What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

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bluemonday
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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by bluemonday » Thu Jul 07, 2022 8:09 pm

I was in the way back machine thinking about The Human League and how that version with Catherall nd Sulley were sort of a British B52s with the man flanked by two female co-singers interacting. Their image and (then new) MTV were a perfect storm. The three big hits that come to mind strike me as unique for a pop band at the time. They were mini-dramas with Philip Oakey stating the male perspective in a relationship with the female part countering the narrative. "I was working as waitress--that much is true--but even then, etc. Or, "while we were apart, I was human too".

This sort of thing was not uncommon in country music duets, for ex, George Jones/Tammy Wynette but not in pop music at least to my thinking.

Oh and what the heck---ABBA!

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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by SignoftheDragon » Fri Jul 08, 2022 8:56 am

Clannad.
Enya.
What's-her-Scottish... Loreena McKennit!

LADYTRON! How did I forget Ladytron?

The Sounds!

I guess my mind kinda went blank on the Lady bands other than my '90s faves from my earlier post.

Chumbawamba were actually REALLY great before the Tubthumping days...

Shonen Knife, anyone?

Mahogany gets an honorable mention for girl with 12-string action.

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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by Maggieo » Fri Jul 08, 2022 9:11 am

HedonismBot wrote:
Thu Jul 07, 2022 1:29 pm
Surprised nobody mentioned Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a key figure in gospel and early rock’n’roll.
Holy shit! YES! YES! YES!
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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by Maggieo » Fri Jul 08, 2022 9:12 am

I forget to mention one of my faves- Lone Lady!
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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by sal paradise » Fri Jul 08, 2022 9:08 pm

Came back here to mention First Aid Kit. Forgot about them, those two sisters have that thing that Angus & Julia Stone have, and it’s a joy to watch live.

Oh, and Haim & The Staves.

I still listen to one of the Dance Hall Crashers albums quite a bit, too.
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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by repoman » Sat Jul 09, 2022 9:04 am

The Knife
Pretenders
Bjork
Yazoo

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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by blacktiger » Sat Jul 09, 2022 8:38 pm

Broadcast
Throwing Muses
Cocteau Twins
Curve
The Slits
Lush
Veronica Falls
HTRK
Bow Wow Wow
Sonic Youth when Kim sings
Drop Nineteens
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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by MattK » Sat Jul 09, 2022 10:02 pm

What a fine list, blacktiger, seems like the Breeders/Amps would be a possible omission?

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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by rank » Sun Jul 10, 2022 5:25 am

In no particular order

1) Concrete Blonde-Johnette Napolitano has an incredible voice.
2) Boris-Does Boris count? I'm not sure I would say Wata fronts the band but I also wouldn't say that she doesn't.
3) The Duke Spirit
4) Blondie
5) Nico
6) P.J. Harvey
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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by daemon » Sun Jul 10, 2022 5:48 am

Lots of great ones already mentioned, but two I didn't see were Scrawl and Pylon. Both deserved a lot more attention than they got. As far as newer bands go, Lithics (who sound a bit like Pylon) are also pretty rad. Saw them open for Malkmus a couple years back and was blown away.

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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by bluemonday » Sun Jul 10, 2022 11:30 am

It's been especially nice seeing the rise of women as instrumentalists. I see that as '90s thing. Before that it was almost a novelty for a woman to play something in a band. Folk being a huge exception.

I should qualify in respect to guitars. Keyboards were always a more acceptable instrument for women.

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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by F15hface » Sun Jul 10, 2022 5:36 pm

For recent faves: Mannequin Pussy, Nova Twins, Sinead O’Brien, Lauren Hibberd, Lucy Dacus, Dead Pony, Self Esteem, Shelf Lives

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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by Steadyriot. » Sun Jul 10, 2022 10:04 pm

The most I’ve been listening to lately in my spotify favorites:
- Sincere Engineer
- Grumpster
- Sydney Sprague

Honourable mentions should be (in no particular order):
- Starcrawler
- The Distillers
- Halsey’s album with Trent Reznor is a killer
- Liz Phair
- Bombpops
- Bad Cop, Bad Cop

Oh where would I be without teenage angst :whistle:

[edit] holy fuck I forgot Against Me! One of my all time favorites.
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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by wooderson » Sun Jul 10, 2022 11:15 pm

it would almost be easier to name the ones not fronted by women, sometimes it feels like 98% of the good guitar music coming out these days is from women

all time, the ones I've probably listened to most once my horizons broadened out from ska-punk circa 1996:
PJ Harvey
Young Marble Giants
Breeders
Sleater-Kinney
Portishead

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Re: What are your top 3 (5, 10, whatever) bands fronted by women?

Post by BoringPostcards » Wed Jul 13, 2022 11:47 am

Land of Talk (CHECK THEM OUT, THEY’RE INCREDIBLE)
Sonic Youth
PJ Harvey
Bjork
Blonde Redhead (pre 2002)
Last edited by BoringPostcards on Fri Sep 02, 2022 5:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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