By Tim Wendt
I have issues with women in music. It’s not the women or the music part; it’s the combination of those words. I have issues with the VH1 specials, the “Rolling Stone” spreads, and magazines devoted to this subject. Did you know there’s a “Women Who Rock” magazine? I’ve never read an issue of the publication, but I have issues with that magazine. Why should we single out women in music, like it’s something unbelievable? Last time I checked, women were able to strum chords, play piano, and sing just as well as men. Are these articles implying that it is rare for a woman to be so talented? You don’t read articles about men in music or see “Men Who Rock” magazines. By the way, I have issues with this article.
That said, it’s almost understandable why people feel the need to give women a special distinction. Part of the reasoning might lie in tradition. Male performers used to dominate the airwaves. This made it seem like a talented female performer was something rare.
Another reason might be that many males feel that music by females is just too feminine. I can relate. For example, I’ve heard a few songs by Ani DiFranco and Tori Amos. I think they are talented, but the basis for why I don’t actually own any of their albums might be because they scare me, for reasons I can’t quite articulate. Maybe it’s because I think of Volvos around campus that have an Ani DiFranco or Tori Amos bumper sticker along with a collection of stickers along the lines of “Men are the reason women hate each other,” “Goddess Bless,” and “Girls Rule!” Those are nice and all, but they’re a little too feminine for me to slap on the tailgate of my specially modified Ford F-150. I don’t actually own a Ford F-150, but it would have been cooler if I did.
Most of my female friends seem to listen to a mix of male and female musicians, but most males I know listen to few female artists or none at all. Some males view listening to female musicians as an attack on their sexuality. I think these males listen to WLRS, although the Louisville radio market is pretty bad, so when there’s nothing else but stations that mostly play equally mind-numbing, overproduced pop, I guess there’s little choice. Listen to CDs. Most of my CDs are in fact by male musicians, but I have more than a few by female artists. I love the female voice. When talking about the way females sing, I have to restrain myself from overusing the word “sultry.” So, before any other personal issues develop, I’m closing this with a few of my favorite women in music:
PJ Harvey– The first female to win the Mercury Prize, England’s most prestigious music award, Polly Jean Harvey is immensely talented. She’s also not afraid to explore new sounds and styles. On 1995’s “To Bring You My Love,” she played guitar, keyboards and percussion. 1998’s Is This Desire? featured electronic soundscapes paired with mythological lyrics. On 2000’s “Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea,” Harvey won the Mercury Prize for stripping it all down with some dark, New York City rock songs.
Kim Deal — Formerly fighting with Frank Black over vocals in a little band called The Pixies, Deal ran into the usual post-band breakup problems, but she has rebounded with The Breeders and their new album, “Title TK.” Black undermined her role in The Pixies, but there’s no question that the band that gave Nirvana their sound wouldn’t have been the same without her.
Fiona Apple– She’s too angsty. She needs to keep off the drugs. She’s weird. Forget what they say. She’s a very talented songwriter and piano player. Her lyrics are often beautiful, intelligent and crazy.
Beth Gibbons — The lead singer of Portishead, Gibbons’ angelic voice is a perfect match for the electronic trip-hop layers of noise and melody of this UK band. Their long-awaited third studio album will be released early next year, and Gibbons’ solo effort is due next month. I am sure that Portishead’s 1994 album “Dummy” is one of the sexiest albums ever created.
The exciting newcomer: Norah Jones — A jazzy, sparse debut from this piano player with some great pipes. She could prove to be an important songstress, if only for her unique voice and sultry delivery. She also made me write “sultry.”
