I didn’t grow up listening to punk. I guess that they were punk rock enthusiasts in Birmingham, Alabama but I didn’t know them. For some reason, I didn’t hear about The Slits until I heard their cover of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It through the Grapevine”. Then I promptly bought and immediately fell in love with their album, “Cut“. Last weekend, I bought Typical Girls, a book about The Slits, and I am in love with it too. Author Zoe Street Howe chronicles the squatter beginnings to the fame of this all girl punk band who were proto feminists, proto-Madonna, proto-riot grrl. I didn’t do Women’s Studies in college, but the story of The Slits is one to study.
I especially like this quote which was their ethos:

The Slits weren’t’ particularly interested in Women’s Lib, and their approach was ultimately more successful and less eroding on themselves: don’t get angry, don’t think about chauvinists, get on with what you want to do and as long as you don’t think they have any power over you, they won’t.

This photo was taken on my block. Who abandoned the stuff animals?

Hester Street Fair opens this weekend. Now people in Manhattan will not have trek across a bridge to enjoy artisan food and overpriced vintage.

Cupcake Eating Contest at Ivy Bakery. I’m judging and will make sure that every crumb is eaten.

The Lascivious Biddies are playing Monday at Rockwood Music Hall on Monday. Wish I could see them, but have a prior engagement. You go for me!

Bonus: I was quoted in a Mashable article, Eight Social Media Strategies To Engage Multicultural Consumers.

With tonight being my last night here at SXSW, I wanted to go see some bands.  First, I checked on Foursquare and Twitter to see where some of my friends were at, but my gut told me to strike out on my own in the hopes of something supercool. I did an IRL “StumbleUpon” when I read on a flyer that Miz Metro would be playing at midnight at the place called Club 115.  I saw Miz Metro speak last fall at a 140Conf Meetup. At the Meetup, she talked about how she is using twitter to grow her fan base as a artist.

So I was there catching Miz Metro performance when two of my friends showed up. Let me preface this by saying that I didn’t check in on Foursquare, so this was complete serendipity. Chris Sullivan (AKA Shockwave) and Jen Dunlap (AKA Funlap) walked in. I met their friend DJO. who also makes kimchi and he knows Cathy Erway who is a friend of mine. We were on a panel together on Saturday for TechMunch Austin.[It's a freaking small world!]  DJO is the dj for The Beatards. They are bringing back the Brooklyn Old Skool hip hop energy with new school lyrics and beats.  They are like the Beastie Boys for this century.  Tonight was the first time I heard them and I love it! Shockwave get onstage and did a little something.

I had a fun time partying with friends that I don’t see that often in NYC.  It was the perfect button to this week here in Austin.

SXSW Music is like Mardi Gras without the parades and beads. All the bars have live music and several blocks of East 6th Street are blocked off to car traffic. The crowd for SXSW music is more international than the interactive.  Today, I saw two Canadian bands play, Born Ruffians and Plants and Animals.  I really dug Born Ruffians immediately after hearing the first song.

To me, they sound like Echo and The Bunnymen with a little bit of rockabilly and Celtic. Coincidentally,  the film I saw today that featured another Canadian band, Broken Social Scene. I went to see “This Movie is Broken“. It was a great film.  If you liked “Before Sunrise” or the more recent “Medicine for Melancholy“, then you will like this movie. I am not familiar with Broken Social Scene’s music other than one song I heard on a episode of “Grey’s Anatomy”, so it was cool to get a taste of the band and watch a love story unravel.

Saturday night, I went to the Tumblr party and the i09 party. At the Tumblr party, I danced my butt off to the Eclectic Method. DJ/multimedia experience. It was so fun. Then I went to the Pure Volume House for the i09 party. I was excited to see MC Frontalot perform. Last year, I attended a screening of the documentary, Nerdcore Rising, which features Frontalot and his band as they tour around the country.

I wish I could go to see all these wonderful women sing and play this week, but I can’t clone myself yet. If you like pop, jazz, R&B or soul, then check out this ladies this week.

Wednesday, Feb 24: Lee Ann Westover at Cafe Steinhof 10:30PM Free.

Saturday, Feb 27: Erin and Her Cello at Rockwood Music Hall 7PM Free.

Saturday, Feb 27: The Mary Connolly Band at The Aces of Clubs. 8PM. $10

Saturday, Feb 27: The Sweet Divines with Tami Lynn. Southpaw 10PM. $10 adv/$15 door

Jan 14 Book party for Louisa Shafia’s new cookbook, Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life. at Jimmy’s 43. $22.50 adv. $25 at the door. It is also a fundraiser for Just Food. Price of admission includes a signed copy of the book and an sampling of small plates.

Jan 19 Stained glass artist Joseph Cavelieri is having an artist reception at THINK coffee. Work will include The Simpsons “Missing Episode” series and the Muscle Man series. (1 Bleecker St near Bowery) 7-9pm FREE

Jan 21 Jami Attenberg is back with a new novel, The Melting Season. Her first reading in Manhattan will be at the Barnes & Noble Tribeca (97 Warren Street). FREE

Not time sensitive but interesting: I love this song by Childish Gambino (AKA Actor Donald Glover), “Bitch Look At Me Now“. He raps over Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks”. Wow! Next, I hope he raps over the Dirty Projectors’ “Stillness Is The Move”.

I will be down in Atlanta this weekend, so I will be missing some stuff.  Hope you have a wonderful pre-Thanksgiving weekend.

Thursday, November 19. Rachel Kramer Bussel’s erotica reading series, “In The Flesh” is celebrating its fourth anniversary with a star-studded reading including Abiola Adams, Lily Burana and Isobella Jade.

Friday, November 20. Shelley Nicole whose song, “Blak Girls” in the free BoldAsLove compilation is celebrating the release her EP with a show at Littlefield. $10adv $20 door

Saturday, November 21.  Score! Clothing swap at 3rd Ward.

I’m back in New York City and the calendar is high octane until the middle of December.

Thursday November 12. Is it Obsolete?  Debate about it at Word in Greenpoint.  Anna Jane Grossman’s book about Obsolete objects is sparking a fun debate. Faye Penn from Brokelyn moderates. 7:30PM FREE

Friday November 13. Erin and Her Cello begins her residency  at Rockwood Music Hall. New Songs. Special Guests. 7PM FREE

Playing until Thursday 19.   The classic movie, The Red Shoes, is playing at The Film Forum.

Picture of one of the casseroles from Tuesday.

It is the high tide of the fall social season so take your vitamins and buckle up. Since you may need to rest up for next weekend’s Halloween parties, here’s three things I recommend for this week.

Thursday, October 22 There’s a global hip hop CMJ showcase at 92YTribeca 7PM.

Saturday, October 24 Vernon Reid will premiere a multimedia piece commissioned by WNYC called “Artificial Afrika” at the Winter Garden. FREE 8PM

Wednesday, October 28 is The Rejection Show. Hosted by Jon Friedman, the show features Wyatt Cenac who starred in the excellent movie, Medicine for Melancholy. 9:30PM $5

Related:
Last week’s Niche List