:: mike errico diary ::

:: Monday, May 23, 2005 ::

LEXA VONN/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

Lexa fronts Ophelia Rising, a hardcore grrl band reminiscent of Bikini Kill and described as "the Go-Go's meets Marilyn Manson". She rose to unexpected notoriety by wearing a White Zombie T-shirt to her Massachusetts high school and getting thrown in jail on obscenity charges, an act which briefly inflamed the national debate on censorship. Ophelia Rising cut a dark, sinister version of "You Don't Own Me" on 2001's Step 1: Acknowledge You Are Part Of The System.

Interview with Lexa Vonn
Q: What made you decide on doing the Lesley Gore song?
A: Pretty much the lyrics. I thought, for a female to be saying those things and making those declarations was kind of a controversial thing and it was one of the earlier songs of declaration of feminine independence. And being able to have a strong interior underneath a very feminine exterior. Because she was... the epitome of blonde femininity, but that song, along with a lot of her other songs, were "fuck the husband and kids, I want to do my own thing."
:: mike 5:55 PM [+] ::

SHUDDER TO THINK/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

Technically, "Own Me" is not really a "cover", but more of a "well-credited reimagining," although with it's chorus that reads, simply, "You don't own me..." it's hard to find where the original ends and the "reimagining" begins. Not that it matters much - it's a cool song. From a press clip: "1994's Pony Express Record is Shudder to Think's Big Rock Move, with production by Ted Nicely and a blast-out-of-the-speakers mix by Andy Wallace (of Nirvana's Nevermind fame). "Own Me" is a cunning Larson rewrite of Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me." Amazon has a clip of it here.


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:: mike 3:10 PM [+] ::

RASPUTINA/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

This all-grrrl cello society brushes with Lesley on their 1998 Columbia release, How We Quit The Forest. "It might have been the dealings with Marilyn Manson (on a remix EP)...but whatever caused their new edginess is most welcome. Rock music thrives on uncontrollable urges, primal desires and passion, and Rasputina manage to infuse these elements into their well structured string arrangements. And that doesn't just mean volume. Their take on the classic "You Don't Own Me" is a sultry, minimalistic one, which carefully builds into a frenetic cry of empowerment."
:: mike 2:58 PM [+] ::