I’ll happily admit that feminism can be taken too
far; but lately I’ve been noticing a significant lack of
estrogen in music — more specifically, in rock.
After temporarily losing the signal from my usual
Charlottesville-based public radio station — an
amazing ad-less indie and modern rock haven that
plays new and unusual stuff months before the
mainstream stations claim it as “new rock” — I
found myself listening to one of the aforementioned
mainstream rock stations.
After driving in my car for a while, I noticed
a distinct lack of female singers. So I decided to
investigate.
From that day’s 30-song playlist on y101,
Richmond’s non-Clear Channel rock station, only
two were from bands with female singers: Flyleaf
and Paramore. Personally, I find these two singers’
voices a little whiny for my tastes, but at least they’re
representing their sex in the testosterone-fueled
world of rock.
Is it that women aren’t as adept as men at
rocking out? Is it that women’s voices tend to
lend themselves to a more folky, poppy or soulful,
rhythm-and-blues sound? Maybe women just don’t
like to rock as much as men do.
I was never able to really get into the whole Lilith
Fair sound; it’s too jangly and sappy for my tastes.
Joni Mitchell satisfi es my need for lady-folk.
As I scrolled through my own music collection
on iTunes, looking for which female-led bands or
artists it classifi ed as “rock,” I found Brandi Carlile,
Cowboy Junkies, Damone, The Donnas, Garbage, PJ
Harvey, Poe, Skunk Anansie and Tori Amos – and
as much as I like Ms. Amos, I’m not so sure how
rockin’ she is. Of these, only three have had new
albums in the past three years or so.
Aside from the occasional old Garbage single or
new Brandi Carlile on indie radio, you can forget
about hearing these artists on rock stations with
any regularity.
Even my own list of women rockers is small
when I compare it with the list of male-fronted
rock bands and artists in my collection. Maybe I
don’t support the ladies as much as I should, or
maybe they’re just not the same caliber as their
male counterparts.
Where is the new Joan Jett, Janis Joplin or Patti
Smith? I’d even settle for a new Alanis Morissette.
I think as close as we’re going to get might be PJ
Harvey, who hasn’t had an album out since 2000
— but what an amazing one it was. Thankfully her
latest effort will be out Sept. 25.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs had a couple of good singles
last year, but I find that the rest of the songs on their
albums are repetitive and even verge on annoying.
So come on ladies – represent! Don’t let the men
win this one; make me an album I can sink my
teeth into and want to tell my friends about.
Speaking of telling your friends, if anyone out
there has some great recent female rock I have
overlooked, please notify me of my mistake. I’d
love to be introduced to some new talent, and I’ll
readily admit I can’t mention, nor do I know of,
every great lady rocker.
Just don’t talk to me about Evanescence.