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Sound Check: August 2008

News and reviews of queer women in music.

August is all about Jennifer O’Connor. As a hard-working woman who seems to be constantly on the road, her current summer tour has her playing several new songs from her latest album, Here With Me, which will be released Aug. 19 on Matador Records. (Her label mates include Cat Power, the New Pornographers, and queer couple Matmos, so you know she’s in good company.) After sleeping for 11 hours after her Chicago tour stop, the out singer-songwriter obliged me with a phone interview.

“I kind of like it – it gives people an unbiased reflection of the songs,” O’Connor said of playing the new tunes on the road. The unbiased opinion has to be positive: The title track is an optimistic one that really sets the tone for the rest of the album. “We’ve got a lot of time to get this right,” she sings lightly. It’s just one of the songs about her current happiness, part of which has to do with her being in love.

An artist who has been relatively under the radar, O’Connor has always been out, but her sexuality is a little more visible with this album – literally. The cover of Here With Me is a photograph of O’Connor nuzzling her girlfriend (who sings and plays harmonica on the album as well).

“That actually happened really kind of naturally,” she said of the album cover. “I’ve always been very open, and for some reason it just happened [that] a friend took a picture of us and she said, ‘This is so great. People love it!’ And I loved it, and I think it was appropriate for this record. I guess I put a little more focus on that, and it seemed like a good, natural thing that happened.”

Jennifer O’Connor

In between her tours, O’Connor will be shooting her first ever music video, and she hopes that she’ll be reaching more of the queer crowd, as she has yet to be recognized as a peer to other “lesbian singer-songwriters.”

“I think I have avoided it in some ways, literally,” she said, “but, I mean, I’m gay and I’m completely comfortable with that, but it’s never been a thing that’s been related to what I do musically. It didn’t seem relevant. With this record, it just kind of happened.”

Until she’s discovered by a queer fan base, she’ll stay on the road. Her hopes for the new album are simply for people to “hear some joy in it.”

“It’s about falling in love, and I’m very happy,” O’Connor said. As if we couldn’t tell from the album cover.

Releases Reviewed

Besides O’Connor’s album of lesbian love, August boasts a lot of other Sapphic songs – and they are pretty diverse musically.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been into the softer side of things this summer, but it’s really hard for me to take Team Gina seriously. I just can’t get into their shtick. The duo’s tongue-in-cheek album, Products of the ’80s, is funny enough for a one-time listen, but after that, it’s completely forgettable.

 

Gina Genius and Gina Bling rap about pop culture as well as serious issues such as gender roles and equality, so they’re kind of like a queer novelty act, especially with their matching neon outfits. If you like funny songs that rhyme, I recommend “Wife-Swapping,” which is about the feeling that there are only “12 lesbians” in the world. One hilarious line: “Six degrees of separation? That’s for straight people!” Funny lesbian truths: check. Good music: not so much.

Team Gina

Perhaps I’m just not that into it because Gina Genius, née Gina Young, is so much better on her own, when she’s being more serious. Trading in her keyboard for a guitar on her solo album 3AM Voice, Young sings with an earnest quality in the same vein of the Murmurs and Tegan and Sara. It might be a little more lo-fi, but I find it endearing and all the more real on love songs like “Quantum Physics and Me.”

Gina Young

Both Team Gina and Gina Young are engineered by queer producer Radio Sloan, but I have to say her work can’t help Products of the ’80s be any less hokey. However, 3AM has a great sound quality that is surely care of both the artist and her producer.

A totally different kind of sound is coming from Minneapolis’ Sick of Sarah, whose debut self-titled album comes out Aug. 12. The all-girl queer pop-rock quintet recently won the Emerging Artist Award at Summerfest in Milwaukee, as voted by fans.

Sick of Sarah

I must admit, the band’s name made me think they might be somewhat dark and super punk, but their album is a pleasant and polished surprise. Harmonies, rounds and upbeat “ahhs” will win you over if you like optimistic songs. Even the lyrics, such as “I’m not writing this love song for you,” sound as happy-go-lucky as the album’s opener (and first single), “Daisies.”

Dueling vocals from frontwoman Abisha Uhl and backup vocalist/guitarist Katie Murphy are entertaining, especially on fast-paced tracks like “Not Listening.” Sick of Sarah have taken Breeders-esque rock and infected it with a pinch more pop to make their music accessible, and I don’t mind it at all. Neither will you if you like all-girl bands that play radio-ready music.

Also out this month: Uh Huh Her‘s Common Reaction (look for a feature on the band and their album later in August), CSS‘ Donkey, Mirah‘s The Old Days Feeling.

 

News and Notes

Gossip: Live in Liverpool will make its world television premiere on Logo on Aug. 6 at 7 p.m. EST.

A new book from Chronicle Books has several contributions from queer musicians. Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls: How to Start a Band, Write Songs, Record an Album, and Rock Out! includes a foreword from Carrie Brownstein and how-to articles by Beth Ditto and the Butchies’ Kaia Wilson.

In conjunction with Janis Ian’s new Best of Janis Ian album, the legendary lesbian singer has published her autobiography, Society’s Child.

Amanda Palmer has released a video for a single from her upcoming September release, Who Killed Amanda Palmer? She’s also keeping a web video blog diary at her MySpace page until the album comes out.

Panda & Angel (whose frontwoman Carrie Murphy is an out lesbian) were chosen as demo of the week by BBC Radio 1 in July. They are currently recording a follow-up to their debut album.

Panda & Angel

Out lesbian musician (and former drummer of the Go-Gos) Gina Schock has co-written the title track for Miley Cyrus’ new album Breakout. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

San Francisco band Excuses for Skipping has released a hot new video for their new song, “Decision to Be Normal.”

“Decision To Be Normal” by Excuses for Skipping:

On tour: Melissa Etheridge, Team Gina, CSS, Sia, Hercules and Love Affair

 

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