Vernon Grant for the United States Office of War Information, There's work to be done and a war to be won - now!" (1944) | Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division [LC-USZC4-5604]

Vernon Grant for the United States Office of War Information, There's work to be done and a war to be won - now!" (1944) | Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division [LC-USZC4-5604]

Girl gang songs | 1

Music is a huge source of inspiration for most people (including myself). Add to that the hardships that women face around sexual harassment, misogyny in the workplace, ridiculous standards around beauty and age and media stories about the Harvey Weinstein’s of the world and music is often the only place of salvation in the day-to-day assault on our bodies, our minds and our spirits.

This week we take a look at five songs that inspire me in times of hardship and remind me why we all need to kick ass, take names and stop apologizing.

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Joan Jett, Bad Reputation

“A girl can do what she wants to do and that’s what I’m gonna do.”

Joan Jett got her start as a founding member of The Runaways and later with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. A true rocker at heart, Bad Reputation was released in the 1980’s during the era of dance music, new wave and the male-dominated rock sounds of Def Leppard and Bon Jovi. Although peaking at #48 on the Billboard charts, the song had a comeback in 1999 on the soundtrack for the movie 10 Things I Hate About You and as the opening track for the TV series Freaks and Geeks. Joan, a pioneer for women in rock, inspired us then and inspires us now to stop worrying about what others think and just hammer it home. Whenever somebody mansplains, my recommendation is to correct them, then throw this track on to remind yourself you were right.

I don't giv a damn bout my bad reputation!!" a classic music video by joan jett

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts official site here.

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X-ray Spex, Oh Bondage! Up Yours!

“Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard… But I think “oh bondage, up yours!”

As a huge fan of 1970’s punk rock, X-Ray Spex is my one-stop-shop for a good influx of energy. A band that made their start in the clubs of London, Poly Styrene on lead vocals cannot be surpassed. Her unique blend of soft, little girl, spoken words mixed with kick ass, high voltage singing are like no other. Fighting her way through male-dominated clubs like The Roxy and others, Poly fought hard to be herself in fashion, singing and style. The opening line of this song, noting that people prefer little girls that should be seen and not heard - and what people can do with that sentiment - is a reminder that women have voice, strength, vision and are not going anywhere.

X ray spex caught in practise in 1977. PolyStyreneOfficial http://www.poly-styrene.com/ http://www.youtube.com/user/PolyStyreneOfficial

X-ray Spex official site here.

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Ani DiFranco, Not a Pretty Girl

“I ain’t no damsel in distress, and I don’t need to be rescued.”

No list would be complete without Ani DiFranco. She has been called everything from a feminist icon to a folk rock singer to much, much worse, but at the end of the day, Ani has always spoken the truth - what we all are thinking, feeling and rarely given a platform to say. Taken from her 6th studio album in 1995, Not a Pretty Girl is a perfect blend of questions, answers and straightforward assertiveness. The album, filled with amazing tracks like 32 Flavors and The Million You Never Made, holds up just as much as the title song. An artist of 19 studio albums, two collaboration albums with Utah Phillips and countless live recordings, Ani reminds us that our beauty, intelligence and worth should not be weighed by anyone other than ourselves.

Ani DiFranco live at the Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA 3/5/14

Ani DiFranco / Righteous Babe Records official site here.

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Icona Pop (featuring Charli XCX), I Love It

“You’re from the 70’s, but I’m a 90’s bitch.”

Formed in 2009, Icona Pop is a Swedish duo made up of Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo. Focused on electro pop, this song pushed the group to the top of the charts in 2012. Used in the soundtracks for the TV series The Vampire Diaries and covered by the cast of the TV show Glee, this song has been a consistent go-to hit for dance beats mixed with a little femme fatale. With lyrics like “I don’t care, I love it,” this is a great pit stop in the middle of your day when you are just done with all the ridiculousness that the world has to offer. Although less feminist centric than other songs on this list, there is nothing like a dance break with a strong girl twist to spice up that long afternoon.

I Love It (feat. Charli XCX) STREAM 'This Is... Icona Pop': http://smarturl.it/ThisIs_Streaming DOWNLOAD 'This Is... Icona Pop' http://smarturl.it/ThisIs FOLLOW: http://iconapop.com http://facebook.com/iconapop https://instagram.com/iconapop http://twitter.com/iconapop http://soundcloud.com/iconapop

Icona Pop official site here.

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Bikini Kill, Rebel Girl

“Rebel girl you are the queen of my world.”

Bikini Kill, formed in the state of Washington in the 1990’s, is one of the founding groups in the riot grrrl movement. Often considered to be abrasive and hardcore, their ear shattering guitars, hard-hitting bass and in-your-face lyrics take the traditional concepts of femininity, spin them on their side and then combat-boot kick them out the door. Rebel Girl, originally released in 1993 and eventually recorded in three different versions, pushes back at traditional heterosexual lyrics and music. The song not only addresses love for another woman but embraces the way that we should support, love and be allies with each other at all times. In other words “love you like a sister, always.”

Riot Girls

Bikini Kill official site here.

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This is a great start to get you through any down day so listen, explore, embrace and be inspired. Future installments (and a playlist if you are lucky) will be coming soon.