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Come Together
The women of Ladyfest Philly reshape the old business model
-Patrick Rapa

The Root
Philly's first lady of hip-hop, Bahamadia, keeps going on.
-A.D. Amorosi

Picture This
Ladyfest artists test their vision.
-Lori Hill

Mad as Hell
Mantua's Yellow Rage is not gonna take it anymore.
-Meredith Broussard

Girls On Film
Ladyfest unleashes the screen queens.
-Sam Adams

Theater: Mixed Medea
Enraged Cow makes friend of Fo.
-Juliet Fletcher

Depth Becomes Her
The women of Trace Fury are trained and ready for anything.
-John Vettese

The Match
Indie rock mothers of invention Tsunami are still fighting the good fight and reuniting for Ladyfest.
-Patrick Rapa

March 20-26, 2003

cover story

Exile in Girlville

Who's who on the Ladyfest music stages.

Thu., March 20

The Method and Result: This Philadelphia electronic rock duo sounds like the cyborg heir apparent to Tsunami’s middle-range guitar hooks and punk-means-cuddle lyrical assertions. The cool machine-made beats make you dance like a robot while Megan Wendell’s vocals keep everything hot and human.
Eufio: Their self-titled debut EP is just a couple months old, but Minnesota punk trio Eufio’s got poise and power. Singer/bassist Kim Kopischke can rock you lightly like a folk singer then scream with hurricane force. Beg them to play "One Hand."
Gamelon: Armed with drums, trumpets, guitar, keyboards, odd vocals and a name stolen from the coolest cartoon ever (Google it yourself!), this curious Philly four-piece band of rock rookies wants to make you watch and doesn’t care what silly tricks they have to pull. They won’t stop until they’ve won.
Kelly Slusher: During her brief stint as a Philadelphian (she was born in Sacramento and currently lives in Brooklyn), Kelly Slusher gently wowed audiences at Sugar Town and Red Square with her keyboard-driven electro-pop. Her ghostly voice hovers melodiously over the music like The Softies, but her lyrics have a lot more backbone and the snazzy beats make it all oddly groovy.
Vertebrae: This Philadelphia duo makes electric mayhem with Atari-style keyboard melodies and crazy clicking, whirring, chiming machine beats that sound like the Tin Man clucking his tongue. Their debut disc, Pinafore, is simultaneously funky and spacey.
Mirah: Understated but never simplistic, the music Mirah and her big red guitar make coos and screams with sensuality and wit. The prodigal Philadelphian is leaving town once again (she departs early April, soon as sugaring season on the family farm is over) to make whoopee on the West Coast. It is absolutely imperative that she play "Gone Sugaring" for us one last time. (And then again each time she comes back to Philly for a show.) --Patrick Rapa

5 p.m., $8, with spoken-word artists Samantha Barrow and Penny Arcade, First Unitarian Church, 22nd and Chestnut sts.

Jen Hess: The intersection of Patti Smith’s aggro-wretched poetry and Marianne Faithfull’s sexually tormented purr is where you’ll find tremulous tenor-voiced singer/songwriter Jen Hess. Whether you find her on disc (try 1995’s Hess & Hotch with cellist Richard Hotchkiss and 2002’s Remains) or at Bar Noir’s "Jen’s Den," Hess is never less than entertaining, no matter how dark the saloon or her moody tunes might get.
Cynthia Mason: With a spooky acoustic guitar and an unassailable if understated voice, Philly’s own spiderwoman unravels stories of ambiguous despair and biting introspection. She’s at Soundgun recording her second CD now, so we should expect it in April or May. She’ll be joined at Ladyfest by her pal, Areif Sless-Kitain (ex of D.C. hardcore bands Regulator Watts and Bluetip), on drums.
The Jane Anchor: Kara Lafty needs no introduction, but here’s the dossier: First she turned heads in the mid-’90s with the catchy indie-rock trio Moped. Next band Sonny Sixkiller schooled the Philly scene, but that band, too, slipped away. Her current outfit, The Jane Anchor, is a skilled bunch of artisans who’ve rocked the hell out of Sugar Town countless times. Lafty’s smart, insightful lyrics and infectious guitar melodies will hook you.
Victory at Sea: Though drummer stability has plagued Boston’s Victory at Sea over its nine years, the rock doesn’t stop. The nautical-minded band released The Good Night last year for Kimchee records. With some singles, an EP and three albums under its belt, VAS continues to produce music that is as sullen and introverted as it is raw and unapologetic. --A.D. Amorosi, Paul Burress, Patrick Rapa

9:30 p.m., $8, Doc Watson's, 216 S. 11th St., 215-922-3427.

Kimya Dawson: Working with Adam Green and the rest of The Moldy Peaches, Kimya Dawson helped make a four-track living-room record so defiantly DIY that when a phone rang in the background, they just giggled and played on. While that band has its tongue-freakin’-buried-in-cheek songwriting on hiatus to pursue solo projects, Dawson can be heard dragging the four-track up to her bedroom on the new I’m Sorry That Sometimes I’m Mean (Rough Trade). Thing is, the album isn’t all that new. I'm Sorry, released last fall, was originally committed to tape in early 2000; Dawson has sold burned copies of the CD -- along with 2001's Knock-Knock Who and 2002's My Cute Fiend Sweet Princess -- at gigs over the past couple of years. When it came time to reissue the material on Rough Trade, she says it made sense to do it chronologically. "The albums really document my learning," she says. "I knew I wanted to release everything but felt that it would be weird to put out new stuff, then backtrack. But now that I have even more songs, about another half an album recorded, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the other two." She's keeping mum on the new material, but we do know the songs on I'm Sorry are far more "Nothing Came Out" than "Downloading Porn With Davo." Many moments remain light and fun, but are offset with tales of tormented childhoods and abuse; "Hold My Hand" is punctuated by stirring room noise that sounds like a shower pattering into a bathtub. The tongue is still in cheek, but not so deep. "It's a good human defense to make light of things that are hard to deal with," she says. "It's important to be sad, but it's important to pull through. You can't just be paralyzed." Dawson's first experience with the Ladyfest phenomenon came last summer when she played at the Washington, D.C., installment of the women-in-the-arts festival. Apparently she had a tough time of it, a solo-acoustic girl sandwiched in the lineup between two burlesque performance-art acts and a rock band. But as a purveyor of home recordings -- as well as self-styled shirts and tote bags -- Dawson sees the gathering as an optimal opportunity to be seen and heard. "My hands are on everything I do," she says. "It's really hard to reach a wide audience when you're working that way, and a lot of [indie] festivals are so boy-oriented. It's just as important to have something for the ladies who are doing their own thing."
--John Vettese

10 p.m., $8, with a screening of the film Cradle,a dance performance by Daniele Strawmyre and spoken-word artists Deborah Richards and Walidah Imarisha, Painted Bride, 230 Vine St.

Friday, March 21

Cheese on Bread: Not much is known about this adorable little UPenn folk-dance-pop duo, but they claim The Moldy Peaches, Magnetic Fields and the Muppets as influences. COB will be selling "appropriately themed merchandise" to fund their forthcoming debut CD.

Hallelujah

Hallelujah: It doesn’t matter whether these poppy Willow Grove rs manage to find and practice with a drummer in time for their Ladyfest gig, they will rock you like a baby no matter what. The core of Hallelujah -- bassist Lucy Rodemich’s lofty voice and heart-smart lyrics, and guitarist Justin Staller’s peppy strumming -- will save your day.
Creme Blush: A Lower East Side duo awash in heavy breathing, deep bass, floaty synths and sex. Creme Blush members Nicole Pinto and Satski Ohtake got together in Tokyo in 1999 and released their second record, the Basket of Bets EP, last year.
V for Vendetta: Finally, someone handed their rock calculators to some ladies who weren’t afraid to use the "divide" key. This Providence duo strips down math-rock to its barest essentials on Beneath This Mask, Another Mask (Mr. Lady), leaving only drivingly intricate drum-guitar interactions and a hushed vocal or two here and there. --Maura Johnston, Patrick Rapa

2 p.m., $6, with baton-twirling performance artist Laurel Kirtz, William Way Community Center ballroom, 1315 Spruce St.

Paper Doll

Paper Doll: A brash and fierce D.C. punk band just like they used to make ’em. Listen in for swift, tight chord changes and clenched-fist political wit: "This is not pretty/ girls so thin/ I can see through their arsenic skin/ just like skeletons/ you’ve lost all control/ taken this issue for your own/ obsessive/compulsive/anorexic/bulimia/ is what you call your little imperfection/ can’t you see that it’s eating you?"

Bonfire Madigan

Woozyhelmet: Happy little indie pop trio from Austin. Good clean rock ’n’ roll fun.
Hang on the Box: One of Ladyfest’s undeniable highlights. This loud feminist pop-punk band hails from Beijing, China, and their country’s gender-related angst fuels their formidable fire (see "Asshole, I’m Not Your Baby!"). Hang on the Box is also, by all accounts, fun as hell.
Bonfire Madigan: Wrapped around her cello like a straitjacket, frontwoman Madigan Shive churns out moody bass notes that creak like an old boat in a perfect storm. This San Francisco "chamber punk" band’s new EP, 88, swerves and grooves with violin, lap steel, contrabass, guitar, drums and Shive’s soulful staccato vocals. --Patrick Rapa

6 p.m., $8, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave.

Hang on The Box

Cozmic Cat: Everyone knows Coz. She’s probably one of the busiest DJs Philly has ever seen -- known for dishing out a lip-smacking, fun-filled array of hip-hop, acid jazz, funk, soul and house. Since ’97 she’s spun alongside esteemed names like Cirque Du Soleil and DJ Jazzy Jeff, and she won a hodgepodge of DJ awards from Philadelphia magazine, Citysearch and CP. Today, you can catch her funkin’ it up behind the decks most nights of the week all over Philadelphia -- most notably, SoMa Lounge every Thursday. Cat’s debut split 12-inch release, titled From Philly With Love, has her dishin’ out nu-jazz lounge along with Jon Gill and Lorne. It drops March 20. A Coz set is always a guaranteed good time.
Bahamadia
Darshana & Chetana: Philly DJ duo who gave us the monthly "Bombay to Brazil" nights at Silk City. They love their Latin soul, old swank French pop, Afrobeat and more.
Rekha: New York’s Rekha Malhotra (a.k.a. DJ Rekha) brings the traditional dhol drumbeats of Bhangra (Punjabi folk music) to the dance scene. Mixing those percussive beats with elements of electronic music, hip-hop and R&B, Rekha makes a cross-cultural music for the masses.
Lauren Flax: Also in New York, Lauren Flax has been DJ’ing for six years, spinning various incarnations of electro and drum and bass with residencies in Detroit, Chicago and New York. She’s already appeared twice at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) and last year’s Ladyfest. As a producer, she intertwines digital technology with the shoe-gazer breathiness of Lush and My Bloody Valentine, and floating guitar motion like Slowdive. Most recently, she reworked Le Tigre’s "Much Finer" into a snazzy electro-poppin’ breakbeat ditty. As a DJ, she’s known for expertly droppin’ whatever she damn well feels like droppin’ at that moment. --Sean O'Neal, Patrick Rapa, Caitlin Ryan

9 p.m., $12, with Ursula Rucker (see page 20), Rekha and a dance performance by Möntazh, Transit, Sixth and Spring Garden sts., 215-925-8878.

Saturday, March 22

April Disaster: It’s so much fun to watch a band grow. Since releasing their icebreaking self-titled EP last winter, local indie folk group April Disaster have become a fully formed quintet, appropriating cellist/keyboardist/tambourinist Lauren Hartlein to flesh out their live sets whether they’re being heckled in Wilmington or rocking the Khyber. Bassist John Pettit began to carry a trumpet to shows as well, and it adds a subtle melancholy to the standout "Like You Say" on the band’s new Fancy Pants EP, though the gentle epic "Crimson" is just as stirring. Still, it’s funny how the more instruments the Disaster adds, the quieter they sound.

The Operators

The Operators: Giddy, raucous spaz-punk out of the suburbs of Boston that recalls the best parts -- the crankiness, the furious single-string guitar, the excitement -- of all those records K put out in the early ’90s, with a dollop of The Raincoats’ crash-boom-pop shamble for good measure. Let them be your favorite band, just so that grin that sprouts on your face after the first song doesn’t come as too much of a shock.
Mascott: It’s been too long since Follow the Sound, Mascott’s debut, enchanted the music critics of the world with its opiate prettiness. But when Kendall Jane Meade and her crew of merry pop confessors arrive for their Ladyfest appearance they just might have a few new heartbreaking gems to share. Soviet
Soviet: These young Turks will take on all synth-based new wave stalwarts for the title "Most Sassy Band." Soviet only has to fight Ladytron in a three-fall, steel-cage match to usher in a sleek, bold new vision of electro-pop. Though the New York five-piece is based at ground zero for the hipster status quo, Soviet seems to be trying to make their own statement against jaded guitars and really bad bedhead. --Paul Burress, Maura Johnston, Elisa Ludwig, John Vettese

5 p.m., $8, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St.

Sashimi: This Philly "electronic-feminist punk rock" duo churns out pushbutton beats, droney lo-fi melodies and bitter sung-spoken lyrics about prostitution, date rape and a hundred other things. But the music is also quite danceable.
Triple Creme: One needs listen no further than "4 Boys," the third track off Triple Creme’s second disc, Lucid, to figure out where this Brooklyn power punk foursome is coming from: "Token girl up in front /that’s not a girl band /we think it’s a crock /use a girl to front your cock rock," they declare. "Have you boys any shame /she’s so pretty /ain’t she fine /gets you gigs every time." But you will keep listening because the band’s unisonic choruses and jog-and-sprint chord changes command you to. Better do what they say.
LotSix: This Philly-based artist/computer nrrrd has a different thang goin’ on: self-karaoke rock featuring live singing and playing to pre-recorded drum sequences, complete with synchronized projected digital visuals. Odd? Perhaps. Fun? Most certainly. A bass player with various bands over the past decade, LotSix eventually built her own computer, re-creating her songs for solo live/digital performance. These tongue-in-cheek ditties have monikers as charmingly quirky as their author: "Nauseous" and "Vacuuming Naked," for example. Enjoy.
Teradactyl: Based in Hawaii with three CD releases on Avant Pop, this trio (Ara Laylo, Paul Bajcar and Jeff Sanner) dish out cute and kitschy pop jams with guitars and electronic toys ranging from an Alesis drum machine to a Radio Shack keyboard. Imagine a folky, stripped-down Velocity Girl (only smoother and with female and male vocals that are actually in key) or a much less irritating The Sundays recording irresistible pop ditties in their living room.
Nytelite: Three Austin kids with old school electronic toys make keyboard-driven mood music. Real dancey but nebulous outer-space stuff. They don’t want to live on the moon, they want to be the moon.
The Tunics: Sources say this snarky four-piece from Bethlehem make some kind of new wavey, punk, lo-fi hybrid.
Falkor: Led by two sisters who sing and take turns on drums and guitar, Philly’s own Falkor take their name from a character in the book The Neverending Story. The duo, which has drawn comparisons to Sonic Youth and The Slits, last year recorded a seven-song demo with Jerry Busher (Fugazi, All Scars) and James Canty (Nation of Ulysses, French Toast). Their Ladyfest appearance will be only their fourth in their hometown.
Lorelei: Pittsburgh trio Lorelei doubles up on the low end and cuts out the treble (in other words: two bass players, one drummer, no guitar) and it works. Recalling the weird, minimalist complexities of Sleater-Kinney and the melodic, heavy fuzz of Unwound, Loreleli swings it, baby. Our Minds Have Been Electrifed is a 10-song race that hot-wires nervous energy for a sound that’s one part hip shake, two parts head nodding. And hey, and they give a shout-out to Joan Jett. Enough said. --Paul Burress, Sean O'Neal, Nicole Pensiero, Patrick Rapa

2 p.m., free, with spoken word artist Magdalena Zurawski and a demonstration by WAVE (Women’s Anti- Violence Education), Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St.

KeN: As unexpected as the capital N in their name, Philly rock quintet KeN may be musically all business, but their stage shows are more like a costume party. They’ve passed out candy and trinkets at shows, and never fail to agree on theme outfits beforehand. When guitarist Kristin Thomson (yes, the one on the cover) got herself knocked up, the band’s three other female members wore shirts with arrows pointing at her, while their male drummer donned a tee reading "Not Guilty." Shows are rare these days, what with Thomson raising a young’un, so catch ’em now, unless you want to wait 10 years to see them get back together.
Del Cielo: When we last saw Del Cielo, they were sharing a seven-inch with now-defunct Philly hardcore heroes Kill The Man Who Questions. Playing a melodic-punk yin to KTMWQ’s visceral yang on the split, the D.C. trio managed to be catchy but not quite pop, gripping but still tender. Their debut full-length Wish and Wait (Eyeball Records) continues in kind, with Andrea Lisi cooing reflective lyrics like a less strident Corin Tucker while her bandmates keep the backbeat and, when appropriate, bring the noise.

x's x's

x's x's: This band of Ladyfest organizers delivers rumbling lo-fi punk rock with head-scratching lyrics, awesome arrangements and passionate, roaring delivery. Their five-song EP was one of the coolest, most rocking CDs to come out of Philly last year.
The Beatings: This Boston band released their latest album, Italiano, to critical praise from The Washington Post to The Big Takeover (as well as points in between). The Beatings boasts the gleaming devil-may-care attitude of The Replacements while channeling the melodic fury of Hüsker Dü. Though they do draw comparisons to the twin gods of the Twin Cities, The Beatings aren’t your older brother’s punk rock.
Winterbrief: Electroclash? Put a Korg in it. Philly duo Winterbrief were sticking dance in their punk while Chicks on Speed were still doing gateway drugs. Stop bouncing around long enough to listen to the lyrics, though, and you’ll hear a sophisticated critique of media-induced disillusionment and image culture. Then start bouncing around again.
Frostiva: Four grrls and an attitude: That’s Columbus, Ohio’s favorite punk daughters. Keyboardist/guitarist Trinae, guitarist Leslie, bassist Faith and drummer Sharon (first names only, please) dish out dark, synth-infused rock. With everybody but the drummer taking a turn on lead vocals, their sound can change from tune to tune. Between Trinae’s trembling vocals and Faith’s spooky ghost calls, there’s atmosphere to spare -- and the twin-guitar attack doesn’t hurt either.
Stiffed: The most recent rock band to get the town buzzing. Features booming vocals by Santi White and Philly’s go-to drummer Chuck Treece. The sound is some unholy Clash/Blondie combination. This band wants to rattle your teeth and shake your ass. --Sam Adams, Paul Burress, Nicole Pensiero, Patrick Rapa, John Vetesse

8 p.m., $8, Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St.

Trace Fury
Flo Brown: Brown, a Black Lily alum, has the distinction of having made appearances on two of Philly’s better hip-hop exports last year, Jazzy Jeff’s The Magnificent and Scratch’s The Embodiment of Instrumentation. Still more impressive are her openly feminist lyrics, which she delivers with a hard-edged assault that does her name proud.
Lady Alma: At home and abroad, Philly’s Lady Alma Horton has graced her audiences with her gospel lungs and diva moves -- and you just can’t ignore her. The erstwhile member of Sylk 130 and Black Lily regularly crosses from R&B to hip-hop to drum and bass and back again. Horton’s voice, with its extraordinary range, knows no limits, and her willingness to move across genres keeps her material fresh. Horton has been on the verge of a long-awaited solo release for years, but she continues to tease with a steady stream of singles and collaborations with Philly folks King Britt and Ursula Rucker. --Elisa Ludwig

10 p.m., $10, with Natural Selection and spoken word artist Alix Olson, North Star, 2639 Poplar St.

My Favorite: The suburban axiom of "a better life for the children" drives these Long Island new wavers, but listening closely reveals a confused mix of optimism and despondency about what "better" might really mean. What better way to work through that confusion than to drive off and dance the night away?
First Ladies DJ Collective: Comprised of D.C.’s most established women DJs and some bright up-and-comers, the FLDC promises lounge, new wave, Brit-pop, trip-hop, electro, tech-trance, and more. How’s this for a slogan?: "Let there be no ass shakin’ without representation." --Maura Johnston, Patrick Rapa

10 p.m., $6, 21+, with performance artists Rachel Thorne Germond and Jamie Smith, Tritone, 1508 South St.

Sunday, March 23

Tsunami
IDA: They don't mean to make you cry. It just sort of happens. When Elizabeth Mitchell and Dan Littleton sing to each other as if they were whispering in each other's ear, it's all over. From '95's Tales of Brave Ida on, Mitchell, Littleton and many friends have collaborated on some of the most tender and intimate music of the last 10 years. Doubtful? Check "Coupons" from their debut. Your heart will swell with the strings as Mitchell joins Littleton to lament, "I’m not looking for a few pennies off / Just show me something that doesn’t go soft… / I’m not looking to save a few cents / I just need something that doesn't break when it bends…." Or "The Weight," from 1997’s all-around stellar Ten Small Paces, in which Littleton coaxes pure hope out of a few aching plucks of a guitar string. But don’t discount ex-Beekeeper Karla Schickele. Her quiveringly beautiful contributions to the last few records, among them "Poor Dumb Bird" and "This Water," stand out not for any incongruity but for the way they depart from Ida convention for a few heady, heart-racing minutes and then return, leaving you to wonder how to go back. Their latest, The Braille Night, was recorded simultaneously with their highly regarded Tiger Style release Will You Find Me, which preserves words, gestures and moments in sweet amber. And whether they’re covering Neil Young or their pals the Secret Stars, they make the songs all their own. If Ladyfesters behave, maybe Mitchell and Littleton will treat the audience to a track from one of their two children’s records. "You Are My Sunshine"? "This Little Light of Mine"? Aw, now they went and made me cry.
Rebecca Gates and Jodi Buonanno: Gates is a rockin’ solo artist now, but pretty much did everything when she was in the Spinanes anyway. Buonanno is the non-grumpy half of Boston’s quietly commanding lo-fi/experimental rock group, the Secret Stars. What these two will do together is a mystery, but you will probably sit down and shut up.

Dear Nora

Dear Nora: This smiley San Fran strum-and-drum pop trio makes classic-sounding ditties with oddly poetic lyrics and mint breathy vocals by Katy Davidson. Their cover of Dylan’s "Girl From The North Country" is right on.
The Snow Fairies: Hooray for Philly’s resident all-hobbit dreamy pop band. Strummy guitars. La la la lyrics. Tambourines jingling. Look at them smile. Can they possibly be having that much fun? --Lori Hill, Patrick Rapa

2 p.m., $10, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St. Bring musical equipment (such as picks, guitar straps, keyboards or DJ gear) to the show and Ida will donate it to Portland, Ore.'s Rock 'n'Roll Camp for Girls 2003.

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