's title will also, but it is missing the point. They need their chance to shine, and there are so many obstacles against them.
Look, I have my girls that I watch out for, and most of them are white. I don't care more about Jazmine and Grace than the others; I can't imagine ranking any of them. I do know that if we get a world where they are not constantly being pushed down, then we also will have stopped pushing down all of the others. I would be really grateful for that.
Or maybe it won't be the end. Maybe we'll find that we still have a ways to go on how we treat the handicapped, or that we have gotten really good in the US but that England still needs work (a lot of my girls are English). I still believe that if we actively take on two such destructive forces - misogyny and anti-blackness - that affect so many people, we will be doing great good. The fastest route to that will be loving and appreciating black women.
So here's some stats:
From 2014, the homicide rate for black women was 4.54 per 100,000, compared to 1.81 for women overall.
In 2010, black women were incarcerated at nearly three times the rate of white women.
The prison pipeline starts in school when they are disciplined more severely than white girls for similar offenses.
Despite that, black women lead all groups in college enrollment. They keep earning more advanced degrees.
Despite that, black women still have a hard time getting hired. They get paid less when they get the jobs. The get harassed over their hair, and being too friendly, and being too unapproachable. So black women are also the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in America, creating their own path.
http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2014/02/know-black-women-lead-groups-college-enrollment-watch/http://fortune.com/2015/06/29/black-women-entrepreneurs/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/11/us/school-discipline-to-girls-differs-between-and-within-races.html?_r=0
They do this despite being told that they are ugly, and unfeminine, and being shamed for not hating their bodies enough. If they express emotions they are derided for being "angry black women". If they criticize anything, no matter how deserved, they are "mean". No matter how much information there is about food deserts, stress, and the difficulty of weight loss, they are told they want to be fat.
http://ideas.time.com/2012/05/14/do-black-women-really-want-to-be-fat/
How much more time have sports writers spent focusing on Serena Williams' physical appearance rather than on what an amazing athlete she is?
A lot was made of the casual racism in Daniel Handler's watermelon joke, and it was ignorant, but there is another trend there. If he is such a good friend of Jacqueline Woodson, why couldn't he just celebrate her award and praise her? Why did he have to knock her down in her moment?
It happens all the time, and so many of them do amazing things anyway, but what would they be able to do if they weren't hampered? And for some of the ones who are just hanging on now, what would they be able to do?
And if we had the kind of society where we didn't impede them, or each other, what would that be like?
http://teespring.com/blackgirlmagic3

Cosby and patriarchy

I have a hard time explaining my feelings regarding Bill Cosby being a rapist.
I actually didn't watch "The Cosby Show" regularly, and while I did watch "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids", I don't have really strong memories of it. Where the memories come from are his comedy records: Why Is There Air, Bill Cosby Himself, and To My Brother Russell, Whom I Slept With.
We listened to his records all the time growing up. We are a quoting family too, and we would quote sections of his routines. There are still phrases that bring them back to mind, and in the past I would have said it aloud, and now I can't. It's completely ruined. I mainly feel disgust, and it feels like there is something else there. Mourning the loss would make sense, but it doesn't really seem to be that.
It might be because I had some preparation. I had heard the rumors a few years ago, when there weren't as many women coming forward. I was pretty sure it was true, but it just didn't come up that often. I know a lot of people had a "shock" stage, and I didn't. Maybe I was ready for it even before that, because my disillusionment had already started with the cranky old man.
You probably remember that Cosby, the one who was always telling black people to pull their pants up and speak proper English, regardless of how many there were who were already well dressed and educated and still not catching a break. That happened ages before I was even familiar with the phrase "respectability politics" but then when I did learn about it, it all made sense.
I have been thinking about this for two reasons. One is a Facebook exchange with a friend, where again I find that I can't fully explain my feelings, so there is this concern that I am missing something, but not a lot of desire to dwell on him.
In addition, looking over the deposition where the drug procurement is acknowledged, someone commented that it reads exactly like someone who never considered that women are human. So much of patriarchy boils down to who gets to be completely human.
I don't love that term, because "patriarch" has some positive connotations for me. I generally use "hierarchy" when I can, but the one we have is patriarchal in nature, and you can't have a serious discussion without acknowledging that.
The reason "hierarchy" resonates more for me is because it connotes more of the multi-level structure. In a patriarchy it could just be that men led, and it could be familial, but the structure that we have has multiple tiers where sexuality, race, wealth, health, and age, matter in addition to gender. That puts a lot more people not on top, but then they can still believe they are not on the absolute bottom, and some people really get off on that.
I don't know that it has to be inherently abusive, but that's how it comes out. It is interesting today that there is a big story about a site that is used for cheating being hacked, as well as two Gawker editors resigning because a story outing an adulterer was pulled.
I hate adultery, but the people involved in this are not heroes, if for no other reason than because it is so common to use sex as a means of social control. That is how you get slut-shaming and rape threats and catcallers who tell you it's a compliment but ignore the times incidents result in physical assaults.
It is interesting to me how quickly rape fantasies come to conservatives. The first time I noticed it was with Bill Napoli, back in 2006, but then Phil Robertson had one just a few months ago regarding an atheist family. Of course, the emphasis there was on the father's anguish, just like Stephen A Smith couldn't de-center himself from the thought of a relative of his being sexually harassed. When women are accessories to men, then women can be used as a means of punishment, as well as functioning as a status symbol. Remember, Dylan Roof said "You rape our women", even though he did not have a woman, and the woman who supposedly sent him on his dark path did so by choosing a black man of her own volition.
I know that seems all mixed together, but it becomes part of the same thing. If it comes out at some point that Josh Duggar was molested, I will not be surprised. I could even feel sympathy for him, though not as much as for his victims.
But I wouldn't be surprised, because the system that is in place, and which some people fight so hard to keep in place, is one that encourages people to deny the humanity of anyone "below" them. That fosters abuse.
If people in the middle tiers can decide that stepping on others is not only vile but also not worth getting stepped on, maybe we can get somewhere.
Related posts:
http://sporkful.blogspot.com/2014/07/stephen-smith-again.html
http://sporkful.blogspot.com/2015/07/more-on-being-woman-in-comics.html

Concert Review: House Of Lightning

 
House Of Lightning played second on the bill. This was Torche drummer Rick Smith's other band, playing with Henry Wilson and Eric Hernandez.
Wilson has also played with Torche's Steve Brooks in Floor, and this was the band where the sound was most similar to Torche. I have seen House Of Lightning listed as Art Metal, but I believe fans of classic rock would enjoy them. They remind me at times of Led Zeppelin, especially on "Downbeat Situation".
There is a level of detail in the guitar playing that almost belies the aggression of the beat. You could bang your head to it, and the crowd was largely keeping time with their heads and feet. Check out "Wheels I-II-III" for a sense of that.
Perhaps because the members are involved in other projects it explains the lack of a strong online presence. While I have multiple links, the Bandcamp site is for the label, there is only one tweet (a re-tweet), and the links they have to the MySpace site just take you to the main page, though you can find content with some searching. (Plus, it's MySpace.) 
The Facebook page is probably the best source of information at this time. I put up what I could find.
Check them out if you get a chance.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/House-of-Lightning/196769132312
https://myspace.com/lightningof/music/songs
https://fairwarningrecords.bandcamp.com/track/house-of-lightning-more-lights-more-trails
https://twitter.com/Lightning0001

Concert Review: Nasalrod

Nasalrod is a Portland rock band, and opened the show at Dante's.
They played a solid rock show, with an air of not taking it too seriously. Lead vocalist Chairman did many jumps and kicks - actually more than seemed necessary - but it looked like they were having a good time, and we were too. Later, listening to both a regular recording and a live recording, there is definitely more energy in the live shows, and their performing style is probably a part of that. Perhaps it frees up the others to concentrate on playing, which they did well.
Initially I was aware of only a 2012 EP, Steward, and then a Live In PDX 2.3.15 CD that I picked up at the show. Since the two have some overlapping songs, it was easy to compare. I have since also found another EP, On A Trainset, available via Bandcamp. It comes from 2011, and I would probably have to say it's weirder, but I liked it.
There is a good selection of music available online via different sites. "Hype" may be the most noteworthy song, not only referring to the concept of hype, but also invoking it with the tempo changes and effects. However, I think my favorites were probably "Hello Ello" and "What D'ya Say?".
The band shows several dates scheduled in August, and is worth seeing live.
http://www.nasalrod.com/
https://www.facebook.com/nasalrod
http://nasalrod.bandcamp.com/
https://www.reverbnation.com/NASALROD
https://soundcloud.com/nasalrod
https://twitter.com/nasalrod

More on being a woman in comics

As long as I'm putting stuff out here, I was also irritated about that Jeremy Renner/Chris Evans interview, and then Renner's follow-up:
http://www.polygon.com/2015/5/5/8552979/avengers-black-widow-slut-shaming-jeremy-renner
There are many internet articles out there about it, but one thing I like about this one is that it specifies that the movies don't show Natasha being involved with anyone. There are flirtations, and there are fans of certain pairings, but there is no sex.
Renner's refusal to take it back focuses on sex, but it's non-existent. If any team member should be called "slut", it's Tony. It speaks to the double-standard that Natasha would be judged differently than Tony for the same behavior, but there isn't even equivalent behavior. So let's go back to the first interview.
The interviewer mentions the fans being invested in Natasha being with either Steve or Clint, and now the movie seemed to be pairing her with Bruce, and asked about that.
Renner: "She's a slut."(Big laughter from Evans)Evans: Or something along that line. Complete whore.Renner: Tramp, man.Evans: Slut.
The interviewer then said that whatever happens in the films, she will always be the sidekick, and they said something about leading them on, and then they moved on, because it wasn't important. Renner's defense has partially been that this is a fictional character so it's stupid to get mad over it. Well, I think there might be a few points.
First of all, they are not calling Natasha a slut for sleeping with her team members, but for not sleeping with them. That happens in real life. Guys call women they want and don't get sluts. Girls label other girls sluts when they are mad at them, regardless of sexual activity levels. It is a word used to keep social controls in place, which is reason enough not to use it. I am aware that some women adopt the word in order to fight it, like with slut walks, but how the word gets used is reason enough for any man to consider striking it from his vocabulary because there is a really strong probability that any time he uses it he is being an ass.
The interesting thing to me was that there appeared to be a feeling that if Natasha flirted with them, then she should be committed to more. I detected a sense of ownership. Again, this is something that happens in the real world. Fictional characters can show us things about the world, both within the context of their stories and in our reactions to them, so I don't think it should be dismissed so lightly.
However, it's going to take a pretty ugly turn that I will save for Monday. For now, let's leave with some words from another fictional character.
"It's kind of a double-edged sword, isn't it? Well if you say you haven't, you're a prude. If you say you have, you're a slut. It's a trap. You want to but you can't, and when you do you wish you didn't, right? Or are you a tease?"
- Allison Reynolds, The Breakfast Club

Being a woman in comics

I follow a lot of people in comics, so this last week was pretty exciting as people tweeted from San Diego Comic Con.
The announcement that I found the most intriguing was actually a misunderstanding. There are new Blade and Squirrel Girl comics coming out, but separately. I wasn't sure how that team-up would work.
What has been sticking with me more is the question of diversity. There are starting to be more diverse characters, but they are still overwhelmingly being written by white men, especially with the bigger publishing houses.
There are many white male writers that I love, and I am glad they get work (though it doesn't really apply to any of the titles I have been reading about). I am actually not even going to focus as much on writers of color here, though there are points that can be made.
There are two things that are reinforced by the announcements. One is that it doesn't look like there is much effort being made in terms of recruiting a broader base of writers, which means that very talented people who are having a hard time breaking in will probably continue to struggle.
The other thought is how badly they get it wrong sometimes. A good writer should be able to write all types of different characters - I believe that - but then they shouldn't be getting it so wrong.
This comes partly from an article posted on a discussion board, and the discussion that followed:
http://io9.com/why-do-we-care-so-much-about-what-female-superheroes-we-1573674640
There is some good information there, and good links. I love the story about Kamala Khan adjusting her costume, and it's pertinent. First I want to go to one of the comments in the discussion group. She (a woman, yes, but one who posted a lot of criticism of feminists) said that it was a practical thing for the women to wear sexy costumes because it would distract the bad guys and give them an edge. Another poster indicated that this reasoning was used in a book, possibly by Power Girl.
I have seen this argument too, somewhere else, over fifteen years ago. There was this guy who wrote Wonder Woman fan fiction. "Fan" may be an overstatement, because every single story had her being raped. Before that she would enjoy turning guys on, after that she might want to act it out, but in the middle she was raped. (Unless he wrote about her sister, Wonder Girl - then she would be raped instead.) That writer also had Wonder Woman reason that she had to wear skimpy clothes to distract the bad guys.
I think one reason he liked that is because then it made her kind of conniving. It went along with her being so slutty - because she may not have liked the rape but she sure did like it rough, and doing it in play.
I didn't think much of him, so I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about his reasoning, but I have a few thoughts now.
One of them is that I think you'll find that most rape victims would not find playing games about it sexy. That he could write that indicates that he didn't know much about it.
I have thought more about the costumes now, and this is where we come back to Kamala's story - those costumes are impractical. Hopefully you wouldn't want a teenage girl to be that sexy anyway, but outfits that are going to ride up or slip down are really annoying. A woman planning her crime-fighting outfit would think about that.
One problem with the other justification is that her thoughts are centered on her enemies instead of herself. Another is the assumption that she'll be fighting straight men. It's a bad strategy, and one that seems a lot more likely coming from a man. It disrespects the fact that she already has super strength or training or some trait that is her edge.
Maybe the biggest problem is that it sounds fake and stupid, almost as if that were not the reason at all, but a belated attempt to justify objectification.
I'm still not saying a man can't write women, but if he was at least working with more women, he might have a better idea of what they would do and wear. If you hired more women and more people of color, including women of color, that could raise everyone's game.
And maybe a story about a woman could actually be about her, instead of a projection centered on men.
Here are some excellent posts about racial diversity aspects:
http://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2015/07/08/the-white-privilege-white-audacity-and-white-priorities-of-strange-fruit-1/http://comicstheblog.com/2015/07/10/on-1872-1/
Just for nostalgia:
http://sporkful.blogspot.com/2013/04/not-only-about-misogyny-in-comics.html

Quick update

I've been trying to build my way to a point with these last few posts, but there are always other things going on and I am really distracted, so I should probably get those out of the way.
1. I am writing more books.2. I am printing my books.
I am especially distracted by it now because the print proofs are here.
I knew that there were printing options available for self-publishing, but I thought it was something where I would have to pre-order a quantity, with some cost outlay. I don't have the budget for that, and it's hard to believe that it would be a wise move regardless. I finally checked it out though, and they do print on demand. When the books are ready, you will be able to order a single copy for a reasonable price.
This is kind of amazing from a technology standpoint, but it is also helpful because I really wanted my mother to read the books, which was never going to happen online. Printing three manuscripts on a home printer didn't sound like a great idea, but print shops charged way more than was justifiable. Without any fancy options it was still coming out between $60-80 per manuscript. The proofs are between $2 and 3 each, so this is better.
The process, through https://www.createspace.com/ is pretty easy. The cover options available for the electronic versions - through https://kdp.amazon.com/ - are better, but CreateSpace packages services like professional cover help, so you can go that route, but it will cost you. (Budget issues already covered.)
Right now, just glancing at them, Cara looks pretty good, Family Ghostsshould be a little darker but is okay, and Family Blood looks terrible. I need to see what I can do about that. I am technically still in my slow learning stage. The next area of investigation will be recording the books as a sound file. I suspect there are different cost levels there as well.
I am also writing more books.
When I published Cara, I didn't think it would go far, but it gave me a chance to learn the ropes and I liked that the book could have a chance again after all these years. Cara has been the best seller by a long shot.
I'm not sure why that is -  maybe the vampire market has been saturated and LDS fiction is not - but it reminded me of something. Before the rejection letters came, I'd had other books planned. There were at least four pretty well plotted out, with another possible two, all taking place between the singles wards in Portland and Eugene.
These are not direct sequels like the Family Blood series. Actually, Cara herself will be a minor character in Morgan. If you remember Brian, he is more central to this one. Elaine is Morgan's sister, but even so, those are both standalone stories. And for the other one set in Portland, I'm not even sure that there would be any connections to the Eugene crew, but there could be. It is not uncommon for students in Eugene to graduate and move, and Portland is a place that they sometimes end up.
I was worried before about the age of the book, because so much has changed since I wrote it. I'm embracing that now. I can look back at the songs and the movies I had in mind, and I realized when they are set. So while it was never mentioned in the book, Cara met Ben in 1993. Morgan will start in 1992, but most of the action will take place in 1996. People will start getting cell phones and using e-mail more, going at the pace I remember.
So this may be the time to call me a sell-out, as I am making a decision on what to write at least partially due to sales figures. They were still stories that were important to me; they just went dormant for a while.
And I'm not leaving behind Sarah and the band. Family Reunion is on the way too.
I'm not sure what to do with Claudia yet, but I will figure it out.

Concert Review: Torche

I have finally seen Torche live. It was on the list.
For full disclosure, although I listen to Torche I am not really visually familiar with them, and I had no prior knowledge of the other bands. Dante's is not a large venue, so  I saw some members and was pretty sure it was them, but I also wasn't sure what order the bands were playing in. Therefore, as Torche took the stage I was still not certain they were Torche. Then they started playing.
The music hit me, setting off vibrations down my throat and into my gut, and yeah, that's them.
It was still revelatory to see them play.
Watching bassist Jonathan Nuñez waiting to go on, he reminded me a little of Tom Morello - a little bit for physical resemblance but much more for the sense of pent up energy below the surface.
That feeling remained when he took center stage, but it was then surprising when he began to play with so much fluidity. His arms and neck were loose! Taking in the whole scene I saw that guitarists Andrew Elstner and Steve Brooks also had similar playing styles. There is a tightness and hardness to the sound that was not visible. The wall of rock still blasts you audibly, but you see much more flow than you would expect of sludge. And I didn't expect that, but amazing me is what they always do anyway, so it fit.
I did not have a good view of drummer Rick Smith for most of their set, but I have a picture of him from the House of Lighting set immediately before. I need to give him credit for that. The only other musician I have known to tour with himself is Steve Perry when he does both White Hot Odyssey and Cherry Poppin' Daddies.
It was a really good show all around, so I would be glad I was there anyway, but it was Torche I'd been waiting for and they did not disappoint.
Seeing them is a thrill.
http://www.torchemusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/torcheofficial
https://www.youtube.com/user/RelapseRecords
https://twitter.com/torcheband
Previous review:http://sporkful.blogspot.com/2014/02/band-review-torche.html