As a fifteen-year-old girl growing up in the US, it's hard to find good female role models within music. We are often bombarded with images of what women should look like and how they should dress, and are told that they are merely objects for men. Female background dancers in music videos wear skimpy clothing and fight over the male(s) in the video, and many, though of course not all, female artists' songs involve how "broken up" she is after a breakup or how in love she is with this new guy.
However, in the past year and a half, I have discovered a new genre of music, one that portrays women as strong and capable human beings-- Female-fronted rock and metal.
This a blanket term, really, because women front many different bands within the subgenres of rock/metal-- from the pop-rock band Evanescence (although, admittedly, they are guilty of the love/relationships songs) to the death metal band Arch Enemy. The topics in the lyrics are intelligent and well-thought out, ranging from fantasy, to religion and society, to the environment, and many more.
The four most popular bands (in the US) of this sort are Evanescence, Lacuna Coil, Nightwish, and Within Temptation. With the exception of Nightwish, as the keyboardist is the central songwriter, the women in these bands have a main place behind the music.
One music video that comes to mind that is intelligent and sends a meaningful meassage is Epica's "Never Enough". The topic is domestic violence. I think it's great that they are trying to bring awareness to this. In Within Temptation's "Frozen" video, this topic is also addressed.
I think, though, that a woman leading a heavier band, which is usually thought of as exclusively for men, is empowering. I know I look up to these women, not only because I want to be a musician, but because they are intelligent and a nice break from the mainstream. They are more than just pretty faces-- They are respected for their voices, their instrument.
Any thoughts about this?
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I love me some badass rock women! They show that women don't have to be the backup or the decoration, and can rock as hard as anyone. My personal favorites are Vagiant (very bawdy) and Garbage (Shirley Manson is SO hardcore!), and I also like The Gits, Veruca Salt, Flyleaf, Walls of Jericho, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts... luckily, the list goes on!
Fireflight and Paramore are among my favorites.
kbz
Jack off Jill! It's an all female band, & I know the frontwoman has moved on to a different band, Scarling., but I don't know how good they are. There's also Kittie, which is is an all female band as well, and I'm pretty sure they are one of the only female rock bands to perform at Ozzfest (aside from Otep). Also, check out Le Tigre & Bikini Kill!
Certainly female bands do not get the mainstream atention male bands have historically recieved. However, if one is willing to seek out independent bands, one can find some talented female musicians.
I would recommend the book Cinderella's Big Score, by Maria Raha, as a starting point, as well as Angry Women in Rock by Andrea Juno (hard to find, but worth seeking out).
My favorite band, though, is My Ruin; once 3/4 female, but the singer is the only female member left.
Oh, yes. J'adore. My reasons had...less to do with overt feminism and more to do with the fact that, as a vocalist, I like to sing along to the music I listen to, and it's damn hard to do that when you're a soprano and you listen to most rock/metal. I bitched about it to a friend, who introduced me to Nightwish, and it was all on from there.
Although now that I think about it, isn't that a feminist longing, to want to see someone in a high position who you can identify with as opposed to yet another white male?
Anyway. Nightwish *was* my favorite, but then Tarja split and honestly, I really dislike Annette's voice. It's good for a certain genre, but not Nightwish. So I'm a huge WT fan (even got to go see them last fall in San Franciso!).
Other favorites include: Echoes of Eternity, Epica, Fireflight, Krypteria, Lacuna Coil, Leaves' Eyes, Theatre of Tragedy, Tristania, and Xandria. Just in case you wanted further suggestions.
Siobhan: I love JOJ. I have Clear Hearts Grey Flowers, which is an absolute masterpiece.
Jadelyn: I know all those bands you mentioned, with the exception of Fireflight. Tristania is my ultimate favorite, but I don't really like Mariangela's voice. Vibeke was perfect for their sound. I actually like Anette, but Tarja was really good too. Theatre of Tragedy's older works are really growing on me, and "Storm" is as well, but I don't like what I've heard of the "Musique" era.
I'm not going to lie...my music elitist side doesn't like the fact that Evanescence is being portrayed as anything other than total crooning crap. Female fronted bands will always have a place in my heart. www.xsisterhoodx.com is a good female centered hardcore website. I prefer girls that could scream the pants off Amy Lee.
Gather.
Fuck The Facts.
Kingdom.
Siderant: Is anyone else tired of seeing bands with girls in them..but the girls have really useless positions in the band like a keyboardist? Admittedly keyboards have a place in a lot of music but if you can't even HEAR it most of the time, whats the point? That always screams "We want to attract young men with a token pretty girl!" to me.
Arch Enemy is A+ though. L7 is always worth noting too.
I have noticed that. Bleeding Through comes to mind. Where have I ever heard a keyboard in one of their songs? Poor Marta.
(I don't think the last one posted)
I prefer girls that could scream the pants off Amy Lee. I'll try to put aside my hatred for the fact that bands like that are seriously considered ~heavy and mysterious~.
Kickass hardcore bands fronted by awesome ladies:
Gather.
Kingdom (Davin is the love of my life)
Fuck The Facts.
Awesome resource: xsisterhoodx.com
I'm so tired of seeing random girls thrown in a band playing an instrument(-coughkeyboardcough-) with little purpose*, who contributes nothing to the band in the end other than a pretty face to attract guys.
*Keyboards certainly have a place in music but if you can't even hear it whats the point?
I think L7 is worth mentioning.
cheers for the recommendations - I'll have to check them out.
Anteup- A lot of people hate Evanescence, yeah. But I felt, they sold over 14 million CDs, and while popularity doesn't necessarily equal quality, they sould be included.
And female keyboardists just thrown into bands? I've never heard of it, but then again, I listen to almost exclusively female-fronted metal, with the exceptions of Kamelot and Emilie Autumn. The only band I've ever heard of that even has a female keyboardist is Bleeding Through.
khw- Yes, go listen to them! They're very good. :D
Though it certainly is more empowering than a lot of metal and hardcore that's out there today, there does seem to be a certain willingness with a lot of these bands to try and sell on their female members. One of my favorite bands, Bleeding Through, would be a lot nicer were their keyboardist not so willing to get into a bikini for Decibel's annual "hottest girls in metal" feature. Others are more subtle, like In This Moment who have their dress-wearing female vocalist placed about six feet in front of the other band members on just about every promo photo ever.
I much prefer, like anteup said, bands like Kingdom, Undying, Gather, Walls of Jericho and so on, whose female members aren't necessarily something to be gawked at.
While I'm not a metal fan (more indie/alt/riot grrrl/punk tbh), I am a big big BIG supporter of women in music, we are just so overlooked and a lot of the arguments 'a room of one's own' apply.
there is sooo much good stuff out there but it get s so overlooked it makes me a bit angry.
ooooooh a topic close to my heart!!! I have an exhibit up right now of portraits of rock women actually. here are some GREAT bands with women in em:
-nausea
-MANKIND?
-the aforementioned fuck the facts
-bikini kill of course
-devotchkas (punk rock)
-the broads (ditto)
-rebel spell
-CRASS!!! founders of diy anarchopunk basically. with a couple female vocalists/writers/artists involved.
-DIRT
-L7
yesssss!
It's so odd because these days it seems that punk/hardcore/metal are all really mancentric, when at least for punk and hardcore, a lot of women and queers were actually really instrumental in the beginnings of these genres... kind of fucked how even though we were so integral in the beginning our histories still get erased...
ALSO i have to mention, although it is an all male band, I still think they are relevant: LIMP WRIST. these guys are a queercore band, meaning that several members are openly gay and a lot of their music is about being queer, and the queer experience within the hardcore scene. Plus the lead singer wears booty shorts and fishnets and shit sometimes when he performs which is totally amazing!
hopefully my suggestions are decent to you, i definitely have an, um, rugged? taste in music? Louder faster screamier = better to me...
You should check out Amanda Palmer! She is the singer from the duo band The Dresden Dolls, and also has a solo act now. She's an amazing woman and has been an idol to me since around the age of 15. I only wish we had more women like her for girls to look up to than we have the pussycat types :/
I wanted to give you a couple links if you want to check her out:
http://blog.amandapalmer.net/
http://www.dresdendolls.com/main1.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO5APfKnR50