Wednesday 27 March 2013

My new Home!

My new blog is now here

this blog will still be open for archive, and also cross posts of any relevant music/feminism posts but if you want to see ALL my various topics go over to the new one!

Monday 25 March 2013

Cross Post: Pigtails and Army Boots update


MAIN BLOG NOW HERE



News this week
* Paramore have announced a London gig at tiny venue The Garage on April 5th to support the release of their new album which comes out on the 8th.

*Blondie are touring the UK and Ireland this year! The dates are:
Nottingham Sherwood Pines Forest Park (June 14)
Thetford Forest (15)
Isle of Wight Festival (16)
Liverpool Academy (18)
Isle of Man Villa Marina (19)
Gloucestershire Westonbirt Arboretum (21)
Kent Bedgebury Pinetum (22)
Dublin Olympia (25)
Belfast Waterfront (26)
Yorkshire Dalby Forest (28)
Staffordshire Cannock Chase Forest (29)
Glasgow Clyde Auditorium (July 1)
Edinburgh Usher Hall (2)
Newcastle Academy (4)
Cheshire Delamere Forest (6)
London Roundhouse (7)
London Kew Gardens (9)

* Skunk Anansie have released a new single from their most recent album 'Black Traffic' called 'This is Not A Game' 


Weekly Event Guide Monday 25th- Sunday 31st
Wednesday 27th- Sinead o Connor at The Barbican Centre, London
Friday 29th- Swansea Feminist Network- 'Feminist Friday' meet at Costa Coffee at the City Centre bus station, Swansea at 3.30pm, materials will be provided
Sat 30th- Southend Feminist Group- March Meeting- 2pm upstairs at Utopia Coffee House, The Royals Shopping centre, Southend on Sea. Email southendfeministgroup@gmail.com
Sun 31st- Trash Monroe at Chinnerys, Southend on Sea
Next week, more news, the event guide, and amazing unsigned/independent bands to listen to! 

Saturday 23 March 2013

Not Goodbye

Pigtails and Army Boots has been going for several years now and been on a whole bunch of stations, it's been live, it's been pre-recorded, it's been 1 hour, it's been 2 hours and of course it's been a lot of fun to do. However, recently I haven't had the same passion for it, I'm still very passionate about music, especially female music and of course the amazing unsigned and independent bands I've discovered thanks to doing the show, but my passion isn't really where it should be in regards to expressing this through radio. My real passion is for writing and I want to put more energy into that- especially as I'm hoping to become a paid music journalist as my job!

So this is to tell you, I will not be 'on air' any more- instead the show will be much more blog/writing based, still telling you about female fronted music news, awesome independent bands and all the other things you love about the show. 'Artist of the Month' will still carry on, but with a much longer, detailed blog post about the band I've chosen. I'll still post a 'weekly event guide' as well as reviews etc.

That's not to say I won't be doing any radio ever again, the Mixcloud page is still up and I may occasionally put up podcasts for you to listen to, so stay following it if you are!
This wasn't an easy decision to make, but I really feel, at least for the time being this is the best thing for me. I promise you will still get quality content from me!

I'm keeping this blog open, but I may be starting a new blog so I can put all my interests on one blog, instead of having to start a new one for each different subject I want to write about! I currently have this one, and a writing one, but I'm finding there's more I want to write about that doesn't really fit into either! I will post a link if this happens, and this will remain open so I have an archive of what I have written.

If you want to email me, about this post, or if you're in a band, that I could write about in the near future (gigs, albums, singles for review, band of the month posts etc) you can contact me on pigtailsandarmyboots@gmail.com

Sunday 17 March 2013

Review: Kate Nash- Girl Talk

Earlier this month, Kate Nash released her third album 'Girl Talk' which she released her on her own label 'Have 10p Records' with the help of fan funding using PledgeMusic.

I personally find Kate Nash inspiring. I liked the sweetness of her first record, it was almost like she was the less brash version of Lily Allen- a similar singing style and both capable of writing interesting lyrics, whilst Lily   sang about weed smoking brothers and enjoying seeing her ex boyfriend squirm, Kate was behind a piano, singing about the demise of a relationship, and about falling in lust with someone- but she wasn't the typical singer songwriter behind the piano, she was more cheerful, the songs were bouncy, catchy pop ditties like 'Foundations'



I have to admit despite enjoying 'Made of Bricks' I never got round to buying her second album 'My Best Friend is You' but in the interim I found out more about Kate Nash, the person behind the music. I found out that she proudly calls herself a feminist, started an after school club to help get more girls into song-writing when she found out the measly amount of females who received song writing loyalties as well as volunteering at a women's shelter, working with all girl band and female sound engineers.

Then last year, she released a new free to download song which sounded completely different to what she had previously recently, that caused quite a stir on the internet-


for me though, I loved it! I really felt it captured the riot grrrl spirit, and knowing she had also been playing in a punk band, I found the progression seemed to be a natural one for her, and when I heard she was releasing a new album, I was really looking forward to hearing how her music would develop.

Girl Talk didn't disappoint! I find it an intriguing mix of the more sweet, candy pop side of her with songs like '3am'


but then she goes much grungier and heavier on songs like 'Death Proof'


The album really shows the flexibililty of Kate's voice as well, one minute she's singing in harmony, then she's 'rock chick', on 'Cherry Pickin' she seems to be channelling Kathleen Hanna on an almost surf beat, and she even attempts rap on 'Rap For Rejection' which is surprisingly good.

I also love how she really shows her feminist colours on this album, in 'Rap for Rejection' she sings about sexism in all it's form and shapes, from men calling her a lesbian for refusing to give her phone number, to only finding the music magazines in the men's section of the news-stands. Then there's my personal favourite 'All Talk' where she sings 'You have a problem with me 'cause I'm a girl, I'm a feminist and if that offends you, then fuck you'.  But she also has songs about friendship, breaking up, and feeling like a freak. 

'Girl Talk' is a punk album with a feminist, female empowerment soul behind it, and lyrics that I'm sure most girls will relate to in some way. Highly recommended!