Post by blade on Jan 29, 2010 11:49:52 GMT
clashmusic.com has given us its top eight women of 2009 (in no particular order).
They are:
Speech Debelle
Au Revoir Simone (all-girl group from Brooklyn NY, which seems to produce loads of indie bands. Hadn't heard of these before - just listening now - it's excellent. There's a bit of School of Seven Bells about them).
Florence Welch (and her Machine)
Mica Levi (don't know her)
Beth Ditto
Vivian Girls (another all-girl indie group from Brooklyn NY! Must check these out too)
Lily Allen
And finally:
Juanita Stein
See here:
www.clashmusic.com/feature/2009-top-woman-pt-4
Here's what they say about her:
While much is often made of a hot female musician’s looks in a band, there is one underrated femme fatale who gently smoulders from the indie sidelines without relying on her appearance.
Step forward Howling Bells’ Juanita Stein, a talented musician whose song writing ability was lauded across the board upon the release of their self-titled debut.
Having written much of the album alone in her bedroom, she had difficulty in persuading male contemporaries that the resulting songs were her own hard work.
She acknowledges that such misogyny is now changing, however. “The realms within what is ‘acceptable’ for female musicians has changed,” she explains. “Our range of expression, emotion and aesthetic seems boundless right now.”
Juanita may have since relinquished solo writing duties to include the rest of her band mates, but her influence - and honeyed vocals - still looms large across their aesthetic and sound.
2009 has been hit and miss for the Australian chanteuse and her band of merry men - second LP ‘Radio Wars’, a vividly technicolour record, is sadly one of the more under-appreciated releases of this year.
Despite this, Howling Bells made strong progress in America when they supported Coldplay, something that is sure to stand them in good stead for the future.
And what of the future? A third album, of course. “We’re all currently holed up in a country house in Australia jamming our hearts out every day.”
They are:
Speech Debelle
Au Revoir Simone (all-girl group from Brooklyn NY, which seems to produce loads of indie bands. Hadn't heard of these before - just listening now - it's excellent. There's a bit of School of Seven Bells about them).
Florence Welch (and her Machine)
Mica Levi (don't know her)
Beth Ditto
Vivian Girls (another all-girl indie group from Brooklyn NY! Must check these out too)
Lily Allen
And finally:
Juanita Stein
See here:
www.clashmusic.com/feature/2009-top-woman-pt-4
Here's what they say about her:
While much is often made of a hot female musician’s looks in a band, there is one underrated femme fatale who gently smoulders from the indie sidelines without relying on her appearance.
Step forward Howling Bells’ Juanita Stein, a talented musician whose song writing ability was lauded across the board upon the release of their self-titled debut.
Having written much of the album alone in her bedroom, she had difficulty in persuading male contemporaries that the resulting songs were her own hard work.
She acknowledges that such misogyny is now changing, however. “The realms within what is ‘acceptable’ for female musicians has changed,” she explains. “Our range of expression, emotion and aesthetic seems boundless right now.”
Juanita may have since relinquished solo writing duties to include the rest of her band mates, but her influence - and honeyed vocals - still looms large across their aesthetic and sound.
2009 has been hit and miss for the Australian chanteuse and her band of merry men - second LP ‘Radio Wars’, a vividly technicolour record, is sadly one of the more under-appreciated releases of this year.
Despite this, Howling Bells made strong progress in America when they supported Coldplay, something that is sure to stand them in good stead for the future.
And what of the future? A third album, of course. “We’re all currently holed up in a country house in Australia jamming our hearts out every day.”