Anthropomorphized anxiety. Putting the con in consent. A song with a truly staggering number of f-bombs, set to a jaunty ukulele tune. Had I known what I was going to get into when I stuck around for the Misbehavin’ Maidens midnight performance at Marscon, I might’ve reconsidered sitting next to my dad through it. (Have YOU ever listened to a song about go-karts and masturbating next to your father, who’s dressed in chainmail for extra weirdness? ‘Cause I can now say I have!) But by the third song, I was so into this nerdy, feminist, queer-friendly quartet that all the father-related awkwardness in the world couldn’t have chased me away.
Besides, my he was into them, too. My dad’s a sucker for good harmonies.
Who are the Misbehavin’ Maidens?
The Misbehavin’ Maidens are made up of Saber Tompson, Flint Locke, “Lucky” Annie LeBlanc, and Rouge O’Malley. Their interests range wildly from one another – if you want anime songs, go to Flint, while Rouge is all about Farscape, for example – so each album is full of a wide range of references. Many of them are catered to the con scene, too – there is literally a song called “I Wanna Make Out With You At Cons” all about the nigh-universal experience of seeing an incredibly hot cosplayer and thinking, “I don’t really want a relationship but man I’d be down to kiss you.”
We’ve all been there, don’t pretend we haven’t.
But what really makes the Maidens shine in my eyes is how inclusive they are. When you’re part of the LGBTQA community, you don’t always feel represented by the songs you listen to. It can even be downright painful when a singer swaps pronouns in a cover to keep the song heterosexual. With the Maidens, though, if you’re asexual, polyamorous, bi, trans, or more, you’ll likely catch a line and think, “wait, that line is for ME.” It’s a truly powerful moment, and not one you really expect when you’re laughing at bawdy lines and nerd humor, which makes it even more powerful.
How can I listen?
Misbehavin’ Maidens’ first album, “Busted,” is full of a capella sea shanty style songs with a dash of sauciness. They pay homage to the groups’ origin story: Saber put together the Maidens while working as a daytime tavern wench at a pirate bar. Their second album “Sloppy Seconds” amped up the nerdiness and dirtiness, including a parody of “If You’re Happy and You Know It Clap Your Hands” called “CONsent” that should really be the opening number at every con. It also introduced a ukulele played by Flint.
Like their previous albums, their third album is being funded via a Kickstarter campaign which launched on April 11. It’s called “Swearing is Caring,” and many of the songs I’ve had stuck in my head since January will be on it. Do you have a Slytherin in your life? Then you need to go check out this album’s track list right now. Trust me. Continuing the trend, this time instrumentals include piano, drums, tambourines, and even a violin.
It is, as the title would imply, not for the faint of heart, small children without adult supervision, or safe for work, although some songs are and those are noted on the Kickstarter. (Disclaimer: I have absolutely listened to the Misbehavin’ Maidens at work. You can get away with it if you have a chill work environment and very good headphones.) But swearing isn’t a cheap gimmick. As the group explains, it’s a way to show how passionate they are about the things they have to sing. Swearing is a vent for bottled-up frustrations, and a way to emphasize emotions.
It’s also f*cking fun, let’s not kid ourselves.
Support your friendly neighborhood feminist, nerd, queer band
Supporting beautiful, hilarious, nerdy, and inclusive music is a total no-brainer, and I cannot recommend the Misbehavin’ Maidens more strongly. Don’t just take my word for why you should immediately boot up Spotify and listen to every Misbehavin’ Maidens song you can get your hands on, though. You just need to look at their Kickstarter for the evidence: within about 10 hours, they had already blown past their first goal. Their stretch goals include the shocking notion of actually getting paid for their hard work and even a music video, which I for one desperately need in my life.
Whatever flavor of nerd you are and however you may identify, the Misbehavin’ Maidens have a song for you. Go and find it, and then support this delightful, nerdy, dirty band.
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