Comments on: Friday Fun Thread: The Sound of (Women in) Music

By: Isa

Isa — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:55:27 +0000

@Mireille: Astarte is pretty cool.

I am a metalhead. Not that many ladies in the world of underground metal but there are a few female-fronted metal bands out there that are pretty awesome… I think it’s neat that Bolt Thrower’s bassist is a woman and they’ve been around since forever…

As for not-metal… I really like Hole, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Dresden Dolls/Amanda Palmer, the Cranberries, Loreena McKennitt.. kind of a weird variety of stuff.

When it comes down to it though I’m mainly into black metal, and you don’t see a lot of women performers in that particular subgenre (which makes it all the more exciting when you do find one!).

By: Becky

Becky — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:39:19 +0000

I was relieved to see someone finally put Regina Spektor, she’s definitely the woman I first thought of for this comment thread.

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:18:45 +0000

I don’t know if it’s too late to post this or not. But, Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls is amazing. She has her own album out now “Who Killed Amanda Palmer” http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_0_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=who+killed+amanda+palmer&sprefix=who+killed That I haven’t had the money to buy yet, but hope to eventually. But I do love The Dresden Dolls themselves. Yes, I am cheating a bit since a man is in the group, but I don’t think Brian would mind being lumped in this category. I recommend them not only because they are amazing but because of their message. Amanda writes all of their songs and you can find out the stories behind them in the companion books that go along with their C.D.s http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw_1_8?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+dresden+dolls&sprefix=the+dres They do things like tour with the True Colors Tour and teach music to kids. Amanda is a voice of feminism. She has songs about abortion, being by herself and utilizes her own style of beauty which includes shaving off her eyebrows and replacing them with drawn on designs http://farm1.static.flickr.com/96/270568027_6560a56d18.jpg to not shaving her armpits. She does and says what she wants and that’s why I love her.
On a lighter side I also love Regina Spektor http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=regina+spektor&x=0&y=0 Who while,not as edgy and political, still gets her message across.

By: Mireille

Mireille — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:55:02 +0000

I just remembered an all-woman black metal band from Greece, Astarte. I only have their first album, but I thought it was similar to Burzum. Also not on a major label… obvs

By: Dutchie

Dutchie — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:32:34 +0000

God, I use a lot of smileys. (And wanted to use yet another one here – I’m an addict!)

By: sarah.of.a.lesser.god

sarah.of.a.lesser.god — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:11:54 +0000

I just want to leave a huge thanks to everyone who put in their two cents here! Whether your tastes range to jazz, pop, rock, or more undefinable genres, it’s great to see all the different women artists who have touched us.

By: eleanargh

eleanargh — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:55:41 +0000

I’m all about all-girl bands/bands with female vocals; mostly indie I suppose. I barely listen to anything with male vocals. I wrote about Riot Grrl for my undergrad degree and Bikini Kill, Sleater Kinney, Huggy Bear etc are old favourites, but at the moment it’s lots of Santigold (previously known as Santogold; her album from last year is super), Scout Niblett, The Organ (very sadly defunct after one album), Marnie Stern, Electrelane, Bonde Do Role, Be Your Own Pet, Saint Etienne… and of course CSS, MIA, Le Tigre and The Gossip who’ve already been mentioned. I’m excited about the new Gossip album which is out in a couple of weeks.

A couple of recommendations: Peggy Sue are two girls from Brighton who don’t have an album yet; I think they’re playing a few gigs in the US at the moment: http://www.myspace.com/peggysueandthepirates, and Those Dancing Days are five teenage girls from Sweden with super-sweet indiepop songs: http://www.myspace.com/thosedancingdays.

By: Dutchie

Dutchie — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:10:29 +0000

Wow, last week I was looking in archives of the blogs I read for posts about feminist music, and now there’s this thread! Perfect

I do listen quite some female singers, but as I’m quite new to recognizing things as feminist or not, and lyrics are not always automatically clear to me, because English isn’t my mother tongue, I have no idea if their texts are especially interesting because they contain feminist thinking. However often I feel inspired by their songs or some lines in particular.

I think I will love forever:
Tegan and Sara, Shea Seger, Heather Nova, Tori Amos, Norah Jones, Kate Nash, Lilly Allen, Ani Difranco, KT Tunstall, Lisa Loeb, Meredith Brooks (the first cd ever that I bought! I was 12 )

And some really good Dutch and Flemish singers (they sing in English) I love: Anouk, Ilse de Lange, K’s Choice/Sarah Bettens, Stevie Ann. If you’re interested you should definitely check them out, I’m sure they are on youtube (a little bit of support to your own national artists never hurts )

And I really like the German singer Juli, too, listening her cd ‘Ein neuer Tag’ (a new day) as we speak

By: ferawle

ferawle — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 06:45:32 +0000

janis joplin never bores me. I remember watching woodstock with my parents when I was 9, and was blown away by her performance and personality. and music, of course Her songs aren’t particularly feminist, but there is something about ‘maybe’, or ‘get it while you can’, that combines both female suffering with consciousness of that suffering, and the will to freedom, etc… (I’m getting lyrical, hehe – bad puns are allowed, no?)

and I adore siouxsie and the banshees, early 80ies new wave/punk. Siouxsie Sioux (female front singer) has an amazing voice; the music itself is daring and interesting and energetic; and, I like her style..!

(and, ella fitzgerald. what a voice)

By: Jodi

Jodi — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:50:12 +0000

Kate Bush and Kate Miller-Heidke.