Feminist Music Geek

Welcome back, everyone. It’s bananas to me that it’s been so long since I posted. I recently moved to Madison, Wisconsin (a week before the recall election–w00t, Jennifer Schilling and Jessica King). I have spent the last couple weeks getting my home in order, showing parents around town, adjusting to my new jogging route, having my picture taken for various identification cards, opening a checking account, procuring a winter coat that may or may not make me look like Mr. Hanky come winter time, catching up on some writing, and squeezing in the odd game of Rock Band or dinner with friends. In other words, I’ve been busy crossing things off lists. It’s nice to finally have enough of a routine down to blog.

One thing I love about blogging is that you can take a blog anywhere and it informs your perspective. I believe in using posts to articulate civic pride, even and especially when that pride is shaken. I wrote as an Austin blogger for the past few years and fully intend to throw myself into the community. I’m even more excited to help build on that community and collaborate with folks in and outside of Madison. And actually, I’m putting the finishing touches on a post about a certain Wisconsinan indie rocker that I plan to publish tomorrow. But tonight, I’m going to shine a light on Portland.

I know, I know–I gave Portlandia a hard time. I’ve yet to officially visit the city beyond its airport terminal, but I’m excited to make the trip now that that three close girlfriends live there. One of them is interning with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon and is helping put on Summer Brews for the Right to Choose. If you’re in the area this Saturday, you should go and do a little dancing and bid on some art and prizes from local businesses.

A few days before I left Austin, Jen at Punk Start My Heart Records sent me an email after I posted the label’s great Homoground mix on the blog’s Facebook page. PSMH is a Portland-based feminist, queer-positive record label. It started as a booking collective that grew into a music festival that’s currently raising money to press its first three releases. If this sounds familiar to you, Bitch and some other sites wrote about the Kickstarter effort earlier. Jen wanted me to help spread the word. And even though it’s a bit late in the game, there’s really no such thing as “too late” with DIY media fundraising. You still have eight days left to donate, get some cool swag, and invest in a scene that honors musical contributions from queer and/or feminist artists like Forever, Fucking Lesbian Bitches, and NO/HO/MO. It’s definitely a future I want to live in. Plus they’re re-releasing Fagatron’s 7″. As incentive, “ASSKICKATHON”. Enjoy!