Last month we gathered our best bitches and flew to New York for the launch of LOUD WOMEN NYC. Here’s a rockumentary, nay, Dorisumentary, from our all-time supreme favourites, the LOUD WOMEN team band I, Doris.
Our alltime favourites Petrol Girls have just announced a new album coming out 24 May – Cut & Stitch – and they’ve released a banging first single here, ‘The Sound’, capturing the essence of DIY punk. We are just so into this. The band explain more:
“We are not claiming our own music to define ‘The Sound’ – the track is more like an appreciation of sound as something that’s constantly evolving, and that everyone can use and develop in their own way. It’s a kind of manifesto for the political potential of sound… Make your own noise! Disseminate!’
The album Cut & Stitch is available to preorder now from Bandcamp.
Catch Petrol Girls live at Ladyfuzz Fest in Brighton on 3/4 May
Ever wondered what the story of Squeeze‘s classic ‘Up the Junction’ might look like from her point of view? London’s I, Doris are here to tell you.
The band are releasing today (fittingly, International Women’s Day) their debut single, ‘The Girl From Clapham’ – a loving, fuzzed-up tribute to the original song, with a poignant reminder that women’s experiences are all too often erased from history.
The new song lyrics were written by punk poet Janine Booth, and published in her brilliant anthology ‘Disaffected Middle Aged Women‘. Squeeze’s Chris Difford has given the new lyrics – and the I, Doris version of the song – his personal seal of approval. All profits from the sale of the track on Bandcamp are being donated to domestic violence charity Women’s Aid.
I, Doris are a self-proclaimed “kitchenpunk mummycore” band, consisting four 40-something women, dressed in dinnerlady-esque tabards, and answering to the name of Doris (that’s Doris on guitar, Doris on bass, Doris on drums, and Doris on – wait for it – keytar). Audience members are sworn in to the Doris collective with a group pledge at the start of each gig. Their live set is 60s girl-group style pop with lashings of fuzzy punk and plenty of good-humoured swipes at the patriarchy. At least, we think they’re good-humoured.
Bassist Doris (AKA LOUD WOMEN’s own Cassie Fox) takes the lead vocals on ‘The Girl From Clapham’.
“I’ve always loved the song, and feel so honoured to get to sing this version” she says, “I am, legit, a girl from Clapham though. My childhood and teens were spent by/on Clapham Common, mostly trying to stay out of the way of my drunk and violent father. The song strikes a big power chord for me. That feeling at the end – of being trapped in a hopeless situation – it’s painfully familiar to a lot of people I’m sure, particularly women. This is the reason I was keen for the profits from the track to go to Women’s Aid.”
I, Doris are currently blazing a gloriously happy trail through the DIY gigs circuit, and beyond – they’ve played with Mekons in Leeds, the launch of Loud Women NYC in Brooklyn, they’re playing the Royal Albert Hall on 17 March, and Rebellion Festival on 2 August. Keep an eye on the I, Doris Facebook page for news of their continued adventures.
Tell your favourite bands to get applying, here >> https://loudwomen.org/fest/
Review by Katherine Stewart
Self-described ‘DIY Noisy Pop’ band Wol
f Girl is on the verge of releasing brand new LP Every Now and Then (due to be released on October 19th; available for pre-order now) and we can tell you now – it’s a stonker.
The band, consisting of singer and bassist Healey, drummer Christabel, and guitarists Chris and Carl, hails from South London and released their first album, Mama’s Boy, back in 2016. Over catchy pop melodies, their lyrics tackle sexuality, gender identity, and anxiety. There is also the barest suggestion of a quarter-life crisis in some of their new lyrics.
Every Now and Then wastes no time, bouncing into life with Moody, one of its strongest tracks (the video for the single mainly consists of an onion massacre; make of that what you will). It’s immediately apparent that this is an album that will work brilliantly live. Moody is followed by Dream Partner, a short, swinging, 50s-style croon with reverb-drenched harmonies, which is bound to get fingers clicking and hips swaying. A barbershop rendition of this track is definitely in order.
Things get more full-on from there, with Get You, Breaking News (a slightly grungier number), Toast for Dinner and This One Summer providing more traditional poppy post-punk fare. Samson starts slow with an endearing clean guitar sound – but if that’s not your thing, hold on before you skip to track 6 because the song contains a tense, Pixies-ish chorus that is 100% worth the wait. Album-closer Bad Weather is another stand-out track, introducing an unexpected male vocal, with guitars awash in fuzz.
The drums and vocals do seem a little low in the mix on a couple of songs and the harmonies, although perfectly in tune, a little baggy in places, but on the whole Wolf Girl has produced a brilliant second record. Roll on October 19th.
Wolf Girl’s website ~ Spotify ~ Bandcamp ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Saturday 15 September sees LOUD WOMEN Fest take over the stages of both The Dome and the Boston Music Room. Here’s the running order … note that there are no clashes whatsoever, so no need to miss any of the awesome 20 bands playing the Fest! Comfortable (dancing) shoes recommended!
Author Gail Thibert will be taking to the stage at this weekend’s LOUD WOMEN Fest, to talk about her recently-published book Soap the Stamps, Jump the Tube, an ‘anarchic stomp through London in the 1970’s and 1980’s, and features a huge cast of colourful characters, a chronology of bizarre experiences, some curious employment prospects, and a full spectrum of hair colours.’
Gail will be selling/signing copies of her book on the merch table, and hopping on stage to tell us more about it between bands!
