Written by Daisy Blaze, on 06-02-2009 05:47

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MTV was playing several videos featuring female artists and their bands. First it was Alanis Morissette, then came Jewel, then Garbage. No, MTV wasn't running a special on women in rock.

A few days later I was standing in the checkout line at the local 7-11 and over the loudspeaker I could hear a song played by Tracy Bonnom. When I returned to my car for the ride home I turned my radio on and Gwen Stefani of No Doubt was singing. What was going on?

I was intrigued by this sudden outburst and decided to investigate. I uncovered an amazing amount of talent. My conclusion- GIRLS RULE! Or so it seems in the music business today. They do not appear to be just the flavor of the month.

They can be heard and seen everywhere and on everything from MTV, VH1, talk shows, music award programs and the radio. When they hit the road to perform, they do so at sold out venues across the planet. These female artists have taken the music industry by storm. They are on a mission and taking no prisoners!

These women are committed to their music as though it was holy matrimony. It's apparent that the majority of these female artists delve into their dark and painful experiences for inspiration.

Most of their songs are directly or indirectly associated with some sort of painful relationship. The pain seems to come from an inner place that we all have been to at least once in our lives. The pain is intense and so is their music.

They are sexy, confident, emotional, mysterious, provocative and focused.

These women and their bands come from the four corners of the world. For example, Garbage's voice, Shirley Manson, is from Edinburgh, Scotland. Alanis Morissette from Ottawa, Canada. The Cardigan's Nina Persson from Jonkoping, Sweden, POE from New York City and Lisa Loeb grew up in San Diego.

Though from extremely different locations, backgrounds and lifestyles, they all have two things in common- The desire to succeed in the business and the ability to make great music.

The queen of the hive is definitely Alanis Morissette. Her Maverick debut album Jagged Little Pill is amazing and has sold over fourteen million copies worldwide.

She's a Grammy Winner and a superstar at the ripe old age of twenty-one. She began writing songs at age nine and was acting in a Nickelodeon cable-TV series at age ten.

Her songs reflect rage and insecurity. However, she is very secure in her position at the top. She makes it quite clear through her lyrics that she's fed up with cheating lovers, perfectionist parents and repressed priests.

"People have always said I was an old soul," reflects Alanis. "They said I was always a little more intense and introspective than everyone was used to seeing girls be, so they didn't know where to categorize me.

It all boils down to the fact that I want to walk through life instead of being dragged through it."

During her sold out performance in San Diego you could sense an enormous amount of energy radiating from the unified audiences. It is fair to say that she has one hand in her pocket and the other on the music industry.

Poe, another rising star, is as unique and mystifying as her name. Originally from New York City, her mother was an actress; her Polish-born father, a renowned film director. Poe had a tough childhood. At age sixteen her parents split up and she was on her own.

"I squatted in a building on the Lower East Side. I made money - I could be arrested for this - by making fake subway tokens and selling them for a quarter".

With perseverance she went from a squat on the Lower East Side to Princeton University. "I had been living on my own since I was sixteen, and then all of a sudden I was at this fucking country club!"

I had the pleasure of watching POE perform live. Her stage presence is like no other. I was impressed by the way she connected with her audience. It was as if she was performing in front of a room full of best friends. She had an incredible trust and freedom with her fans. During her third song she leaped into the audience with absolutely no hesitation. They held her high above their heads and passed her with such caution as if she were a Faberge egg.

POE's Hello album teams her with eight different co-writers and three producers - RJ Rice, band member Jeffrey Connor, and Jane's Addiction/Alice in Chains vet Dave Jerden- working in seven different studios in Los Angeles and Detroit, using a combination of computers and live musicians (including Guns N'Roses drummer Matt Sorum). I most cases, these women are supported by very talented individuals, both male and female.

Her voice and lyrics are immediately identifiable. On "Trigger Happy Jack" Poe sings about a psycho and her real-life car-jacking experience. Another great track is "Angry Johnny." This song is a good example of the unpretentious song writing that occurs in these women's lives. Poe goes on to say "Women have to get better at learning when to nurture someone, and when to protect themselves. At least I do." It's this mentality that raises the level of these women's intensity, strength, and dedication to make a difference.

Shirley Manson of Garbage suggests her melancholy comes from growing up "desperately unhappy, despite a perfect upbringing. I was convinced I was the ugliest creature that ever lived, that everybody hated me and the only way to deal with it was to be as unpleasant as possible."

Her father was a professor of animal genetics and poultry breeding, her mother a former big band singer. She joined her first rock band at 16 and the next year connected with Good-bye Mr. MacKenzie as backing vocalist and keyboard player. A handful of albums and tours of the continent later, she led Angelfish, whose self-titled debut album Angelfish appeared in 1994.

Garbage was recently featured on VH1's Fashion Awards singing their hit single "Stupid Girl" from the self-titled debut album Garbage on Almo Sounds/Geffen Records. An incredibly HOT performance with Manson clad in go-go boots and A-line shirt dress.

You may ask "what are they doing on a fashion awards program?" The fact is women in rock have a tremendous effect on trends in the fashion industry.

A Midwesterner at heart, Sheryl Crow goes from grunge to glam-rock mainstream. Originally from Kennett, Missouri, Crow was raise by a trumpet playing father and piano teaching mother. Influenced early in life by such bands as the Stones, Rod Stewart and Led Zeppelin, her music is strong, bluesy rock with a soulful pop flavor.

Her first album is the multi-platinum Tuesday Night Music Club selling over eight million copies. At age thirty-four Sheryl Crow is a huge success. She has recently undergone an incredible makeover and sports a very sexy and sophisticated image. David Letterman of the Late Show attributes the transformation to her personal relationship with the extremely talented and well-dressed Eric Clapton.

Her emotions can be summed up by the titles to her songs. . . "Can't Cry Anymore," and the song from her new self-titled CD Sheryl Crow - "If it Makes you Happy." Others making a difference in today's music scene are Courtney Love, The Cranberries, Fiona Apple, Elastica, Mazzy Star, Innocents Mission, Pet and Amanda Marshall.

Female artists that have reinvented themselves are Susanna Hoffs, Aimee Mann and Suzanne Vega.

Aimee Mann was the creative force behind the Boston band 'Til Tuesday, which scored in 1984 with the top 10 hit Voices Carry and was an early MTV darling. Today Aimee has a solo album out, I'm with Stupid .

Her hit song 'That's Just What You Are' is about a jerk who passes off his bad behavior as an essential part of his character.

The song spent six weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart and was featured on the Melrose Place soundtrack.

One of the hippest ladies of lounge music is Nina Persson of The Cardigans. She is a Swedish dish that has been traveling through the United States promoting their second American release entitled First Band on the Moon .

It's a 60's style lounge-pop type groove with a very fresh flavor. The Cardigans will definitely change the way we listen to music. Sit back, pour a cocktail and enjoy.

These women will continue to blaze a trail into the next millennium. As they do, we will continue to appreciate and respect them for their accomplishments.

The biggest question still remains - Will they indeed rule the music industry?

Last update: 06-02-2009 05:55

Published in : Profiles, Musician

Keywords : Aimee Mann, Sheryl Crow, Poe, Shirley Manson, Garbage, Alanis Morissett, Lisa Loeb

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