1980s & Alt Rock

My first time hearing about Sonic Youth is from the 2007 film Juno, when Juno and the adoptive father of her child listen to old CDs. They dispute the generational influences of rock and punk bands, of which Sonic Youth and member Kim Gordon are mentioned.

However, the only song by the band that was played in the film was a very quiet, mellow tune called 'Superstar," which only featured the voice of Thurston Moore. It was originally performed by The Carpenters who were active from the late 60s to early 80s.

It wasn't until I downloaded more of their collection that I realized the talent of singer Kim Gordon. Her voice is powerful, deep and unlike anything I have heard previously. Needless to say, I was hooked.

Another band that I was introduced to through a movie, Fight Club to be exact, was The Pixies. Although their two female members were not lead vocalists and are currently no longer with the band, they have made their mark on the punk scene regardless.

Kim Deal was with the band as backup vocalist, bassist and songwriter and has seen success with The Breeders since 1990. While latecomer Kim Shattuck's role in The Pixies was much more limited, she is far more important in The Muffs, which formed in 1991. Both groups still continue to perform.

(^This should make you dance! Or maybe that's just me...)

Additionally, Hole featuring Courtney Love, formed in 1989. As Kurt Cobain's female counterpart, her voice had equal power in giving my skin goosebumps based on the raw emotion she sings with.

[UPDATE: Made on 3/18/2014 at 7:45 p.m.]

1970s: New Wave and Early Punk

Two notable female musicians from this time period are Debbie Harry of Blondie and performer Patti Smith. Blondie's sound can be described as new wave pop and rock while Patti Smith can fall under the punk genre.

Debbie Harry, with her blonde hair and glam appearance, and Patti Smith as a female in punk, were unlikely contenders to break into such exclusive scenes. For that reason, their success is all the more significant.

Blondie was the first of its kind to use movie allusions, fashion statements and musical influences which included reggae, rap, synthesized sound and art noises in order to define their look and music (Metz, 2002, Chapter 6). Source

Patti Smith, although different in both appearance and sound than Debbie Harry and Blondie, both seemed to have similar goals with their careers: revolution.

In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, Patti Smith said of the release of her first album:

"When I was young, all I wanted was to write books and be an artist. I got sidetracked, almost as a mission, to give something to the canon of rock'n'roll in the manner in which people I admired had. In other words, forming a cultural voice through rock'n'roll that incorporated sex and art and poetry and performance and revolution." Source

These two women are only among many who gave their name to an all-male genre dominated by masculinity.

[UPDATE: Made on 3/18/14 at 12 p.m.]

1960s: The Girl Group

You may not know it, but The Ramones cite as two of their influences The Crystals and The Ronettes. Learning of this I was shocked because it is not often enough that I hear men include as part of their influences any women artists, largely keeping certain music genres male-centered.

Male-centered was a way to describe mainstream music up until this point.

The Crystals, The Ronettes, and the like, including but not limited to The Supremes, The Marvelettes, and The Shangri-Las, were a breath of fresh air musically and visually from the rock and roll which preceded the girl group era and was followed by the (white) British Invasion.

The girl group era largely featured almost exclusively women of color. This dynamic set the foundation for recent groups such as TLC and is evident in the fact that Beyoncé only tours with an entirely female cast of musicians and dancers called The Suga Mamas.

Here is "And Then He Kissed Me", the song played in the film Goodfellas of which initially introduced me to the group.

Chicago Punk: The Male Elite

I used to attend basement shows in Chicago where I would be completely surrounded by a sea of sweaty men but was never bothered by the fact that no women were in these bands, perhaps blinded by the sense of "community".

Eventually, after hearing too many lyrics where whiny men complain about their unreciprocated infatuations that bordered on creepy, I decided to move on from the male-centric scene and made it somewhat of a goal to only listen to female vocalists.

I was always thankful for Lemuria and the lead singer/guitarist, Sheena Ozzella. She showed me that women can carve out their place in a male dominated music genre such as punk and completely own it.

Here is the first song I have ever heard by them, which continues to be my favorite song by my favorite band to this day, seven years later.

Now here is a song about Sheena Ozzella by a band that has clearly been influenced by Lemuria that celebrates another woman's achievements rather than condemns or criticizes them.

Why female musicians?

I believe that female musicians need to be given a voice, more than what they may already have, because they have been far more influential to their respective time periods than what we may think.

However, not only are these female musicians of my choosing influential to their own respective generations, their influences can still be visible today.

I will concede that the artists I highlight are chosen from my own subjective point of view but hopefully you will find my insights interesting and empowering.



[UPDATE: Made on 2/20/2014 at 4:00pm]