I conceived and wrote the timeline below. (It continues at the bottom of the next several pages.

)
Nikkie McLeod began her relationship the way many of us haveby responding to a Craigslist posting. But instead of an awkward first date, a sloppy roommate or a one-night stand, she got a band. A kickass band. A kickass lady band: Telenovela Star. McLeod says she knew right away that the group belonged together. We really communicated well musically. As soon as I sat down and started to play, it just made sense, says the 31-year-old drummer. When McLeod saw the Craigslist posting for an all-girl band, she had just moved to New York City, had no Internet access and was therefore unable to learn the songs that the other two women had sent her. We basically had to jam, she says. Good thing were all really good at jamming. By the end of the session, everyone on stage agreed that the trio was great together. Centered on McLeods heavy drumming, the screaming guitar and vocals of Maggie Argyros and the sexy bass and vocals of Hanna Klein, Telenovela Star was born. While deciding to become a band came easily, finding a name seemed to drag on. It was becoming a problem that we didnt have a name, says McLeod, explaining that the band wanted to perform but still didnt know what to call itself. The struggle to find a name that embodied the group continued until one fateful day when Argyros began talking about the telenovelas that were always playing at her local laundromat. How about Telenovela? Argyros asked, interrupting herself. But the name was already taken by a Chicago band. Well then, how about Telenovela Star? McLeod says the name just clicked, adding that it fit because the group can be sort of dramatic sometimes. The drama is obvious in photos of the band. With their stylish wardrobes and windblown hair, the edgy New York girls photos look like an Urban Outfitters catalogue spread, or perhaps an advertisement for a real telenovela. When asked who each of the band members would play if they were actual telenovela stars, McLeod gets thoughtful. UmI guess Id be the gay cousin, she says, laughing. And Maggie might be the drama queen. Oh God, shell kill me for that. And Hanna, well shed be the mellow, stable person. Do they even have that on the show? We agree they must, but can only come up with Brandon from Beverly Hills 90210 as a possible example. While none of the band members are Latina, and no one is likely to star in an actual telenovela, the group members represent a variety of cultures: Guitarist Maggie Argyros family is from Greece, but she was raised in New York City; bass player Hanna Klein is from Romania; and Nikkie McLeod is from Trinidad and Tobago. Despite their international backgrounds, there is nothing world music about their sound. You can hear the influence of the Pixies and PJ Harvey more than Mediterranean guitar riffs or African drum beats, but McLeod says that even if its not recognizable at first, each band member brings her own background to the music. Its just ingrained in our psyche, she says. Their music is as diverse as they are. Telenovela Stars 2007 album, Love, Lust, Sci-fi and Monsters, is about everything from dating to Dr. Who. Selfreleased, the album transcends garage-band quality and has a polished studio sound. McLeod says the album (available on iTunes) is doing pretty well, but they arent becoming millionaires off the project. Actually, she adds, wed like to sell a lot more. n

Something Up Her Sleeve

Liz Stahler is not just a gal with a guitarshes already earned significant recognition as a performer and recording artist. Her first fulllength album, Stitches in My Sleeve, and the subsequent tour has officially put her on the map. Throughout her high school years, and even earlier, she was writing songs and performing at open mic venues in her hometown. As a 19-yearold college sophomore, Stahler began receiving offers to open for artists such as Dan Bern, Kris Delmhorst and Pamela Means. I seemed to keep getting these big opportunities and I wasnt sure I was ready for them. I just decided to go with it, she says. After graduation, she immediately began working on Stitches. Following the albums release, she toured aggressively, nationwide. Stahler has been out since high school and even had the opportunity to speak publicly to her graduating class about being gay. However, she says that as she began her formal career as a musician, she received advice to keep her sexuality under wraps. I decided to be myself, she said. I just started mentioning being a lesbian as part of my onstage banter. It didnt seem to affect her audiences opinion of her music. I think every artist wants to think they have universal appeal, but I do feel that there is a broad appeal to my music. While Stahlers sexuality may be out in the open, it is only a side note to her brilliant songwriting and the honesty in her voice, which strikes a mainstream chord. Her voice is a blend of classic folk and intelligent sophistication. It is completely uncontrived. The songs on Stitches are achingly beautiful in their lyrical simplicity. Stahlers music calls to mind a time and place you just cant seem to remember, but are certain you once knew. Amanda Quraishi

OppOsite page: Matthew ROdgeRs; this page: FROM the cOllectiOn OF chRis albeRtsOn/paRaMOuntshOMe.ORg (Rainey)

Hot Moments in Rock

Our totally incomplete timeline of lez-rock. By Jonanna Widner Some are underlooked, some are forgotten, others are pinned up on walls around the world: They are the bitchin ladies who have rocked our queer little pop music worlds over the years. From the big-voiced blues belters to groundbreaking folkies to distortionsoaked punks, there are too many, in fact, to fit into a single timeline without creating some kind of 700,000-word en-dyke-lopedia. So weve crunched and condensed the history of lezzie music icons into a timeline of selected highlights. We may tease em here and there, but we give them all props for changing the world and giving a new generation room to rock.

1923

Short-haired and big-bootied blues legend Bessie Smith records Downhearted Blues, in which she substitutes female pronouns for male when referring to a romantic partner.

1928

Smith is upstaged by Ma Rainey, who challenges critics to Prove It on Me. Really, though, not all that much proving needs to be done, considering the lyrics read Went out last night with a crowd of my friends/They must have been women, cause I dont like no men.

July/August 2008 | 47

smashing the gender divide

Electro-pop artist Nicky Click is femme-tastic and proud of it. By Jonanna Widner
It was around 9 p.m. in a brightly lit pizza joint in tony burg of Santa Fe, N.M. Not exactly the type of spot where youd expect to find a postmodern, PC-wielding, punk-dance princess. But then, Nicky Click is nothing if not unpredictable. So, amidst the calls of Order up! Click took the stage alone, her high heels clacking across the makeshift performance space. Scantily clad in a tight dress, she crooned her singsong melodies insistently, almost pouting. She never broke stride, even when fiddling around with her only source for backup music: a glitchy laptop churning out freaky, funky homemade beats. That was Click then, a couple of years back, on tour promoting her debut album, Youre Already a Member, in pizza places and at backyard parties. Member is a deliciously unbaked mix of rudimentary beats and tunes that eschews traditional song structure for catchy, melodic lines. It is a simple album, rough around the edges, but by no means simplistic. Yeah, that first album is a kind of documentation, in that I was putting something out there I was still learning to do, Click explains. A lot of it was very empowering for me. I was like, why the fuck cant I put this out there? I dont need to be a master at these programs. Of course, if you keep doing something, you end up getting good at it. Sure enough, three years later, Click has released her second disc, Im on My Cell Phone. Certainly, her sophomore effort features some of the same off-kilter dance-centric beats and hypnotic vocal stylings that Member has. But its clear that Click has honed her programming and beat-making skills. Members loosey-goosey, onthe-fly charm is replaced by tighter, more expert grooves. Its a loss of DIY innocence, but also a musical coming of age. Its surprising that Click has chosen bits and bytes as her medium, rather than more traditional forms. Yet shes chosen nouveau disco as her style, she says, because a lot of [queer artists] have a lot to say, and the best way to get that across is in a fun way. The beats may have shifted, but Clicks themes of sex, heartbreak and social issues are still all there, wrapped in frilly (but not frivolous) swaths of femme queer politics. I have always identified as femme, Click says. Even before I knew the word existed, I have always felt extremely feminine, to the point I felt like a drag queenyou dont see a whole lot of femme women performing. The stars of queer music, from Grammy winners to underground icons, are mainly medium-to-stone butches. Its odd, but its a manifestation of straight sexism that bleeds into the queer realm: feminine ladies, even if they are queer, are still are not taken seriously. But with a quick swivel of her ankle, Click smashes that borrowed institution under her stilettoed heel. I use this specific representation for my own purposes, to the point where I perform my gender, she says. My dance moves, my presentations, my lyrics speak to all of that, to an empowered, over-the-top representation of what femininity actually is. n

Best of the Rest: Coming Soon @Curvemag.com

Melange Lavonne: Shes a hip-hop hottie, a triple threat (actor, musician, lesbian!), and her new CD, The Movement, is on constant rotation in our office. Christina Havrilla: The first single off this Philly singers new album, Velocity, celebrated 14 weeks on Sirius Satellite Radios Hot 20 chart. We know why: Its raw and simple and wonderful and one of our teams new lezbot loves. Lori Michaels: Her live shows are the stuff of lesbian legend, and the title of her CD, Living My Life Out Loud, says it all. I was singing from a personal experience, says Michaels, a relationship gone bad. Im sure weve all trusted someone in our life that turned out to be totally untrustworthy. This song speaks out about that while trying to offer the empowerment to truly move on, trust yourself and just be who you are. Say it again, sister! Ashleigh Flynn: Shes cute and smokey and pure lesbian Americana. Her new CD, American Dream, is even better than the last. Find out her take on down-home fun. Laurie Deane: If youve never seen this female Rod Stewart flip her mane across a Palm Springs stage, you havent lived. Her new CD, Live, offers up a few great covers, including You Can Leave Your Hat On. Meg Hutchinson: Her label debut Come Up Full is sweet, sorrowful and devastating, and stays with you for days. Find out more about this Boston babe. Check out many more of our exclusive interviews this fall with Julie Fucking Potter, Virago, Mary Gautier, Malia McGuiness and Sara Bettens.

Courtney trouble (CliCk), Douglas sonDers (MiChaels), Peter CunninghaM (ian), Cynthia MaCaDaMs (WilliaMson)

1953

Doris Day dons a rawhide suit and mans tie in Calamity Jane, a musical film that features the song Once I Had a Secret Love, to which 68 percent of closeted Eisenhower-era lesbians reply, Yeah, well, no shit.

1963

Dusty Springfield launches her solo career and exudes the essence of blue-eyed soul with her intense, erotic voice. She comes out as bisexual in 1970, about a year after releasing her masterpiece, Dusty in Memphis. Swoon.

1969

The Chicago Womens Liberation Rock Band and its New Haven, Conn., counterpart are born. Later they release Mountain Moving Day, a collection of non-assaultive joyful rock music. You just know the rehearsal space reeked of patchouli.

1970ish1980ish

Cris Williamson, Margie Adam, Alix Dobkin, Janis Ian, etc.: Acoustic guitars, heartfelt lyrics, jean jackets. Any questions?

July/August 2008 | 49

After the release of her fourth studio album, Dreaming of Revenge, and given her recent collaborations with Tegan and Sara and the Foo Fighters, and her work on the score for Sean Penns film Into the Wild, we might excuse 28year-old guitar phenomenon Kaki King if visions of fame and fortune are dancing in her head. The decidedly focused and humble artist, whose answer to the question about her favorite part of being a musician is, the music, speaks to the fundamentally pure desire to enjoy her art and form of expression, simply because it is what she loves. The cerebral, experimental, constantly on tour, indefinable and primarily instrumental musician, and out lesbian, speaks about her current album, her expectations, being an American on the road and, for good measure, revenge.
The albums title is Dreaming of Revenge. Are there instances when you dream of revenge?

same and are disappointed when something changes. They like that I sound different, that I experiment. Theyre so into the music, theyre curious to see where I take it.
Is your goal to sell hundreds of thousands of albums?

Youve said the film The Lives of Others is a source of inspiration for you.

People dont sell albums anymore. Thats changed. I really want to continue what Im doing, playing solo internationally, making good albums All the people who are so popular right now are one day going to be doing a nostalgia tour. Everything changes. I dont worry about the commercial aspect. I try to have good shows and make good albums.
Youve traveled a lot over the last several years. Hows the international sentiment toward Americans right now?

I think it was the relationship between playwright and actress. It mirrored a relationship I was having. Sometimes I felt like the actress, sometimes the playwrightthe push and pull, the intensity, it just got to me. And how moved the spy was by their love, that it actually changed him, and then he died in real life. I was a mess when I found out. I was like, This is why sometimes in life we dream of revenge. n

Its taken from a quote by [the painter Paul] Gauguin. Its funny really, Im not a vengeful person. Its somewhat tongue-in-cheek. There are those times you look back and wonder how life could have been different.
Is there any pressure putting out an album, now that youre more established?

Louis Teran (king), CourTesy BLaCkhearT reCords (jeTT), MeLodie MCdanieLs (sMiTh)

Its funny, when I was putting out my second album I remember saying, This is so important, this is the most important album Ill ever make, and my producer looked at me and said, You could say that about every album. There is that danger of overthinking everything. Ive tried to let that go, stay in the moment more and make it about the music.
Are you worried about expectations?

People understand that Im not a hot-dog-eating fat Republican. They get that Im a musician. They wonder about those people, if I know any of them [laughs]. I say no. America is huge, there are 300 million people. If certain regions like Kansas City and the Midwest spoke a different language, they would be considered a different country. Theres 20 million Dutch, 60 million Italians, theyre all talking crap about each other. Its easier to identify a typical Dutch person because of the size of the country. Americans are so different, they kind of take you at face value. Theres no united international consensus against America.

Not really. My fans have sort of learned to expect the unexpected with me. My fans are music freaks. They love 500 different musicians and Im one of them. They are not the type to listen to three bands that all sound the

Guitar phenomenon Kaki King dreams of revenge. By Hilary Kyle

all hail the queen

197779
Suzi Quatro enters the American consciousness with a recurring spot on Happy Days as the fringe-bedecked rocker Leather Tuscadero. OK, Quatro eventually marries a man, but her shagged-out mullet, leather jumpsuit and tomboy tude inspire a generation of young queer ladies.

1975

Patti Smith releases her version of the Van Morrison classic Gloria. She amends the lyrics to mention the object of her lust: Oh, she looks so good/oh, she looks so fine/humpin on the parkin meter, which critics agree is weird, but hot.

1981

Joan Jett slings her Gibson low and releases I Love Rock n Roll, drowning out the folkies of the past. Over the years, her hard-charging riffs and general rockitude do the impossible, uniting pre-riot grrrls and cell phone salesmen in mutual fist-pumping adoration.

July/August 2008 | 51

to show them we belonged on their stage. And we rocked out, says IQ. The promoters invited them back the next year. Making connections outside of hip-hop venues is typical for KIN. The duo regularly performs at the Knitting Factory, one of New Yorks underground rock venues. Usually performing as a duo, KIN has added a backup band for some performances. Despite its cross-genre appeal, the band has yet to acquire a major record deal. Currently publishing under their own label, NorIq (pronounced nor-eek), the band has released three albums. Right now, theyre working on a new mixed tape titled Street Rock, a term KIN coined to describe their amalgam of R&B, rap and rock. On a small budget, KIN (kin4life.com) has managed to deliver amazing rhymes, but the work is not as polished as many mainstream albums. At times the songs are thoughtful, witty and comedic, but the quality of the recordings doesnt match their live performances, which are pure energy. The duo begins a Pride Festival tour in June and has a smattering of performances on the East Coast this spring. KINs lack of success in mainstream music naturally could be attributed to the current role of women in hip-hop and the industrys fear of powerful women. Gone are the days, when under a major record label, women could wear what they wanted, say what they wanted and dance the way they wanted. While there are a few female lyricists who represent the smart, sassy side of womanhood, the industry seems to have regressed since the early 90s. KIN could help to create a revival, but its going to need a lot more money and a little more experience to bring about a complete resurrection of the golden age of female rap. n

Lauren DeRose keeps on truckin. By Abby Schwartz

broken,
Weve all had days where we feel like weve been hit by a truck. But for San Diego musician Lauren DeRose of LDR & the Kates, this was quite literally the case when three weeks before the release of her debut album, Broken, Sweet, she was hit by a truck while riding her bicycle. Despite the accident, she moved forward with the release. She talks with us about creative inspiration, the downfall of major music labels, and what its like when your girlfriend and your band mates all have the same name.
You were hit by a truck. How did that happen?

but still sweet

living in the small town of Amsterdam, N.Y. I could not wait to turn 18 and move out, and once I did, the songs just poured out of me. Inspiration was everywhere. I am very much inspired by the loss of love, more than anything. I guess Ive always been obsessed with that topic.
How would you describe your music?

Like a bi-polar painter trying to find the perfect shade of blue.

Many independent artists like yourself are succeeding with help from iTunes, MySpace, and such. Do you think labels are becoming obsolete?

Well, I was riding my bike and I was actually on my way to my engineers house to listen to the final cut of the album, when all of a suddenwham! I was rear-ended by a truck and flew 15 feet. The paramedics were trying to put me in the ambulance and all I could say was, No, I dont have time for this! I have to finish my CD! I was in shock, of course. So there I was, in the hospital with a compression fracture of my L1 vertebra. My friends flooded the trauma room and started hanging up my CD release party posters, reminding me that I had to be semihealed in three weeks!
When did you start writing songs?

I do believe that many major labels are becoming obsolete. They have been at rock bottom and will continue to remain there because they are terrified to try new strategies to dig themselves out.
Both the bass player and the drummer in your band are named Kate and your girlfriends name is Katie. Do you ever get confused?

I started writing songs when I was 15 years old,

Yeah, when Im like,Hey, whos bringing the beer? and everyone says, Kate. Kate shows up. No beer. So I say, I thought you were getting the beer? And she says, No way, man, Kate is bringing the beer. It is pretty much like a horrible game of Whos on first. n

Blueye Grafix (Derose)

Still sporting dresses (!) with plastic farm animals hand-sewn onto the fabric, k.d. lang releases her third, and arguably best, album, Absolute Torch and Twang, completely busting through all sorts of barriers, including those of grammar and punctuation. Oh yeah, and those of country music.

1989

1989

The Indigo Girls release the album Closer to Fine. Clad in flannel, jeans and too-tight jean jackets, and toting acoustic guitars, the Girls show us the softer side of rock. And, theyre guaranteed to pack them in at womens music festivals. Even the straight girls have to admit that its a pretty good album.

July/August 2008 | 53

hit the road

These two quirky performers are taking the U.S. by storm. By Kamala K. Puligandla
endeavors. What else is new? But after some research, you realize how few other queer or trans Asian American performers there are, and that the odds of them stopping in your town (depending on where you live) are not too good. Plus, when you ask the dynamic duo about what inspired this tour, their answers make clear the groundbreaking nature of their plans. Ourmission is about visibility. Queer API [Asian Pacific Islander] visibility in whatever shape and form it comes in, Yan says. You do a simple Google search or you try to look online or watch TV or read magazines and find someone out there that looks like you or sounds like you and, for me, I dont encounter it. Both Yan and Li admit that it would have been easier for them, growing up, if they had seen somebody like themselves in the media. Its hard enough finding acknowledgment from society if youre queer or Asian American or an artist; being all three at once doesnt make it easier. Yan jokes lightheartedly, saying, As an Asian American, Im sure you know, there are all these things youre supposed to do and, well, Melissa and I dont do much of that. When pushed to be more specific, they throw out the usual things that people, from both outside and within the Asian American community, expect from them: become investment bankers or play the violin. Li adds that her family questions what shes doing: Theyre always like, Why dont you get a real job? What are you writing about? All of which only further pushes their point about visibility. Maybe if more people saw what they could become, theyd choose something different. With that in mind, Yan and Li have decided to hit the road to become the role models they never had. The work they perform directly addresses their identities and is often based on incidents in their personal lives. Li says that her music makes who she is and what shes singing about very clear. When I write love songs, like all singer-songwriters do, theyre always very directI dont play the pronoun game. Its like, Im gay, she says. Yans poetry also directly confronts the issue of being trans, addressing both the challenging aspects and the lighter side of my tranny life. Although these two performers have some very serious messages to spread, Yan and Li maintain a wonderful sense of humor and a positive outlook that is evident in their work. A lot of times, you only hear the stories that are real downers, and I really want to get out there and talk about[how] it doesnt have to be like that. It doesnt always have to go down that path of rejection and hate and most of those mainstream ideas aboutcoming out [especially] in the Asian community, Yan says. This fresh perspective is what the Good Asian Drivers Tour is all about, and sharing it certainly seems worthy of a trip across the country. n

Kit Yan (back) and Melissa Li

Kelly Griffith (Drivers), anDerson Ballantyne (rose), Pat Graham (BratmoBile)

Kit Yan and Melissa Li have got a plan: one car, two performers and a whole lot of America. This is the Good Asian Drivers Tour, and, as the name suggests, its not your typical cross-country jaunt. Yan, a 23-year-old transgender slam poet, and Li, a 24-year-old lesbian folk rocker, are on a mission to defy stereotypes and to share the experience of being queer and Asian American. Sure, at first the originality of the tour might be lost on you: Two twentysomethings want to see the country and show off their expressive artistic

Queer and queer-friendly bands Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, Team Dresch and a number of other third-wave feminist musicians-zine-sters-artists, sick of being stomped on in mosh pits and ignored at guitar stores, form a loose-knit, pro-chick political movement called riot grrrl. Though it peters out relatively quickly, the bands create some of the most raging, relevant and rambunctious music of the century. Their legacy continues to be an influence.

199095ish

1992

Originally the drummer for the Beastie Boys punk band (just before the Boys switched to hip-hop), Kate Schellenbach (wo)mans the drums for brilliant weirdo lady rappers Luscious Jackson, and dates Josephine Wiggs, brilliant weirdo lady bassist for brilliant weirdo band the Breeders.

July/August 2008 | 55

she makes the whole world sing

explosion has changed the face of womens music. Gone are the days when an artist had to have a distributor to get her product into many stores. And while some blockbuster stores dont sell indie CDs, Susan Frazier, from the distribution company Goldenrod, claims, There are plenty of places to get those recordings. Goldenrod doesnt work with Wal-Mart, but it does have a good relationship with chains like Borders, and continues to supply independent music and bookstores. Of the original members in WILD, only Ladyslipper and Goldenrod still exist. Both sell CDs but neither offers downloads. Were music people, not computer geeks, insists Frazier. She believes that the absence of downloads hasnt affected their sales in a negative way. In fact, sales increased last year, partly due to distribution deals with several high-profile indie musicians. Even if online sites like CD Baby do a great job of getting sales, theres still a demand for distribution from companies like Goldenrod because of their longterm commitment in the industry. They offer a great deal for musicians, too, because theres no huge upfront investment. We respond to demand, versus trying to flood the market. Artists can make more money that way. We still get so many requests for things that are out of print, like [early Olivia LP] Lesbian Concentrate, Fuch from Ladyslipper says, but they cant fill most of thoseunless theyve been reissued on CD. Ladyslipper continues to feature new releases, and new lesbian folk artists continue to pop up and forge their own way. Well never go back now, contends Williamson about womens music. Are you kidding? All these young women? Giddyup! Im happy. Theyll have to beg me to stop. Still, in a creaky voice she admits, Id love to sing Waterfall for you but I cant. I want to, but I cant. Williams voice may not have weathered the years, but the recent re-release of her early work proves her recordings have. Over a million people cant be wrong. n label, Id sign her in a minute. Fortunately, someone else did just that. Tracy Chapman went on to sell millions of albums. Over the years Kane did over a dozen recordings with her friend, flautist-composer Kay Gardner, who passed away in 2002. My heart is broken, Kane still admits today. Working on Alix Dobkins Yahoo Australia! tour was one of the highlights of her career, but it had its challenging moments. At one point, her assistant asked, What does this button do? and erased three seconds of the show. Fortunately, another concert was recorded, so Kane took three seconds from that one and with a razor blade sliced in the missing seconds. Dont even ask me what song it was because I dont remember, she quips, laughing. Shes done other live work with Janis Ian, who she recorded at the National Womens Music Festival, and in the studio, shes also worked with womens music pioneer Maxine Feldman, recording Closet Sale, her only full-length album. She was the engineer for Canadian singer-songwriter Ember Swifts first two albums. Ember says that working with her was a complete joy. Working with spoken word firebrand Alix Olson nearly killed her, Kane recalls. No one was rushed to the ER, but with an almost 20-year difference in age it was like a fast movie with no intermission. Shed go to bed in the wee hours and wake up to find them still in the control room with her assistant, huddled over their latest idea like creative mad scientists. The project was done in 10 days, a process that would take mere mortals weeks longer. It kept the energy up, though, and Olson loved the result, saying that Kane was the dream producer for her second release, Independence Meal. For 21 years, you could find Kane behind a sound board at the Michigan Womyns Music Festival. She retired from that in 2006 but is excited to return this August to teach a recording workshop. Why teaching? Kane says shes eager to pass on her skills so that no idiot ever asks a girl, Wheres the engineer? Jamie Anderson

In the 70s, Karen Kane (mixmama.com) sat at a recording studio sound board, intent on her current project. A guy who was scheduled for the next session sauntered in, looked at Kane and asked, Wheres the engineer? That doesnt happen anymore. After shes engineered a couple hundred albums (including some JUNO winners), working with everyone from Tracy Chapman to Alix Olson, no one wonders if Kane is just dusting the knobs. At the tender age of 19, she got her first job in a studio and moved quickly into management. There was an unspoken rule that women could answer the phones but werent supposed to touch the equipment. I never listen to rules, she chuckles. So I touched the equipment. Nights and weekends she turned knobs and pressed buttons, teaching herself and relying on the advice of a few mentors. It wasnt easy. One prominent Boston engineer bluntly stated that he didnt think women could be sound engineers. By 1976, Kane had learned enough to be a full-time engineer. When the studio where she was working closed in 1977 she approached every studio in Massachusetts and got exactly two offers. To be a manager. I said screw you all, took out an ad in a musicians paper and went freelance. Ive been freelance ever since. In those early days, she honed her craft working with leftie folk musicians like Bright Morning Star and Fred Small. She also did live sound for the early womens music duo Jade and Sarsaparilla (as an assistant engineer) and others, going on regional tours with them. In 1986 a friend asked if she could bring a buddy into the studio. The shy musician recorded a demo with just her voice and guitar, performing Fast Car and Revolution. Kane thought, Oh my God, I wish I had a record

Barry LuBotta (Kane)

Rock star Melissa Etheridge makes headlines and becomes the poster child for gay rights when she comes out of the closet at the Triangle Ball.

1993

Hard-charging, guitar-centered trio Sleater Kinney release the first of many stunning albums, inspiring the following monologue, 10,000 times over: Sleater Kinney! Ohmygawd ohmygawd ohmygawd! Theyre so awesome! Are they gay? I heard theyre gay! No, wait, only the drummers gay. That makes sensewhoever heard of a straight girl drummer? No, wait, two-thirds of them are gay? No, I heard onethird of them was bi. Wait...what? Oh, who cares, they rock.

1996

1999

Kathleen Hannah proves once again that she should be gay, dammit, when she and two queer artists, JD Samson and Sadie Benning, join to form Le Tigre. Their debut, a self-titled jagged electro-dance feminist manifesto, blows minds everywhere.

July/August 2008 | 57

sage wisdom
This piano princess releases her eighth album. By Zoie Clift
Bisexual New York alt-pop songstress Rachael Sage is a self-taught pianist who juggles writing, recording, producing and running her own label, MPress Records. This Renaissance woman is on the verge of releasing her eighth album, Chandelier.
What was the inspiration for your new work?

Unapologetic Estro-Rock
My introduction to ZoiRose, the freshman New York City all-female band, came via YouTube. Stalkers Anthem, the lead single from the bands 2008 debut CD, Off Road to Redemption (Novakain Entertainment Records), exploded off the screen with enough energy to fuel a jet. The lyrics are as creepy as the title suggests, depicting the grueling emotions of unrequited love. Former solo artist turned lead singer Zoi Wiley wrote all the songs on the album, and at the ripe age of 25 commands a deeply personal articulation of her emotions. Its about passion, being hurt and relationship models. I let go in the music. Lots of people go through this, but dont express it. The CD is a raw therapy session of epic proportions. Although she insists that the kids at her North Zoi Wiley Carolina school called her an 80s reject. Wiley, along with Hache on bass, Karyn on guitar, Veronica on drums, and Sandra on backup, isnt bound by one genre. Wileys admittedly too hard for R&B vocals are accompanied by some mouth-watering drum rhythms that ground the infectious rock anthems. The bands MySpace page (myspace.com/ zoirose) lists Pat Benetar and Black Sabbath as influences, however punk-like guitar bridges and the bands overall fashion are reminiscent of groups from the riot grrrl movement. Nonetheless, Wiley remains completely unattached to labels and unapologetic for estro-rock, I wanted to put together an all female band with powerful soundpowerful women who could really rip! ZoiRose began touring this summer on the festival and college scene, so this brand of estro-rock will be most accessible to co-eds. For the rest of us, ZoiRoses mantra of, love hard, play hard, and fight harder streams through loud and clear online. Emily Howard

World and it blew my mind.

You came out on your third album, Painting of a Painting. What was that experience like?

This is definitely one of my more personal, conflicted albums. A very close friend of mine was battling a severe eating disorder while I was recording it, so within the process I was searching for answers and trying to come to grips with the seriousness of her illnessThis album was my armor during a particularly challenging time.
Were there any obstacles you encountered?

Actually, I was very much out already to my family, friends and in New York, where I was performing most. [My parents] concern was that it would pull focus from the rest of my songs, which were more universal. Its funny how you can sing a thousand songs about heterosexual romance and no one worries about whether your gay and lesbian fans might feel excluded. But suddenly you put one lesbian love song on a CD and theres a fear that it will make your straight fans feel left out.
Your new work also visits dark subjects.

For the most part, just trying to remain committed to the process, while someone I loved was struggling with an illness I thought Id understood, but which continued to mystify me.
So what track would be on repeat
Bill Bernstein (sage), JC BourCart (Betty), autumn DeWilDe (tegan/sara), eriCka BeCkman (goD-Des, reagon)

on your personal playlist?

Probably the title track because...its a song that reminds me to count my blessings, appreciate my relationships and relish being a musician, for all the reasons I got into it in the first place. Its kind of a prayer, I guess.
Who are your biggest influences?

Well, Ive never had any illusions that songwriting would afford me an easygoing state of mind; many of my favorite songs have chronicled tragedy or conflict, just like many of my favorite plays and visual works of art have done. But I dont like to make albums that are all one color, and like to show the flipside of any dark subject matter, too.
So whats next for you?

The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Carole King, Elvis Costello, Sinad O Connor, Maria McKee and Marc Cohn. When I was in college, I rediscovered folkier music, like Suzanne Vega, Indigo Girls, Marianne Faithfull, Sarah McLachlan, Ani DiFranco and also heard Kate Bush for the first time, because a lot of people kept comparing me to her. So, I finally went and bought The Sensual

Im about to embark upon a few months of touring behind the U.S. and U.K. release of Chandelier. In the fall well be releasing New Arrivals: Vol. 3, our third indie charity compilation. Well be lining up a short tour probably some time in the fall to help launch the project, which benefits the National Eating Disorders Association. After all that, I guess it might be time to head back into the studio and finish album No. 9! n

2004

The L Word debuts, with what some call a teeth-shakingly irritating theme song by BETTY.

2008??

A new generation of lady musicians embraces the once-straightmale-centric world of electronic and electric guitar-oriented music. Computer programs, nerdy synths and complicated gear are no longer the domain of dudes, as queer independent artists like Nicky Click, Scream Club, Peaches, Tegan and Sara, JD Samson, Johannah Fateman, Dynasty Handbag, Jenny Hoyston, Lesbians on Ecstasy and many, many others leave their female-musician insecurities behind and rip up dance floors and studios alike.

Ladies we missed: Mo Tucker, Girls in the Nose, Phranc, The Slits, God-des & She, The Raincoats, Toshi Reagon, Wendy O. Williams, Nomy Lamm. Oh, and Tribe 8. And the Butchies. Dammit, theres also the Gossip. Jeez, theres so manywell, youve got a computer, just find em on your own. Thats part of the fun!

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