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Grrl Power Music / Feminist Music
Feminist music (sometimes known as women's music, womyn's music, wimmin's music) is typically music for women by women, and not necessarily on a feminist topic but often more about shared women's experiences. The genre picked up pace during the 2nd wave feminist movement of the 1960s-1970s (sometimes tied together peace activism, lesbian rights and ethnic rights depending on the background and beliefs of the musicians) and is readily available online if you look for mp3s by the following people:
During the late 1960s and early 1970s there were few real opportunities for female musicians and performers who were often facing discrimination and taken advantage of by record labels and agents combined. For feminist musicians the task was more difficult and major record labels only signed a few feminist bands including Fanny, Birtha, The Deadly Nightshade, Goldie and the Gingerbreads and the band Isis. The lack of feminist music in the mainstream made it necessary for these women to sell their music outside of the mainstream music market. Lesbian and feminist market separatism meant however that while their market was smaller, they were at least independent and were not sharing revenue.
In 1972, Maxine Feldman, an openly gay performer since 1964, recorded the first lesbian single record, "Angry Atthis," (Atthis was lover of the poet Sappho). In 1973, Alix Dobkin, flautist Kay Gardner, and bassist Patches Attom created the group Lavender Jane, and recorded an album entitled "Lavender Jane Loves Women", the very first full-length album for and by lesbians. In the same year the feminist all women band The Chicago Liberation Rock Band recorded "Mountain Movin' Day". These early recordings were successful despite the word of mouth promotion and were sold through mail order and in a few lesbian-feminist bookstores. Olivia Records, the first women's music record label, was created in 1973. Selling via mail order, Olivia Records released Meg Christian's "I Know You Know" and Cris Williamson's "The Changer and the Changed", which was one of the all-time best selling albums on any independent label during the early 1970s, and was also the first LP to be entirely produced by women. "Changer" is the all-time best-selling album to come out of the women's music genre. Other independent labels and distributors since then include:
In 1978, a national booking company, Roadwork Inc. was formed to promote women artists. Between 1984 and 1994, "HOT WIRE: The Journal of Women's Music and Culture" was published by feminist volunteers in Chicago. Founded by Toni Armstrong Jr., Ann Morris, Michele Gautreaux, and Yvonne Zipter the publication focused exclusively on lesbian feminist musicians, festivals, venues, and various topics pertaining to writing, theater, dance, comedy, and the arts. "HOT WIRE" was published three times / year and each 64-page issue included a soundsheet with at least four songs by lesbian and/or feminist artists. Many of the women from the journal are still active in the women's music business, but the market has now shifted largely online. The first women's music festival occurred in 1973 at Sacramento State University. From 1973 to 1976 many other festivals were organized including the first National Women's Music Festival at Champaign-Urbana, Illinois in 1974. Other festivals include:
Below to the Right: Ani DiFranco, Jess Klein & Kinnie Starr - Three of the Biggest Divas in the Feminist Music Business.
Feminist Music
The following is a list of musicians who create feminist / girl power songs.
Catatonia - The Ballad of Tom Jones Dar Williams - When I Was A Boy Lesli Wood - The Last Thing You Feel Disclaimer: These samples are meant to encourage people to buy CDs of artists they may never have heard of. We do not intend any copyright infringement.
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