Representing the Other X Chromosome; An Ode to Bands with Boobs, Spunk and Sometimes, Tap Shoes

Ever since women’s suffrage, there has been a steady influx of girls rocking musical instruments. The trend goes like this: chicks replace dicks in rock bands.

Yes, the times are changing.

Women are outnumbering men in higher education. Hillary Clinton is a strong contender in the Democratic race. Indie bands turn men more feminine than the women they play with.

I watched a live performance of Paramore online and mistook the guitarist as a woman. Just at first. It was the ridiculously long side-bangs and cleavage-cut shirt.

I am embarrassed to admit I watched Paramore, let alone that I mistook the guy for a girl, but it is a perfect example of the influence women are having on rock.

I mean, try picturing the Cure without eyeliner and smudged lipstick.

It is not just the clothes, makeup and accessories though.

The roots of women rockers lies in the plethora of girl-groups that existed during Motown’s reign. The women who sang classical blues in the 20s and 30s precede even this.

The biggest evolution in music is the mixture of male and female influences into one sound and the prevailing notion of “girls as always the singer” lessening over time.

Not that female singers are a bad thing; far from it. Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin prove that girls can belt a tune straight to the soul’s core. No Doubt, Jefferson Airplane, Evanesence and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are all bands with strong, female lead singers (although I would argue the musicality of Evanesence).

Besides singing, many instruments are being grabbed up by women. Even those that have been traditionally masculine in practice. The bass seems to be a popular choice now-a-days.

With her simple, driving bass lines and innocent singing, Kim Deal is amazingly apt as the Pixies bassist. Sharin Foo from the Raveonettes is yet another example of a famous rock bassist. There is also the Talking Heads bassist, Tina Weymouth, … the list goes on forever.

The reason many women turn to the bass guitar is not clear.

Below is an odd and less-than-convincing explanation for the prevalence of women bass players (found on answers.yahoo.com):

“isnt the neck usually thinner? i dont know anything about them or guitars, but i have held one (YEARS AGO) and thought i remembered that. i dunno tho, i’d rather play bass if i were playing, it just seems easier to me (based oh my guitar hero experiences lol).”

The thing to keep in mind is that women and men are integrating more in music then ever before.

The Ettes are a band that break the mold. All the components of the band are women except for the bass guitarist. Their garage rock sound is infectious. Plus, I am a sucker for girls who play drums and make it look good. Other bands with notable female drummers are The White Stripes and Deadboy and The Elephantmen. Like the Ettes, both have that classic garage sound.

Tilly and the Wall is a band with a tap dancer in lieu of a drummer. This is their gimmick and it works quite well. She is quite attractive and a constant amusement to watch during performances. Unfortunately, they do not take advantage of her and the great chemistry between the other band members when recording. Synthesizers and drum machines replace any authentic sound and deteriorate the chemistry witnessed in their live shows. Stomps and tap dancing do shine through, but it is not the same and only becomes repetitive. Logical gut instincts dictate it can never be the same as watching her tramp across the stage live. And with that knowledge, they become just another generic indie-band. A generic indie-band that I would pay to see any day if they came through Florida.

Obviously, my miniature pseudo-history of women’s rock is butchered at best. It passes over events as smoothly as Dick Cheney passes homeless vets on the sidewalk.

There are flaws. Entire genres of music are ignored and a number of female artists not mentioned. Mostly, I did not want this post to become cumbersome and long, listing every female rocker who contributed to music and then still missing some.

Although, I guess it turned into a list anyways.

So continuing the list format of this post, here are some other female musicians you should either look up, re-acquaint yourself with, or nod in satisfaction to.

Dixie Chicks — I liked them even better after they were shunned for being “unpatriotic”. Plus, “Goodbye Earl” is classic.

Salt and Peppa — I think I saw one of them on a reality show recently.

Missy Elliot — She is one of the hottest and most creative rappers alive. Her music slaps a grin on your face.

Patti Smith — I saw an interesting picture of her sweating in front of barrels of fire.

Cat Power — A minimalistic Bob Dylan meets Nico.

Corinne Bailey Rae– “Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song…”

Feist — I love the counting and the banjo in “1234″. It’s like Elmo and Big Bird wrote the song.

Kim Gordon — Yet another female bassist. She plays in the highly influential band, Sonic Youth.

Odetta — I have a feeling this woman could knock me on my back with her powerful lungs. I imagine myself leaning toward her in a whirlwind gale. Her guitar strumming is phenomenal.

M.I.A — I mentioned her before. I believe it was my first post on this blog.

The elements are there, controversy and an amazing voice — what else can you ask for in Amy Winehouse?

Her music is almost as addictive as the crack-cocaine she smokes.

Videos of her smoking crack… maybe marijuana…okay, probably crack, are spreading on the internet like wild fire.

I could clean up that last sentence, but if Amy Winehouse refuses to clean up, so do I.

Her sultry, addled voice — as if Frank Sinatra and Janis Joplin had a British child– combined with her bad girl persona and Motown-esque band, makes Winehouse the queen of English soul.

Currently, the buzz surrounding her has more to do with her personal life than music, but I believe that in the end, the music will shine strongest.

I was recently re-acquainted with Winehouse on a flight from Japan to my home in the States. Listening to “Back to Black” while sitting on a mind-numbing 12-hour flight was an ethereal experience.

Music like that, in that state of mind, cannot be fully explained. It is akin to pulling an all-nighter while skimming highschool yearbooks and listening to Lou Bega. It is unreal.

Her songs are powerful. They have just the right touch of 50s girl group combined with the spunk of the drug, infomercial and internet dependent 21st century.

I love every stage of Winehouse; back when she was plump, singing about her fuck me pumps, now, crack-skinny, slurring that she won’t go to rehab. I am like a true fan who loves both early and late Beatles. Even with the loss of her beehive hair, replaced with a mop-swatch, bleach-blonde dye job; her voice holds me in. It could soothe me to do any of her whims. She could scratch my face into oblivion, as she does to her boyfriend, and I would die of happiness to be an inspiration for one of her biting songs.

The New Statesman magazine called Winehouse “a filthy-mouthed, down-to-earth diva”.

“A perfect storm of sex kitten, raw talent and poor impulse control,” said People Magazine.

Those excerpts are Amy Winehouse in a nutshell.

Her shenanigans are priceless. In 2006 she heckled U2 singer, Bono, during an awards show speech he gave. Any girl who ridicules Bono wins a place in my heart. Remember that ladies.

She can do no wrong except to leave this world. That is the only reason I wish she would slow down on the drugs. But then she wouldn’t be Amy Winehouse, would she?