Sara Landeau

Cho to Lagerfeld

2012-02-12T11:31:00.000-08:00

A Must Read Personal letter from Cho to Lagerfeld regarding his comment on a woman's weight

Procrastination site

2012-02-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

Karen Suzuki

2012-02-12T10:43:00.001-08:00

SOURCE

French Leatherette Mix!

2012-02-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

French Leatherette Mix.

French post punk, new wave, metal, funk and punk.

01. “Extase” - Mecanique Rythmique
02. “Torso Corso” - Lizzy Mercier Descloux
03. “Il Ne Dira Pas” - Etienne Daho
04. “Aere Perennius” - Docdail
05. “Victoires Prochaines” - Seconde Chambre
06. “Electrique Sylvie: - Modern Guy
07. “Pepper Drums” - P.A Dahan & Mat Camison
08. “Sandie Trash” - Les Olivensteins
09. “Burger City” - Casino Music
10. “Detective” - Medikao
11. “Chercher Le Garcon” - DJ Shell
12. “Man Of Time” - Kas Product
13. “Jungle Soho” - End Of Data
14. “Wanda’s Loving Boy” - Poni Hoax
15. “Des Poi Sur Moi” - Masoch

SOURCE: Dangerous Minds

Because Larissa Strickland needs more notice

2012-02-08T12:40:00.001-08:00

Laughing Hyenas again.

Laughing Hyenas

2012-02-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

Laughing Hyenas. Larissa Strickland on guitar, awesome sound. I saw this band so many times when I was a teen in the midwest and really wish I had paid more attention. Thats my lesson for today, appreciate everything while you can.

My teen student Webb Crawford plays with Debbie Harry!

2012-02-05T18:51:00.000-08:00

Miss Webb Crawford, protege guitarist and long time guitar student, (far right with the big orange Gretsch guitar) plays with Debbie Harry at the Hard Rock Cafe with her high school class! She also performed "Stormy Weather" and "Maybe I'm Lost." Webb is truly EXCEPTIONAL on guitar, can't wait to see more of her...in front of the horns!! Yay Webb!

From Thursday, February 2, 2012.

Guitareste!!

2012-02-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to do an interview with Guitareste.com ! Check out and support her amazing blog for women guitarists.

There's still a few TIX left...

2012-02-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

Neal Medlyn: Wicked Clown Love NYC

I was fortunate enough to get tickets for the premiere last night! I've been waiting a year for this, ever since I heard Neal Medlyn was working on a theatre show about the band ICP. Check it out if you can, there's only a few days left. Plus see our drummer (The Julie Ruin's own) Carmine Cavelli as the DJ. Prepare to be blown away and don't drink too much Faygo from the water cooler in the lobby like I did. Despite the Faygo sugar/stomach attack, I didn't want this show to end.

Above, clown brotherhood.

Above: I have deer in the headlight eyes! Excited to hang with Neal Medlyn, the master of this show.

Impromptu Russian Guerilla-Rock

2012-02-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

See MORE VIDEOS AND MISSION STATEMENT on their blog HERE

Drum Contest

2012-02-03T13:48:00.000-08:00

Check out http://www.hitlikeagirl2012.com/ contest for female drummers. Prizes include cash and drum gear.

MAC

2012-01-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

Love me some makeup. With new Mac model Beth Ditto.

Favorite guitarist series

2012-01-22T11:15:00.000-08:00

East Bay Ray. I love this early picture I just found.

Late and fussy

2012-01-22T10:51:00.000-08:00

I was late on listening to Lykke Li, and while not everything released is as good as this song, there are some real beautiful parts on Wounded Rhymes. Bo-Diddly-esque beat, yeah!

Just because I like it

2012-01-22T09:53:00.001-08:00

SOURCE

Sandwich Art

2012-01-21T10:51:00.000-08:00

Name the artist? From Juxtapose - more HERE

Damien Hirst?

Rothko?
Piet Mondrian.

Etta James

2012-01-20T10:19:00.001-08:00

NPR podcast on remembering Etta James HERE.

Girl Power Anthems

2012-01-19T14:28:00.000-08:00

Oh, this is a nice Spinner article by Amy Klein!

From Flavorwire

2012-01-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

Flavorwire's Guide to 10 Feminist Country Songs

Vintage and modern country songs are on their list, posted today. Watching Dolly Parton reminds me that I need to start practicing to be like her when I wake up in my next life. This Kitty Wells song is the second thing I ever learned on Uke, the first was a Buzzcocks song.

Sunday hardcore matinee show, anyone?

2012-01-19T12:04:00.001-08:00

thanks Neil

2012-01-19T10:58:00.001-08:00

The Julie Ruin news....

2012-01-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

Check The Julie Ruin webpage for news... So many songs near completion. I couldn't be more excited.

Kenny Mellman (keys/vox), me (guitar/vox), Kathleen Hanna (Lead Vox), Kathi Wilcox (bass/vox), Carmine Covelli (drums/vox)

The Little Girls

2012-01-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

The Little Girls from 1982-5, L.A., a power pop street band featuring Clem Burke and Nigel Harrison from Blondie. They had two hits, "The Earthquake Song" and "How to Pick Up Girls" and opened for The Boomtown Rats, The Call, Janis Ian, The Pretenders and others.

One of the first MTV videos "How to Pick Up Girls."

"Bandana" !!

HERE for some Power Pop

Sharon Van Etten

2012-01-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

Great song & guitar tones....

Chickfactor

2012-01-12T08:42:00.001-08:00

Chickfactor 20th Anniversary shows in Brooklyn and DC. See all SHOWS HERE

Photo: Black Tamborine

Photo: Small Factory

SOURCE

New Scissor Sisters with Azealia 2012

2012-01-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

Pedal Board gallery

2012-01-01T21:30:00.001-08:00

I forgot that the main reason I started this blog was for collecting pedal board images. Here's a couple more, thanks to my dearest friend J.W.

Dub Trio (Dec 2011)

Anna Calvi December 2011

2012-01-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Ms. Mag Blog

2012-01-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

MS. Magazine's 10 Great Albums of 2011 That Happen to Have Been Made by Women

Women in 1978

2012-01-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

Oh, these are all SO, SO good. This started when I posted A Taste Of Honey's "Boogie Oogie Oogie" on Dec 20, 2011 and wanted to compare it to other songs from that year. This may be my favorite posting so far. Also in 1978 Loretta Lynn wins best country artist of the year, Bee Gee's "Staying Alive" soundtrack is no.1, Nancy Spungen dies in Chelsea Hotel.

Finally, all the words to "Ring My Bell"...

Always reminds me of making up a dance routine to this with my babysitter on the beige living room carpet. Also of George Hamilton as Dracula in that Love at First Bite movie...

BASS LINE. Bass appreciation week starts now.

Watch this for the introductory guitar solo by Nancy Wilson.

When Joan Jett fronted the band, no Cherie Currie. Great song.

Unusual song by Siouxie. Just can't get enough of this.

In my heart I'm into glam rock the most.

Carol Kaye

2012-01-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Friend her on Facebook and see the fabulous lessons she posts daily (HERE). She is a role model teacher and one of the greatest bassists ever.

And...a Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T16:02:00.001-08:00

SOURCE

3 Movies from 20 years ago that Still Hold Up

2011-12-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

Here are 3 women-based comedy/dramas from 1991-2 that I watched over the holiday break on late-late night cable. These movies were well cast, chockfull of important women issues, and fully (I swear!) worth re-watching.

A real "Rockford Peach"

A League of Their Own (1992) starring Lori Petty, Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna. Directed by Penny Marshall.

Taglines: "There's no crying in baseball!" and "A women's place is on home, first, second, and third."

Madonna was at her apex of super-stardom here, yet cast as a co-star. Thats why all the posters show her bigger than Tom Hanks, or sometimes just her with a baseball bat. This is the fictionalized story of the real Rockford Peaches, one of the All-American Girls Pro Baseball Leagues (1943-1954) that existed while men were off fighting the war. Tom Hanks is the consistently hungover coach who learns to curb his drinking for the sake of the women's team and finds a friend in the do-gooder Dottie, the team catcher (Geena Davis). His spitting physical comedy here is at its best and quite possibly the last really funny role he's played. The women play ball with fury all the while knowing that inevitably the men will be back and Women's Baseball will sadly soon come to an end. There's a real Girls-Rock-Camp feel to the characters - all the women work their way into a boy's club, all are dedicated, hard hitters, and most are loud yet vulnerable. The ending is a bit of a mixed bag bummer (looking back when they're older in 1988) but in all its silly, fun, retro, and totally inspirational.

Thelma and Louise (1991) starring Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Brad Pitt. Directed by Ridley Scott.

Tagline: "Someone said get a life... so they did."

Don't let The Simpson's parodies of this or the general saturation of "2 women in a Thunderbird convertible on a nihilistic road-trip" stop you from watching this movie again. Try to watch it as if you've never seen it before. When this movie came out, we thought women's roles in cinema were going to change forever, that this would clearly rewrite women's characters in to multi-dimensional rebels and leading roles ...but its easy to see that it didn't change as much or as often as we thought. Geena Davis stars again, this time as a housewife who barely escapes a violent act, and learns to live for the first time as a fearless, gun holding yet politely feminine outlaw (manners count!). Susan Sarandon, always amazing, is scared, trapped, fighting, and beautiful all at the same MOMENT. Harvey Keitel is not at his best, but then again, this isn't his most ambitious role. Brad Pitt always plays a perfect dumb blonde with humor. Raw, enlightening, scary, ultra modern.

Death Becomes Her (1992) starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis. Directed by Robert Zemeckis.

Tagline: "Some people will go to any lengths to stay looking young."

This story of 2 L.A. women obsessed with looking young is just as poignant today, if not MORE, then ever. Meryl Streep plays a character who has consistently stolen Goldie Hawn's men since they were kids, then goes on to steal her husband (the bumbling DUD of a man Bruce Willis). And c'mon, Meryl Streep can do no wrong, she is always fabulous, so watch it for that alone. This is some serious silliness and some seriously early CGI...but it works. Full on comedy/90's slapstick. The problem is this: we laugh at these women who will do anything to hang on to firm butts, wonder-bra chests, and perfect skin.. but, because of Isabella Rossellini's insatiable sexiness as the head mistress of anti-aging, who can blame them for wanting it? I might want the youth-serum too if she's selling it. In a nut-shell its funny, light, smart, & cringeworthy.

Holiday Cheer

2011-12-23T11:46:00.000-08:00

The Dinner Roll

2011-12-21T20:13:00.000-08:00

Yes indeed. Thanks Carmine. SOURCE

A Taste of Honey - watch that BASS hand...

2011-12-20T18:30:00.000-08:00

R&B/Disco band "A Taste of Honey" (1971-82) from Los Angeles were Janice Marie Johnson (bass) and Hazel Payne (guitar), as well as Perry Kibble (keys) and Donald Johnson (drums). As any bassist knows, its not so easy to sing and play at the same time - especially over disco rhythms and riffs.

I saw this on VH1 Classics about 15 years ago and have been searching for a video of it ever since. Her bass hand and style really blew me away. I remember sitting on a couch at a friend's apartment on Bowery and seeing this, both of us saying "whoa" at the same time. And I never forgot it after all these years. Thanks to the internet, I was able to find out that it was "A Taste of Honey" and here it is.

Girls Rock Coloring Book -whatta gift?!

2011-12-20T17:33:00.000-08:00

Check out the insides HERE! .....And is that a little girl with a Warlock Guitar stepping on a pedal?!

BUY THE COLORING BOOK HERE!

Cookie Road

2011-12-20T11:35:00.001-08:00

A very Happy Holidays.

All cookies above made at Cookie Road in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Gift Certificates Available!

2011-12-19T19:52:00.000-08:00

Last minute gift? Packages of 1, 2, 3, or 4 lessons available before Xmas. Comes with a card. Wrap up a guitar or a pair of drumsticks and get them started. They are welcome to contact us anytime throughout the year to schedule lessons. Info and email here!

http://www.saralandeau.com/Class_Information.html

I love my job

2011-12-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

Did a little bandcoaching this weekend for the women putting on "KARATE KID, the Musical." With songs like "Your the Best - Around" by Joe Esposito, "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama and originals such as "Mr. Miyagi," this show will be a SUREFIRE effin hit. I CAN'T WAIT!

Aww.

2011-12-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

SOURCE and where to buy.

Intimidating

2011-12-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

Whoa! This reminds me to go back everyday and work on the little parts of the songs that I find myself skirting through, and make those parts solid and full...

2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winners - Divided Among 3 Women

2011-12-12T18:48:00.000-08:00

2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winners illustrated:

* activist LEYMAH GBOWEE of Liberia

* Liberian President ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF

* rights activist TAWAKULL KARMEN of Yemen.

According to the Nobel committee in Oslo, these 3 women were chosen "for their nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work. We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society."

LEYMAH GBOWEE helped organize and then lead the Liberian Mass Action for Peace which confronted the country's president, changed the infrastructure of men and women in her country, and brought an end to the Liberian Civil War in 2003. Their demonstrations culminated in his exile and the election of Africa's first female head of state Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (also a Nobel winner) . She was the central character in the 2008 documentary filmPray the Devil Back to Hell.

PLEASE WATCH!

Here is a Must-See 5 minute introductory video about Leymah Gbowee. LEYMAH VIDEO

(I could NOT EMBED THIS VIDEO unfortunately! PLEASE click to watch!)

Liberian President ELLEN JOHNSON SIRLEAF, knicknamed the "Iron Lady," was the world's first elected black female president (2006) and is the first and only elected female head of state in Africa. She has declared a zero tolerance policy against corruption and has made education free for all children. She said the peace that had ended 14 years of civil war should be attributed to the country's women who stood up against the former dictatorship. "My sisters, my daughters, my friends," she says,"find your voice."

For a lighter look at Ellen Johnson Sirleaf....See her here on THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART

Rights activist TAWAKKUL KARMEN of Yemen is the first Arab woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize. She is the president of Women Journalists Without Chains, a group campaigning for press freedom, and the public face of the 2011 Yemeni uprisings. Karmen has fought for human rights and the rights of women in a conservative Muslim and tribal society.

A Must-See look at Karmen in action! Tawakul Karmen VIDEO

(Again, this I'm not able to EMBED THIS VIDEO. Please click and watch!)

Who chooses the Nobel Peace Prize anyway, and why does it matter?

* Exposure matters. We may not have studied these 3 particular women's actions if we just saw their names in passing, now we're moved, inspired, and even changed.

* The award consists of a cash prize of $1.4 million.

Nominations are made from lawmakers around the world, university professors, previous Nobel laureates, and members of the Nobel committee (made up of 5 Norwegians chosen by their country's parliament).

The Nobel Peace Prize was created by Alfred Nobel, the Swedish scientist and industrialist.

(Illustrations by me)

Her cheekbones cast shadows when she smiles

2011-12-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

In a pile of drum gear...

2011-12-05T18:41:00.001-08:00

PHOTO Source

Back to that Les Paul I was painting...

2011-12-03T18:17:00.000-08:00

So I took apart this Epiphone Les Paul in a previous post, sanded it for 2 weeks, painted it magenta with yellow racing stripes over its old dull Sunburst coat, ordered "Mod" white speed knobs from Hong Kong on Ebay, sprayed sealers, set it up, strung it, and got it playing. The other day I felt that twitch that something was wrong, and then I finally decided its just too "rosey." I've re-taped and went over it with a solid Candy Apple RED spray.

Here it is drying over a torn apart issue of Bust Magazine. TBC.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T09:24:00.001-08:00

Laura Kennedy of the Bush Tetras RIP

2011-11-15T09:20:00.000-08:00

The 5, 6, 7, 8's...

2011-11-14T20:53:00.001-08:00

Saw them play at Mercury Lounge on Saturday 11-12-11, poised, perfect, gorgeous, and better than ever...

Not the best video I found on youtube...but you get the idea.

http://www.the5678s.net/

Cookies in Austin, Thanks Lina!

2011-11-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

Oaxaca Mexico - A way to celebrate

2011-11-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

Dia De Los Muertos Upper Playground Mexico Oaxaca from mrevelli on Vimeo.

Painting an Epiphone Les Paul

2011-11-06T18:15:00.001-08:00

The original Epihpone Les Paul in picture #1. I love the way this guitar sounds and it plays beautifully, but I'm not a fan of sunburst. Maybe I'm just sick of it? I dunno. Too "Slash"? Yeah, a little. So I decided to take on the ambitious project of repainting it. This was a MUCH bigger project than I ever imagined! Patience was crucial here and there was a lot of waiting for paint to dry (literally). If you're the type who likes to sit for hours in a monk like meditation and sand wood, this is for you. Luckily I do love to sand and listen to music...

Inspiration: The BMW art cars. I like quite a few of them. This one was painted by Andy Warhol and I love the colors and the ripped tape effect. My friend Josh introduced me to these.

So since Josh is kinda the guy who know everything, I took him with to the hardware store on Metropolitan in Williamsburg. We picked out sandpaper.

The guy working at Crest Hardware casually told us about THE PIG WHO LIVES IN BACK. Just look at this!

Spray paint section. I got excited and perhaps a little ambitious buying 4 shades.

The guitar with the strings off.

Spent a great deal of time precisely putting tape over the pickups, knobs, and sides.

First round of sanding at my studio. The meditation begins. Also the slightly OCD part.

Testing colors. They look a little Alladin Sane in real life. Gorgeous shades.

First layer of Easter Yellow over everything with the goal of ripping tape and having it show through.

Several days later, after sanding twice and 2 coats later, I add painters tape down the center.

The trick with spray paint, I've learned, is to stay far away and do VERY LIGHT coats, one per day. Unlike acrylics, oils, or other paints I'm familiar with, this has an extremely light touch. I got excited and moved in an inch and....damn, a drip. Now I have to sand all over again, layer. Several more days go by.

I went with the Magenta spray.

Sand and spray.
Final coat. Or so I think.

Clear gloss. Several layers and days worth. How do I know when to stop?

The final guitar before putting strings on.

With strings! Completed except now I need to work on its set up since the bridge got a little buzzy in the process.

I left some scratches/paint accidents on the body I liked. Also some red spray paint went off in a bag and sprayed the bottom bridge. Looks good.

Bones and Django are happy I'm done.

Cute and Wierd

2011-11-04T13:57:00.001-07:00

Source: http://sonicf.com

New York Magazine... Sun Oct 30, 2011

2011-11-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

Read on for "The Rebirth of the Feminist Manifesto" and "An Oral History of Ms. Magazine"

Halloween Dog Costumes

2011-10-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Source/more

Guitar Lessons

2011-10-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a new lesson on triads. I call these Mini Triads because they are only 3 strings in size. Be sure to mute/not hit the lowest strings (E, A, D) for these. Triads can be played on all strings, are moveable up and down the neck, and are interchangeable. For these particular Mini Triads, we're just focusing on the high strings to create that strong dazzling Johnny Marr sound.

Now, can't give away his magic too much, but if you form the first shape, start up high on fret 9 and slide back and forth to fret 7, then 11, you'll start to hear it. You'll need to arpeggiate the chords. Whats that? Arpeggiate is when you hit ONE string at a time, sort of rake through the strings so each note rings out independently before hitting the next note. A chord sounds like all the notes are hit at once. Of course this is an electric guitar with the treble turned up....some reverb...

Favorite Guitarists series

2011-10-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

I don't want this song to end. Link Wray is 1st of my "Favorite Guitarist series". No particular order, you just can't number things that way.

This version of Hidden Charms may be the reason I decided to stop playing 3 chords and become a better guitarist. I first got a hold of this when I was 19.

Laying down backing tracks

2011-10-25T11:40:00.001-07:00

With the amazing Kathi Wilcox.

2011-10-13T16:01:00.001-07:00

New Pic

2011-10-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

Makeup and photo by the incredibly skillful Rose Devitt! See her work as it goes up here: http://killer-makeup.blogspot.com/

First official band photo!

2011-10-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

the julie Ruin First official band photo!

Photographer: Aliya Naumoff
Makeup: Kristin Hilton
Hair: Jennifer Brent

With Carmine Covelli, me, Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, and Kenny Mellman

Sara's Guitar Lessons HERE

2011-10-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

I should've done this ages ago. Weekly guitar lessons will be posted here. Requests welcomed. A few new students have asked about these chords lately so lets do that first.

Question: What is a power chord?

* the little number on the side of each chart tells you the fret #.

Answer: A power chord, also called a "5" chord by people who follow music theory, is a 2 or 3 stringed chord shape based on only 2 notes: the root note (a.k.a. the NAME of the chord, like A, C, D, F etc.) and the 5th note of that scale.

This is a neutral chord, not major or minor (so thus not bright or dark in nature), but full and...with a little help from heavy hitting or a pedal..."powerful." These chords can be played over almost song and are a good thing to know when playing with others. Sliding these smoothly from fret to fret is the GOAL. Add some chunky down strums. Just be careful not to hit the thin highest strings (marked with little x's on these charts.) Aim for good tone.

BE SURE to use your Index finger and your Ring (3rd) finger. If you are flipping off the audience, you are holding your chord correctly here. Yes.

* * *Next week I'll be posting The Smith's "This Charming Man" guitar solo, by Johnny Marr. I heard it today during breakfast (at B.A.D. Diner), remember teaching it to a handful of students, and thought it'd make a great practice song for all levels of players. In the works...

Nice Guitar Solo

2011-10-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

Scroll to 2:39 to hear the lead girl guitarist's solo! Great job! (Not Metallica's best era or album, but still...)

Olek strikes Astor Place

2011-10-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

RIP Sylvia Robinson

2011-10-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

Click her for a great NYTimes bio about producer, songwriter, and singer Sylvia Robinson.

"Drive"

2011-09-26T20:20:00.001-07:00

There's a scene in "Drive" (2011) where Christina Hendricks awkwardly pours out of a pawn shop carrying a duffle bag; she's in unstable cheap heels, raggy hoodie, white trash L.A. jeans...so great. Burned in my memory. I hope to see her in more non-Joan roles like this. Its a huge relief to see an unconventional body shape in a new movie.

My Brightest Diamond

2011-09-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

New video by My Brightest Diamond (aka Shara Worden). I was late to be introduced to this performer, why?

http://www.mybrightestdiamond.com/

Women in History Illustrated

2011-09-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD (b.1941-_) British fashion designer and businesswoman.

"The only possible effect one can have on the world is through unpopular ideas." - Vivienne Westwood, designer

This is #9 in my series of illustrating 10 inspiring women in history.She is probably the most famous on the list, and is a continuous idol/source of creative inspiration.

I remember the mid-late 80's, in the working class midwest, when my friends and I would buy thrift store clothes (as much as you can stuff in a bag for a dollar), wear them in layers with tons of makeup and orange hair to school, and try to emulate her fashion. In reality, we probably looked more like goth bag ladies.

http://www.viviennewestwood.co.uk/

Fall Studio

2011-09-22T21:42:00.001-07:00

Revolution Girl Style on NPR

2011-09-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

New article on NPR.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/09/20/140640502/revolution-girl-style-20-years-later

Also check out my friend the amazing and prolific Amy Klein's blog.

Gloria Jones

2011-09-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

GLORIA JONES with the original "Tainted Love" from 1964. She was from Ohio, but considered part of the British northern soul music and dance movement of the 60's. Her story is sad - she survived the fatal car crash of boyfriend (and father of her child) Marc Bolan when he was killed in 1977.

Of course there's been other versions and remixes of her UK hit "Tainted Love," most of them...uh, not bad. I believe Soft Cell's version from 1981 is possibly just as great as hers, mainly because it is completely original in its own style and form.

* Super Nerd-Alert: according to the book I posted about last month "Perfecting Sound Forever" by Greg Miliner, the Synclavier is what makes that cool trademark GONG sound in Soft Cell's "Tainted Love," as well as in the intro to Michael Jackson's "Beat It." I've brought this up in casual conversations about recording before, usually getting blank stares back. Another post for another time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synclavier

The Julie Ruin band photos

2011-09-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

Band photoshoot! More to come: http://thejulieruin.com/ I feel like a tomboy 100% of the time but I look so girly in the pictures. Ying/yang, black/white, whatever....

(Kenny took this photo of the computer screen...)

Ut

2011-09-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Loving this band lately. Ut (circa 1978) from NYC was Nina Canal, Jacqui Ham, Sally Young, and briefly Karen Achenbach. Hard to find good videos and links to them. Google keeps giving me UT (Texas college...could you get any more opposite?).

Posting today, 9-11

2011-09-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

Ten years later.

The Julie Ruin recording pictures

2011-09-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

New website!: http://thejulieruin.com/

In the recording studio. September 9, 2011. Andre, the studio engineer, said my solo sounded like 2 aliens talking. Wow?

Women in History Illustrated

2011-09-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

VICTORIA WOODHULL b.1838-1927 was a controversial leader in the women's suffrage movement as well as the first woman, along with her sister, to operate a firm on Wall Street. With the fortune they made, they were able to run a weekly newspaper addressing issues such as women's suffrage, labor politics, personal freedoms, marriage laws, legal and political rights, and social inequities. 50 years before women could vote, Woodhull ran for president of the United States, the first woman to do so. Her extreme ideas and reforms are still debated today. Illustration by me, in pen.

Women in History Illustrated

2011-09-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

YAYOI KUSAMA 1929-_. Japanese artist and sculptor. Like her or not, (or fear her), Kusama is possibly the most important modern artist in Japanese history. Her work spans from 1950's conceptual paintings to environmental installations, usually characterized by the use of repeating patterns. In 2008, a work by Kusama sold for over $5million, the record for any living female artist. Yoko Ono has called her an early influence. My pen illustration is from a photo of her blending into her polka dotted wall circa 1968.

More information on Yayoi Kusama.

No. 2, oil on canvas, painted in 1959. Sold at Christies for record price.

Artist/Sculptor Miina Akkijyrkka

2011-09-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

Finnish Sculptor Miina Akkijyrkka 1949-_ works in bronze, scrap metal, paint, and textiles. She is most known for her cow sculptures made from automobile parts.

http://www.akkijyrkka.com/en/works/

TOMBOY STYLE

2011-09-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

While looking for something to wear for our band's first photo shoot, I came across this inspiring blog/website called Tomboy Style by Lizzie Garrett. Thanks Aidan!

http://tomboystyle.blogspot.com/

Here are few examples of tomboy style in history, from her blog.

Martha Gellhorn hunting with Ernest Hemingway, 1940/41.

Tina Weymouth, 1977.

Elspeth Beard after completing her solo ride around the world in 1984.

Greenwich Village, 1959.

Picture from a rodeo, 1948.

Revamped and Final Website up

2011-09-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

Ack, that took awhile, but I did it. http://saralandeau.com

Mary Ford's Guitar

2011-09-06T12:24:00.001-07:00

Is this a real Mary Ford signature guitar? If anyone deserved her own guitar, it's Mary Ford.

Women in History Illustrated

2011-09-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

RUTH GRUBER (1911-_) From Brooklyn, Ruth Gruber was an international correspondent, photojournalist, and writer. In 1931, she was the youngest person to receive a doctorate degree. In 1935, she wrote a series for the New York Herald Tribune about women under fascism and communism. During World War II, she was sent on a special mission to bring refugees and wounded American soldiers from Italy back to the US. She has written dozens of books based on her work in the Soviet Union, Israel, Palestine, and more, and documented these missions with photographs now up at the ICP in NY. A documentary about Ruth Gruber called "Ahead of Time" was released this year. I did the drawing in pen based on a passport photo of her from JAN 31, 1946.

Photos by Ruth Gruber

Women in History Illustrated

2011-09-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

MAISIE WILLIAMS, actress. 13 year old character of Arya Stark in "Game of Thrones"! This little girl is one of the most inspiring characters in television history. Arya is sword wielding, witty, and independent. She rejects the notion that she must marry for power and influence like her older siblings. I haven't read the books so I cannot say what happens to this amazing character beyond season 1. Guilty pleasure; yeah, whatever. She is #5 in my women in history illustrations series. I did this in pencil. Nevertheless, I found her difficult to draw, not sure why.

Women in History Illustrated

2011-09-03T15:40:00.001-07:00

MARIA MITCHELL (1818-1889) was the first American woman to work as a professional astronomer and astronomy teacher. She discovered a comet known as "Miss Mitchell's Comet" and was the first female member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Women are still outnumbered by men in the sciences (1 in 7 is the latest trustworthy statistic I read) so I wanted to look for an inspiring scientist to draw. This is #4 in my series of women in history, done in pen.

Swiss Girl Group 1974

2011-08-13T09:46:00.001-07:00

Barbara Lynn, a tele and silver heels...

2011-08-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

I'm in love...

Visit Jane's Sweet Buns!

2011-08-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Jane's pastry shop just opened up 102 St. Mark's Place in Manhattan, between 1st Ave and Avenue A. Try it out! And I made this logo for her, and menu: www.janessweetbuns.com

Sister Nancy, my latest favorite

2011-07-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

Just finished this book...

2011-07-18T11:56:00.001-07:00

...about the history (and current state) of sound recording, and I HIGHLY recommend it to anybody who's a musician. Here's my brief review of Perfecting Sound Forever, an Aural History of Recorded Music: first, don't let the dry sounding name fool you, this book is full of stories and examples that are fun, creatively written, and addictive to read. You don't have to be an audiophile, gear head wannabe (like me), know-it-all, or professional musician to like (love) this. The book is divided into 3 sections: 1. Acoustic/Electrical beginnings - Thomas Edison and Alan Lomax 2. Analog middle - Lead Belly, Les Paul, and Phil Spector 3. Digital end/current - The Loudness War, the digital feel of current music, Dr. Dre, Pixies vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers recordings, Dub, and what recording studios offer in 2011.

I love the flow of this book - science mixed with history, comical real stories about how sound used to be captured, and a solid take on the evolution of the music industry. Maybe it sounds cliche, but I did not want this book to end and it has completely changed the way I listen - to everything - and in turn has changed my life.

Oscillations

2011-07-17T12:56:00.001-07:00

Inspired

2011-07-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

Very inspired by these women and thankful to be introduced to this band recently. Rip.

Gillian Welch new album

2011-07-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

Gillian Welch with David Rawlings, one of my favorite guitarists.

Kleenex

2011-07-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

Swiss all female band from 1978-83. Lyrics in German and English.

The Shredder Cheese Grater!

2011-07-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

I NEED this!

http://www.neatoshop.com/product/Shredder-Cheese-Grater

Some inspirational stuff

2011-06-16T13:21:00.001-07:00

The Pandoras

2011-06-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

New Website and FAQ's for Polecat Music Studios

2011-05-28T22:28:00.000-07:00

http:/www.saralandeau.com/

Guitar tones are killin me...!

2011-05-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Julie Ruin recording pictures

2011-05-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

For more pictures from May 14-15 recording and band updates, see our new website. Yay!

http://thejulieruin.com/

Inspiring Art Print of the Day

2011-04-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Artist: Mina Georgescu