for being one of the only female players in a primary force in New Wave with her band The writing the music for the new 90210, which
rock band and for her ultra-minimal drumming. Pretenders, who continue to record and tour. may be appropriate because, come to think
A little-known fact about Tucker: between the of it, Phair and 90210 both emerged at the
occasional Velvet Underground reunion gig, sIOuxsIE sIOux, kAtE bush, & sINEAd same time and have had similar derailments
solo album, or guest collaboration with myriad O’CONNOr These three icons from across the . . . hmmm. Despite bumpy rides, though, these
indie acts, Tucker worked for the Wal-Mart pond have had insurmountable influence, and women raised the bar for singer-songwriters
Corporation for several years and raised her each has a very distinct persona and voice that and women in rock. If nothing else, consider
family in Georgia and Arizona. has launched or influenced many sound-alikes. them the antidote to Courtney Love.
For example, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs,
dusty sprINGfIELd & kArEN CArpENtEr or Bat for Lashes, or Amanda Palmer of the LINdA pErry Remember 4 Non Blondes?
Karen Carpenter, aside from being an Dresden Dolls: Siouxsie Sioux is their template. An obvious one hit wonder if ever there was
anomalous-for-the-era female drummer, had a Ever wonder where Tori Amos’s or Björk’s one—though, to their credit, that caterwauling
signature voice rivaled only by Dusty Springfield. ethereal weirdness and caterwauls came hit “What’s Up?” is tailor-made for karaoke
Both were able to convey a profound sadness from? Kate Bush did it first and did it better. like no other—4 Non Blondes was the launch
and pathos to whatever they sang, all the And, speaking of Björk, listen to Sinead’s “I pad for Linda Perry. Perry would become a
more compelling when in contrast to their Am Stretched Out On Your Grave,” and see major producer and songwriter in the “oughts,”
many upbeat hits and in context of their very where Björk basically got her first two albums responsible for getting both Christina Aguilera
sorrowful personal lives. Carpenter’s untimely of material. and Pink to transition from teeny-bopper also-
death related to anorexia brought national rans to multiplatinum, risk-taking, respected
attention to the disease, while Springfield’s (ANy MC NAMEd rOxANNE), MC LytE, artists. She’s also written hits for Gwen
battles with mental distress brought attention quEEN LAtIfAh, yO-yO, & EvE Hip-hop Stefani and others. Unfortunately, she’s also
to self-harming behaviors. is an even more testosterone-saturated realm responsible for discovering and signing James
than rock and roll, yet these MCs have carved Blunt, but, you know, nobody’s perfect.
pAttI sMIth, jOAN jEtt, & ChrIssIE out their space in the field from the get-go.
hyNdE Smith brought an unprecedented Roxanne, Roxanne Shante, The Real Roxanne, At its all-too-frequent worst, pop music can
degree of poetry to rock and roll and helped et al are responsible for several early hip-hop be incredibly sexist. Gangster rap has made
shaped the sound of early NYC/CBGB punk classics, their battles helping establish the commonplace and acceptable terms for women
rock and was a prime influence on U2 and hip-hop tradition of battles and beefs. Queen that would make Mick Jagger blush, while the
Bruce Springsteen. “Because the Night,” co- Latifah has segued into a successful and Rolling Stones’ lyrics book serves as something
written with Springsteen, became a colossal hit award-winning actress. She also discovered of a misogynists’ bible. But at its best, rock and
for 10,000 Maniacs. She continues to record, multi-platinum act Naughty by Nature, thus roll has been on the cutting edge of allowing
most recently releasing an album this year with having a role in introducing the masses to gender, race, and class opportunity into its
Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. the concept of O.P.P. Yo-Yo and Eve, though workforce and thus into the cultural landscape
Joan Jett was the standout success from not enjoying the profile of Queen Latifah, are and zeitgeist.
L.A. quasi-punks The Runaways, and went especially noteworthy for holding their own Ultimately the point isn’t your gender or the
on to a successful solo career, all the more against their respective collaborators and preconceptions that go with it; it’s whether or
impressive because she started her own label mentors Ice Cube and DMX, no small feat for not you “rock.” Madonna says it best in her
to do it. She has been name-checked as an virtually any MC. lyrics for “Vogue”: “It makes no difference if
immense influence and role model by all the you’re black or white/ if you’re a boy or a girl/
Riot Grrrl acts of the 1990s and similar label- LIZ phAIr, p.j. hArvEy, & tOrI AMOs if the music’s pumping it will give you new life/
runner icon Ani DiFranco. This trifecta led a wave of 1990s female singer you’re a superstar/yes, that’s what you are, you
Hynde, an expatriate living in London and songwriters known for their fearless lyrics and know it.”
working as a rock journalist and critic during feisty personae. They’ve had ups and downs
the UK punk boom, would go on to be a since, especially Phair, who is currently co-
’80s The Pretenders: The ’90s PJ Harvey’s Dry has the ’00s Well, the decade
Singles. Even Scarlett Johansson singing best lyrics and is the hardest rocking. Tori ain’t over, but were I writing in five to ten
“Brass in Pocket” in Lost in Translation can’t Amos’s Little Earthquakes is runner-up. Or years, I would probably say Felt Mountain or
diminish what a great song it is, and it’s get Sinead O’Connor’s I Do Not Want What I Supernature by Goldfrapp. Or maybe Fever to
arguably not even the best track on this disc. Haven’t Got. Tell by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
ELIZA / 46 ELIZA / 47
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