Well written, Levine! I would only add that there's a hefty dose of Thirteenth Floor Elevators and Birthday Party era Nick Cave in the mix, in addition to the Screamin' Jay Hawkins comparison.
Posted by:
Julie Jennings Patterson, Downtown Radio DJ
on 02/24/2017 at 6:46 PM
While it would be great if everyone in the music world were beyond the "women who rock" trope at this point in time, I think accusing the station of trashing or "pimping" them is a bit heavy handed.
The folks at Downtown Radio put a ton of passion, love and sweat into the station - almost all of us on a volunteer basis, and nobody is "making a profit" off anyone. We play a ton of local music, because we love it and think it's great and we feel like it deserves to be heard on the radio.
We are always honored as hell when any of these bands/artists play one of our featured shows or benefits, as most of them have repeatedly done.
If they really "need us less than we need them" that's great news for everyone. And super generous of them. I'd love it if local acts were always getting the recognition they deserve, whether in print or over the airwaves. I know you as a writer do your part to help make this happen. As a DJ, I try to do my part as well.
But whether they need me or not, I'm still playing these bands on Downtown Radio. Not for "exposure" or because they are women. Because they're GOOD and if I want to hear them, I'm betting my listeners want to hear them too.
Recent Comments
The folks at Downtown Radio put a ton of passion, love and sweat into the station - almost all of us on a volunteer basis, and nobody is "making a profit" off anyone. We play a ton of local music, because we love it and think it's great and we feel like it deserves to be heard on the radio.
We are always honored as hell when any of these bands/artists play one of our featured shows or benefits, as most of them have repeatedly done.
If they really "need us less than we need them" that's great news for everyone. And super generous of them. I'd love it if local acts were always getting the recognition they deserve, whether in print or over the airwaves. I know you as a writer do your part to help make this happen. As a DJ, I try to do my part as well.
But whether they need me or not, I'm still playing these bands on Downtown Radio. Not for "exposure" or because they are women. Because they're GOOD and if I want to hear them, I'm betting my listeners want to hear them too.