sabotabby | Distractions: Music

I liked this post on Manic Pixie Songwriting Dream Girls quite a bit. It helps that I am partial to the music of all of the artists mentioned, save Yoko Ono (I don't think Fluxus has any validity as an art movement, and it may be sacrilege but I don't care about the Beatles or whether or not she broke them up). I have a thing for intricate, folk-influenced music with ethereal female vocalists. And I've become rather fond of Joanna Newsom's music lately, without having read any press about her or even knowing what she looks like.

(That's how I get into music, by the way. People recommend stuff. I don't watch TV or read music reviews. Things wind up in my iTunes and I listen to them.)

Anyway, is it me or is this Manic Pixie Dream Girl thing kind of all over the feminist blogosphere right now? I am about five years past the age that I might have passed for one. I Blame the Patriarchy, of course, but I also think it's probably tied to economics in some way. Preservation of innocence in a dark world, or some such shit.

Comment with your favourite quirky female musicians whose talent is criminally underrated because they happen to be cute. I'll get you started:

Okay so Rona Kenan is local Israeli artist (lesbian singer/songwriter) and I really want her to break out internationally.

I'm a hypocrite:

Does Sinead O'Connor count? I think she does, she still creates music and pretty much off the map nowadays:

Thank you for linking to that article. I saw it on my rss but manic pixie anything usually gives me hives so I skipped it. But it's good!

Anyway, Jolie Holland:

Neko Case:

And Karen Dalton, a long time ago:

Also, Feist:

I actually don't think she's underrated. She's celebrated highly and often remixed with awesome results. :)

Also relevant - Emilie Autumn's "Thank God I'm Pretty"

When I first ran across Joanna Newsome she struck me as totally prog-rock, akin to Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, Jethro Tull, David Bowie and even The Who in rock opera mode. Listening to YS was the same experience as being a teenager and discovering the guys I knew as the singers of Let's Dance, That's All and Shock The Monkey, had a back catalog of stuff like The Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud, Dancing With The Moonlit Knight and Moribund The Burgermeister.

There's always been a baroque side of pop music, expressed various ways: ornate English major lyrics, long complex tunes, concept albums, song "suites" or densely layered band iconography. Even new wavers like The Cars dabbled with elements of it. Frankie Goes to Hollywood, pre-fab studio cub divas, went about as prog and challenging as that genre could go with the double disc Welcome To The Pleasure Dome.

The trend has largely been a boys club. Women like Kate Bush tend to keep their work to single-friendly length or claim art project status, like Bjork and Laurie Anderson. As others point out, only Anderson seems to have escaped being pixiefied due to her measured androgyny.

So while one has the excuse of common wisdom, it is notable that Newsome is reduced to a fae creature who produces "crazy" music, while the Decemberists are merely twee and pretentious. I realize people are seeking interesting ways to say twee and pretentious, but guys get to be more than wacky elves, even the elfin and intentionally wacky Bobby Conn.

Check out Milk Eyed Mender, if you haven't.

I sometimes drive downtown in the summer with the windows down and Dancing With the Moonlit Knight cranked up to eleven.

I shall have to check out Joanna Newsome.

Do Regina Spektor and CocoRosie count?

I'm at a public lab so can't hear the sound qual on what I am linking to a little blindly...
CocoRosie - "Rainbowarriors"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMLyACxay3E
Spektor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHAhnJbGy9M

"A psycotic builds a house and a nuerotic lives in it." - yoko ono. I didn't see her mentioned in the linked post.

Joanna: "Have one on me" is interesting. I cannot seem to un-love milk-eyed-mender.

Polly Scattergood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh0wgws9kTI

I saw Yoko live in 95. It was a crazy show - half lovers, half haters, some people came just to hoot at her, others sent up flowers. I am for her. This is the best thing ever, "Why" which she recorded in the "Plastic Ono Band" sessions. Check out how John's guitar squiggles anticipate her vocals:

Also on theme! I JUST found out that there's a new live CD/DVD on Kill Rock Stars from Kleenex/Liliput, one of the first and absolutely the greatest girl punk band ever, from Zurich 1978-1983. Hear as much of them as you can! This is their first masterpiece, there's lots:

And speaking of cute, how about the geniuses of the girl groups, who never get props?

And let's not forget Jerry Lee's sister Linda Gail Lewis - she fucking rocks and no one remembers her. Their album "Together" is TOTALLY worth finding.

Finally, just to prove I haven't been locked in my basement for 30-40 years, here's the title track from the recent Amazones de Guniee album, fantastic:

I could go on!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6HjT4SQKJI

Molly Harvey of the Residents. She appears a bit into the video.

I always think that Joni Mitchell is a better forerunner for the Tori Amoses of the world than Yoko Ono, but that's just me.

My music acquistion method is a lot like yours. I'm pretty sure I got into these artists due to playlists someone on my flist posted.

Greta Gertler: Julian (I prefer "Away" but the videos for that all sucked)

Noe Venables: Juniper - with bonus babbling while she tunes her guitar

Distractions: Music

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