Female empowerment in music, for a long time, was a facade in the male dominated record industry. Sure you had big names like Janis Joplin, Nina Simone, and Joni Mitchell that have an ongoing legacy, but it was always an uphill struggle to be taken seriously, even for them. It wasn't until the 80s that women in music really started to break out of society's prescribed mold, adopting wild punk rock styles and living rock star lives, which used to be reserved for “the boys.” Rock music began to accept the likes of Tina Turner, Heart, Joan Jett, and Stevie Nicks and her astounding solo career. It was a definite push forward for women in the media landscape, but by 1995, and after the advent of alternative music, feminism in music needed a different approach. When you take off all the glam and glitz of the 80's, but keep its feminist edge, what do you have? The answer is Alanis Morissette. With two semi-successful albums already released on MCA Records Canada, and having done some acting before the music, Alanis was well aware of how the entertainment industry worked. Going what she had gone through as a child actor and eventual singer, Alanis knew better than anyone that women weren't yet being treated with the dignity they deserved, herself being involved in a predatory relationship with a Canadian record exec (referenced in the song “Hands Clean”) and a questionable relationship with Dave Coulier (infamously referenced in the song “You Oughta Know”). After all of her experiences and diminishing interest in her pop past, she was ready to show the world how fed up she was—with the sexism, with the predatory practices, and with the whole pop aesthetic. With “Jagged Little Pill,” Alanis, and cowriter/producer Glen Ballard, rewrote the rules on what was acceptable for a female pop/rock artist in the record industry, opening the door for the next generation of strong female pop/rock artists like Shakira, Michelle Branch, and Avril Lavigne. Join Brad, Dave, Jon, and a very special guest and badass feminist, Brad's mother, Pamela Siemens, as they break down the alt 90s angst!
COMING UP: (08-31-20) J. Cole - 2014 Forest Hills Drive
(09-07-20) The Who - Tommy (part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8NmvEt_cVA
SPOTIFY PLAYLIST NUMBER ONE: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Z67Ka5xedSfYIvWw6YNt4?si=GG5CAvtUQ0CWpr74gRn-_A
Links:
www.twitter.com/RevoloverAudio
www.anchor.fm/AlbumConceptHour
www.twitter.com/AlbumConceptPod
www.myspace.com/AlbumConceptHour
Link to support important cause in the Madison area:
https://freethe350bailfund.wordpress.com/(Madison bail fund)
