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Women's Music Magazines

About my research references: I am very fortunate to have in my archives
fairly complete sets of several wonderful women's music magazines, and
as so few people would have access to them, I am sharing them here.

Musica

Click for Every Issue of Musica

Musica was edited by Indy Allen, out of Troutdale, Oregon, and the first issue was a
three-page newsletter (March 1974). By the fifth issue (Spring 1976) it had grown to
13 pages of news about festivals, new releases and artist info. The last issue I have is
from Spring 1977, but it has no volume number so I cannot tell if there were any issues
between #5 and it; and I do not know if any other issues were done.

Paid My Dues

Click for Every Issue of PMD

Paid My Dues was a remarkable magazine of women's music information, reviews,
interviews, etc. Volume 1 number 1 came out in early 1974, with an amazing 38 pages.

A side comment: in those years it was often hard to determine the names of people
putting out magazines. I know, because I was involved with a gay newspaper (in Norfolk)
in the late 70s. There were two forces going on. One was the common sense element of
not wanting to publish your name in a gay/lesbian identified magazine. Many people would
have been in danger of losing their jobs if publically named. Also, there was a "community
spirit" of some of these ventures, where no one wanted to take "credit" for a joint effort.

Anyway, Paid My Dues lasted until 1980 and released 15 issues. Some of the people
responsible were Dorothy Dean (founder), Kathryn Gohl, Karen Corti, Judy Erickson,
Kathyrn Judd, \Toni Armstrong Jr, and many others. Toni Armstrong Jr went on to
found Hot Wire Magazine (The Journal of Women's Music), published from 1984 - 1994.

Shown above on the covers are guitarist Jerene Jackson and Kay Gardner.

Hot Wire

Another women's magazine in my collection, that is a major resource to me, is the superb
magazine Hot Wire. Its subtitle was "The Journal of Women's Music and Culture," and for ten
wonderful years it covered this genre in both an entertaining and scholarly way.
Publisher Toni Armstrong Jr masterly ushered the magazine through 30 issues,
and I'm very pleased that I have all in my archives.

And check out my Sept 2005 show for a terrific interview with Toni Armstrong Jr,
perhaps THE expert on women's music publications

And now you can read every issue on their new site
http://www.hotwirejournal.com/

Hot Wire, back cover of last issue

As a devotee of this magazine I compiled some additional information, ready to download.

Listing of the Soundsheets
with many of the magazine articles about them
Scans of the Discs
the actual flexi-discs, almost all of them

Women's Music Newsletter

This was a regional, quarterly newsletter published out of Seattle by Toby Langen and Molly McGee,
and included "reviews of new record releases as well as profiles and interviews with performers
and others involved in the production of women's music and culture." I have eight issues in my
collection of the eight-page publication, and as copies did not contain a volume number I cannot
tell if any copies preceded the first one I have, and do not know if others followed. My copies
span from "Fall 1987" to "Winter 1989"

Click for Women's Music Newsletter (Seattle)

Lesbian Tide

No, "Lesbian Tide" was not a music magazine, but it was excellent in its coverage of women's music.
It was published out of Los Angeles, from 1971 through 1980, the prime time for this important history.
I have a handful of the issues and am sharing about 50 of the articles and music ads from it.

Click for Lesbian Tide Articles and for Entire Issues

My Sisters' Song -- Womens' Records (1975)

This is an amazing discography of "woman-made" music, compiled by Mary Jo Valenti
and Linda J. Larkin, edited by Dorothy K. Dean. It contains 20 pages of listings, and at
times the criteria must have been, when in doubt, include the artist...for example,
Doris Day and Cher would not be considered "woman-made," but better to have too
much information than not enough. And again, while I would love it to be so, this is not
a listing of lesbian artists, but just to have the raw data in so much detain is a blessing.


Click for My Sister's Song

And, while not "music-related," Lisa Ben's magazine "Vice Versa"
is certainly historic; now you can read every issue, on my site

Vice Versa

And below, from a 1977 issue of "Sing Out!" is a listing of "Feminist Phonograph Records & Tapes."
Now, this was not a lesbian magazine, it was a folk magazine, but it gave amazing coverage to
lesbian artists and many early and historic recording appear on the listing. I did spot some errors:
in the title of Maxine Feldman's song "Angry Atthis," and Margie Adam's name has no "s" on the end,
but all in all a remarkable list from a time when it was a a blessing just to see a list like this. Also
note the listing of a tape by Casse Culver that pre-dated her album.

Click for selected info from "OutLoud!"

Below, I've never seen a copy of "Dyke Music," but here is a review and ad
from Lesbian Tide, Mar/Apr 1979
if you can help me find a copy, please email me

Sisters, a San Francisco publication, just a little on music,
but as it is So early, Nov 1973, you can find it all here

Of music interest is Family of Women, pp 4-7

And check out my Sept 2005 show for a terrific interview with Toni Armstrong Jr,
perhaps THE expert on women's music publications

Please visit the archive for Dyke, A Quarterly
not music-related, but I love it when archiving is well done

No link, but another to be aware of...

And Here's an Excellent Blog Post on early Lesbian Magazines