Girls Girls Girls

I used to not like listening to music sung by girls. I'm not sure why, but for some reason I just did not like female-fronted bands or female singers of any variety for the most part. I used to be vaguely misogynistic despite my being a girl, so maybe that had something to do with it. Thankfully, I've grown up and out of that strange mindset and now I dig female singers as much as male singers. Yay for personal growth!

As I became less and less generalizing it seemed like female-fronted bands became more and more popular and mainstream. We grew out of our weird, awful hard rock/nouveau boy band pop punk phase and made some room for both girl singers and bands of these genres and others. Let's look at some of them, good and bad:



Paramore

This is one of, if not the single most popular mainstream girl-led band. Paramore started out back in '06-ish but hit it big with their album RIOT!, which is a pretty fun title, I must concede. People, girls and guys alike, really liked their take on the whole pop punk phenom that was starting to peter out by the time they hit it big. Lead singer Hayley seems to be the standard amongst girl-fronted rock bands these days; she's the frontwoman and really the face of the band, and groups with girls as the lead singer are generally compared to Paramore by default.

While I'm not a big fan by any means, the thing I like about these guys is while they're undeniably "emo"-tinged pop they're willing to be a bit more inventive with their sound than, say, Fall Out Boy. Check out their massively-popular single "The Only Exception" for a sense of what I mean. (By the way "That's What You Get" is not only my favorite by them, not that I know that many, but it's also one of my favorites to play in Rock Band 2. Just sayin'.)

Similar Artists: Hey Monday stands out as one that is particularly derivative. They're like Paramore-lite; they boast a girl singer, less notable than Hayley Williams with her naturally-colored hair, surrounded by a bunch of guys. The difference is that they're much less energetic; they may have a similar image but the similarities really end there. One friend compared them to Taylor Swift, which is probably not what they're going for but is, sadly for them, a pretty good comparison.

Also, Tegan and Sara have their punky energy and are even more talented -- and they're just two people! Also, I'm a twin so I'm biased. 



Best Coast

This is a niche that has recently become popular - 50s/60s-inspired surf and/or trippy pop. Best Coast stands out as one particularly notable example; they've achieved fame in the blogosphere and even had their music featured on the UK Skins, which I fangirled about a couple of posts ago. (It was Liv's episode if you want to check it out.) Much like Paramore lead singer/guitarist Bethany is such a strong central figure that you sometimes forget that this isn't a solo project. The songs have a really defined sense of character: Bethany is a bit pathetic in her misadventures in relationships. To cope she hangs out with her cat and does drugs. It's all good on the Best Coast -- okay, not literally, but all of their songs are upbeat and take you back to a simpler time. Check out songs like "Crazy For You" and "Each and Every Day" for a sense of both their poppy charm and sad sack lyricism.

Similar Artists: The Dum Dum Girls are another 60s-sounding band making huge waves in the underground these days. While Best Coast has a bit of a modern edge to them, these ladies sound like they were transplanted from the early 60s. It's pretty nifty, as the kids might have said back then. (What would I know about that though?)



Amy Winehouse

You may think that this woman is irrelevant these days. Since her 2007 album Back to Black, she's spiraled downwards, walking around barefoot until finally fading away into obscurity. So, yes, fine, I will see your "Amy is out of the limelight," but I will raise you a "Without Amy you wouldn't have Adele." And why is this important? Adele is the latest British import who has risen to the top of the charts with her soul-inspired pop, and I'd argue that we wouldn't have her without Amy Winehouse. She may have been the Charlie Sheen of her day (oh, haven't you heard? He's crazy. Maybe you didn't know, I mean, it's not like every single person in America and possibly the entirety of Europe, yes, the entirety of Europe, this includes Luxembourg, has been talking about him incessantly for going on four weeks now, no, it's not like that at all) but "Rehab" alone shows just how talented she is. She's a trendsetter, although thankfully not in the world of hair fashion.


Similar Artists: Adele aside, Duffy. Personally I don't believe either of these women are as talented as Amy Winehouse but I guess it's subjective. I don't think they're untalented, though, of course, although Duffy reminds me of Kristen Chenowith to a degree that I'm not comfortable with.




Warpaint

Okay, mostly I just love these ladies. They're young and yet they have this really mature sound, as if they've been working to perfect it for so long. Their name has been tossed around the indie scene for a year or two now, and last year they released an album of songs that mistily oozed into each other. They are shoegaze in the least-obnoxious way; they have a sense of humor, a youthful quality about them, and yet they still manage to enshroud everything they do in fog and make it work so perfectly. I wax poetic about them like crazy, and I mean that in a literal way, okay? Thank you.

These girls rock when it's necessary and then take you out of this world. It's really quite something.

Similar artists: Wye Oak is a definite contemporary. They recently released their album Civilian to great reviews, including an "A" from the wonderful AV Club. Their song "Take It In," from their previous album The Knot, reminds me a lot of Warpaint's most spellbinding songs, like "Set Your Arms Down;" it's almost cult-like in its repetitiveness (in Warpaint's song's case, the chanting; in this song's case, the drums) and it's just transcendent of all things. It pierces the inner machinations of your mind! Deep.

While these ladies stand out the most to me, they are hundreds of other examples to choose from. I had to force myself not to start ranting about how great First Aid Kit is, and I was even tempted to mention Miley Cyrus. Sometimes you have to know your boundaries.

Also I'm leaving out notable musicians and icons like Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and others, but hey, we always read about them, don't we? Once in awhile Warpaint needs a turn.

What are your favorite female-fronted bands/musicians?

P.S. Why do I always write so much about music? And by "so much" I mean the posts that I write about music always take me far longer than any other posts -- I wrote this over the course of two days, for example. (And my Beulah/Weezer "epic" took 6 hours.) Ever notice that? It's interesting.

P.P.S. The Dodos' No Color comes out today! Buy it! Expect a review sometime this week or next, whenever my copy gets here!

The Sunday Morning Couch Potato Blues

I spend most of my time sitting down on the sofa. Actually, sorry, did I say sitting? I really meant lying. I go from lying in bed to lying on the sofa. It's the good life.

Well, it would be if I didn't have exorbitant amounts of homework to do over the next week. (Heck yes, New York Public Schools getting the whole week off. Best state, confirmed.) So whilst I sob in a corner and procrastinate on my English reading(s), Latin translating, Economic journaling, Spanish studying, and Physics note-taking, here is a slew of songs to help you cope with your own Sunday weepies. (Eww. Weepies is a stupid word. And also a band.)



Create a playlist at MixPod.com

1. "Bratty B" by Best Coast: I love this song! It's so short, and it hits its stride right at the end, but regardless it still manages to be one of my favorites on the album. They played this song in last Thursday's episode of Skins (the British one, not that unholy American abomination), and I was so excited that I had to pause it and listen to the song a couple of times before I was able to continue watching the episode. Yeah, I'm a little obsessed.
2. "Pick Me Up" by the Format: My favorite Format song is "Oceans." I've listened to that song nearly 70 times. Love it. You would think that my love for that song would inspire me to listen to the band's other songs, then, right? Well, not really. I get very attached and then don't care to explore my other options. I had a handful of other songs by the band ("She Doesn't Get It," "Inches and Falling," "Wait, Wait, Wait," and "I'm Actual," which are all awesome) but that was it. Recently I acquired a couple of their other songs, and this one is my favorite. You're welcome for the needless back story, now enjoy the song.
3. "Miami" by Foals: Love this. "Would you/be there/be there/be there for me?/In Miami?" This song is such a killer singalong. I also love the synths, or what I assume are the synths. Really hard to tell these days. This song is so smooth, like some extremely charming guy who ensnares all of the girls at the club. Like Tony! (British version, of course.)
4. "Composure" by Warpaint: Warpaint is a really cool band. It's four girls making some intense, inventive music. They make sounds that I didn't even know you could make with just a guitar or bass. This song, like "Miami," is fun to sing along with, especially that beginning. Keep my! Keep my! Keep my! My what? And then it gets really fast and I can imagine people freaking out at a party while dancing to it. Or maybe it could be the music accompanying an extremely scary chase scene. Such a good song.
5. "Hard Believer" by First Aid Kit: You know, 3 out of these 5 songs have been by ladies. I used to hate music by women. Oh, how times have changed! These sisters are really young (well, older than me, but still) and already really talented and accomplished. I dig this song a ton. I keep singing, "Love is tough! Time is rough!" Their songs are like easy listening, because they just come in and out of your consciousness, listenable without taking over everything, and I really appreciate that. Even though they're not overpowering, this song and also "Ghost Town," which I love, always get stuck in my head. They stay with you, these girls.
6. "One Time (Live Acoustic)" by Justin Bieber: Hey, Biebs, haven't seen you in awhile. I guess you've been busy promoting that little movie of yours, and being surprisingly entertaining at the Grammys. That's cool, that's cool. This acoustic version of my FAVORITE Biebs song is pretty adorable. I like that he dedicates it to Cammy Elizabeth from Virginia, although Cammy Elizabeth is a really terrible name. What is this? A Scholastics book?
7. "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" by Fleet Foxes: This is a live version, but it's still really good. I think this song is just so pleasant; I always call it "Pleasant Song" in my head, although that's not exactly intentional. I just misread the title. But "Pleasant Song" works because this song is so unobtrusive and lovely and nice, I like it a lot. I think it's my favorite song by these guys. Apparently they have a new album coming out. That's nice. Even though a lot of people think they're derivative (or maybe that others are deriving from them), I don't mind because they're great.
8. "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" by Iron & Wine: I've been listening to this a lot lately. I like the imagery and the melody is so sweet and calm. This song was in Twilight, but let's ignore that fact, okay? Although after I saw the scene where they play this song I couldn't listen to it for awhile because I kept thinking about Robert Pattinson' disgusting face, not to even mention Kristen Stewart and her stale, non-existent acting. Ugh. That connection aside this song is wonderful. "Now I'm a fat house cat..."
9. "We Could Love" by Cavil at Rest: Cavil at Rest is what Local Natives was originally called. This song reminds me of a less rhythmic "Airplanes," but I mean that in a good way. Very mellow. All of these songs are mellow! Except the first few, but still. I love the opening line: "I could say that love was/created/with you in mind." Also the chorus: "Don't/you/tell me/that life/isn't/beautiful/when we're/all/loving/each other!" This sounds a lot like the summer to me, and specifically the summer in 1960s Atlantic City, or some other place with lots of cabarets. I don't know why. I think it's the light drumming. Also, I have an overactive imagination.
10. "Rose Garden" by Shad: And we end on a slightly more upbeat note. Shad is an awesome Canadian rapper. I'm not a huge rap fan but this song and "The Old Prince Still Lives at Home" are my jams. My favorite part of this song, though, is not the rapping, but the girl singing, "I didn't come here for a rose garden!" I love how it's sung at the end, it's just so nice. Shad's songs always put me in a good mood, so I appreciate him, especially after a slew of somewhat less uplifting songs.

So that's the deal. Enjoy the music.

On the Radio

I don't really listen to the radio very much. We just jam to WNYC in the car in the mornings, and really, that's all I need. I play this game with myself where I have 1 week to figure out which song from my iPod is being used as that week's interstitial music on the morning program. Past "winners" have included songs by Akron/Family and Grizzly Bear. Pretty cool.

WNYC isn't really about music, though, and I have no problems with that. Today, however, they played this song I really liked by some Iranian band called the Mast. The song is called "Wild Poppies."



You can download the song on wnyc.org by clicking on "Culture" and scrolling down some.

This song reminds me a lot of my lovely girls in Warpaint. Here's my current favorite, "Billie Holiday."