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.