JD Samson
Encyclopedia
JD Samson is the stage name of Jocelyn Samson, a member of the feminist
electropunk
band Le Tigre
. Samson grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Pepper Pike, Ohio and attended Orange High School
. She came out
as a lesbian
at age 15. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College
in 2000 with a degree in film
.
Samson joined Le Tigre in 2000 as a replacement for Sadie Benning
after working as the band's projectionist. She is also a member of the band The New England Roses
and a member of electro-punk artist Peaches
' live band, The Herms with Radio Sloan
and Samantha Maloney
. In 2006, Samson collaborated with Junior Senior
on the song "Can I Get Get Get".
Samson's contributions to Le Tigre include the song "Viz", which deals with her experiences as a member of a sexuality minority. In 2004, New York Times music writer Kelefa Sanneh
called her "an icon of nerdy cool".
Samson is a co-founder of the performance art group "Dykes Can Dance". In 2003, she released 'JD's Lesbian Calendar', a collaboration with photographer Cass Bird, which was followed up in 2006 with 'JD's Lesbian Utopia', a calendar documenting Samson's travels around the U.S.
in an RV
.
As of 2007, Samson is working with Le Tigre bandmate Johanna Fateman
on a remix
project titled MEN
. JD co-produced with Bitch
the Ferron
song, "In the Meantime" from the CD Boulder released in 2008.
Samson also appeared in John Cameron Mitchell
's Shortbus
as "Jid", a patron of the Shortbus club.
Samson and her Le Tigre
bandmates Kathleen Hanna
and Johanna Fateman
produced the Christina Aguilera
song My Girls ft. Peaches
, for Aguilera's album Bionic.
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
electropunk
Synthpunk
Synthpunk is a music genre combining elements of electronic music and punk rock. The term was coined by Damian Ramsey in 1999 as an attempt to retroactively identify a small sub-genre of punk music from 1977 to 1984 that involved musicians playing synthesizers in place of electric...
band Le Tigre
Le Tigre
Le Tigre is an American electroclash band, formed by Kathleen Hanna and Johanna Fateman in 1998. It also featured Sadie Benning from 1998 until 2001, and JD Samson for the rest of the group's run...
. Samson grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Pepper Pike, Ohio and attended Orange High School
Orange High School (Ohio)
Orange High School is a public high school located in Pepper Pike, Ohio, an eastern suburb in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area and part of the Northeast Ohio region. Orange High School primarily serves the affluent communities that historically formed Orange Township, which are Hunting...
. She came out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
at age 15. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
in 2000 with a degree in film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
.
Samson joined Le Tigre in 2000 as a replacement for Sadie Benning
Sadie Benning
Sadie Benning is a video maker, visual artist, and musician.She first made her name in the early 1990s as a teenage video maker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Raised by her mother in inner-city Milwaukee, Benning left school at age 16, primarily due to the homophobia she experienced...
after working as the band's projectionist. She is also a member of the band The New England Roses
The New England Roses
New England Roses are an American band formed in 2002 by JD Samson from Le Tigre, Sarah Shapiro from The Bachelor and Brendan Fowler from BARR who met while studying at Sarah Lawrence College....
and a member of electro-punk artist Peaches
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
' live band, The Herms with Radio Sloan
Radio Sloan
Radio Sloan is a musician from Olympia, Washington.She is best known as a guitarist for The Need, the band she formed with Rachel Carns; her other bands include Ce Be Barns Band, The Circuit Side, Fact or Fiction, Grandpa's Ghost Stories; and Courtney Love's short-lived all-female backing band The...
and Samantha Maloney
Samantha Maloney
Samantha Maloney is an American musician best known for playing in the bands Hole, Mötley Crüe, Eagles of Death Metal and in Peaches' live band "The Herms".-Early career:...
. In 2006, Samson collaborated with Junior Senior
Junior Senior
Junior Senior was a pop musical duo from Denmark. The duo consisted of Jesper "Junior" Mortensen and Jeppe "Senior" Laursen ....
on the song "Can I Get Get Get".
Samson's contributions to Le Tigre include the song "Viz", which deals with her experiences as a member of a sexuality minority. In 2004, New York Times music writer Kelefa Sanneh
Kelefa Sanneh
Kelefa T. Sanneh is an American journalist and music critic. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for the New York Times, covering the rock 'n' roll, hip-hop, and pop music scenes...
called her "an icon of nerdy cool".
Samson is a co-founder of the performance art group "Dykes Can Dance". In 2003, she released 'JD's Lesbian Calendar', a collaboration with photographer Cass Bird, which was followed up in 2006 with 'JD's Lesbian Utopia', a calendar documenting Samson's travels around the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in an RV
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
.
As of 2007, Samson is working with Le Tigre bandmate Johanna Fateman
Johanna Fateman
Johanna Fateman is a writer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. She is a member of the post-punk rock band Le Tigre and founded the band MEN with Le Tigre bandmate JD Samson.-Background and career:...
on a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
project titled MEN
MEN (band)
MEN is a Brooklyn-based band and art/performance collective that focuses on the energy of live performance and the radical potential of dance music...
. JD co-produced with Bitch
Bitch (performer)
Bitch, also known as Capital B, is a musician, actress, composer, and performance artist. She sings, plays acoustic and electric violin, ukulele, bass, and keyboard.- Collaboration with Animal :...
the Ferron
Ferron
Ferron, born Debby Foisy on , is a Canadian folk singer/songwriter and poet. In addition to being one of Canada's most famous folk musicians, she is one of the most influential writers and performers of women's music, and an important influence on later musicians such as Ani DiFranco, Mary Gauthier...
song, "In the Meantime" from the CD Boulder released in 2008.
Samson also appeared in John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell
John Cameron Mitchell is an American writer, actor, and director. He is best known for his motion pictures Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus and Rabbit Hole.- Early life:...
's Shortbus
Shortbus
Shortbus is a 2006 comedy-drama film written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. The plot revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of colorful characters trying desperately to connect in New York City. The characters converge in a weekly Brooklyn artistic/sexual salon loosely inspired by...
as "Jid", a patron of the Shortbus club.
Samson and her Le Tigre
Le Tigre
Le Tigre is an American electroclash band, formed by Kathleen Hanna and Johanna Fateman in 1998. It also featured Sadie Benning from 1998 until 2001, and JD Samson for the rest of the group's run...
bandmates Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna is an American musician, feminist activist, and punk zine writer. In the early- to mid-1990s she was the lead singer and songwriter of Bikini Kill, before fronting Le Tigre in the late 1990s and early 2000s...
and Johanna Fateman
Johanna Fateman
Johanna Fateman is a writer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. She is a member of the post-punk rock band Le Tigre and founded the band MEN with Le Tigre bandmate JD Samson.-Background and career:...
produced the Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
song My Girls ft. Peaches
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
, for Aguilera's album Bionic.
External links
for Le Tigre World...- PUNKCAST#1132 includes short video clip of DJ JD Samson @ Studio B, Brooklyn, Apr 5 2007. (RealPlayerRealPlayerRealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
, mp4) - JD Samson and Emily Roysden interview each other ANP Quarterly Vol.1 #5
- JD Samson wrote a piece about career issues for musicians for the Huffington Post October 5, 2011
- JD Samson and Michael O'Neill interviewed about MEN on Buzzine October 28, 2011