Pop-Culture | Posted by Julie Z on 01/8/2012

Support Women Artists Sunday: Joy Askew

Joy Askew

“When writing about myself I would always start by saying that I was ‘originally from the North of England’… in fact that’s not true but I grew up there from age 5 in Newcastle, famous for its coals and shipbuilding. The place was grimy, cold and hard but full of character and culture, with many theaters and concert venues and legendary clubs. Newcastle was frequented by the likes of Bob Dylan (Don’t Look Back) and Jimi Hendrix (his manager Chas Chandler, bassist for the famed Newcastle Band The Animals was a true Geordie and my father was his headmaster!) I love the English movie Get Carter set in Newcastle and starring a young Michael Caine, it really reflects well a lot of what this once Roman Northern garrison town…

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Pop-Culture | Posted by Julie Z on 12/18/2011

Support Women Artists Sunday: Joan Mitchell

Joan Mitchell (February 12, 1925 – October 30, 1992) was a “second generation” abstract expressionist painter. She was an essential member of the American Abstract expressionist movement, even though much of her career took place in France. Along with Lee Krasner, Grace Hartigan, and Helen Frankenthaler she was one of her era’s few female painters to gain critical and public acclaim. Her paintings and editioned prints can be seen in major museums and collections across America and Europe.

Mitchell was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of James Herbert and Marion Strobel Mitchell. She studied at Smith College, in Massachusetts, and The Art Institute of Chicago. After moving to Manhattan in 1947, she wanted to study at Hans Hofmann’s school in New York but, according to Jane Livingston in her 2002…

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Pop-Culture | Posted by Brian C on 11/13/2011

Support Women Artists Sunday: Polica

Polica

CMJ was without a doubt, the greatest week of my life. If you ever have an opportunity to go to a festival such as CMJ or SXSW which have concerts all the time over a one week period, with all sorts of new acts, DO IT. I got to see previously featured Dum Dum Girls (sounded great but were a bit lackluster live to be honest) and An Horse (totally kickass) in this week of music explosion. The best part of CMJ is finding those under the radar bands that sound amazing. Hence I present Polica.

Polica were the first warmup for Dum Dum Girls and played a fantastic little set (I snagged the setlist as to be expected). Polica has a band composition like none I’ve seen before. Polica is…

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Pop-Culture | Posted by Emily A on 10/30/2011

Support Women Artists Sunday: Tati Kalveks

Tati Kalveks

Tati Kalveks is an 18-year -old girl from London who, as she describes it, is producing some beautifully poignant and funny songs. Her topics spread over a whole array ­of things, from female grooming habits to her love of gingers.

In one of her greatest songs, “Because I’ve Got Breasts“ (or ‘B.I.G. Breasts’ for short) she sarcastically celebrates the fact that everyone in her life is more than happy with her to enter into an unstable career as a musician because one day she is going to marry a rich wealthy man. Why? Because she’s got breasts, of course.

Says Tati about the song: “This one churned itself out of a song about not getting enough done, after enough people (family) pointed out to me that work is way overrated when I…

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Pop-Culture | Posted by Julie Z on 08/21/2011

Support Women Artists Sunday: Haley Bonar

Haley Bonar

Haley Bonar (born 1983, Brandon, Manitoba) is an American alternative country singer-songwriter who hails from South Dakota. She has lived in Duluth and St. Paul, Minnesota. In July 2009, she moved to Portland, Oregon, where she currently resides. She plays guitar and keyboards and typically is backed sparingly, in some instances by only a drummer.

In 2003 Bonar’s album . . . The Size of Planets (Chairkicker’s Union) received favorable reviews in the Minneapolis press. The album spawned the single “Am I Allowed,” which was played on college radio stations.

In 2006 she released the album Lure the Fox,’, originally on Mary Ellen Recordings, whose owner, Mary Lewis, decided to help Bonar pay to record the album at Pachyderm Studio after reading a Star Tribune article about her in 2005. Dave…

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Pop-Culture | Posted by Brian C on 08/7/2011

Support Women Artists Sunday: Ximena Sarinana

Simena Sarinana

Ximena Sariñana Rivera (born October 29, 1985) is a Grammy Award and Latin Grammy nominated Mexican singer-songwriter and actress. Sariñana’s musical career was launched in 2008 with the release of her first studio album Mediocre, an adult contemporary pop-rock/vocal jazz album that has been critically acclaimed and nominated for various awards, including two nominations in the Latin Grammy Awards of 2008.

Ximena Sariñana Rivera was born in Guadalajara, Mexico to producer/director Fernando Sariñana and screenwriter Carolina Rivera. She is niece of Mexican actress Angélica Rivera and producer José Alberto Castro, brother of Verónica Castro. When she was 2 years old, Sariñana attended an Ella Fitzgerald concert, claiming to be the beginning of her interest in music and one of her biggest influences. She soon started listening to other artists such…

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Pop-Culture | Posted by Emma E on 07/31/2011

Support Women Artists Sunday: Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

How is it that you never really appreciate someone until they’re gone?

When Michael Jackson died, I heard a lot of his music via the radio, and I thought, “We lost such a great talent. I can’t believe I never listened to his music before.” Now Amy Winehouse is dead, and I’m suddenly looking past all her troubles and seeing her soaring voice and strong spirit instead. So, in honor of a woman whose death was tragic and untimely, here’s a biography of Amy Winehouse.

Amy Winehouse was born in Southgate, North London, to Jewish parents. She had a brother, Alex. She would constantly sing in class, much to the annoyance of her teachers. When she was nine, her grandmother suggested that she attend theater school. At ten, she joined a short-lived…

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Pop-Culture | Posted by Julie Z on 07/24/2011

Support Women Artists Sunday: Nikki & Rich

Nikki & Rich

Nikki & Rich are Nikki Leonti, a California-born pastor’s daughter who grew up singing in church, and Rich Velonskis, a Queens, NY-born established hip-hop/R&B producer and former DJ who got his start spinning in New York City clubs as a teenager. These two seemingly opposite characters first met in 2007. After leaving a successful career as a Gospel artist, Nikki then based in Nashville, worked as a background singer for Carrie Underwood while pursuing a career in singing and songwriting. Rich was in Los Angeles producing tracks for Robin Thicke, Game, TI, Mel-B, Hayes, Vi, Missy Elliot, Mario, Eve and Ludacris, under his moniker Rich Skillz. (A track he produced on Ludacris’ No. 1 album Release Therapy earned Rich a “Best Rap Album” Grammy.) Rich was looking for…

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