Years ago, I had a friend who was a singer in a retro-punk band called Vaginal Cancer. He picked the name after his girlfriend had had a suspicious Pap smear. (It was through this couple that I met my husband. They broke up, and we’ve been married for 16 years.) There was a brief moment in my life when I felt very cool, being in divey Chicago punk clubs and hanging out with the band during all three of their shows. Or maybe it was just two.

That’s one reason that the press release about the gynecological cancer awareness album No Evidence of Disease by the band N.E.D. caught my attention. The band name is medical shorthand for the album’s title; the members are gynecological surgeons who are also skilled amateur musicians. The group came together to play covers at medical conferences and benefits, and they found that people stayed to listen and even invited them back. They decided to write songs, engage professional producers, and turn their project into a full-fledged Cause CD. (more…)