Voter suppression irks me in ways I can’t describe. John Oliver makes me smile in ways I can’t describe. I look forward to weekly clips from Last Week Tonight on YouTube and the season has started up again. Joy! (more…)
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My NPR Tiny Desk Contest Entry
You might be familiar with NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. Typically, it involves a musician or band performing at or around a desk in NPR’s offices. Part of the appeal is the band performing in tight quarters. NPR ran a contest this past January asking bands to submit their own Tiny Desk Concert video. One of my bandmates from The New Limits saw the opportunity and suggested we enter. The project contained the right amount of urgency and flexibility. (more…)
Crate Digging: The Flirts – “Jukebox (Don’t Put Another Dime)”
This came home with me on 45 on my last vinyl haul from Tres Gatos in Jamaica Plain. I first heard the song when raiding my dad’s 45 collection when I was in middle school or high school. I used to randomly choose records from his collection and find stuff I liked. This one stuck with me so when I came across it again, it had to come home with me. (more…)
My First Live Record: The New Limits Live at WEMF
My Band The New Limits just released an album of songs recorded live on the air at WEMF Cambridge earlier this year. The record features 3 new songs and 2 tracks from our January 2015 EP “Pressure Up.” I’m really proud of it. (more…)
Glass Ceiling? Try Glass City
The term “Glass Ceiling” is too limiting. The idea that women can’t get promoted past particular positions or roles in the workforce makes the issue sound confined. You might say “at least there’s only problems in the work place” or “at least that’s the only problem in the work place.” You’d be wrong to say that. That’s not how systemic sexism works. Everything is connected. The work force is connected to an unfair ecosystem and a system that’s stacked up against women.
As we steadily fight against that system, it’s important to get angry. Women have a right to be pissed off and a right to rage. Kathleen Hanna and Bikini Kill called for “girls to the front” at punk shows. So how about “Girls to the top” in the workforce? (more…)
8 Days to Celebrate Italian-American Heritage Besides Columbus Day
While living in New York, I learned that there was a parade on Columbus Day, and that parade was to celebrate Italian-American heritage. Prior to living in New York–at least that I can remember–I had never thought of Christopher Columbus as an Italian hero. I was mortified. There are plenty of Italians and Italian-Americans who have contributed to civilization and society who weren’t genocidal maniacs. In case you’re new to this discussion about how Christopher Columbus is awful and Columbus Day makes no sense, I’ll let my best friend John Oliver catch you up. This clip was aired a year ago but is just as relevant and to the point.
At about the 2:00 mark, Oliver suggests alternate days to celebrate Italian heritage starting with Frank Sinatra Day. This got me thinking. Why don’t we celebrate our heritage on any other days? Italians (the ones in Italy) don’t even celebrate Columbus Day!
To help get the conversation started, I’ve pulled together a list of people, moments, and days worth celebrating. (more…)
Alissia Benveniste Funks Me Back to High School
This past Saturday I attended the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival. I first caught this festival back in 2012 when I first moved to Boston but hadn’t been back since. At the last minute, a friend of ours asked if we were attending. Thankfully I had the day free. (more…)
