As members of CKUT‘s feminist radio collective, my Venus co-hosts and I were asked to program a special set today on the show New Shit for International Women’s Day, on women musicians we love and who’ve inspired us. We ended up having a great time just playing records and chatting about women we admire, so I thought I’d post a link so you can hear the songs and stories we’ve been throwing down.

Click here to listen.

You’ll be hearing our heroes Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Kate Bush, Patti Smith, Wendy O. Williams, Sleater-Kinney, Le Tigre, Hole, Secret Trial Five, Mary J. Blige, Gina X, Heart, Las Grecas, and The Flying Lizards.

And that’s just the beginning… okay, that’s the whole hour. But as far as amazing women musicians go, they’re a drop in the bucket.

Our Venusian ancestors.

To be honest, I don’t normally pay attention to the JUNO Awards. Often reflecting what major radio stations are playing as opposed to what Canadians are actually listening to, the Junos have in the past seemed…”out of touch” is a nice what to say it, I think.

This year, things appear to be a little different.
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Happy New Years, everyone!

I’ll never forget seeing the punk legend play at the annual New Year’s 24-hour poetry/performance marathon at a church on the Lower East Side, after taking her acoustic guitar out of the black garbage bag she was carrying it in.

Nothing says partytime to me like The Raincoats. Enjoy, everyone!

I asked if you were interested in a Lilith Fair 2010.
I asked if you were happy with the initial line up that was announced.

I’ve got one more question for you… Do you want to play Lilith Fair 2010?

“This year Lilith will give aspiring female artists the opportunity to perform a set at each of the 2010 tour stops in North America.

Upload your best original song into the “Lilith Local Talent Search” Channel for your chance to perform at Lilith and become a part of its music legacy.”

Any Shameless readers out there interested in playing Lilith Fair? Click here for more info and make sure to leave a comment below to let us know so we can vote for you…and maybe even see you there!

A few weeks ago I posted about the return of Lilith Fair. Well, here’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for…

Lilith Fair has announced the first round of artists confirmed for Lilith 2010.

Here they are…
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The holidays are approaching and if you celebrate by exchanging gifts, some of you might be wondering what to ask for.

In my never-ending quest to see more women significantly recognized in the music world, I’ve put together a little gift guide for all you awesome girls who rock.

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After much talk through the Twitter grape-vine, Lilith Fair is indeed back with a new website and details starting to be released regarding the 2010 tour.

No news yet on performers but the first round of cities has been announced:
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My hometown is all abuzz with excitement for the upcoming Pop Montreal music festival, and I’m happy to say that with a lineup of some of the most impressive female performers around, it gets the Venus seal of approval. Full schedule is available on the website, but I’m giving some of my top recommendations here - check the website for times and locations. One cool thing is that if you can’t afford the often-steep ticket prices for some of the bigger names, you can see many of the artists speaking on panels, keynotes, and symposia for free, and if you bring a tiny mp3 player with you and squint it’s like getting a backstage pass to their show.

The Heavy Hitters
Diamanda Galas: HIV/AIDS activist and OG (original goth) with a 3.5-octave range, not only is she performing but she’s giving a keynote address on the relationship between art and epidemics.
Buffy Ste. Marie: Whether she’s breaking your heart with her voice or breastfeeding her baby on Sesame Street, the iconic singer/songwriter is not to be missed.
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks: Despite claiming to hate most punk rock, Lydia Lunch is about the punkest lady ever. It seems unbelievable that her 1970s band is coming together again to play a show with Montreal art punks AIDS Wolf and Duchess Says, but I guess fairy godmothers really do exist.
Fever Ray: The female half of Swedish band The Knife (remember that song that you danced to for all of Summer 2007?) is known for the visual feastiness of her live shows, as if her haunting songs aren’t enough on their own. Check out the video for When I Grow Up from her self-titled 2009 album.

Under The Radar (but not for long)
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