Lado B has been working for some years now on a theory. The greatest rock band of all time is yet to come because, when it comes, it will be recognized by the fact that its members are female.
Ludicrous as this may sound, there are many bands featuring women that support my theory. From Nico (of Velvet Underground fame) to Karen O (from that other NY great the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs) there have been a sizable number of rockin' ladies that have had a tremendous impact on the music scene.
When the punk movement finally broke into the public conscience two incredibly different women spearheaded this. One of them was Patti Smith, the great poet/punk singer that already has assured a place among rock's greatest. The other (and this really blows my mind) is fellow CBGB's performer Deborah Harry, better known as the frontwoman of Blondie.
Blondie has been labeled as New Wave, setting them aside from the punk bands with harsher attitude like The Ramones or Richard Hell. A closer study of them would reveal that, although their music was hip and trendy, they had a knack for turning up a good punk song.
As I was scanning Pandora I came across a band that finally vindicates Blondie's claim to punk fatherhood (or is it motherhood?). This band is called The Sounds and is fronted by (who else?) a blond girl. Maja Ivarsson sings with the kind of pent-up anger that makes rock such a great outlet for callow youth. The music is dead on the mark, mixing digestible pop tunes with a good punk framework (also, the fact of having a Swedish babe prancing up and down the stage braless gives them some extra points). If somebody hadn't told me that they have been on the Warped Tour for at least two years, I would have guessed it was Roxette on speed. That is, a high energy pop band.
You will notice right away, even though it is certainly a "happy" punk song, it does have the kind of night club quality that makes it an excellent party mix addition. I believe it will stand out of the Warp Tour cast and will probably reach commercial success by next year. So far their biggest score apparently is being featured in the soundtrack of EA's FIFA 2005 videogame with the song "Seven Days a Week". Well, you have to start someplace, don't you think?
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