There are three things you need to know about Melissa Auf Der Maur: she was the bass player for Hole and Smashing Pumpkins, she has just released a self-titled debut solo album, and she rocks. Hard.
Melissa rocks so hard, in fact, there are moments on Auf Der Maur when female-fronted cock rock doesn’t seem to be a contradiction in terms. We expected the dark, snarly muscley bass riffs, throbbing beats and guitars aplenty. But Auf der Maur’s fantastic vocal talent is a marvelous surprise. She has a voice that, when she chooses, can sound positively ethereal – but there’s also a dangerous, deep throaty growl.
When she worries, for instance, “oh my love, oh my love, I can’t hear you my love – tell me where have you gone?” there is palpable frenzy in her voice, which quickly resolves into the hook-laden rocker “Taste You” about – er – “consuming” passion. Come to think of it, Auf der Maur seems a positively focused on the gastronomical for a couple of tracks in the middle of the album – she opens the next track after “Taste You” by declaring herself “a taste test / at the beast fest.”
It’s hard to select good lyrics to mention, because the lyrics are consistently terrific – as is the album. While there are some real standout tracks, there’s not a single track on this album that should elicit the skip button.
But it’s no wonder that this is such a good record - Auf der Maur has been doing this for a while. She says that playing with Hole and Smashing Pumpkins was “like a Bachelor’s degree in rock followed by a Masters.” While “educational” is not the first word that springs to mind at the thought of spending five years working in close proximity to Courtney Love, there’s no doubt that Love, unquestionably one of the most important females in 90’s rock music, has informed Melissa Auf der Maur’s work.
Love, alas, does not appear on the record, but there are plenty of other familiar faces - in a lot of ways, the recording studio must have felt like a visit from the Ghost of Rock and Roll Past. The album contains collaborations with Eric Erlandson from Hole, James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle, and even two members of Auf der Maur’s first band, Tinker. Also present are members of Queens of the Stone Age and their precursors Kyuss (who Auf der Maur cites as one of her favorite bands). She says that, when recording the demo of the album’s first single, “Followed the Waves,” she was essentially playing with Kyuss as her backing band. Rounding out the who’s who of modern rock is former Queen of the Stone Age Chris Goss, who Auf der Maur says was more like a member of the band than a producer.
Article comments
1 - Lono
a hate to be a bother, but I have to make a correction. You mention that Darcy left the band after his drug problems got to be too much. Darcy was a her. Perhaps you were confusing her with Jimmy Chamerblain, who was kicked out the band for drug problems... but ultimately brought back.
and to add to your very first paragraph: there are four things you should know about Auf De Maur - the fourth being... she is really hot! I got to see her perform with a band a couple of times. I have nothing but nice things to say about her.
2 - Matthew
Eeep! Thanks for catching that. I've fixed it...
She is very hot, in an art-school chic way. Haven't had the chance to see her live yet - hopefully when she comes through LA this December. Who did you see her with?
M
3 - SFC Ski
While I have absoulutely no problem with hot bass-playing chicks, what I want to know is if the CD is worth my $$$. Thanks for answering the question. Pix I can Google up for free, but a good rockin' album is worht my time and money.
4 - Eric Olsen
thanks Matthew, very nice job - the more rocking bass-babes the better (see Smithereens' "Behind the Wall of Sleep")
5 - Jim Carruthers
What I know about Auf de Maur is her father Nick, and what he committed and contributed to the culture of downtown Montreal, and her growing up in that environment (along with Aislin cartoons about her). There was a great article in the nytimes this week, get it before it goes behind the pay-wall.
6 - Sean Hackbarth
Eric, you're Smithereens reference has made you cooler than ever in my eyes. ;-)
7 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Sean! That first Smithereens record is a classic
8 - amanda
i've been considering whether or not to pick up this album, and it sounds like it might be worth giving a listen. i'm curious, though: is female-fronted rock band normally supposed to be a contradiction in terms?
9 - Matthew
No, no, of course not. They're far too rare!!
I was saying that this sort of rock and roll - the harder stuff, with a good deal of lyrical focus on the singer's own sexual prowess (sometimes called "Cock Rock,") is something you don't often hear from a female rocker.
The contradiction part comes because the sub-genre is crudely named after a male sexual characteristic!!
Try and make a list of bands in this gen re and sort them by the gender of the lead singer. Now, I really like female fronted bands, (I went to all of the Lilith Fairs, damnit!) but the guys in this genre are both more plentiful and better known. I'm not saying that's right, by any means - quite the opposite - I'm saying it's nice to have one more female artist whose work stands up to the best of them in this male-dominated subgenre.
Thanks for the comment, and I would definitely recommend this record, if you're still on the fence about it!
M