Artists We Love: Checking In

Did you really think we’d leave Melissa, Ani and KD out of the Music Issue? In the following pages we catch up on dozens of dykes with mics (and the dyke-friendly) who’ve played loud and made us proud over the years

ADDICTED2FICTION tells GO NYC: “We just got back from a tour of China…and are currently working on scoring a documentary presented by Showtime about The L Word viewing parties happening all over the country. We’re heading up the West Coast to perform at the Homo A Go Go festival this August…and plan to hit Europe in 2007.” addicted2fiction.com

ANIMATED COOCHIE WONDERS write: “We released Undermedicated in March featuring such delicious morsels as ‘Automatic Lesbian,’ a cover of The Golden Girls’ theme song and remixes of ‘Fashionista.’ The Coochies are working on a new download-only album, more live performances and are planning a west coast tour.” myspace.com/animatedcoochiewonders

In June, Real Magic TV interviewed ANTIGONE RISING at a Stamford, CT gig, and the footage is available on RMTV.com for the masses! The girls will now tour the US, including a show in Huntington, NY on Aug 20. antigonerising.com

This year, the darlings of feminist rock, BETTY, continued their musical collaboration with The L Word and rocked the Gay Games Closing Ceremony in July. Now, listen to them on legendary producer Mike Thorne’s album, The Contessa’s Party. hellobetty.com

We all know BITCH as a musical powerhouse, but now she’s tackling acting! Audiences watched Bitch flex her thespian muscles in Shortbus, which premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Additionally, she’s set to release her new album, Make This/Break This, this fall. bitchmusic.com

In July, everything in THE BUTCHIES’ online store went 50% off. Does this mean the band is defunct? We received no comment! thebutchies.com

This February, CANNONBALL JANE released her debut album Street Vernacular in the UK and Europe. She toured through April in support of it, sharing the stage with Sapphic favorites like Le Tigre and Lesbians on Ecstasy. She’s already dropped new tracks in the studio: upcoming releases include remixes by Adrock of the Beastie Boys and DJ Downfall! cannonballjane.com

KAREN CURIOUS gushed to GO, “After four long years of being the band leader of NEW PROFESSIONALS, I am now officially a solo artist.” For her first solo effort, Karen plans to release a self-titled album in August, and she’ll tour the nation’s lesbian clubs through the summer. myspace.com/newprofessionals

CATIE CURTIS’s latest album, Long Night Moon, comes out Aug 29, and she’ll tour the East Coast through October. catiecurtis.com

KJ DENHERT was a 2006 New Folk Winner at the Kerville Folk Festival. Her 2005 release Another Year Gone By, Live was the 2006 Independent Music Award winner in the Album of the Year/Live category. On Aug 12 she’ll perform at The Bar 55 on Christopher St. kjdenhert.com

ANI DIFRANCO recently received the Woman of Courage Award at the annual convention of The National Organization for Women in July. The Award is given to women who’ve demonstrated courageous and bold achievements in the struggle for women’s rights. Ani’s new album, Reprieve, will hit stores on Aug 8. She’s also back on the road (she played Central Park Summerstage in July) and will continue to tour limited venues in the upcoming months. righteousbabe.com/ani

ELLIS’s upcoming DVD features interviews and live footage from 2000 to now, and her sixth album’s release is scheduled for 2007. She’s on tour as we speak, so catch her while you can! ellis-music.com

MELISSA ETHERIDGE released her greatest hits album in October 2005 and is currently touring the US and Canada. Her bandmates plan to donate instruments used during their 2006 tour to benefit Breast Cancer Care & Research Fund. melissaetheridge.com.

MELISSA FERRICK is putting the finishing touches on her new album In the Eyes of Strangers, set for release in October. She’ll pack up her guitar and tour the country once again this summer and fall. melissaferrick.com.

In 2005, FERRON released Turning Into Beautiful, her first studio album in almost a decade. Coming up, she’s booked a smattering of tour dates in the States and in her native Canada. ferrononline.com

THE GOSSIP will be touring with Erase Errata and Mika Miko this August. They’ll be in the area on Aug 13 at Irving Plaza for their only New York stop! On July 17, their single “Listen Up!” hit the UK. myspace.com/gossipband

SANDRA GRACE tells GO NYC, “Recently I was a co-host and announcer for the NYC Gay Pride Parade with Stephanie Adams. I have also just released my third album, Do You Have a Lover? and am donating a portion of the proceeds to breast cancer research and awareness. My short lesbian comedy is currently playing worldwide at festivals such as Outfest, Frameline and NewFest.” sandragrace.tripod.com

GRAVY TRAIN!!!! is back from their US and European tour with Le Tigre, and just released their follow-up album to the 2003 cult classic, Hello Doctor. Their newest effort, Are You Wigglin? offers a mix of everything from bubblegum to new wave to comedy. gimmegravytrain.com

SARAH GREENWOOD of GSX wrote us an update: “On June 7, GSX opened for the legendary Joan Jett and the Blackhearts at CBGB’s! It was like opening for the Pope at the Vatican! Next GSX show: Thursday, Sep 7, at CBGB’s for the Medusa Festival.” gsxrock.com

DYNASTY HANDBAG, the one-woman music/comedy/performance/meltdown/portable electro-ballad vehicle of JIBZ CAMERON, will release a debut full-length album entitled Foo Foo Yik Yik in October. Jibz plans to tour this fall with Erase Errata. dynastyhandbag.com

The INDIGO GIRLS’ new album, Despite Our Differences, hits the shelves on Sep 19. The album celebrates the duo’s 20 years together, and is their first release since 2004. The girls are currently on the road, but their tour comes to a close soon in Newport, RI. indigogirls.com

Brooklynites JASPER JAMES AND THE JET SET released an EP earlier this year. Their single “This House” was featured in the film Shortbus, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. myspace.com/jasperjamesjetset

Hip-hopper JENRO tells GO NYC, “I sold out of CDs at the San Francisco Pride show and Dyke March [and] the documentary that I’m featured in, Pick up the Mic, has been touring worldwide. My new album, Hate it or Love it, was released July 21 and can be found on my website before it hits stores!” Jenro.net.

JOAN JETT’s record label, Blackheart Records, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Joan played at this year’s Dinah Shore Weekend and has been touring to promote her latest album, Sinner. Kathleen Hanna from LE TIGRE co-wrote four of Sinner’s tracks. joanjett.com

NEDRA JOHNSON participated in the Gay Games Opening Ceremonies and won the 2006 Out Music Award for Outstanding New Recording–Female for her latest release Nedra. She has performed at various national festivals, and will grace the stage at the Femme Funk Festival in New Caledonia this fall. nedrajohnson.com

KIN will soon release their new album, Life of a Rockstar, on which they’ve teamed up with some of the industry’s most respected producers. The group has a network reality TV show in the works. kin4life.com

The funky Armenian folk-rocker MELINEH KURDIAN just moved from New York to L.A. and is currently planning her first West Coast tour. Melineh’s songs have been featured on Jane magazine’s compilation CD, as well as the Peace Songs for a Better World compilation benefiting UNESCO. This summer, Melineh will perform at the National Women’s Music Festival. melinehkurdian.com.

KD LANG headlined Montreal’s Outgames 2006 Opening Ceremonies in July. She’ll also appear on Tony Bennett’s new album Tony Bennett: DUETS/An American Classic (in stores on Sep 26) and on the accompanying TV special to air on NBC in the fall. wbr.com/kdlang

LESBIANS ON ECSTACY gave GO the breathless update on their hectic schedule: “We just arrived back from Europe where we managed to drive over 16,500 kilometers in around six weeks. Our ‘super8’ music video is officially finished and has already played in a bunch of festivals. New album due some time in the winter!” lezziesonx.com

LEZ ZEPPELIN will perform at the Almost Live Festival in Deansboro, NY on Aug 5, and on Aug 10 they’ll rock the stage at MWMF. lezzeppelin.com

New York City-based rocker LP signed a multi-album deal with Island Records, and is now taking a well-deserved break from the road to write and record material for her forthcoming major label debut (release currently slated for Spring 2007). lprock.com

MARLA HOOCH, the all-lesbian punk-rock band from Brooklyn, just toured Seattle, Portland and Olympia, and are shooting a video for the song “Kadijah” at Superfine on Aug 7 and 14 (show up—they need extras!). myspace.com/marlahoochnyc

According to her website, ERIN MCKEOWN is “laying low for the summer of ‘06,” but fans should keep an eye out for surprise performances. In May, McKeown’s song “Slung-lo” was featured on Gilmore Girls and the song “We Are More” was on Everwood. McKeown will release a new album, which was recorded live in four days, later this year. erinmckeown.com

MISS MONEY was featured in Pick Up The Mic at the L.A. Outfest Film Festival in July. Her album Love Of Money was nominated for a 2006 Outmusic Award, and she’ll appear on the Hell Hath No Fury mixtape to be released in Fall 2006. missmoney.net

LEISHA HAILEY of THE MURMURS told GO NYC last month, “On my next break from [The L Word]…I will definitely without question do something with my music again. Whether that is a solo thing or getting The Murmurs back together is still undecided, but no question that one of those things will happen next year. It’s time.” myspace.com/themurmurs

In July, JENNIFER O’CONNOR embarked on a tour of the East Coast with Hotel Lights. On Aug 24, she’ll be jammin’ at Joe’s Pub for her record release party, so be sure to check it out! jenniferoconnor.net

ALIX OLSON tells GO NYC: “LEFT LANE, a documentary featuring my touring life, continued its own touring path playing [film festivals internationally] and winning Best Documentary in New Zealand. Most recently, I had the privilege of co-hosting the Outmusic Awards in NYC, where I was able to hand awards to some pretty special musicians and activists.” alixolson.com

PARADIGM finished recording the BQE full-length album, The Digm and The Dutch, which will debut later this year. She is working on solo material and planning the third annual Peace Out East, a LGBTQ hip-hop festival, hosted at New York University in October. myspace.com/shanteparadigm

On July 11, PEACHES released an LP entitled Impeach My Bush, which features Joan Jett and Beth Ditto of the Gossip. She also guest remixed the YEAH YEAH YEAHS’ newest single, “Cheated Hearts,” from their album Show Your Bones. peachesrocks.com

After signing with indie Kill Rock Star Records, LINDA PERRY re-released her album In Flight in October with new artwork and original videos. Perry co-produced Sierra Swan’s album Ladyland, released on May 23rd, and will be lending her creative genius to Vanessa Carlton, Christina Aguilera, Courtney Love and Ziggy Marley in the months to come.

In June, MTV featured P!NK’s song “Long Way to Happy” in an episode of The Hills. Pink’s album I’m Not Dead came out in April and her hit “Stupid Girls” is everywhere. She plans to tour internationally in September. pinkspage.com

TOSHI REAGON AND BIG LOVELY told us, “This summer we’re playing festivals including Toronto Gay Pride, MWMF and Earthdance. We are still doing shows in support of our latest release Have You Heard on Righteous Babe records and won an Outmusic award for Best Songwriter 2006. We will go into the studio late summer/early fall to record our next CD.” toshireagon.com

Our favorite cabaret diva ATHENA REICH has had an incredible year. She released a new live album, Stories from the Road, which features songs about heartbreak, political protest and—you guessed it—life on the road. In true DIY fashion, Athena hopped in her minivan and promoted the album across North America. Plus, she’s the lesbian arts reporter for Under the Pink Carpet, which just got picked up by PBS! athenareich.com

DORIA ROBERTS updates us on her latest goings-on: “I finally released my sixth album, Woman Dangerous, and I’m starting “The Woman Dangerous World Tour” this fall. I’ve been booked for an Olivia Cruise to the Caribbean…and I’ve been chosen as the national spokesperson for a media campaign called War on Apathy.” myspace.com/doriaroberts

After surfing the Brooklyn indie scene for the past five years and participating in multiple collaborative projects, MALCOLM ROLLICK decided to break out on her own this year. She’s released her first full-length recording, Scaffolds, and will hit the road for a four-month-long national tour. malcolmrollick.com

NYC art-pop siren RACHEL SAGE completed her seventh CD, The Blistering Sun on May 16. Sage will perform at several Pride Festivals throughout the summer. rachaelsage.com

KATIE SAWICKI recently released her sophomore CD For the Quiet, an indie fusion of contemporary and traditional folk. Since the spring, Sawicki has been touring the country. She plans to make her way back to Brooklyn to perform a homecoming show at Freddy’s Backroom Bar Aug 8. katiesawicki.com

SHIRAGIRL plan to rock the Vans Warped Tour 2006 and in May they performed with Joan Jett. The Warped Tour will hit NYC on Aug 5 at the Nassau Coliseum. Shiragirl’s debut CD, Not Sold In Stores, isn’t sold in stores, but you can get it via their website: shiragirl.com

Regrettably, after 11 years of blood, sweat and tears, SLEATER-KINNEY is calling it quits. They’ve “decided to go on indefinite hiatus,” announcing on their website that “our upcoming summer shows will be our last. As of now, there are no plans for future tours or recordings.” Their two final shows will be Aug 11 and 12 in Portland. sleater-kinney.com

Earlier in the summer, GARRISON STARR took off on a mini-tour with Edwin McCain. Aug 9, catch Garrison performing at the MWMF. Her latest CD, The Sound Of You and Me, was released in March. garrisonstarr.com

Canada’s KINNIE STARR returns with an enchanting new album titled Anything. Her songs have been featured on The L Word and the movie Thirteen and she also been nominated for Canada’s Juno awards. kinniestarr.com

The past twelve months have been eventful for SWATI. She launched her website and recorded and released her debut album. She showcased at SXSW, and this summer, she’ll perform at MWMF. swatilive.com

EMBER SWIFT celebrated the release of her new CD The Dirty Pulse this April. emberswift.com

After an incredible return to the stage this May at Southpaw in Brooklyn, TEAM DRESCH is hitting the road, performing Sep 28 at Estrojam in Chicago. myspace.com/teamdresch

TEGAN AND SARA informed us that they’ll be releasing their first-ever DVD entitled It’s Not Fun, Don’t Do It, on Aug 8. The DVD features a 2005 performance from Toronto, a behind-the-scenes documentary, a making-of-the-record documentary and videos. teganandsara.com

TRACY + THE PLASTICS wrote this March that they’re working on a new full-length album. Check them out Aug 12 in Miami with Fawn Krieger. myspace.com/tracyandtheplastics

TRAEH are set to open for Amy Ray at this year’s Homo A Go Go festival in Olympia, WA. The band also plans to take off on a national tour and to produce a full-length follow-up to their debut EP. traehmusic.com

TRIPLE CRÈME won the 2006 Outmusic Award for Best New Recording from a Band for their album This Might Hurt. They opened for Team Dresch at the Knitting Factory in NYC on their reunion tour, and they were interviewed on Logo’s NewNowNext. triplecreme.com

JEN URBAN AND THE BOX are playing gigs all over the city, working on a new album and planning to tour this fall. myspace.com/jenurbanandthebox

THE VIOLETS are filming a video due out this fall for their song “Seen it On T.V.” “It showcases some of the luminaries from New York City’s vibrant Hula Hooping underworld,” says Mr. Magenta. The song itself “calls attention to the cracks and fissures built into the television utopia all around us,” says Lady Purple. theviolets.com

Last time GO NYC caught up with GINA YOUNG, she had just returned from playing the Vans Warped Tour 2005. In early 2006, Gina kissed Brooklyn goodbye and moved cross-country to Seattle. Gina had a blast performing at Seattle Pride and is hard at work on her third album, a collaboration with Scream Club’s Cindy Wonderful. Be sure to catch her performances at this year’s Homo A Go Go and Estrojam festivals! ginayoung.com

This year, two-tone rock girl EMILY ZUZIK completed her new album, You Had Me At Goodbye, and she’ll throw two parties to celebrate: Sep 7 at Piano’s in NYC and Sep 15 at the Make-Out Room in her hometown of San Francisco. Miss Em will tour the UK in November and is working on a sexy electronica project under the guise “mz.” emilyzuzik.com


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