(c) Corky Berlin

DC ladycore scene stalwart Jaime (ex-Cuddle Circle, ex-deathrats) wrote in to tip me off to a demo by her new band, Hot Mess. She says:

Two of the best ways to describe us are by a) Our patch that features a cutesy/raunchy DIVA cup spilling out it’s bloody contents to spell out the name “Hot Mess” and b) When playing a show at a dive bar in Baltimore, we were consistently annoyed by ignorant asshole dudes all night and the lead singer KC said to them “I fight harder than you and I fuck harder than you”…and yeah, well I think that speaks to our attitude pretty well.

They rage about sex workers rights, boring white dudes, and pretty much all the shit that would piss off your average feminist punk. Which is to say: I’m in love.

Hot Mess
Demo (2010)

1. bored of you 01:32
2. consent 01:31
3. damage 01:56
4. laissez-faire 02:00
5. scream so they have to hear you 02:06

[Download at Bandcamp]

Teenage Cool Kids

First up: Teenage Cool Kids! Wait, did you hear that? It sounded like the collective “DUH!” of a thousand indie music bloggers. I guess that as per usual I’m tardy to the party. Oh, well. If you didn’t already do this a year ago, you can download their demo at DFW DIY.

Solanin

Next up: Solanin! Amy Klein of Titus Andronicus wrote me a few weeks ago to share this short, beautiful digital EP, For the Sky, from her solo project, Solanin. It’s quiet and thoughtful; has been compared to Joanna Newsom and Neutral Milk Hotel in terms of scope and sonic epicness. And yet, it’s only about 20 minutes long. You can download it at Solanin’s Bandcamp site.

Lava Lava

Finally: Lava Lava! A now-defunct DC twee/”cuddlecore” duo featuring Amina Althea (better known today as Amina Baird of Layers/Quake) and Spoonboy (of The Max Levine Ensemble). I can’t explain how the acoustic/pop-punk/acapella/drum machine mess that comprises the bulk of their two longest releases, Hey Fragile and Tour Demo, makes such magic in my brain when I listen to it. If I could, I’d definitely rip off their formula and team up with Santi Gold and make a bajillion dollars writing adorable hits for Miley Cyrus or some crap. I think it goes without saying that if you were to look at the “Play Count” on my iTunes for this band, it would read: “∞”. My point? Go download them both: Hey Fragile and Tour Demo. Oh, and to be clear: while my Google-stalking of Spoonboy’s sexuality is inconclusive, Ms. Amina is a BFD/Q. So, there you have it.

Jaime of Deathrats recently sent along a link to this demo by her now-defunct, delightfully named project, Cuddle Circle. I was hella excited to hear this recording, which reminds me of early Sleater-Kinney multiplied by Designing a Nervous Breakdown-era Anniversary divided by Hey Mercedes. Basically, an equation for recreating my late teen years. LOVES IT.

I’ll let her explain more about the project and all the awesome stuff she’s involved in:

i recorded this demo with my two friends and it features the first music I’ve ever written or recorded. I’ve been a musician my whole life, but haven’t had the opportunity to actually play with other people until I moved to DC. I’m a female in a largely male dominated punk/hardcore scene in DC and it’s always a challenge to be seen/heard, but my house, the 3rd st coop, has become an integral part of supporting feminism through music. We only put on shows that feature female/gender minority performers and we also have special nights in the week called “WE ROCK NIGHTS” where we invite ladies over to rock out and learn some new instruments.

Her experiences in the DC scene translate into some really great tunes. Check the Cuddle Circle “Snow Sesh” demo below, and be sure to give Jamie a high-five if you are able to catch Deathrats on tour in the Midwest in March. Enjoy!

Cuddle Circle
Snow Sesh (2009)

[Download]
[Myspace]

Yesterday, I came across a MRR blogpost highlighting the female-fronted DC hardcore band Deathrats. I don’t have words enough to describe how excited this band and their debut record make me, as DR is yet another example of the emerging lady- and lady-fronted hardcore/crust/whatever movement–if it can even be called a movement–that’s coming out of the East Coast right now. Deathrats is unapologetically feminist, and it’s fucking revelatory to see the command that the lead singer Christine has over audiences that are 90% male, given their subject matter.

(Skip to the 2:30 mark to see how they tear it up.)

(I’m sorry, I know we’re in the supposed “post-feminist” era and that dudes can get down with hearing us girls rage about our problems, too, but having been witness to the bro-down that was the hardcore scene just a few years ago, it still surprises me to see feminist, female-fronted bands being accepted by HC fans. Gross over-generalization, I know. But still.)

Anyway, it’s not often that you see ANY bands sing this:

“I’m sick of the punk boy revolution, it’s ordinary
When women can support women, that’s something revolutionary
Why lament the loss of our girl style then, when we’re just as angry now
Why do they look backward to Kathleen Hannah [sic], when there are so many of us now”

And that, friends, is why Deathrats’ self-titled 7″ is the Soul Ponies Record of the Week.

Deathrats
Deathrats 7″ (2009)

Sense of Entitlement
I’m Fine
Self Obsessed
Girl Style
Fuck It
Let Down

Hat tip, ChugLife!

[Download]
[Deathrats' blog]
[Deathrats on WordPress] (Contains lyrics, etc.)