You know what the world needs now? It isn't love. Or alternatives to oil. Or freakin' peace for that matter.
The world needs Courtney Love.
And by Courtney Love, I mean the early Courtney Love, she of the baby doll dresses, smeared lipstick and eardrum-splitting melodies, not the later, Versace-whore Courtney Love or even the current circus-freak/negligent mother/artistically spent Courtney Love (although America's Sweetheart was sadly overlooked). Because, while we may not need that specific woman per se back in the spotlight, we sure as shit could use some new boozing, brawling rock stars. And ladies, I'm looking in your direction.
I mean, where the hell did all the female rock stars go?
Where's a chick that will scream into the mic, swig a bottle of beer, yell at the crowd, throw her cigarette at the crowd, maybe even pee on the crowd? Where's a bruised, bawdy banshee that beats the crap out of you while she fucks you senseless after the show and then steals your wallet, goes to your apartment and fucks your girlfriend? Where's a hotel-trashing, cop-slapping terror who crashes her car into a tree because she had three square meals of quaaludes?
Not that there's a lot of male rockers living up to the title of "rock star" right now, either (oh, Axl, if you only you hadn't become a pot-bellied, braided, litigious bore). And Love would chew up these whiny Fall Out With Cutie Chemical Death Cab Romance bands, spit them out and then snort them if she wasn't passed out somewhere in a gutter right now.
I'm sorry, but the ladies just aren't cutting it. Sheryl Crow has settled for adult contemporary "meaning" and "depth," Nikka Costa's record company misplaced her somewhere after she started appearing at gigs as a frizzy-haired couch, and Avril Lavigne has become so blond and bland she makes Ashlee Simpson look like Wendy O. Williams.
You know who's rocking out? Kelly Clarkson. That's who we have now. Are you happy, Shirley Manson? You disappear for a while, come back with an under-promoted, underwhelming Garbage record and leave us with Miss American Idol ruling the teen girl mosh pit.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - JerryWojo
There are any female rockers. But you need to look outside the "mainstream". Waiting for Hollywood to manufacture a female "rebel" rocker for you may take some time.
For now google around. Puruse web sites,listen to samples. Bottom line seek and you will find your female rocker. Just don't expect her to be mainstream fodder.
2 - emma
there are some rock chicks - the donnas, sahara hotnights, even the like! (although i guess they are more rock chick ensembles).
But yeah, I wish there were a Courtney Love now. I love Courtney Love
3 - Don Baiocchi
Yeah, I like the Donnas and they almost cracked the mainstream but not quite.
I know there's a lot of female rockers who don't get mainstream attention, but that's what I'm looking for. Someone to really get the national attention that someone like Courtney Love got while making music that people actually buy.
4 - Scott Butki
How about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Ani DiFranco?
5 - chantal stone
i agree that we could use another Pat Benatar, but i'm not so sure i want to see her "pee on the crowd"...lol great post, Don!
6 - DJRadiohead
Good post, Don. I can't say I want Courtney to return. I think her contributions are minimal. That said, I am still a huge fan of Garbage and wish Shirley Manson would kick it in gear either with or without them. The female artist gallery is rather depressing at the moment.
7 - zingzing
um... sleater-kinney, metric, mia, deerhoof, kim gordon...
8 - Mark Saleski
i just got a Deerhoof cd on the strength of a concert review in the local paper. great (if weird) stuff.
9 - zingzing
i have a hard time with them... at first i didn't think they were weird enough... but then i went back and listened to stuff they did in early groups, and that was soooo fucked up that i got a good reference point to see the weird in their (relatively normal) stuff.
10 - Mark Saleski
i'll have to revisit that cd...it was weird, not Sonic Youth weird, but defintiely not 'normal'.
11 - Stephen V Funk
you have a point, and it's not just the girls of today's pop/rock scene that have gone soft. Rock is supposed to be dangerous, hard, rebellious.
Now it seems to be all about "feelings", "vulnerability," and "emo" or whatever -- whether your talking about Kelly Clarkson or Coldplay.
Yawn. At least we still have
Diamanda Galas...
12 - zingzing
svf, there is plenty out there in the rock world that is still "dangerous, hard, rebellious." plen-ty.
13 - CLOVE FAN
Good Post, I think Courtney is right up there with Janis. There are no women that have that "thing". Where o where is Shirley Manson, i wish her and Courtney would tour together with Sinead O'conner on bill too or Deloros O'reierdan of The Cranberries(look outside of Nothing compares2 u for sinead references). I look forward to Courtney's new CD, Linda Perry, BillY C. and MOby??? Lets c how that goes. Clove is overlooked as a great lyricist but for any naysayers, check out Hole's Unplugged Album for Clove at her most raw power, unless you've been lucky enough to see her live
14 - gonzo marx
Scott sez...
*or Ani DiFranco?*
Quoted for Truth
Ani is as important as Dylan was, and is a better guitar player
listen and learn....so sayeth yer gonzo
Excelsior!
15 - Stephen V Funk
zingzing... yes you can still find "dangerous, hard, rebellious" rock music... but it's on the "alternative/underground" fringes, not in the "mainstream."
Janis, Joan Jett, Pat Benetar, Grace Slick -- these were big time "popular" acts that sold millions of albums and had legions of fans.
Comparing apples to apples here, the "mainstream" pop/rock of today seems to have gone all soft and mushy.
16 - zingzing
that's what happens when 12 year olds buy music and the rest of us just download it.
17 - Sister Ray
No female rockers? Helloooo!
18 - iwontbehave
Pat Benatar is still around. Check out her 2003 album "Go".
19 - Don Baiocchi
Thank you Stephen, you get my point. That's why I edited the title to more accurately reflect what I meant. It's not just rockers (Um, Scott, I mentioned the YYY's), it's rock stars - ladies who shove and yell their way to national mainstream attention and impressive sales.
Sister Ray, that's hilarious. Why didn't I mention her?
And, for the record, for everyone saying "what about...?" I wasn't interested in creating a list of every single female artist who had ever recorded anything remotely related to rock. I used examples to make my point. As much as I would have loved to mention Chrissie Hynde or Ani, I didn't find it necessary to fit them in just for the sake of it.
Chantal, wait, you don't want to be peed on? Wow. It's like I don't even know you anymore. ;)
20 - chantal stone
oh no no no....you still know me, Don, I just don't want Pat Benatar to pee on me! ;)
21 - JP
Dan, the classic rock genre itself is in decline, so I'm not holding my breath on seeing another one of those larger-than-life characters anytime soon. Hip hop, sure--rock, no.
22 - Paul Roy
There are plenty of good female singers fronting prog-rock bands. Christina Murphy of Magenta and Heather Findlay of Mostly Autumn come to mind. They are not really stars, but they certainly should be when compared to who's currently topping the charts.
23 - JerryWojo
I was waiting for someone to mention prog. Prog does rule.
As I was hesitiant to drop names in my typo ridden first post, I will now. :) I've been listening to Stream of Passion lately. That's Arjen Lucassen's latest band fronted by female Mexican vocalist Marcela Bovio. Google for details.
She's not a 'rebel-Courtney/Janis' type by far. But she does rock and has a ton of talent. She will probably never become mainstream cause she in no way fits the hollywood suits idea of a superstar.
She also teamed up with Heather Findlay and joined a cast of killer talent for Arjen Lucassen's killer work 'The Human Equation'.
24 - Don Baiocchi
JP that's a good point. However, as the "a" is nowhere near the "o" on the keyboard, I'm officially offended that you misspelled my name. But yeah, I totally agree.
OK, Chantal, I guess that makes sense. But c'mon, just a little pee?
25 - chantal stone
not even a drop! :)