The original post to Women Who Rock! Crankin It Up! never had an actual playlist. With the first article only describing 6 songs, I decided to add a few other rockin’ tunes to complement the listening experience. The concept of Crankin It Up! can’t be nailed down to any specific genre, just ladies getting loud and being proud. I decided to keep the decibels up and stay true to the diverse styles, with one lone exception. Had to kind of throw you a curveball with the final song, but hey, that is what a bookend is there for. To have a little fun.
I have never been one to stay lost in the past yet the present would be nothing without it. With that in mind the playlist includes artists and bands spanning 5 decades incorporating the ‘70ies sound of Heart shouting their hard rocking sound out to the The Pretty Reckless – the ‘90s indy and hard rock sounds of PJ Harvey and Skunk Anansie – the new wave of female blues rock ‘n’ soul of the 2000s and 2010s represented by Grace Potter, Samantha Fish, Cassie Taylor, and Larkin Poe – the ‘70s punk grande dame Patti Smith re-inventing herself for the new millenium while passing the torch on to Dead Sara – and finally the Metal Queen Doro who first rose from the industrial wastelands of the Ruhr and Rheinland in the early 80s to inspire the powerful frontwomen of A Sound Of Thunder and Kobra & the Lotus.
In this article I have posted either the corresponding video or live performance of the song. Hope you enjoy and don’t forget to check out my social media. Keep on rockin’! Cheers
Playlist links
Playlist Women Who Rock Wednesday! Crankin’ It Up! youtube
Playlist Women Who Rock Wednesday! Crankin’ It Up! spotify
Patti Smith – Jubilee
Things get kicking with Jubilee from Patti Smith off her brilliant Trampin’ album. I know I have a track from this release on my last playlist but just could not resist. Jubilee really sets the mood for what is to come and leaves no room for melancholy. These ladies know how to rock and ain’t shy about proving it. Patti Smith kicked her 2004 Bonnaroo set off with Jubilee following the title track from Trampin’. The whole feeling of the show had something of a tent revival. The intro riff is pure rock, the beat and bass set in with our lady shaman calling us to gather round and discard our Sunday shoes. This day is for celebrating and not for being timid. Yet the song is also a warning of threats to come, a call to caution but also to bravery. Hawks are circling to squeeze our sacred realms but our shaman commands us to stay true to our dreams and let freedom ring. A powerful rallying cry to community, resistance and resilience that sounds as true today as it would have 200 years ago.
Larkin Poe – Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues
Rebecca and Megan Lovell have been making a name for themselves worldwide as the roots rock and blues combo Larkin Poe. The video to Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues from their Venom & Faith release already has close to 2 million views, which is quite a feat for any blues rocker out there. They are a fairly new discovery to me but the more I listen to them, the more they impress. Larkin Poe really knows how to mix the old with the new and never sound retro. Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues hits you with good ol’ time foot stomping blues, smokin’ hot slide guitar, fun playful lyrics and modern day brazen attitude. Y’all ain’t got nuthin’ on that!
Heart – Kick It Out
You can’t make a crankin’ collection of rockin’ ladies without adding the original queens of classic rock, Heart. These ladies still lead the way when it comes to in your face, take no prisoners feminine hard rock. They were never shy and never saw a need to apologize or hide behind anyone, celebrating womanhood in all its power and glory. And that is exactly what kick it out is all about, “kick out your motor and drive, While you’re still alive, kick it out!”
Skunk Anansie – Twisted (Everyday Hurts)
Skin from Skunk Anansie has always celebrated her fragility and pain with a good dose of anger and aggression, turning what might be perceived by others as a weakness into pure strength and defiance . This is no different with Twisted (Everyday Hurts), a hard rocker that hurls the pain from a love gone bad directly at the audience to inhale it in, ravage about their soul and mind only to thrust it right back out to the universe in some mosh pit or circle, head banging with arms and legs thrashing wildly about. Everyday might hurt a little more, but we’ll be strong.
PJ Harvey – Dress
Polly Jean Harvey defies any categorization, and blends her persona into her music as one continuous morphing art piece. One can never be sure if she is singing the song, or the song singing her. One could consider her the only true heiress to Patti Smith if Patti Smith wasn’t still kicking it like the best of them. Therefore PJ Harvey remains a force all her own. My discovering her music happened purely by chance. Djing one of my hard rock nights in Munich a guest asked if I had any of PJ Harvey on my drive. Can’t remember why, but I had downloaded PJ’s Dry album without ever having listened to her. Had no clue what to play and was about to blow the guy off when he requested Dress, swearing it would fit perfectly into the mix. Glad I let him talk me into it. This tune kicks ass and instantly turned me into a PJ Harvey fan. I have always been open to requests and have discovered quite a few cool tracks this way. A wild rocking indy punk tune about a lady in a cursed dress.
Doro – Love Me Forever
The originator of female empowerment in Heavy Metal comes in the shape of Doro Pesch, the true Queen of Metal. A pioneering force for female metal vocalists worldwide, the lady is as tireless as can be, releasing over 17 albums in her career and showing no signs of slowing down. Doro’s voice seems indestructible, managing to retain a toughness in its virtuosity and beauty in its rawness. This lady has been around as long as I have been listening to metal yet remains a dynamic force of nature. Love Me Forever is a perfect vehicle for her powerful yet emotional voice, belting out her best Lemmy and relegating the master himself to background vocals.
Many artists save the final track for something experimental or strange, so figured if they can, why not I? Not to say that I am any kind of artist, yet I have learned to treasure quite a few closing songs, i.e. Tori Amos’ Yes, Anastasia, Dire Straights‘ Telegraph Road, the Stones’ Moonlight Mile, or Bob Dylan’s Highlands, a 16 minute track which ran in a warehouse I was working in once for close to 40 minutes. Nobody noticed the skip at the end of the CD that would send it right back to the beginning of the song and keep it playing in an endless loop. I left to run errands just as Highlands was beginning, and I’ll be damned, it was still running when I returned. Crazy thing, nobody I was working with was even remotely a Dylan fan.
The Cardigans – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Hope y’all enjoyed! Let me know what you think! If you know of any great female artists, no matter what genre, please comment below. Would Love to hear from you. Please check out my social media and don’t forget to keep on rockin’! Cheers!