Courtney E. Smith

Courtney E. Smith

Maggie Serota on the Thompson Twins’ 'If You Were Here'

The moment that really sticks from this conversation is when Maggie Serota told us this experience was the one when she realized men just say things. They may mean those things in the moment, but they often don't stick. It's a real kick to the gut moment in every person's life to feel lied to. And when that lie is part of a big romantic gesture that ruins a song...well, that's unforgivable
Addded Feb 17, 2023

Estella Adeyeri of Big Joanie on Mitski’s 'Happy'

A very special episode in which a certain ex (or two) will not be given the satisfaction of being named, shamed, and allowed to be the main character. Also in which the gang talks about inequity for women in music, the historical lessons we have and haven’t learned about it, and the insidious way music history omits and discounts people of color.
Addded Jan 24, 2023

Stagger Lee

Whatever name you call Stagger Lee, we know one thing for sure: He shot Billy Lyons in plain sight, with a bar full of witnesses. If you’ve heard the song, you might think he did it because he lost a game of dice. But the real Stagger Lee wasn’t gambling at all. He got mad when Billy took his Stetson hat and wouldn’t give it back.
Addded Jul 21, 2021

Frankie And Johnny

Frankie killed Albert one night in St. Louis, back in 1899. Songwriters took a few liberties, even changing some names (that’s where “Johnny” comes in). Then Hollywood took more liberties while building multiple films around the song. Unfortunately for Frankie, it was a ballad people kept singing for over a hundred years — a ballad that ultimately killed her.
Addded Jul 14, 2021

Omie Wise

When we talk about the sexism of murder ballads, “Omie Wise” jumps to the forefront as one of the most prominent examples. Whether the true story involves a woman who was drowned because she became inconvenient or because she stood up to a no-good man, they both end the same way — with Naomi Wise dead, and many tales that got it wrong.
Addded Jun 30, 2021

Henry Clay Beattie

When Henry Clay Beattie’s wife Louise died under what turned out to be mysterious circumstances in 1911, the trial of the century began. Figuring out the circumstances of her death would lead to a million lines of newsprint all over the country — and end with the electric chair. Naturally, the story became a song.
Addded Jun 24, 2021

Delia

A 14-year-old girl named Delia Green was shot to death on Christmas night in 1900 by a boy who thought she was being mean to him. How did that turn into a song about a “lowdown” and “trifling” woman who was cheating on her man — and a song that would save Johnny Cash’s career?
Addded Jun 16, 2021
rant n' rave
rave:// A powerful, important essay

The Britney Effect

I’ve talked with so many women and former co-workers in the industry about the vile things we’ve heard said about women artists, opinions on their bodies and their looks that are dehumanizing. It’s had an impact on all of us. It’s also caused us to wonder: What terrible things must they be thinking about me?
Addded Feb 24, 2021
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