Your Weekly Women to Listen To: Heart, Angel Haze, The Detroit Cobras and more
OK friends and neighbors, I’m not going to lie to you — if this week’s list of women to listen to gets weird it’s probably because I got a little cray last night and then there wasn’t much sleep involved. It was a fun time though and the place we went to was playing all ’80s music — which I loved. So, let’s get to the music!
File Under: Rhymes so fresh like they just came out the oven
From: California
For Fans Of: Lil Wayne, Drake, rap battles, being blunt, Shunda K, low riders
Bonus: While she says she’s not gay, this young’un “embrace(s) gender-fluidity.” Also, she has some free mix tapes you should download and enjoy (even if they are Twilight themed).
File Under: Folk-abilly, pop, sweetness, Americana
From: Miami
For Fans Of: The Ditty Bops, Regina Spektor, hand claps, hoedowns, Thao
Bonus: She plays ukulele and the kazoo! I mean, who plays the kazoo? So rad. Oh and her new album is coming out Feb. 21, so you’ve got that to look forward to.
File Under: One of the world’s best mezza-sopranos
From: Italy
For Fans Of: Mozart, Rossini, amore, Lady and The Tramp, Placido Domingo, red velvet cake, theatrics.
Bonus: Cecilia has been celebrated all over the world and has even been given Italian Knighthood. You go girl.
File Under: Non aggressive indie pop rock
From: Germany
For Fans Of: The Cardigans only slightly less poppy, a more rock-heavy Ting Tings, Stella Artois, The Sundays
Bonus: First of all thanks to AfterEllen.com reader Lubabum for the great tip and secondly, lead singer Judith Holofernes used to work for one of my favorite magazines, Adbusters. Of course, I can’t buy it because I’m against consumerism.
File Under: One of my first college loves, ’60s Detroit garage rock and doo-wop cover songs
From: Motor City baby
For Fans Of: Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!, Baby Washington, pin-up girls, choppy bangs, roller derbies, Elton Motello, Josie Cotton, Gore Gore Girls Bonus : Here’s a download of their jam (I Wanna Know) What’s Going On.”
File Under: Experimental electro-art weirdness
From: Outerspace (but living in Germany)
For Fans Of: The Muppets on acid, electro cabarets, Grace Jones, Aerea Negrot, Bronski Beat, The Dark Crystal
Bonus: Check out this bizarre but beautiful video for her song, “Doorway.”
File Under: K-Pop, R&B, another one of JYP’s protégés
From: Korea
For Fans Of: Alicia Keys, SWV, Keyshia Cole, Jessica Simpson, Angie Stone, The Gap, sunny days, ferris wheels
Bonus: While she’s already big in Asia, J Lim is about to bring her soulful sound to the states and is collaborating with Big Boi from Outkast. This should be very interesting!
File Under: Metal, RAWK, heavy bass
From: Canada
For Fans Of: Disturbed, Metallica, metal chains, black nail polish but not all of your nails painted or at least having some of the polish rubbed off on purpose, Jose Cuervo – no lime no salt
Bonus: The ladies are no longer performing together but singer Sylvya NuVynska (try saying that three times fast) has started a solo project called When Forever Dies so we can look forward to some new music from her.
File Under: Dream pop, surf, ’60s
From: Costa Rica (one of my favorite places on earth!)
For Fans Of: Best Coast, Vivian Girls, “Rock Lobster”, 3-toed sloths, fresh fruit cups, Warpaint, Dum Dum Girls.
Bonus: Download their track “Street Feelings.”
File Under: Rock ‘n roll divas, breakers of hearts, legends
From: The Wilson sisters are from Seattle
For Fans Of: Voices like none other, sometimes: Styx, Whitesnake, Joan Jett, Melissa Etheridge if she were more hardcore, shredding guitars, big hair, ascots, Other times: Indigo Girls, Pat Benetar, the softer side of Sears, penny-loafers and letterman jackets
Bonus: Ann and Nancy have been playing as Heart since 1974 and were number 57 on VH1’s “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.”
That’s it for this week. It took me close to nine hours to form these thoughts so please take pity on me. I’ll be back and with more brain power next Wednesday!