My Female 100
Whilst wasting more time milling about on Rate Your Music I had a scroll through their official top 100 and was suprised that, with the exception of Portisheads Beth Gibbons, there wasn't a female in sight. As a reaction I've started putting together a alternative 100 female influenced albums I feel are as good as or better than the RYM chart. To be clear, men are allowed but they're playing a background role. It be all bout de wominz.
Random order, ten at a time, brief comments.
The Shangri-Las - Myrmidons Of Melodrama (1994 Comp)
Sweet but tough melodramatic pop classics. Influenced every one from Blondie to bloke rock favourites The Ramones and The Jesus And Mary Chain.
Judee Sill - Judee Sill (1971)
70s California folk. A sad, beautiful and brilliant record. For those unfamiliar with Judee, she led a troubled life to say the least- death of parents, abusive stepfather, heroin addiction, prostitution, armed robbery, prison. There's a feeling of sins being washed, melodically and thematically on this album. There's also lots of talking to God, but don't let that put you off.
"Once a demon lived in my brow,
I screamed and wailed and I cursed out loud,
And I sailed through the clouds on ten crested
cardinals
To guard my battleground,
But I laughed so hard I cried. . . "
The Breeders - Pod (1991)
Fragmented, smack woozy classic from the ex vagina Pixie. The bit in 'Oh' when Deal lets out some kinda pained primal shriek with the "your soft belly bossing lows" line is one of the most startling and devastating moments in the history of sound.
Francoise Hardy - La Question (1971)
The few french women I've met were endlessly more beautiful than their english sisters. I haven't met Hardy but I imagine she's the same. Her voice prickles the hair on my neck whilst the acoustic guitar brushes and caresses my balls.
Suzanne Vega - Suzanne Vega (1985)
Quintessential folk-pop. A warm blanket for every winter.
Blectum from Blechdom - The Messy Jesse Fiesta (2000)
Epic electro-glitch fun from the New York female duo
The Cardigans - First Band On The Moon (1996)
The worst LP art that I own, and probably the weakest album on this list. But the ultra blonde, lounge-funk, pop classic musicianship make this a slick yet thrilling ride.
ESG - A South Bronx Story (2000 Comp)
Three sisters (and i mean as in three women, as in three black girls
and as in three siblings) who worship at the alter called funk, use their amateurish skill to make post-punk magic. Early hip hoppers ripped their beats and Gang Of Four/Slits/P.I.L kissed their feet.
The Magnetic Fields - The Wayward Bus (1992)
I'm still not convinced 'When You Were My Baby' and 'Candy' aren't covers of Spector girl group classics, so instantly familiar are the songs penned by Stephin Merritt. Merritt is a bloke of course, but if he was singing these tracks i doubt Wayward Bus would be half as good. Susan Anway's voice was made for this stuff, innocent, hurt, vulnerable, bittersweet - the ideal chamber/dream pop poster girl.
Admittedly 'Tokyo A Go-Go' is bloody awful, but the rest of the material here is strong enough to make this one of twee pops premier pin badges.
Cocteau Twins - Treasure (1984)
Our Liz is surely the most unique singer of a generation, with her otherwordly speaking in toungues warblin.
One of the few dreampop LPs that I have time for. Sonic cathedrals maaaaan.