New Waves.. No Doubt - 'Settle Down'

Slightly late on the ball, I admit, even after counting down the days, I still only manage to post this a week later!

But...

Finally! After teasing us all with pics and video clips for what feels like aeons, No Doubt FINALLY reveal their comeback single, 'Settle Down'!'

No Doubt are nothing if not catchy, and this is signature No Doubt, channeling their ska roots blended with catchy reggae beats, 'Settle Down' is a pleasing return and shows promise for their upcoming sixth album, Push and Shove. 


Even though it connects on first listen (for me anyway!) it's somewhat of a grower, taking a few more rounds to really sink in. Stefani has a knack for vocal hooks, and the chorus 'Get, get, get in line and settle down!' rotates in the brain and will leave you humming and grooving away to yourself for hours.

On a different note, Stefani has somehow defied time and looks not a day older than the last No Doubt video for 'Running', made back in 2003! Consider me amazed and wishing that I get hit by such a kind age stick!

'Settle Down' is out now.
Push and Shove will be released 25th September.

http://www.nodoubt.com/settledown/
https://twitter.com/nodoubt/

New Waves.. Kate Nash - 'Under-Estimate the Girl'

Kate Nash dropped this song unexpectedly earlier this week. Apparantly it was written, recorded and had a video made in just over 24 hours on Wednesday 13th.

'Under-estimate the Girl' is very unlike the conventional Nash that we're used to on, witty indie pop songs such as 'Foundations', 'Pumpkin Soup' and 'Do-Wah-Doo'. 'Under-estimate the Girl' is unexpectedly aggressive sounding, channelling New Wave influences such as Blondie but with riot grrrl-esque vocals, which don't really work when sung by Nash. Her growl and screech is no where near a 'Kathleen Hanna'.

However, the actual music in the song is right up my alley! I was surprised, I admit; it's been a while since I've actually enjoyed Kate Nash, for me her vocal style has been somewhat annoying, especially on her earlier songs. If her upcoming third album sounds like this, albeit, minus the dodgy vocal style, I'll be rather interested indeed!

http://www.myignorantyouth.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/katenash

Kate Nash tours the UK:

Edinburgh Electric Circus (June 16)
Glasgow King Tuts (17)
Leeds Brudenell (18)
Liverpool Zanzibar (20)
Manchester Deaf Institute (21)
Nottingham Bodega (22)
Birmingham Glee Club (24)
Bristol Thekla (25)
O2 Academy Oxford 2 (26)
Brighton The Haunt (28)
Guildford Boileroom (29)
Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach (30)

Wonder Woman of the Week.. Kathleen Hanna!

Welcome to my new weekly Sunday feature - Wonder Woman of the Week! As previously mentioned in my organisation post, this will be a weekly feature where I choose a woman who inspires me (or has been heavily featured for whatever reason in that week) and discuss them and say what exactly makes them so brill! 


So who should my first woman be.... hmm... how about riot grrrl feminist, Kathleen Hanna!

Founder of riot grrrl band, Bikini Kill, and later electroclash outifit, Le Tigre, Hanna has been a poignant and outspoken feminist voice since the early 1990's. 


She first became interested in feminism when her mother, a housewife, took her to a feminist rally where Gloria Steinham spoke when she was aged nine, which left a lasting impression. She later studied photography at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, also working as a stripper to support herself. Her exhibits at this time dealt with issues such as sexism and AIDS, although her work was taken down before public viewing by school administrators in the name of censorship, prompting her to create an independent feminist art gallery called Reko Muse. She also did spoken word sexism and domestic violence and volunteered for a domestic abuse organisation.


Bikini Kill was named after a fanzine that members Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, Tobi Vail and Billy Karren created as a response to sexism in the punk rock scene, with the band later writing songs involving such ideals. They released a cassette, EP, split LP with Huggy Bear and two albums - Pussy Whipped and Reject All American before splitting and creating side projects (eg. The Frumpies - minus Hanna, with the addition of Molly Neuman of Bratmobile).


Post Bikini Kill, Hanna started a solo project called Julie Ruin, experimenting with New Wave sounds before later starting political outfit, Le Tigre, who released three albums before becoming inactive.


As someone who is frequently aggravated by sexist comments for sexist comments sake (my guy friends will find themselves quickly shot down), as well as believing in equality, Hanna is certainly an inspiration for me, with herself and her contemporaries challenging a whole scene with their feminist ideals and championing a message that reached new generations across the world. Even now, it continues due to the accessibility of the internet.


Her music is highly catchy, and definitely worth a listen whether you agree with her message or not. 'Decaptacon' by Le Tigre, for example, could easily be the soundtrack to my life, because I am yet to get bored of it! Her image also influences me time and again, as she always looks very put together in with her retro updo's and red lipstick, and wearing prints, tartans. In her Bikini Kill days, she was known to dress as a school girl. Hanna also evidently influenced her friend, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, famously writing 'Kurt smells like teen spirit' on a wall and subsequently inspiring the name of the perhaps the most iconic Nirvana song!


Anyways, check some of the vids below, and I'm pretty sure we have a well deserving first Wonder Woman of the Week.

Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl

Le Tigre - Decaptacon

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen_Hanna
http://www.kathleenhanna.com/