I'm tired of listening to angry men, I want to listen to angry women
March 3, 2015 5:45 PM Subscribe
I'm in a musical rut and I'd like to listen to more female-fronted "angry" music. Like Sleater-Kinney, but angrier. Like Hole, but still around. Is there a lesbian version of Trent Reznor? Bonus points for LGBTQ bands and bands that are still performing together.
Sleigh Bells has currently been scratching this itch for me, but I want more. I already listen to Le Tigre, Bikini Kill, L7, Hole, The Distillers, but I want bands that I could actually see live.
Layered sound (multiple guitar tracks, keyboards, effects) is a plus. Not really looking for "singer-songwriter" like Ani Difranco, Tori Amos, Melissa Etheridge.
Here are some other bands that I already like that could serve as sound-alikes:
Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, A Perfect Circle, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Metric, The Pixies, Garbage, Hole, PJ Harvey, New Order, classic Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead...
Sleigh Bells has currently been scratching this itch for me, but I want more. I already listen to Le Tigre, Bikini Kill, L7, Hole, The Distillers, but I want bands that I could actually see live.
Layered sound (multiple guitar tracks, keyboards, effects) is a plus. Not really looking for "singer-songwriter" like Ani Difranco, Tori Amos, Melissa Etheridge.
Here are some other bands that I already like that could serve as sound-alikes:
Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, A Perfect Circle, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Metric, The Pixies, Garbage, Hole, PJ Harvey, New Order, classic Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead...
maybe Diamanda Galas?
posted by thelonius at 5:51 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 5:51 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Liz Phair's pre-1999 stuff? And maybe her self-titled album? I've never thought of her as "angry" but that might be that her vocal quality is different than Courtney Love's.
posted by discopolo at 5:54 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by discopolo at 5:54 PM on March 3, 2015
Best answer: Meg Myers is pretty angry! More on the melodic side, but quite angry.
posted by mchorn at 5:57 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by mchorn at 5:57 PM on March 3, 2015
Best answer: You might like White Lung.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 5:57 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 5:57 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: If an all-queer band with female members fronted by a trans man is ok, Aye Nako is great.
posted by Juliet Banana at 6:02 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by Juliet Banana at 6:02 PM on March 3, 2015
Best answer: Against Me! -- Transgender Dysphoria Blues. The sound is more Social Distortion than Pixies but it's pretty angry.
posted by escabeche at 6:07 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by escabeche at 6:07 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Screaming Females (Marissa is gay, as far as I know) & Perfect Pussy for more on the punk end of things.
Savages, forever and always. You are going to go buy Silence Yourself right now. (I am hoping for another album -- they played some dates in NYC recently, so ...)
Seconding Priests.
Android Lust still seems to be making music periodically, but not as much as she used to. (That song is older but she's weird and scary in good ways.)
Warpaint may or may not fit what you're looking for, but all women and cool.
posted by darksong at 6:09 PM on March 3, 2015 [9 favorites]
Savages, forever and always. You are going to go buy Silence Yourself right now. (I am hoping for another album -- they played some dates in NYC recently, so ...)
Seconding Priests.
Android Lust still seems to be making music periodically, but not as much as she used to. (That song is older but she's weird and scary in good ways.)
Warpaint may or may not fit what you're looking for, but all women and cool.
posted by darksong at 6:09 PM on March 3, 2015 [9 favorites]
Best answer: Siouxsie Sioux and her various bands.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 6:09 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by Confess, Fletch at 6:09 PM on March 3, 2015
Oh, and maybe Emily Edrosa/Street Chant, although I don't think she leaves New Zealand that often.
Also PINS. Maybe not quite as angry, but maybe close enough?
posted by darksong at 6:16 PM on March 3, 2015
Also PINS. Maybe not quite as angry, but maybe close enough?
posted by darksong at 6:16 PM on March 3, 2015
Electrelane aren't always angry, but when they are they do it well.
posted by pullayup at 6:23 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by pullayup at 6:23 PM on March 3, 2015
Last comment on this, I promise ... but maybe Viv Albertine's The Vermillion Border? She was in The Slits (also, The Slits, but they're long disbanded) & the writer of "Typical Girls." It's not a perfect album, but Albertine is still awesome (read her book) and I agree with Carrie Brownstein & friend that "Confessions of a Milf" is punk as hell.
posted by darksong at 6:30 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by darksong at 6:30 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Still togther (probably):
Erase Errata
Uzeda
Screaming Females
EMA
Jucifer
Perfect Pussy
Mannequin Pussy
Not still together:
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks
Fire Party
Autoclave (maybe not so angry, but awesome)
posted by q9f9A at 6:32 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Erase Errata
Uzeda
Screaming Females
EMA
Jucifer
Perfect Pussy
Mannequin Pussy
Not still together:
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks
Fire Party
Autoclave (maybe not so angry, but awesome)
posted by q9f9A at 6:32 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I just remembered that I wrote an article about diverse punk you might wanna check out - every band I listed has at least a member (likely more) who identifies as a woman and/or queer and/or genderqueer and/or transgender. No "all straight white dudes" bands on the list.
posted by Juliet Banana at 6:35 PM on March 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Juliet Banana at 6:35 PM on March 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I just heard Personal Best by Team Dresch for the first time a few months ago and it was kind of a revelation. Also seconding White Lung and Jucifer and thirding Priests.
posted by misscleo3861 at 6:37 PM on March 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by misscleo3861 at 6:37 PM on March 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
iwrestledabearonce is female-fronted and brutal as all get out in their sound (but goofy as all get out in their image).
posted by umbú at 6:42 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by umbú at 6:42 PM on March 3, 2015
If you like noise music, Pharmakon is screamy and great.
posted by lunalaguna at 6:45 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by lunalaguna at 6:45 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Babes in Toyland are reuniting.
posted by Ruki at 6:53 PM on March 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Ruki at 6:53 PM on March 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
How about the appropriately named Screaming Females?
posted by deathpanels at 7:05 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by deathpanels at 7:05 PM on March 3, 2015
Great question! I suggest looking into queercore as a genre, as well as checking out any BitchTapes that look good to you.
posted by c'mon sea legs at 7:07 PM on March 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by c'mon sea legs at 7:07 PM on March 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Grace Petrie is queer and plenty angry, though her sound may not be as big as you're looking for, ± too accoustic/folksy. I particularly like They Shall Not Pass.
posted by Cheese Monster at 7:35 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by Cheese Monster at 7:35 PM on March 3, 2015
You might like L7. Their Wikipedia page says that they've reunited but I haven't seen them since the late 90s.
posted by janey47 at 7:37 PM on March 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by janey47 at 7:37 PM on March 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks so much for the suggestions so far, everyone! I've started marking favorites as I get a chance to listen.
darksong, Screaming Females are great! I cannot believe that I haven't come across them before, given their cover of "Because the Night" with Garbage.
Ruki, thank you for that news! I'm super excited about Babes in Toyland now!
I am also extremely embarrassed that I left my idol Siouxsie Sioux off the list. My teenaged goth self would disown me.
posted by blueskiesinside at 7:40 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
darksong, Screaming Females are great! I cannot believe that I haven't come across them before, given their cover of "Because the Night" with Garbage.
Ruki, thank you for that news! I'm super excited about Babes in Toyland now!
I am also extremely embarrassed that I left my idol Siouxsie Sioux off the list. My teenaged goth self would disown me.
posted by blueskiesinside at 7:40 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Heavens to Betsy—Terrorist
dat shriek tho
posted by escape from the potato planet at 7:46 PM on March 3, 2015
dat shriek tho
posted by escape from the potato planet at 7:46 PM on March 3, 2015
Metal. Check out Huntress, Mortals, and Arch Enemy.
posted by skycrashesdown at 8:11 PM on March 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by skycrashesdown at 8:11 PM on March 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Need! Apparently they played some reunion shows in 2013 (totally missed that), so you never know, they could come back around.
posted by treefort at 8:22 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by treefort at 8:22 PM on March 3, 2015
Also, there is a band in Chicago you might enjoy called the Cathy Santonies.
posted by treefort at 8:32 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by treefort at 8:32 PM on March 3, 2015
Shilpa Ray's voice ranges from languid and worldweary to force-of-nature fierce, coupled with a brilliant lyric gift. She recently toured with Nick Cave, and is soon releasing new material.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 8:53 PM on March 3, 2015
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 8:53 PM on March 3, 2015
Jex Thoth
If you aren't sure, advance it to 3:50 for taste of the heaviness, then back up and start at the beginning. Not LGBTQ based on what I know of her past.
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:14 PM on March 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you aren't sure, advance it to 3:50 for taste of the heaviness, then back up and start at the beginning. Not LGBTQ based on what I know of her past.
posted by snuffleupagus at 9:14 PM on March 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
So many of the great bands already mentioned are defunct/retired/mellowed out.. :/
But you could actually catch Shovel live (if you're ever in Phoenix). They're a lot heavier than most rriot-grrl nostalgia-ish bands.. The other two local lady-fronted bands I like a lot, Acorn Bcorn and Katterwaul are more melodic - closer to PJ Harvey than L7 or Babes in Toyland..
posted by unmake at 9:20 PM on March 3, 2015
But you could actually catch Shovel live (if you're ever in Phoenix). They're a lot heavier than most rriot-grrl nostalgia-ish bands.. The other two local lady-fronted bands I like a lot, Acorn Bcorn and Katterwaul are more melodic - closer to PJ Harvey than L7 or Babes in Toyland..
posted by unmake at 9:20 PM on March 3, 2015
Bikini Kill! They are some great old school 90s punkish music. I am partial to Reject All-American (SLYT)
posted by ruhroh at 9:48 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ruhroh at 9:48 PM on March 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I recommend The Pack A.D. to anyone who will listen.
Windhand are a female-led sludgy stoner metal act I like a lot.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 1:25 AM on March 4, 2015
Windhand are a female-led sludgy stoner metal act I like a lot.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 1:25 AM on March 4, 2015
Meg Lee Chin
Kitten Forever
Tribe 8
Frightwig
Otep
Auf Der Maur
Hunter Valentine
Sick of Sarah
I don't know how many of these bands are still playing, but if you haven't seen a reference of female fronted punk rock it was great for me to find new-to-me music.
posted by bile and syntax at 3:39 AM on March 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
Kitten Forever
Tribe 8
Frightwig
Otep
Auf Der Maur
Hunter Valentine
Sick of Sarah
I don't know how many of these bands are still playing, but if you haven't seen a reference of female fronted punk rock it was great for me to find new-to-me music.
posted by bile and syntax at 3:39 AM on March 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm not sure they are angry enough generally, but Tegan and Sara are the best. You'll at least like this song.
posted by maryr at 5:50 AM on March 4, 2015
posted by maryr at 5:50 AM on March 4, 2015
HIRS is so angry and over-the-top "burn everything down" and I love them. Their music/image is based around liberation for trans women, but I don't know how every member of the band identifies.
posted by Juliet Banana at 6:38 AM on March 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Juliet Banana at 6:38 AM on March 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
Already gone, but The Butchies probably fit this category. Kaia from Team Dresch, if I recall, and perhaps the drummer too? Good fast, loud. Maybe more fun than angry.
posted by Gilbert at 6:50 AM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Gilbert at 6:50 AM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
All female prog rock band Mother Superior!
posted by WeekendJen at 6:58 AM on March 4, 2015
posted by WeekendJen at 6:58 AM on March 4, 2015
carla bozulich is what you are seeking. start here with the geraldine fibbers dragon lady(1), california tuffy(2), toybox (live)
you might also try her pre-fibbers band ethyl meatplow.
her later work is much more experimental. this is deeper than the well (nsfw) from last year. she's currently on tour in europe.
1 - there is an official video but it has an egregious edit
2 - this is the official video - the back end has some audio problems but it's a great video so...
posted by lescour at 7:42 AM on March 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
you might also try her pre-fibbers band ethyl meatplow.
her later work is much more experimental. this is deeper than the well (nsfw) from last year. she's currently on tour in europe.
1 - there is an official video but it has an egregious edit
2 - this is the official video - the back end has some audio problems but it's a great video so...
posted by lescour at 7:42 AM on March 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
Also, "Art Star" by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs contains one of the best hardcore screams of all time, male or female. I wish they'd do more songs like this.
posted by saladin at 9:00 AM on March 4, 2015
posted by saladin at 9:00 AM on March 4, 2015
Not still together, but Drain STH put out a couple of albums. Horror Wrestling sounds almost like a lost Alice In Chains album.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 10:34 AM on March 4, 2015
posted by Mister Moofoo at 10:34 AM on March 4, 2015
Perfect Pussy fits the bill pretty well I think, although they might be a little punkier/heavier than your examples.
posted by sauril at 11:11 AM on March 4, 2015
posted by sauril at 11:11 AM on March 4, 2015
This is hard 'cause you want ladies who are currently active...but given that constraint, and in the realms of less straight up rock and more electronic noise, nthing Pharmakon and, while not overtly/cosmetically (as in literal screaming) angry, adding Gazelle Twin. Her album Unflesh from last year is fantastic, very Cosey Fanni Tutti-inflected, feeling informed, consciously or no, by stuff like Donna Haraway's technofeminism.
And of course, the Knife is somewhat similar, with more little girl id screaming into the vortex to it. "Full of Fire" is one of my favorite feminist anthems of the last few years.
Oh! Speaking of little girl id screaming wild, Scout Niblett is amazing at that (though lately she's taken a quieter turn, granted). "Lullaby For Scout In 10 Years", "Just Do It", "Pom Poms", "12 Miles", her cover of Althea and Donna's "Uptown Top Ranking", "Fire Flies", "Safety Pants", "Dinosaur Egg", on and on.
Are Dog Faced Hermans still active? Hm.
And in the not active but people have mentioned type stuff, nthing Team Dresch and Autoclave/Helium/whatnot, Erase Errata, adding the Butchies, the Au Pairs, Numbers (she doesn't always sing but she often yells when she does), Pylon (because you can never mention Vanessa Briscoe enough as far as I'm concerned), Siouxsie, Ruby (so very '90s, Saltpeter is great at being pissed but cool about it)...and Scrawl! Oh man. Scrawl could be so angry and vulnerable sometimes, so much so it made you flinch and want to look away uncomfortably. I love that.
posted by ifjuly at 12:53 PM on March 4, 2015
And of course, the Knife is somewhat similar, with more little girl id screaming into the vortex to it. "Full of Fire" is one of my favorite feminist anthems of the last few years.
Oh! Speaking of little girl id screaming wild, Scout Niblett is amazing at that (though lately she's taken a quieter turn, granted). "Lullaby For Scout In 10 Years", "Just Do It", "Pom Poms", "12 Miles", her cover of Althea and Donna's "Uptown Top Ranking", "Fire Flies", "Safety Pants", "Dinosaur Egg", on and on.
Are Dog Faced Hermans still active? Hm.
And in the not active but people have mentioned type stuff, nthing Team Dresch and Autoclave/Helium/whatnot, Erase Errata, adding the Butchies, the Au Pairs, Numbers (she doesn't always sing but she often yells when she does), Pylon (because you can never mention Vanessa Briscoe enough as far as I'm concerned), Siouxsie, Ruby (so very '90s, Saltpeter is great at being pissed but cool about it)...and Scrawl! Oh man. Scrawl could be so angry and vulnerable sometimes, so much so it made you flinch and want to look away uncomfortably. I love that.
posted by ifjuly at 12:53 PM on March 4, 2015
Oh damn, how could I forget--if you're nostalgic and missing '90s-type Kathleen Hanna mixed with Pylon, that snarly young lady thing, I recommend Priests. It feels like a time warp (it's weird they're new), and derivative, but if you miss that stuff it can soothe the itch.
posted by ifjuly at 12:59 PM on March 4, 2015
posted by ifjuly at 12:59 PM on March 4, 2015
G.L.O.S.S. (Girls Living Outside Society's Shit) is a super great hardcore band of transfeminine folks, I recommend them highly!
posted by ITheCosmos at 3:20 PM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ITheCosmos at 3:20 PM on March 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Also:
- Homewreckers
- Pookie and the Poodles
- Bleed the Pigs
If you're interested in checking out more queercore-ish stuff, I highly recommend the Homoground podcast, it's where I find out about a lot of the music I listen to.
posted by ITheCosmos at 3:24 PM on March 4, 2015
- Homewreckers
- Pookie and the Poodles
- Bleed the Pigs
If you're interested in checking out more queercore-ish stuff, I highly recommend the Homoground podcast, it's where I find out about a lot of the music I listen to.
posted by ITheCosmos at 3:24 PM on March 4, 2015
I'm reaching a bit, but:
* Sharon Van Etten is more singer-songwriter, but you might like Serpents.
* Exitmusic is more dark than angry, but Passage just builds and builds until it blows up, so I think it qualifies
* It's not her normal thing, but Florence is pretty pissed in Kiss With a Fist.
* Melissa Auf Der Maur sounds pretty angry.
* Phantogram is not necessarily angry, but their songs are super energetic and can have some pretty dark lyrics.
* Along the same lines, some of EMA's songs can be angry
posted by cnc at 3:31 PM on March 4, 2015
* Sharon Van Etten is more singer-songwriter, but you might like Serpents.
* Exitmusic is more dark than angry, but Passage just builds and builds until it blows up, so I think it qualifies
* It's not her normal thing, but Florence is pretty pissed in Kiss With a Fist.
* Melissa Auf Der Maur sounds pretty angry.
* Phantogram is not necessarily angry, but their songs are super energetic and can have some pretty dark lyrics.
* Along the same lines, some of EMA's songs can be angry
posted by cnc at 3:31 PM on March 4, 2015
Whoops, I totally misgendered the frontperson of Pookie and the Poodlez, they are great though!
posted by ITheCosmos at 3:41 PM on March 4, 2015
posted by ITheCosmos at 3:41 PM on March 4, 2015
G.L.O.S.S. IS SOOOOOOOO GOOD SECONDING G.L.O.S.S.
posted by Juliet Banana at 4:27 PM on March 4, 2015
posted by Juliet Banana at 4:27 PM on March 4, 2015
+1 for The Butchies, but, alas, they are no more. 3 is prolly their angriest album. Kaia Wilson! *swoon*
posted by missmary6 at 6:38 PM on March 4, 2015
posted by missmary6 at 6:38 PM on March 4, 2015
2nd'ing Shilpa Ray.
She doesn't necessarily create intensity via timbre or vocal quality (ala Brody/Distillers), but by sheer force of will, which I like.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 8:11 PM on March 4, 2015
She doesn't necessarily create intensity via timbre or vocal quality (ala Brody/Distillers), but by sheer force of will, which I like.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 8:11 PM on March 4, 2015
50 Foot Wave might be a bit garage rock for your tastes, but worth a shot, maybe?
posted by Sonny Jim at 10:50 PM on March 4, 2015
posted by Sonny Jim at 10:50 PM on March 4, 2015
How about DAZZLE VISION? They're Japanese metal.
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 5:34 PM on March 5, 2015
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 5:34 PM on March 5, 2015
Silent Lunch- a Durham-based band. Amazing lyrics. https://silentlunch.bandcamp.com/
posted by jacobnayar at 8:55 AM on July 5, 2015
posted by jacobnayar at 8:55 AM on July 5, 2015
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(Kittie. This got me through a LOT of high school. Not sure if they're LGBTQ or not, or indeed whether you can see them live, but might fit your other criteria.)
posted by fast ein Maedchen at 5:49 PM on March 3, 2015 [4 favorites]