I used to DJ a Heavy Metal night at a bar called Schwarzer Hahn in Munich on any Thursday night I was in town. Now at the time I was more of a dead head than a metal mead but kind of slipped in to that position because of a change of ownership at the bar and the subsequent firing of the current dj whose taste was a little too extreme for the new proprietor. There was a group of metal heads who would meet at the bar every Thursday so I had to stay on top of what was considered real metal while toning it down a little for the expanding scene the staff and owner were working hard to develop at the time. I wound up doing quite a bit of research and developed a taste for extreme metal through which I learned how to mix death and black metal with more moderate sub-genres as to satisfy the taste of the regulars while not driving away the more commercially oriented new guests / and especially women who had virtually disappeared from the clientele during the prior ownership.
Now djing hard rock and heavy metal can be somewhat of a sausage party due to both genres being heavily male oriented. I kind of got tired of basically only listening to dudes yelling, singing and screaming / and started researching women in rock and metal to try and mix things up a little. Pretty soon I found more and more ladies who know how to rock out, be it in more traditional rock, alternative, blues, country, hard, heavy, and extreme metal settings. Now to really offer a variety I would have to stretch the definition of hard rock and metal to include such things as heavy blues and alternative rock / but you know what? / nobody ever seemed to complain or mind. Over time I found even more female artists in all types of genres which truly has enriched my collection.
A lot of folks will say that when it comes to Rock’n’Roll everything has already been done, played and written / that there are no good or original new bands anymore / and that modern Rock is basically dead, boring and obsolete. I will admit that at times I have felt the same way and have been frustrated with the current scene. Over time that seems to change and new things suddenly appear, and often they are bands or artists that have been around for a while. I had just never been made aware of them. And when it comes to women in Rock there is a lot that has not been done yet, even if they are playing songs covered many times before. Just the female perspective and interpretation can give an overplayed song a complete new meaning if done right. And themes and clichés, which male musicians couldn’t get away with to save their lives anymore / because having been done one too many times in the past / suddenly feel invigorating and risky because of the gender change of view. I have been introduced to rockified versions of pop songs by female artists which otherwise I wouldn’t be caught dead listening to.
Playlist Links
Playlist Women Who Rock Wednesday! Crankin’ It Up! youtube
Playlist Women Who Rock Wednesday! Crankin’ It Up! spotify
Cassie Taylor – That’s My Man
I wanted to share these new and older artists with you, some, who at the time were absolutely fresh / and have since moved on to make quite a name for themselves / while others seem to have a small but loyal following / and in my opinion deserve a lot more recognition. I originally heard of Cassie Taylor from a collaboration of young blues ladies / including herself on bass / with Samantha Fish and Danni Wild on guitar. They released the album Girls with Guitars with a follow up tour of Europe. She is the daughter of blues great Otis Taylor and started off as his bass player at the young age of 16. That’s My Man is an energetic and fun blues rocker from her Out Of My Mind album from 2013. The groove and lead guitar have a definite Stevie Ray Vaughan vibe and feel without sounding copied. The drums, guitar and bass lay out the carpet for her bluesy melodic voice / singing about the qualities of her man and those that are disqualifying, with screaming Stevie-esque leads interspersed. An ultimately danceable rockin’ tune, funky and rhythmic and absolutely not shy.
Samantha Fish – Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker from Samantha Fish slides straight in to a heavy blues rock riff, pounding drums and in your face vocals. This young lady from my home town of Kansas City is an absolute powerhouse. Her dirty slide guitar work can keep it up with the best of them, and her attitude doesn’t leave any room for doubt. This Heartbreaker only messes with her once and then it’s bye bye. She has a powerful but clean voice / hitting the notes she wants perfectly while staying rough in her bluesy singing. This is the energy of Big Mama Thornton and Sister Rosetta Tharpe bundled up in a midwestern rock’n’roll tornado.
Dead Sara – Weatherman
Dead Sara blends grunge, alternative and Punk on The Weatherman. You can almost see the ghost of Kurt Cobain jumping and dancing about like a rabbid dog / with his blond hair thrashing wildly / while trying to ram his guitar in to the stage. They pick up where Nirvana left off, dirty, frustrated and angry / shoving their angst right back in societies face. Raw energy at it’s finest, it’s hard to imagine their instruments survived the onslaught they unleash. Siouxsie Medley’s catchy riff and the swirling drums lead up to Emily Armstrong‘s blood curdling yell, and off we go on a tour de force of heavy pounding rock, ready to go for the kill / or where ever else the weatherman wants to lead us. Emily sings with a ferociousness rarely heard before, conjuring up the energy of Janis Joplin and Ann Wilson at their fiercest with the raw dirty edge of Iggy Pop.
A Sound of Thunder – Murderous Horde
Murderous Horde is a powerful metal saga of death and destruction of mankind at the hands of some undescribeable monstrosity. The lyrics are definitely over the top but Nina Osegueda‘s vocals somehow deliver them convincingly enough to overlook it’s flight of fancy. A Sound of Thunder has their true metal sound down pat, keeping an urgency and drive up with their metallic riffs and heavy beats / increasing and letting up on the tempo / while creating a suspense to the story of claws and jaws tearing at human flesh. Nina’s vocals are precise and clean while maintaining a powerful and aggressive trajectory / similar to Doro Pesch at her most epic. Ronnie James Dio was the definite pioneer of this heavy metal vocal style and he would be most proud at her prowess.
The Pretty Reckless – Going to Hell
If The Pretty Reckless had existed in the early 80ies they would have been superstars of the metal and hard rock scene / and Going to Hell would have been their anthem. Now I had never heard of the teen soap that Taylor Momsen had starred in prior to starting The Pretty Reckless / but I am really happy she decided to leave that world behind and become the rock goddess that she is now. This song absolutely kicks ass and perfectly meshes in with all the heavy classics of times gone past / while sounding refreshingly new and original. Has this formula existed before? maybe / but it has never been done this way / and The Pretty Reckless throw it at you with a conviction and integrity that you dare not question. This is a band with a powerful front woman, not a solo act with her side kicks, and the band as whole take their rock’n’roll very serious. Taylor‘s voice is good enough to keep up with all the yodel r’n’b divas out there / but she keeps it dirty and raw without ever sounding unconvincing. The guitar, drums and bass underscore her vocal style and pulls out to shine when she pulls back / keeping their drive and energy up throughout. This is hard rock at it’s finest, with kicking riffs, heavy drums, thundering bass and raw sexy vocals.
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – Sweet Hands
When it comes to women in rock in the here and now / Grace Potter definitely leads the way in my opinion. She’s got it all, blues, rhythm, soul, country and the spirit of rock’n’roll all combined in one. She can do any genre, even cheesy Disney pop / and I won’t hold that against her. Sweet Hands is a fun energetic rocker with a catchy riff and sexy lyrics about Grace demanding her fair share of TLC from her man in a similar vein as Even It Up from Heart did so many years before. She definitely isn’t afraid of her sex and likes to play with it in her songs and on stage / as you would know if you had ever been so lucky to have seen her live. If you haven’t then add that to your bucket list. Grace Potter rocks the house. Nuff said. This song is a quick rockin’ whirlwind of female emotions / and an absolute joy to be a part of. Dig it.
Hope y’all enjoy this little selection. Please throw some of your favorite female artists my way and don’t forget to keep on rockin’! Cheers!
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