The first outsider artist I remember was Wild Man Fischer. Back in the heyday of Warner Bros records, the late 60s, Frank Zappa recorded Wild Man Fischer. Fischer had been discovered singing on the streets for 10 cents a song. I heard his recording, “Songs for Sale,” on one of the great Warner Bros/Reprise sampler […]
Where the Hits Keep ComingSometimes songwriters get disability just right. It’s not often. For every non-stereotypical, realistic portrayal of disability there’s two dozen country weepers or maudlin overcoming narratives. Today, I was listening to my favorite radio station, KALX. It’s UC Berkeley’s award winning font of everything hip and groovy. Majority Whip, all the DJs […]
Where the Hits Keep ComingInadvertently, an email of mine asking for disability researchers investigating how popular music sheds light on disability politics, identity, history, multiculturalism, or sociology was posted on a listserv. I got a few potential leads and interesting responses. One was from someone at a Welsh independent living center who is an underground/metal/experimental […]
Occasionally, on my emails I’ve been using the footer, “Yeah that doctor told me, ‘Son you don’t need no pills, just a handful of nickels and a jukebox will cure your ills.’ Carl Perkins, disabled rockabilly pioneer” I thought people might like to know a bit more. On the website, Rockabilly Hall of Fame, I […]
Wheelchair Morality According to the New York Times review this morning there is a new movie, “Sympathy for Delicious.” It’s the directorial debut for Mark Ruffalo. It tells the story of a wheelchair user who only wants to be a rock star DJ but his ability to miraculously heal everyone but himself keeps getting in […]
In today’s entries to the Disability in the Humanities listserv, DS-HUM, there was a discussion of a new album cover of Nikki Minaj. I couldn’t resist opining:It looks like the Pink Friday album cover is a continuation of Nikki Minaj’s redefinition and playing with the images of women rappers. From a quick reading of Wikipedia […]
Ah, I just found another interesting detritus uncovered by eBay. It’s the Crippled Black Phoenix. They’re a UK post-rock band. I’m not sure what post-rock is but their music on their MySpace page isn’t particularly offensive, although some of their imagery is. […]
Just got the latest Melody Gardot CD, “My One and Only Thrill.” She’s one of those smokey-sounding women songsters that seem to have a resurgence lately–Madeleine Peyroux, Amy Winehouse, etc. Not only do I like her music, but I’m also impressed with her disability identity. On her MySpace page she talks about the term disability. […]
Here’s some good news from the UK disability arts newsletter, ETC. (To subscribe, silvie@disabilityarts.info) To my mind Ian Dury’s “Spasticus Autisticus” should be the disability community’s rockin’ anthem. If this movie is successful it should help bring the disabled Dury back into public consciousness. Here’s the news: Sex & Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll 104 […]
Best New Disabled Performer (who declines the disability label)Melody Gardot, www.melodygardot.com Best Newly Discovered Song with Disability Content by Disabled ArtistsRay Charles and Chet Atkins, “We Didn’t See a Thing” Best Rediscovered Disability Autobiography by an Amputee in MusicThe Barbarians, “Moulty” Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 Best Reclaimed Disabled PerformerCarl Perkins […]