Some of us are still upset over Sleater-Kinney's impending breakup, and now the SF Bay Guardian pours salt in the wound by asking if this is part of a larger trend of all-girl rock bands calling it quits or simply fading from the limelight.
Writer Kimberly Chun laments that the majority of women on the charts this summer are sexed-up solo singers like Nelly Furtado, Rihanna, Shakira and, sadly, Paris Hilton. And while I agree that there's a dearth of good all-women groups on the radio (the Pussycat Dolls? Puh-leeze), I don't think pioneer Riot Grrrl bands-- L7, Bikini Kill, our beloved Sleater-Kinney-- ever spent much time on MTV or the Billboard charts. Still, it's undeniable that great all-woman (and pro-woman) acts have a hard time getting airtime once they've been pegged as feminist or political.
Le Tigre's Kathleen Hanna told me last year that... "MTV didn't play our video and radio didn't play our single either. Some of that is that we're women and they've already got Gwen Stefani. So we just have to wait till she stops making music or something like that." She was told that a group of three women was less likely to get play than a band of men fronted by a female vocalist.
This isn't only a mainstream music problem. I'm headed to Chicago this weekend to soak up the summer heat and indie rock at PitchforkFest, where I'll see a total of three or four women on the main stages. (And all of them will be singing/playing backup.) They could have called it DudeRockFest.
So what happens when entire genres of music become completely male-dominated? Music critic Jessica Hopper summed it up in her amazing essay, "Emo: Where the Girls Aren't":
Girls in emo songs today do not have names. We are not identified. Our lives, our struggles, our day-to-day-to-day does not exist, we do not get colored in. We span from coquettish to damned and back again. We leave bruises on boy-hearts, but make no other mark. Our existences, our actions are portrayed SOLELY through the detailing of neurotic self-entanglements of the boy singer. Our region of personal power, simply, is our breadth of impact on his romantic life. We are on a short leash in a filthy yard. We are mysteries to be unlocked, bodies to be groped, minimum wage earners of fealty, harvesters of sorrow, repositories for scorn. Vessels redeemed in the light of boy-love. On a pedestal, on our backs. Muses at best. Cum rags or invisible at worst.
And speaking of Hopper, she also recently wrote a column about women artists taking on feminist issues in their music videos. She compares two videos by Pink and the Gossip, whom she describes as "the most beloved feminist band still active in the American punk underground now that Le Tigre has broken up."
What?! Is it true that my favorite feminist electro-punkers are no more? At least we've got the Willie Mae Rock Camp. Hopefully the camp will produce some girl rockers who will not only grow up to make it on the indie-rock festival circuit, but on MTV as well.
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No! No no no! I need Le Tigre to exist, I need them to be there!
A couple of things...
First, I don't think that Sleater-Kinney is technically considered Riot Grrrl. Some would argue that the Riot Grrrl movement was over over ten years ago. Sure Sleater-Kinney is an all girl band from the Northwest, but Riot Grrrl they aren't. Riot Grrrl probably died off fully with the disolvement of Hole.
Second of all, popular radio pretty much sucks. What does one accomplish by obtaining more popular airspace? Not a lot, I would venture. Most of the time when I'm listening to the radio, I listen to Classic Rock, 80's Rock, Classic Jazz and Classical Stations. I've found that these stations contain quite a fair amount of not overtly sexualized female artists. Of course there's gender disparity here too, but I'm not so concerned about a specialized genre that is in my opinion pretty damn lame to begin with ("Indie Rock").
Kathleen Hanna can make all of the excuses she wants, but the fact is, if you don't have slick production and intense label backing, you aren't going to be played on radio or MTV. MTV pimped the hell out of the Donna's last album. A band that features all women. The reason they did, is that their record company payed MTV a bit of chump change to break them off with some video play. Buisness plays more of a role in determining who gets played on MTV (and corporate radio) rather than gender. If Ms. Hanna spent more time defending her gender and pointing out other examples (such as Imogen Heap, PJ Harvey, Bjork, Peaches, Princess Superstar, Jenny Lewis, etc) and less time trying to insult other successful female artists while advertising herself, I might feel differently about her. Of course, she neglects to mention that she got the most MTV video airplay for her appearance in a Sonic Youth video, and not one of her own Bikini Kill vids. The same appearance she was hoping would catapult her to superstardom like her nemesis Courtney Love.
That said, I'm going to go listen to the Polyphonic Spree which contains a fair number of female musicians and sounds pretty damn good taboot.
My daughter is at Rock'n'Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, OR as I write this.
It is empowering, cathartic, and soul changing for a girl to pick up a guitar/bass/mic/sticks/whatever...
This is not the end...it is merely a warmup.
PS- I would love to see more talk in feminst circles about Jenny Toomey and interviews with her, seeing as she is an unsung feminist hero of indie rock who just happens to have not cavorted overtly with the northwest/Sonic Youth scene. I would think that she has a less combative, more refreshing and different perspective on feminism in the rock scene than Ms. Hanna. Of course, then again, she doesn't have the brand name status that "Kathleen Hanna" does.
I made the switch from lead singer to drummer a few years ago. I have found the experience to be challenging, frustrating, and (most of all) rewarding. Some people are with you, some are against you, but everyone has an opinion.
As a singer, my appearance was more on the line. People didn't care if I was good. I just had to be skinny with C-cups and long hair. But I wanted my talent to matter. I also wanted to have more power in a band. Being "just a singer" can leave you in a very vulnerable position within the band.
So I learned drums, and I love it. It is impossible to get by on looks as a drummer. If you can't at least keep a solid beat, no good musicians will work with you. You generally sit in the back of the stage and have cymbals in your face, so the audience often can't tell if you're hot or not.
There are haters who will find any little thing to criticize you for, and then attribute that flaw to all female drummers. There are others who brag you up as better than you are because they expect so much less from a woman. And there are those non-musician women who curl their lips up at you and whisper "Who does she think she is?" But it's all worth it.
I would like to see more women get into the technical side of playing. I want to see the female Steve Vai or Billy Sheehan or Mike Portnoy. It would be a hard sell, because record labels would say the world isn't *ready* for it. But I think all we need is a chance to prove ourselves. Don't give us people who can barely play their instruments, like the Donnas. Give us chicks who can play. They do exist!
Drumgurl, I agree, and you rock.
My job #2 is at a sound and lighting company. I'm a rather poor musician despite having studied music for four years in college, but I've found I have a knack for the technical side of things. Right now I'm a stage manager at most shows, but I'm working toward becoming an audio engineer.
My colleagues are very supportive and are happy to have me on their crews, not because I'm female, but because I have a clue, pay attention, ask questions, and learn. I push boxes and coil cable with the best of 'em, and they know better than to ask me to step aside while the "manly men" do all the heavy lifting (if I'm not physically capable of doing something, I'll ask for help; I'll neither get hurt trying to do something I can't nor expect someone else to do my work for me). We're a crew. We all work together.
The gender-based crap I get is from the bands, who are (as previously pointed out) usually male. It appears to be worse when the band is made of older men. Before their set they'll go up to the monitor engineer or the front of house guy and start talking to them. The engineer will interrupt them after a couple of minutes and say, "That's all fine and dandy, but you need to talk to your stage manager," and introduce me. The musicians' faces fall real quick! My colleagues have noticed and make it a point to end their little introduction with, "SHE'S in charge of the stage." (Usually the band's disappointment ends when I kick the previous band off the stage. Heh heh.)
I can't say that all bands look down on me because of my gender and I can't say that all sound guys are supportive regardless of my gender -- they're not. And it's a challenge to maintain my identity as myself in an industry where not only are the musicians and technicians predominantly male, but are used to women throwing themselves at the front man's feet to spend time with the band. I shouldn't have to prove my physical prowess to be respected, nor should I have to lift my shirt to get "in." Anyone who wants to be a sound "guy" needs to be smart, somewhat knowledgeable, and willing to work hard, be they male or female.
My career goal: to be able to mix at front of house wearing a t-shirt that says, "i AM the sound guy".
Some good female musicians or female-fronted bands that haven't been mentioned yet: Mirah, Tilly and the Wall, Neko Case, Liz Phair (Exile in Guyville-era), Stina Nordenstam, and the Fiery Furnaces.
It's a short list, but it's a start.
Also, I happened across this story which is kind of interesting and relevant.
And sorry for the double post, but it just occured to me that I forgot to mention Kaki King, who is one of the coolest guitar players you can find. Her myspace page has a fabulous video of her performing on Letterman.
See, you said good grrl rock bands; which eliminates the Pussycat Dolls right there. I had to ask one of my piano students who they were - that's how out of touch I am.
What do you mean, Le Tigre has broken up?
Le Tigre can't have broken up! Noooo!!
well, regardless of mainstream versus indie I think this is still an issue and I'm glad you all posted about it. Sometimes it seems like a dead issue especially when you have PJ Harvey claiming she's not a feminist. (See her BUST interview from a while ago.) As a female vocalist it is a constant battle to be appreciated for your talent versus your looks. Many people who are producers are male which can also be difficult when you consider issues of control, sexuality, and self-expression. I've been treated with utter respect from my male musician friends, producers, and collaborators. The issues of gender have been around for so long and are perpetuated by those in power that I think sometimes even the most staunch feminist can be effected by them. You can ignore the mainstream all you want but its main ideas seep into our culture and effect how we relate to everyone we see on a daily basis. Anyway, rock on women! Keep doing what you do and never be quiet.
This put into words something I've FELT about music for so long, but haven't been able to articulate quite so well. Women's music is a subset of music... the male is the default, and women who try to simply make music rather than selling their image are simply not allowed into the marketplace.
Kinda makes me want to learn to play guitar and write a few bitchy songs. ;-)
Actually, that's not entirely true smacca. Men like women are selling an image as opposed to an aural product as well. Men who aren't selling an image are an anomaly just like on the female side. What this article fails to mention is the fact that 4 out of 5 of Billboards top 5 are female acts...and the top 100 is almost a 50/50 split.
I think the author at the guardian is frustrated more by what will sell than if women are being unfairly treated in the music industry.
This is not to say that women aren't treated unfairly in the music industry, I'm just saying that the article's author (imo) is blowing smoke up our collective asses with her reasoning.
syllogizer, I have met one female "sound guy". Just one, but she was very good at what she did and also a real sweetheart to me personally. I'll always remember her because she was so supportive of me when I was a new drummer.
The only band I knew with a female sound technician was Sonic Youth. Sadly she quit after the Ghosts + Flowers tour. She was very polite tho (not to mention quite skilled :P)