BY MIKEY MIGO
Okay so we know Janis, Debbie, Gwen, and the rest, but what about the new breed of female rock vocalists?
Here's a few of the more prominent female vocalists of the past decade or so. I KNOW I missed some of them, but these are the ones who I felt interested in covering today. I'm also sure there are plenty of great female vocalists out there that I've just not had the pleasure of hearing.
Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls)
Amanda is probably the most known and respected on this list right now. The Dresden Dolls are two of the nicest people I've met. Amanda takes care of the keys and vocals while Brian handles the drums (my favorite drummer out there) and other instruments when needed. Amanda's song writing and passionate performance makes her my favorite modern female vocalist. She's kind hearted, but you can hear in her voice that she will take not shit from anyone. I ranted and raved about how great she and Brian were for years before the general music "expert" world caught up. I'm not bragging or saying I'm "elite" for being in the know sooner than most, but it's more so that I'm happy they're getting their due respect. If you like The Dresden Dolls and don't own at least mp3s of "A is for Accident" then you've missed the boat.
Karen O (The Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
Karen gives Amanda a run for her money. I came late to the Yeah Yeah Yeah's party, but got on board after the release of their debut album. "Maps" drew me in, but it was great tracks like "Tick", "Date With The Night" and "Pin" that kept this CD in my player for months. Then came "Show Your Bones" and to me, it upstaged their very good debut release. I think what does it, besides the great musical arrangements, is Karen's sultry and introspective vocal stylings. I always felt that while she pours her soul out while performing that her mind is still elsewhere when presenting the words. Maybe it's that depth that makes me a fan. Either way, I'm looking forward to their 2009 release.
Peaches
Peaches are a vulgar and perverse woman. I don't say that in a bad way. Those just so happen to be her selling points. I caught her on tour with Nine Inch Nails a few years back and my mind was blown. On the façade of what many people would think, the substance is still more than the style. That's hard to believe for some people. Peaches performs normally in raunchy clothing and uses her sexuality to intimidate the audience and make those who are a little too "normal" for their own good uncomfortable. Her attitude and presentation is more "punk" than most of the "punk bands" I've seen.
Morgan Lander (Kittie)
I found out about Kittie when I was still in high school. I think it was a demo CD, but I don't know for sure. The point is that they've been around awhile. The entire band is made up of female rockers and Morgan growled with the best of them. It was an easy band to enjoy at the time. I never got to read the lyric sheet for "Brackish", but it's really hard to try to lip sync to. I don't know what the deal is, but they've never really recaptured the fame of the early part of the decade. When researching I saw they Lander and her sister have gone through NINE different guitarists and bassists. Are the Lander sisters that hard to get along with or have they just had some bad luck? I remember these ladies breaking out around the same time as bands like Slipknot. I always thought they'd break out again, but as of now they're sadly a glorified one hit wonder.
Lacey Mosley (Flyleaf)
Flyleaf got fairly popular over the past few years. I don't get it. Musically, it's nothing special but maybe I'm just getting old. It's not bad music. I'm not going to hate on someone for liking it, but it's just not my cup of tea. One aspect about the band that isn't talked about much until you actually go to one of their shows is that it's a Christian band. That's cool and all. I'm sure there are PLENTY of bands out there with Christian members. What bothers me is they pray and do other "praise God" type of things on stage. There are festivals and cheap compilation CDs advertised at like three in the morning on TBS for that. I don't care what a band believes if they make good music. Flyleaf makes this an issue. "Metal" is Satan's music. I'm not even a believer of him, but I rather head band to a guy with bad ass horns and red skin. I'll save the mythical guy in the clouds for picnics, family, and the casino. Just leave the metal alone. They're called "devil horns" for a reason. Even if you don't agree with the belief, PLAY A LONG.
Chibi (The Birthday Massacre)
There is apparently a lab hidden in Canada that makes young gloomy female rockers. I saw The Birthday Massacre a few years ago at a small venue in Chicago. When they first came on they looked like an emo band in vein of a My Chemical Romance. Meaning they looked emo, but it was covered with a thin veil of "spooky". Musically, it was a trance like new-wave sound. My problem with this show and pretty much everything I've heard from this band is that it all sounds the same. The same sounding synth intro'd every song and they really didn't have much range at all. Chibi and the guys could easily break out if they broadened their horizons and tried a different song structure. They're all talented and I fear it'll be wasted on a niche' crowd. Vocally, Chibi saved the show. Instead of going to the lobby after two songs, I think I went for a smoke after four.
Hayley Williams (Paramore)
She just turned 20 years old this past December and is already being compared to Gwen Stephani. With her emo-power-pop band, Paramore, Williams is easily one of the most prominent of the new bred of female rockers. While you could want to compare her to Avril, it doesn't seem really fair. Williams has a lot more range and seems a lot more genuine in her craft. I'm not even a fan of this style of music or really this band at all to be honest, but I gotta show respect where it's due. She does sing in an emo band, but without the "whoa is me, where is my razorblade?" aura. Isn't "Happy Emo" an oxymoron?
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