the punk anti-industry spirit lives on

Sex Pistols letter to the rock and roll hall of fame (upon being inducted)
Originally uploaded by thelastminute.

This is the Sex Pistols' official announcement that they would boycott the ceremony commemorating their admission to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame (located in Cleveland, OH). The ceremony was on February 24. Read more about it here.

And here is the website of John Lydon (formerly Johnny Rotten).

Evil Barbie

Evil Barbie
Originally uploaded by wild.

Check out flickr.com for multiple examples of Barbie accessorizing. Search for tags with 'Barbie'; I suggest looking at them by order of 'most interesting.'

New Book on Postpunk by Simon Reynolds

Simon Reynolds, co-author of The Sex Revolts, has just published a new book, Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984. The New York Times reviewed it today. The book covers bands like the Talking Heads, the Fall, Devo (pictured), Gang of Four, Joy Division, Scritti Politti and the B-52's. You can listen to samples of some of these bands if you go here and scroll down to the review of the book.

Links to grrrl rockers

Here are some good links to the grrrrls we will discuss in connection with Part 3 of The Sex Revolts:

L7
PJ Harvey
X-Ray Spex
The Slits
Sleater-Kinney
Hole
Diamanda Galás (pictured)
Siouxsie Sioux
Au Pairs
Patti Smith (pattismith.net)
Patti Smith (wikipedia)
The Gossip
Peaches

Track List, Grrrrl Rock

This is the CD I will pass out and that we'll discuss March 7 & 9. (Photo: Patti Smith)

1. "Wargasm," L7, Bricks Are Heavy (1992)
2. "Oh Bondage Up Yours!," X-Ray Spex, Germ Free Adolescents (1978)
3. "50ft Queenie," PJ Harvey, Rid Of Me (1993)
4. "Rub 'Til It Bleeds," PJ Harvey, Rid Of Me (1993)
5. "Typical Girls," The Slits, Cut (1979)
6. "Anonymous," Sleater-Kinney, Call The Doctor (1996)
7. "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone," Sleater-Kinney, Call The Doctor (1996)
8. "Berry," Hole, Pretty On The Inside (1991)
9. "Hex," Diamanda Galás with John Paul Jones, The Sporting Life (1994)
10. "Arabian Knights," Siouxsie & the Banshees, Juju (1981)
11. "Come Again," Au Pairs, Playing With A Different Sex (1981)
12. "Babelogue," Patti Smith, Easter (1978)
13. "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger," Patti Smith, Easter (1978)
14. "Where The Girls Are," The Gossip, That's Not What I Heard (2001)
15. "Fuck The Pain Away," Peaches, The Teaches Of Peaches (2000)
16. "Shake Yer Dix," Peaches, Fatherfucker (2003)
17. "Back It Up," Peaches, Fatherfucker (2003)

Pop music and social distinction

In every region, Americans with higher education and higher incomes typically prefer rock music over country. We found that rock lyrics had a lot more talk of choice, control and self-expression, as in the Rolling Stones' refrain, "'Cause I'm free to do what I want any old time." But when we analyzed country music, preferred over rock by less-educated Americans in every region, we heard more mentions of self-protection and defense, as in Darryl Worley's observation, "We didn't get to keep [our freedom] by backin' down." When choice was mentioned, it was often as a prelude or coda to tragedy, as in George Jones's lament "Now I'm living and dying with the choices I've made."

From an article by Barry Schwartz, Hazel Rose Markus, and Alana Conner Snibbe, entitled, "Is Freedom Just Another Word for Many Things to Buy?" (New York Times, February 26).