Curve articles from July 2009

Curve archives from July 2009

The mighty Quins.(FRANKLY SPEAKING)(Tegan and Sara Quin)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Singer-songwriter twins Tegan and Sara Quin started out as a dyke duo in Calgary, Alberta, playing under the moniker PLUNK and using their school's recording studio to create demo albums. After their mom entered the twins in a Canadian music...

From the editor.(COMING UP)(Editorial)
July 1, 2009... When I told my teenage foster sons that Bridgestone, one of curve's longtime supporters, had created the first "green" tire, they both said, in unison, "Gross!" Apparently lingo like "green" and "eco" are lost on them--even after much...

High fidelity.(Online@Curvemag.com Now)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Can't get enough of the hot queer musicians rockin out in our annual music issue? Neither can we. Read uncut exclusives at www.curvemag.com. Synth-rock sensations Von Iva define success, up-and-coming indie trio Girl in a Coma (pictured above)...

Little green houses for you and me.(Online@Curvemag.com Now)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... "Green building goes from your personal health, to the community's health to the planet's health," says Iris Harrell, who started her own eco-conscious construction company after hitting her hammer one too many times on the glass ceiling of the...

Seeing through the greenwashing.(Online@Curvemag.com Now)(effect of skin care products to the environment)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Soap. Shampoo. Lotion. Moisturizer. Makeup. Everyday your skin absorbs about 60 percent of the products you apply to your skin--do you know whether they're safe for you, or the planet? The U.S. government does not review the ingredients used in...

The secret to happy relationships.(Online@Curvemag.com Now)
July 1, 2009... Helen Fisher, a developer of Chemistry.com and author of Why We Love and Why Him? Why Her?, explains the link between brain chemistry, personality and successful relationships on page 23. Still not convinced? Get the full story at...

Writer's block.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2009... Curve magazine is, without a doubt, my favorite magazine today, but I was wondering why you never included a Writer's Corner. It would be something that would help connect fans and make them feel involved and it would add another dimension to...

Get over the L Word.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2009... Stop featuring straight women who play lesbians on the cover of your magazine. Interpret this as: Get over The L Word. Is curve the L Word newsletter? You featured lesbian politicians inside of the magazines with little blurbs and small...

Still hot and heavy.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2009... Just wanted to drop you a quick note from the cornfield, Illinois, to assure you that not all lesbians in a committed relationship suffer from lesbian bed death. My fiancee and I have been together about two and a half years, depending on who...

More Otalia!(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2009... I renewed my subscription to your fabulous magazine. However, I really hope that you will include more coverage of the Guiding Light actors Crystal Chappell and Jessica Leccia. I would love you all forever and ever if they would grace the cover...

Where can I find it?(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2009... I recently saw the article titled "Our Lady Parts, Ourselves" in the newest issue [Vol. 19 #2]. I am wondering how I can find the book that is discussed, Woman? It sounds fabulous and I would love to see it but I can't find anything about it....

Yay for rugby girls.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2009... I really enjoyed reading about the different sports in the May 2009 issue [Vol. 19 #4]. I think an important sport in the lesbian community that is often overlooked is rugby. I joined my university team my freshman year of college and was...

America for the win.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2009... I have subscribed to curve for quite a few years now, and it seems appropriate to pass on to you my heartfelt thanks and congratulations for staying true to my experience of dykedom. Unlike the British equivalent, you have managed to speak with...

Marital bliss?(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2009... Why all the focus on marriage and babies? It seems, with every issue, there is less and less content for younger, single women. Even the Sex Issue [Vol. 19 #1] was all about motherhood and marriage. As someone who is not currently interested in...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
July 1, 2009... Our June cover girl lesbian surfer Amee Donohoe ["Too Foxy for Roxy?" Vol. 19 #5] is No. 5 in the world, not No. 9. In "Top Ten Reasons We Love..." [Vol. 19 #5], Kebo Drew is the festival manager for the Queer Women of Color Film Festival, not...

Smack down!(Katy Perry and Jen Foster)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... We braced for the Katy Perry haterade to hit our inboxes after our April cover, but were pleasantly surprised to get positive letters instead about musician Jen Foster and her "I Kissed A Girl" response, "I Didn't Just Kiss Her." So we're...

This is what a lesbian looks like: actor, drag performer and model Lauren LoGiudice.(Interview)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... * ON LABELS: I just consider myself queer, which means I am open to different modes of expression, and that's who I am and how I'm living. People call me "lesbian," People call me whatever--they have their own names for me. But I don't...

Your chance to make out and rock out.(curvatures)(National Women's Music Festival)
July 1, 2009... "This festival is like meeting up with family again, only it keeps on giving and you get to make out with some of them," says musician Martine Locke, and given the audience I saw last year, it's not just the performers who feel this way about...

Sweeter dreams for homeless kids.(curvatures)(Project Night Night to shelter homeless children)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... A 2009 report by the Williams Institute showed that poverty rates are twice as high for children of lesbian and gay couples than for children of married heterosexual couples. In an effort to make a difference in the lives of children touched by...

Fashion and function ride off into the sunset.(curvatures)(The Bandanna Book )(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... Tied on by cowboys, break dancers, bank robbers, leather-dykes and more, there are few accessories as versatile as the humble bandanna. The Bandanna Book (Cider Mill Press) illustrates 103 ways this calico critter can be used to make your life...

The rundown.(curvatures)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... There's been plenty of speculation about what's next for bombshell Lindsay Lohan since her public split with Sam Ronson. Now, betting sites bookmaker.com and betus. com are getting in on the action, placing odds on whether the starlet will...

What did grandma call it?(curvatures)(using slang instead of the terminology for private parts of the body)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Avocados, bazookas, bazooms, bee stings, bombs, bubs, buffers, bumpers, casabas, cupcakes, funbags, gazongas, grapefruits, hangers, headlights, jigglies, jugs, knockers. If you haven't figured it out yet, allow me to spell it out for you: I'm...

The gaydar: here's a taste of lesbians in pop culture this month. Who missed the mark and who was right on target?(curvatures)
July 1, 2009... Miss California Saving marriage by posing nude Dog Fancy Honda offers new dog-friendly car Gays R Us Comedy Erin Foley & Jennie McNulty rock the Hollywood Improv Maine *s Us Lesbian weddings, here we come! Fred L.A. Goes...

Thinking the unthinkable: Ellen fails, Suze Orman gets mocked and LiRo split.(LESBOFILE)(Ellen DeGeneres)(Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson breakup)
July 1, 2009... America to LiRo: R.I.P. Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson's relationship has had massively rumored ups (did you hear that Lohan supposedly wanted to convert to Judaism to prove her commitment to Ronson?) and downs (how about that Lohan...

She said.
July 1, 2009... "Honestly, it's stupid to say that men are funnier than women, or women are funnier than men, or gay people are funnier than straight people. Funny is funny; it doesn't matter who you are. Although Scandinavians aren't funny at all." ...

A photo field trip: one lesbian finds beauty in her own backyard.(OPEN STUDIO)(Trish Tunney )
July 1, 2009... Inspiration can be an elusive mistress and even talented photographers sometimes can't make those sparks fly. Trish Tunney (www.trishtunney.blogspot.com) once roused herself from a creative slump by taking pictures of the same block every day...

Doing their part: queer women advocating on the home front and in the wider world.(OUT IN FRONT)(Donna Red Wing, Marcie Fisher-Borne and Dana Rudolph )
July 1, 2009... Minority Report For the past four years, Marcie Fisher-Borne has studied the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its impact on young gay and bisexual African American men as part of her work toward a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...

Making your move.(Lipstick & Dipstick)(Column)
July 1, 2009... Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I've been in a relationship going on two years. In the beginning, it was nice. She did things for me, like give me money whenever I needed it, and bought me things. We used to go out. Now, it's totally different....

Sex and the single girl--over 40: oh, the perils of midlife lesbian romance.(Relationships)
July 1, 2009... I'm on a date with a woman very close to my age (I'm 45, she's 42), and one of the first things out of her mouth is: "My ex..." I squirm and half-listen to the litany of affronts and offenses she says the woman has perpetrated. Not that I...

This is your brain on love: the woman behind Chemistry.com explains.(Relationships)(Helen Fisher)(Interview)
July 1, 2009... Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and the developer of Chemistry.com's gay-friendly compatibility survey, has recently released a new book on human attraction, Why Him? Why Her? (Henry Holt and Company). The follow-up to her 2004 book,...

Five ways to better sex: natural supplements to kickstart nooky.(Health)
July 1, 2009... Looking to amp up your sex life without all the icky side effects of prescription drugs? Dr. Ray Sahelian has been studying the benefits of natural supplements for years. In his most recent book. Natural Sex Boosters (Square One Publishers), he...

Botanicals for your breath.(Health)(Ayurvedic mouthwash )(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Ayurvedic mouthwash is an acquired taste, which I have not yet managed to acquire. I'm going to keep trying, though, because this stuff works miracles for your mouth, including stronger gums, less cavity-causing plaque and fresher breath....

Keeping your nest egg warm: five financial tips to make sure you don't get left out in the cold.(Money)
July 1, 2009... Whether your nest egg has recently been shrunk by the market downturn or you haven't even begun to feather your retirement nest, there are some financial planning tools that you should be aware of. We recently called on two experts who...

Sapphic staycation success: how to have a happy homo home vacation.(DYKE DRAMA)
July 1, 2009... In these trying economic times, everybody is cutting corners and sacrificing. For many, one of the first things to go is the annual family summer vacation. There is even a name for not going away for vacation; it is called a "staycation." It is...

Green before green was cool: lesbians have always been at the forefront of the eco-movement.(POLITICS)
July 1, 2009... Coincidentally, environmental consciousness and sun poisoning struck me at the same time. The date was April 22, 1970. It was the first Earth Day and I was one of 20 million participants worldwide. I was a high school sophomore, an...

Marriage debate sweeps the nation.(News Notes)(same-sex marriage)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Following swiftly in the footsteps of Vermont and Iowa, state legislatures in Maine and New Hampshire voted in favor of same-sex marriage on May 6. While Maine Gov. John Baldacci signed his state's bill less than an hour after the legislature...

Custody battles rage.(News Notes)(child custody)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... The spread of civil unions and same-sex marriage is leading to another key debate in lesbian civil rights: the laws surrounding child custody. In April, TV ads began airing in Virginia that target a Vermont resident's rights to visit the...

Hate crime laws expand.(News Notes)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Washington's Legislature has expanded the state's hate crime bill to include protection of transgender people. Previously, the bill only included lesbian, gay and bisexual people. And, a Colorado jury found Allen Andrade, 32, guilty of a hate...

Colorado beneficiary law.(News Notes)(Designated Beneficiary Agreement Act )(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Colorado passed the Designated Beneficiary Agreement Act in April, which expands the rights of same-sex couples in areas including inheritance, medical decisions and hospital visitations. Although Colorado voters passed a same-sex marriage ban...

Tennessee schools block LGBT websites.(News Notes)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... The ACLU has threatened to bring suit against Tennessee public high schools that have blocked websites containing the keyword "LGBT." Websites such as the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD have been blocked by a filter that administrators can...

Gay conservatives launch new political organization.(News Notes)(GOProud)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... GOProud, a Republican organization aiming to give gay conservatives a voice, was launched in April. According to the group's leadership, GOProud supports gay marriage but believes that it should be achieved through state-by-state legislation,...

Sk8ter girls.(Skate Like a Girl organization )
July 1, 2009... Jessie Haungs walks into the coffee shop where I sit, huddled over a cup of steaming chai. She is fresh-faced and joyful, even after spending her entire day dragging an enormous skate ramp to the driveway of her new home. This is a girl who...

It's easy being green: eight simple tips for making eco-friendly changes that won't break the bank.
July 1, 2009... Want to do the right thing for the environment but hate the idea of spending $200 on a pair of bamboo jeans, eating organic wheatgrass or trading your beloved VW for a Prius? You don't have to. It's possible to be an environmentalist without...

Seeking more sustainable sex: learn how to get dirty with a clean conscience.
July 1, 2009... You're a good girl. You compost, you bike everywhere you can and take public transportation when you can't. You keep chickens in the backyard, in a coop you built yourself out of cob (like adobe, but trendy on the ecoscene). You use chicken...

Worms and the city: one enterprising gal takes on some wriggly new roommates.
July 1, 2009... Like most things in my life, all this started with reading and ended with worms. Let me explain: As a Californian transplanted to Boston, I was struggling to find ways to bring the outdoors and a sense of environmental awareness with me to the...

On the road with Tegan & Sara.(on the beat)(Tegan and Sara Quin)(Interview)
July 1, 2009... When curve's Melany Walters-Beck hit the road with Tegan and Sara, the band gave her unprecedented access to their world--opening up about their tour bus ("It's just a really nice camper. You're still pissing in a porta-toilet"), how they feel...

Lovin' You Better: the dynamic hip-hop duo God-Des and She keep it real (queer).(on the beat)
July 1, 2009... The lesbian hip-hop duo God-Des and She met at a National Organization for Women benefit. At the time, She was playing with a rock group when God-Des approached her in hopes of kick-starting a collaboration. "I had never really thought of doing...

Jersey girls: queer girl rockers flower in the garden state.(on the beat)(Christine Martucci and Aster Phoenyx)
July 1, 2009... This New Jersey scene is a big to-do. No, it's not a pile-up on Route 3, that unfortunate part of the New Jersey Turnpike known for a treacherous merging lane--it's a March evening at legendary music venue the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, an...

Offbeat in stumptown.(on the beat)(Puddletown, Portland)
July 1, 2009... "Keep Portland Weird" isn't just a local bumpersticker--it's a mantra for a city buzzing with creative energy. Portland, Ore., welcomes throngs of lesbian musicians. They launch careers, thrive and find themselves settling down in Puddletown....

Third time's the charm: Fannius III talks about making music she'd actually listen to.(on the beat)(Interview)
July 1, 2009... The story of Fannius III (a.k.a. Fan 3 or just Fan) is the stuff of rock 'n' roll history. Knocking down doors. Getting lucky breaks. Major label deals. Getting dropped. Doing drugs. Getting dropped again. Getting second and third chances. ...

Which lesbian rocker are you? Think you've got what it takes to be a rock icon? Take this quiz and find out which dyke diva is your double.(on the beat)
July 1, 2009... 1 Shaving is: a. A throwback to the patriarchy b. A necessary evil that I endure to rock my sleeveless tees c. To be done daily for silky-smooth, touchable legs d. Something I could do to my head and then get a great tattoo ...

Killing us softly: Amanda Palmer's latest solo album brings out our inner goth.(on the beat)(Who Killed Amanda Palmer)(Interview)
July 1, 2009... Amanda Palmer, the XX-chromosomal half of the Boston-based Dresden Dolls, has had a whirlwind year, from her breakout solo album, Who Killed Amanda Palmer, to her belly-baring "Leeds United" video, to her collaborative photo book with Neil...

Lost in the woods: Dar Williams shows us the way.(on the beat)(interview with Dar Williams about her album)(Interview)
July 1, 2009... Dar Williams has been a familiar face on the women's music scene since her first official album. The Honesty Room--including "When I Was a Boy," one of the most moving songs about gender roles ever recorded--came out in 1993. Two years later,...

Living lesbian legend: Janis Ian reflects on a lifetime in music.(on the beat)(Interview)
July 1, 2009... It's safe to say that most of us don't get through life without some ups and downs, but then, most of us haven't had as many ups or downs as Jam's Ian has had. Her autobiography. Society's Child, chronicles her life both in and out of the music...

Chix 6 rocks the theater stage.(on the beat)(Chix 6 rock musical)
July 1, 2009... Lourds Lane is a working musician with an eponymous band. She plays electric violin, mandolin, electric guitar, acoustic guitar and, at twentysomething, Lourds (she goes by just her first name) has changed from a chrysalis to a butterfly and is...

Editor's pick.(In The Stacks)(Sweet Charlotte's Seventh Mistake)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE Following Cori Crooks' journey to uncover her biological father and deal with her flawed mother in Sweet Charlotte's Seventh Mistake (Seal Press) is like watching someone rip open the seams of her life to see what's...

A History of U.S. Feminisms Rory Dicker.(Page Turners)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... (Seal Press) Hit the books, girls. This enlightening work recounts the time line of ourforemoth-ers, from the 19th century's suffragettes to the modern Radical Cheerleaders. With detailed accounts of events and snippets from powerhouses...

In an Abusive State Kristin Bumiller.(Page Turners)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... (Duke University Press) More textbook than light read, this study of feminism, sexual violence and neoliberalism written by an Amherst College prof is a dense, caustic argument against feminism's response to rape and sexual violence. ...

Transgender History Susan Stryker.(Page Turners)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... (Seal Press) A study of America's trans community, this groundbreaking book begins with post-World War II era transvestites and details a timeline that reaches all the way to today's human rights laws their impact on transgender...

Preying on Generosity Kimberly LaFontaine.(Page Turners)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... (Intaglio Publications) A sequel to Picking Up the Pace, this mystery focuses on reporter Angie Mitchell, who finds herself on the trail of a murderer who'll stop at nothing for attention. White she struggles to put together the clues she...

Jacqueline Hassink: car girls, Tim Dant.(In The Stacks)
July 1, 2009... JACQUELINE HASSINK: CAR GIRLS, Tim Dant: A subversively fun look at gender, power and commodification. (www.aperture.org)

Graffiti women: street art from five continents, Nicholas Ganz and Nancy MacDonald.(In The Stacks)(Book review)(Brief review)
July 1, 2009... GRAFFITI WOMEN: STREET ART FROM FIVE CONTINENTS, Nicholas Ganz and Nancy MacDonald: Over 1,000 illustrations survey the work of the badass chicks who were among the earliest pioneers of the graffiti movement. (www.abramsbooks.com)

Lost constellations: the art of Tara McPherson vol II, Tara McPherson.(In The Stacks)(Book review)(Brief review)
July 1, 2009... LOST CONSTELLATIONS: THE ART OF TARA MCPHERSON VOL II, Tara McPherson: Love, loss and loneliness meet transfigured ideas from this stunning rock star of a visual artist. (www.darkhorse.com)

Nerve: the first ten years.(In The Stacks)(Book review)(Brief review)
July 1, 2009... NERVE: THE FIRST TEN YEARS: From the groundbreaking website comes essays, erotica and photos of real bodies--women and men--including stuff from Alice Sebold, Aimee Bender and Jocelyn Elders! (www.chroniclebooks.com)

Flagrante Delicto, Will Santillo.(In The Stacks)
July 1, 2009... FLAGRANTE DELICTO, Will Santillo: Explicit book that includes both sexes. Posits real people in unrehearsed sex acts, with tons of lesbians in the mix. (www.santilllophotography.com)

Shelter, Lucky S. Michaels.(In The Stacks)(Book review)(Brief review)
July 1, 2009... SHELTER, Lucky S. Michaels: A riveting photo essay from the kids at Sylvia's Place, New York's first emergency shelter for LGBT youth and young adults, with eye-opening facts about trans and queer kids' lives. (www.trolleybooks.com)

Frida Kahlo: the still lifes, Salomon Grimberg.(In The Stacks)(Book review)(Brief review)
July 1, 2009... FRIDA KAHLO: THE STILL LIFES, Salomon Grimberg: One of the greatest women artists of all time is celebrated in this first-of-its-kind book released on the centennial of her birth. (www.merrellpublishers.com)

The color of loss, Dan Burkholder.(In The Stacks)(Book review)(Brief review)
July 1, 2009... THE COLOR OF LOSS, Dan Burkholder: Using high dynamic range imaging Burkholder creates photographs that look like paintings, offering a new way of looking at post-Katrina New Orleans. (www.utexas.edu/utpress)

Sex pots: eroticism in ceramics, Paul Mathieu.(In The Stacks)(Book review)(Brief review)
July 1, 2009... SEX POTS: EROTICISM IN CERAMICS, Paul Mathieu: Exploring sex and sexuality in ceramics throughout history offers an enthralling look at works by lesbian, gay and straight artists. (www.acblack.com)

Female Bodybuilders, Martin Schoeller.(In The Stacks)(Book review)(Brief review)
July 1, 2009... FEMALE BODYBUILDERS, Martin Schoeller: Call them freaks or call them champion athletes who are creating new models of femininity--either way, this muscled pictorial is compelling. (www.pondpress.com)

Kickass Kuties: the art of Lisa Petrucci, Lisa Petrucci.(In The Stacks)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... KICKASS KUTIES: THE ART OF LISA PETRUCCI, Lisa Petrucci: From dewy-eyed pinups to switchblade sisters to titular cuties, Petrucci--whose journals, dolls and other swag you've already seen in these pages--offers up feminist art nostalgia and...

The Caveman Mystique.(In The Stacks)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... The Caveman Mystique, Martha McCaughey (Routledge): Ah, the caveman defense: The urge to rape women is an unavoidable part of the human male psyche, along with bipedalism and language capability. McCaughey strips the fur unitard off the...

Fixing Sex: Intersex, Medical Authority, and Lived Experience.(In The Stacks)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... Fixing Sex: Intersex, Medical Authority, and Lived Experience, Katrina Karkazis (Duke University Press): Sex designation: a multitude of genes, anatomical shapes and personal interactions, all reduced to two boxes, marked "M" and "F." Karkazis...

Finding Iris Chang: Friendship, Ambition and Loss of An Extraordinary Mind.(In The Stacks)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... Finding Iris Chang: Friendship, Ambition and Loss of An Extraordinary Mind, Paula Kamen (De Capo Press): Journalist Paula Kamen's book about her friend and colleague Iris Chang is half biography, half personal narrative. Professionally, Chang...

Blood Lines: Myth, Indigenism, and Chicana/o Literature.(In The Stacks)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... Blood Lines: Myth, Indigenism, and Chicana/o Literature, Sheila Marie Contreras (University of Texas, Austin): Contreras traces the genealogy of modern Chicana/o cultural formations through critical analysis of texts. She looks at the selective...

Visions.(In The Stacks)(Brief article)(Book review)
July 1, 2009... Visions, C.L. Zastrow (iUniverse): One crime scene starts to look just like another for detective Devon McKinney--until her girlfriend is murdered. Full of grief and pain, Devon knows she's losing it when she starts hearing voices. Is someone...

Rose Beecham.(Q+A)(interview with Jennifer Fulton)(Interview)
July 1, 2009... In 2005, after a 10-year hiatus, Rose Beecham (the "mystery" pen name of best-selling romance novelist Jennifer Fulton) reappeared to write Grave Silence, followed by two more mysteries, Sleep of Reason and Place of Exile. In the groundbreaking...

Talk about synth-sational! The synthesized sounds of the 1980s are back.(Music Watch)(Girls on Film )(Two)(Sound recording review)
July 1, 2009... Will the '80s ever go away? I hope not Whether it's Von Iva's soulful electro-rock, MYNX's dirty-glam electroclash sound or Miss Kittin & the Hacker's artsy disco-tech, synthesizers are the main ingredients in their '80s-inspired sounds. ...

Girl in a Coma.(Q+A)(Interview)
July 1, 2009... Girl in a Coma (www.girlinacoma.com) won critical acclaim in 2007 with their debut album Both Before I'm Gone, winning attention from major labels and guitar legend Dave Navarro, who said the all-female indie band was his favorite. They've come...

Time spent lost Katie Sawicki.(Other Licks)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... (Bend) This third set from the now Northwest-based (Portland, Ore., by way of Brooklyn, New York) bi singer-songwriter is as solid as can be, showcasing her warm voice, from-the-heart lyrics, delicately layered instrumentation and pristine...

Dangerous fruit Stephanie Schneiderman.(Other Licks)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... (self-released) On her sixth solo studio release, the iconoclastic Northwest performer best known for her work with Portland, Ore., buzz-band Dirty Martini teams up with DJ Keith Schreiner for a set that gingerly balances organic and...

Boleros Raquel Bitton.(Other Licks)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... (self-released) Singing in both Spanish and French, the Moroccan-born, San Francisco-based jazz chanteuse offers up an exquisite celebration of the bolero, featuring the work of several legendary Latin composers of the genre and...

(a)spera Mirah.(Other Licks)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... (K) The openly queer Pacific Northwesterner delivers what fans expect on her fourth solo disc: somber, atmospheric indie pop and folk poetic, confessional lyrics dealing with love and loss. There are a few musical surprises here--including...

Out in the open: say goodbye to secrets with these authentic films.(Sapphic Screen)(She's A Boy I Knew)(The Secrets)(Movie review)
July 1, 2009... These two films feature queer heroines who reject the binding shackles of secrecy and shame to find love and authenticity. She's a Boy I Knew (Outcast Films): Gwen Haworth's autobiographical documentary is one of the most tender, witty,...