Hey Ladies.

The female voice is a fickle thing when it comes to some kinds of music. I always used to say that I didn't like most female vocalist fronted bands "oh, except for Sonic Youth, and wait! Bikini Kill! Oh Oh and Kim Deal in The Pixies...." and that seems to go on and on. Because the truth is - the older I've gotten, it seems - I really enjoy a lot of bands fronted with ladies. It just doesn't matter much to me anymore. As long as they sound nothing like Nelly Furtado or some shit like that. Well, there are some ladies that give it a stretch - girls-screaming-metal is almost never cute or brutal. I actually have trouble conjuring up the ballz to sing lyrics I write to some of my band's songs. I always here the singer from Pissed Jeans singing the song in my head. My voice is, sadly, far far from his.

A few nights ago a girl-buddy/bartender of my favorite place, Savages, asked me to help her come with more girl-fronted bands she could play at the bar while working. There is enough testosterone in that joint to fuel a tanker and a few songs with a feminine touch can do nothing but good. But the guys in there don't want to hear sap - so here is a mixtape I came up with. It's chalk-full of brutal femininity while not being a long, whining nag.

You can download it here or just stream it below.





Tracklist

The Curse - Teenage Meat

This album is one of around a dozen albums I picked up on an epic teenage trip to the pawn shop downtown. Anderson, Indiana - like many great cities of the Midwest - was not regaled for its assortment of record shops. Some indie shops shot up and sank - leaving a few good records and tapes floating around. But this was back when - if I or someone I knew didn't physically own a copy of an album, it just didn't exist. I read about shit in Maximum RocknRoll but couldn't afford a lot of mail order. And then one day I had some lawn mowing money and went into Alan's Jewelry and Loan....

And found a HUGE punk collection of cds had been pawned. Most for only a buck each. It was awesome. I just remember being in a fervor. Some I remember picking up:
-Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
-New York Dolls - Self Titled
-Bikini Kill - The First Three
-Velvet Underground - Best Of
-Sonic Youth - Dirty

and of course The Curse - Teenage Meat.

The Curse was an all female punk band from Canada. Some of the info I read said that they were supposedly one of three of the first all-female punk bands (The B-Girls and The Dishrags being the other two). But as with all facets of punk rock history - someone ALWAYS did it first. Doing it your way and making it the right way is what makes the first. And these girls did what they did first, the right way - and I am better for it.

The Canadian punk scene is a hugely unknown one to me. If anyone knows of a good book or zine on the subject - I'd be interested. Here is a really good article about a Canadian punk festival that celebrates the history of the various scenes. And here is a Canadian punk mixtape for sale - featuring The Curse.



Well, I guess if you like lo fi 70s punks, women you don't introduce to your parents, and Canada - you should download this. And let me know what you think, you little jerks.



Tracklisting

1. The Curse - If It Tastes So Great, Swallow It Yourself (Live) (1:46)
2. The Curse - Johnny Feels Good (Live) (1:27)
3. The Curse - He's My Boy (Live) (2:36)
4. The Curse - No More Ice Cream (Live) (2:24)
5. The Curse - Blunks (Live) (2:29)
6. The Curse - Aggravation (Demo) (1:57)
7. The Curse - Eat Me (Demo) (2:17)
8. The Curse - Switchblade Love (Demo) (3:22)
9. The Curse - I Accuse You (Demo) (3:03)
10. The Curse - Somthin' You Can't Tell Your Mother (Demo) (2:10)
11. The Curse - Feelin' Dirty (Demo) (2:20)
12. The Curse - Oh My God (Demo) (2:00)
13. The Curse - Teenage Meat (2:30)
14. The Curse - Killer Bees (3:02)
15. The Curse - Shoeshine Boy (2:26)
16. The Curse - Eat Me (2:43)
17. The Curse - I Accuse You (3:05)
18. The Curse - Somthin' Ya Can't Tell Your Mother (2:23)
19. The Curse - Switchblade Love (3:28)
20. The Curse - Aggravation (2:09)
21. The Curse - Raw (1:37)
256kbps

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