Links & Bits for 4/2/10

Emily Becker of PopMatters explains what it means to be a "closet hipster." Full disclosure: I am totally a closet hipster.

Via Jezebel, What Makes a Feminist Rock Star? I'm really enjoying Marisa Meltzer's series on women and the music industry. She says, "It's not possible to determine what a feminist rock star would look like or sing like, but a feminist world (appreciably different, I'd argue, from a Spice one), would allow female artists to choose what kind of sexuality to project in their performances, and whether to project sexuality at all."

Laurie Anderson is releasing her first new album in a decade, says The Guardian. It will include collaborations with Lou Reed, and Antony Hegarty (yay).

Find you birth song says about you, courtesy of Monitor Mix. (Mine is "Love Train" by the O'Jays.)

From Feministing: Lilith Fair charity campaign includes anti-choice orgs. "Lilith Fair's Facebook page is running a "Choose Your Charity" campaign - fans in every city that will host Lilith Fair events can vote for local charities and the winners will receive $1 for every ticket sold in that city. However, as the Chicago Reader reports, anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are included in the list of charities folks can vote to fund. CPCs misinform and outright lie to women with the aim of keeping them from accessing contraception and abortion."

Papermag has a nice feature on Gossip's Beth Ditto.

Another one from Jezebel: 3 Reasons We're Over Amanda Palmer. I'll admit to being only a casual fan, but the Evelyn/Evelyn controversy doesn't really make me want to embrace her any more. I have conflicted feelings about this: I always support artists' rights, but not when those rights appropriate someone else's experience or culture. I'm leery about posting anything on the topic of appropriation and who "owns" an experience because I'm still learning about it. I'm getting there, but I'm not there yet.