They don’t seem to realize that the future is just like now, but in a little while, so they say they’re going to do things in anticipation of some kind of seismic shift in their world-view that never actually materializes.” - Russell Brand (My Booky Wook)
Merrill Garbus and Joanna Newsom: Media Narratives on Feminism
Recently, one of my favorite bands, tUnE-yArDs, the solo project of Merrill Garbus, has been getting a deserved and increased amount of media attention because of the ridiculously amazing and sonically innovative album, w h o k i l l. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised that a fair amount of mainstream music journalists are recognizing the album’s feminism, even Pitchfork (see other articles/reviews from The Guardian, The Village Voice, and cokemachineglow). w h o k i l l broadly deals with sex, violence, slut-shaming, self-loathing, prejudice, privilege, and more sex, all from a singularly and loud female perspective. But even with all the good feminist press about this album, I cannot help but think how little feminist press Joanna Newsom received for Have One on Me, one of the most feminist albums I have ever heard outside of the riot-grrrl movement.
