BY MIKEY MIGO
Female rockstars have made an impact on the history of rock music, but at the same time are often ignored and not as respected as much as their male counterparts. Who could forget Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, or Ann Wilson? They're all respected and held at high regard, but not so much at the same level as the male rockers of their respected generations. Are they less talented then the male legends? No fucking way. I think that the music industry and most fans are intimidated by a powerful woman owning a stage and putting out great music. Sadly, that hasn't changed much these days either.
In today's male dominated industry, there are still plenty of very talented female vocalists that are just as good, if not A LOT better than most of the males out there. This week we're going to take a look at the CURRENT female rockers. Some are relatively new to the mainstream scene and others have been around for awhile. Either way, they're rocking out venues near you and hopefully you aren't missing out.
Sure there's plenty to list, but I'm going to go with a few of my personal favorites...
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is one of the few musicians to utilize a piano for her main instrument. Unless you live under a rock, you already know that. You should also know her ability to express herself with arguably more emotion than anyone out there behind a mic today. Her music isn't for everyone. I've been exposed to her and while I know she's a very talented musician and can respect the hell out of her, she's just not my cup of tea. But with songs like "Silent All These Years", "Me and a Gun", "God", "Crucify", "Cornflake Girl" and others it's not hard to see her talents and why she's one of the most respected female musicians out there today.
Jessicka Fodera (Jack Off Jill/Scarling)
Jessicka is best known for her work in "Jack off Jill", "Scarling", and being friends with Marilyn Manson. In fact, Manson is even credited for naming the band "Jack off Jill" as they held numerous shows together in Florida as Manson was first starting to rise. Her vocal range is that of a soothing lullaby to a belting banshee, which both work out marvelously. I immensely enjoy all the Crispin Glover references and love, despite it being sorta creepy. I've not heard as much Scarling as Jack off Jill, but from what I've heard it's sorta odd that this band is not getting more attention.
Brody Dalle (The Distillers)
The Distillers is another underappreciated band. Brody is an Australian native and has been in the music business since her late teens. Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion once said, "She has a voice like a gravel truck with a broken axle but she never misses a note". I couldn't agree with that statement more. Her vocals are raspy, but powerful and energetic. She's currently with Jose Homme of Queens of the Stone Age/Eagles of Death Metal and gave birth to their first child in early 2006. In my opinion, Brody is everything that Courtney Love wished she would have been. With that being said, don't hold that comparison against her.
Shirley Manson (Garbage)
From "Angelfish" to "Garbage" to her solo work, Shirley Manson is purely awesome. Her vocals sound as American as anything else from the states, but when she speaks she has a beautiful Scottish accent. Garbage is currently on a hiatus as she's working on her solo work with the likes of Billy Corgan and Jack White. Over the years, songs like "Stupid Girl", "I Think I'm Paranoid", and "Only Happy When It Rains" are reasons why I'm anticipating her next step be it solo or with Garbage.
Karen O (The Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
She's got style, grace and more edge than a machete. I've been a huge fan of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs since right around "Fever to Tell" came out. When "Maps" made big waves on the mainstream radio, I was very excited. True Story-I once "indulged" in alcohol and a more than a few narcotics in excess before 10 AM one morning. I threw up and woke up with the track "Pins" skipping to where Karen was repeating "duh-dun, duh-dun, duh-dun," It was memorable and a reality check. Doesn't change the fact that I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and I think "Show Your Bones" was A LOT better than the already awesome "Fever to Tell."
Amanda Palmer (The Dresden Dolls)
Before The Dresden Dolls became the new hip band, they were selling out clubs across the country. In my opinion it's equally because of Brian Viglione's awesome drumming and Amanda's spectacular energy and vocal work. Amanda Palmer (and Viglione) is from Boston, Massachusetts and have described their genre as "punk cabaret". In 2003, "A Is for Accident" was released and featured a lot of the songs that ended up being on the widely released self titled album. This album was one of my favorites of 2004 and I had the pleasure of seeing them perform twice in 2005. If you haven't heard or seen Amanda Palmer perform live then you've been missing out on some great shit.
Peaches
I also had the pleasure of seeing Peaches open up for Nine Inch Nails and Bauhaus this past summer. That combination being said, the show was amazing to say the least. Before every concert, I try to go out and find out some information and some song samples to know what I'm in for. I did my research and found a few tracks and pictures, both of which were extremely obscene. Obscene in the best way possible. With songs like "Fuck the Pain Away "," AA XX and many other sexual songs it's impossible not to smirk and enjoy the vulgarity of it all. It's very hard to believe that she was a former elementary school teacher and librarian.
Melora Creager (Rasputina)
A close friend of mine is a huge Rasputina fan. Whenever I get in her car she usually has Rasputina playing. At first I did not like it, but it grew on me like a good musical rash. Melora Creager is the vocalist and cellist for Rasputina. Creager is known for her unique fashion sense, including an obvious interest in corsets and Victorian bloomers, which she is known to wear during her live performances. Her songs are more like stories told in her wispy, tremulous vocals. My favorite track is "Mama was an opium smoker", but her cover of "Bad Moon Rising" is also tremendous.
Chibi (The Birthday Massacre)
I had the pleasure of seeing Chibi and The Birthday Massacre last April in Chicago. Usually when you think of a Canadian female vocalist that wears a neck tie you cringe and think of Avril, but there's also Chibi. Chibi has a mellow trance like voice that blends well with the mellow trance like music that her band performs. I do have their CDs and enjoy them in small doses, but other than that their sound is almost the same in every track. It usually goes slow synth opening, ambiance, and then the guitars kick in. Something's just work though. I would be very curious to see what else they can do. I want to see what Chibi's vocals sound likes over something different. Either way, it's good shit.
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