This Woman's Work
happy women's history month!
My lovely and talented girlfriend, who is also a regular reader of this newsletter, suggested a topic for the last day of the month. In honor of Women’s History Month, how about a celebration of bands fronted by women? Naturally, I couldn’t resist. You may or may have not noticed, but I do make an effort to highlight women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ artists whenever possible, or at least to set off the media’s over-strong focus on straight white men.
Modern rock music specifically owes at least part of its existence to one woman in particular. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was one of the first if not the first instrumental virtuosos to combine gospel music with African-derived polyrhythms and jazz influences to create a distinctly rocking take on rhythm and blues. She was one of the pioneers of guitar distortion, cranking an amplifier to beyond its natural limits and producing a creamy, hazy sound that inspired future rockers by the handful.
Sister Rosetta has the distinction of being a trailblazer in many regards: as a queer woman of color, she broke down doors left and right. Although she was not able to live openly with her partner (both musically and romantically) Marie Knight during her period of highest popularity, those in the music business understood that she had relationships with both men and women. Tharpe and Knight toured throughout the 1940’s as co-bandleaders of a combined gospel and R&B revue.
Her music was a direct influence on such luminaries as Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, and Chuck Berry. She was the first prominent artist to champion the three-pickup version of the Gibson SG after Les Paul declaimed it as an inferior version of his own signature guitar, and there is now an entire collection of Gibson memorabilia in her honor.
Her most popular song during her lifetime was 1945’s “Strange Things Happening Every Day”, a traditional spiritual recorded in her own inimitable style. It was the first gospel record to cross over to the “race records” chart, the precursor to the modern R&B charts. Listen below:
Her most lasting song in terms of historical value, though, is 1944’s “Down By The Riverside”, which now has a home in the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry for its influence on all manner of future musicians. When you listen to this, you can hear the building blocks for R&B, hip-hop, rock and roll, and even heavy metal. Take a listen here:
After that brief history lesson, let’s make our way to the list. I’ve selected ten female-fronted bands that deserve recognition. They are presented in no particular order, and do not represent a ranking of any kind. I’ve attempted to highlight artists who I believe need more exposure to the wider public, so I’ve avoided clichéd choices like Heart, the Pretenders, Hole, or Paramore. I’ve also chosen what I believe to be a representative work rather than what I perceive as their “best” song. Let’s get started with our first artist.
A. Mother’s Finest
Mother’s Finest has been an Atlanta institution for the past fifty years, although they’ve seen the majority of their commercial success overseas. Vocalists Joyce “Baby Jean” Kennedy and Glenn “Doc” Murdock began performing together in 1970 after their own solo careers went off course. They formed Mother’s Finest that year, envisioning a band that played funk, rock, gospel, metal, and everything in between, backed by musicians chosen for their skill rather than their race or gender. Jerry “Wyzard” Seay (bass), Gary “Moses Mo” Moore (guitar), Mike Keck (keyboards), and Sanford “Pepe” Daniels (drums) formed the original lineup, while later iterations included Kennedy and Murdock’s son Dion Derek Murdock on drums and John “Red Devil” Hayes on guitar. They’ve opened for AC/DC, the Who, and Aerosmith, while band members have made appearances on albums for Molly Hatchet, Stevie Nicks, and even Georgia’s own Jackyl. The story on Mother’s Finest has always been “too black for white radio, too white for black radio”, and while that’s deeply unfair to all involved, it does represent the narrowmindedness of your average station programmer. Go on YouTube and find all of the live performances you can; they’re definitely worth your time. Mother’s Finest are the rare band that doesn’t show their age in concert. Here’s a relatively recent show from the Buckhead Theater as proof:
B. Meet Me @ The Altar
The newest band on this list, Meet Me at The Altar released their full-length debut only this month. Formed through an online partnership in 2015 by New Jerseyan drummer Ada Juarez and Floridian guitarist/bassist Téa Campbell, the band came to its current incarnation in 2017 after an open call for vocalists. Georgia’s own Edith Victoria responded with a cover of Paramore’s “All I Wanted”, and the rest is history. They began composing songs via text message, trading snippets of melodies and vocal parts through iMessage attachments. Prior to their first live performance, they hadn’t ever been all in the same room at the same time, nor had they ever played together. MM@TA built a social media following, and attracted famous fans in the form of The Wonder Years frontman Dan Campbell and All Time Low bandleader Alex Gaskarth. They put a bug in the ear of famed pop-punk label Fueled By Ramen, who signed the group in 2020. After three EPs, their first full album Past // Present // Future came out in March 2023, buoyed by several notable singles like “Say It (To My Face)” above. MM@TA is smashing through stereotypes, as the first notable pop-punk band formed entirely by women of color, two of whom identify as queer. Their music is catchy, hooky, and infectious pop-punk with a decided emphasis on the pop half of the equation. Their stated goal is to be the biggest band in the world and they just might pull it off.
C. Rising Appalachia
Atlantan sisters Chloe Smith and Leah Song formed the folk and world music group Rising Appalachia almost by accident. Raised in a musical family with jazz and folk musician Jan Smith as their mother, they recorded an album as “Leah and Chloe” in 2005 that was meant solely as a limited pressing gift for immediate family and friends. The response was so overwhelming that the sisters were convinced to produce a wide release version and officially form Rising Appalachia. They moved to New Orleans where they began busking and incorporating a more expansive array of music styles into their rootsy folk, including jazz, hip-hop, and especially world music. After a brief name change to R.I.S.E., they continued exploring different avenues of expression while combining their passion for activism over the next decade. Each of them has worked for a variety of causes, including indigenous rights, homelessness, food justice, and human rights movements across the continent. The way they blend their influences while staying true to their north star of intimate, almost tender folk is inspirational.
D. Quarterflash
Portland, Orgeon’s own Quarterflash was born in 1980 when Orinda “Rindy” Ross (vocals/saxophone) and Marv Ross (guitars) combined their band Seafood Mama with another Portland band called Pilot. The new joint endeavor built on the local momentum Seafood Mama had with their single “Harden My Heart" to sign with Geffen Records. Seafood Mama’s popularity in the Portland area was substantial enough to have a KOIN-TV special of their own, seen here:
Their self-titled debut was an instant success, selling over a million copies. Another television special was tape in Portland in October of 1981, as seen here:
Quarterflash’s follow-up album Take Another Picture came out in 1983, with slightly diminished results. The re-recorded version of “Harden My Heart” from their debut remained their biggest single. A third album (Back Into Blue) and yet another live video followed, with a distinctly softer and radio-ready sound:
The album was seen as a flop, and Geffen Records dropped the group. The Rosses reconvened in 1991, having dismissed the rest of the band and hired session musicians to complete Girl in the Wind. Due to the ever-popular record label politics, it wasn’t a success and didn’t even have an official American release. Rindy and Marv then transitioned to other musical endeavors, including a partnership with the Oregon state government to promote the Oregon Trail’s 150th anniversary. They used the name Quarterflash sporadically, but retired the band name in 2019.
E. Echosmith
I’ve included their biggest (and to date, only) hit above for posterity, but the members of Echosmith are more than a one-hit wonder. The Sierota family of Chino, California learned how to play multiple instruments each before settling into a general format of singer and keyboardist Sydney, singer and guitarist Jamie, bassist Noah, and drummer Graham, helped along by their father/manager/frequent co-writer Jeffrey. Their music is a meticulously crafted sum of their influences, including U2, the Killers, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Fleetwood Mac in their more synth-heavy incarnations. With the assistance of their father and backing from the finest production team Warner Bros. Records could offer, they released their debut single “Cool Kids” in 2013 off of their first album Talking Dreams, Although it wasn’t a huge hit upon its release, the song’s undeniable catchiness bubbled under, leading to a sleeper hit the next year. As a relatively unique construction (female lead singer of a family band), Echosmith was a hard sell for follow-ups, and label politics were not their friend. Their second studio album was shelved for years, and eventually made its way to the public in a heavily modified version in 2020. Reducing Echosmith to just one song is entirely too reductive, though. Take a moment to listen to some of their other material, like “Love You Better” below.
F. Alabama Shakes
There’s nothing to do in Athens, Alabama. Or at least that’s how Brittany Howard saw it as a young woman born and raised in the town. Her African-American father and English-Irish mother lived in a junkyard on the edge of town, alongside her sister Jaime. Tragedy struck her life early, as Jaime died of retinoblastoma when Brittany was ten; her parents divorced soon afterwards. Brittany went partially blind herself when she suffered from the same form of cancer. Her primary outlet was music; Jaime had taught her to play piano and write poetry before passing. She picked up a guitar at eleven, becoming proficient enough to play in local bands by the time she was in high school. Howard met bassist Zac Cockrell in psychology class, and she knew guitarist Heath Fogg from the twice a week jam sessions she held at her house throughout her adolescence. They teamed up with drummer Steve Johnson and began making bedroom demos thanks to a lack of other things to do in their relatively small (population ~20,000) town. Taking the first opportunity possible to get out of the town, the newly named Alabama Shakes toured around the south and built a name while working day jobs; Howard worked for the USPS during this time (shout out to my dude Harpo who also carries the postal torch high). The band developed a soulful style closer to the Muscle Shoals, Stax, and FAME ideal than the smooth Motown sound, reflecting the diversity of their influences and their local flavor. That’s not to say their music is rooted in the past; especially on later albums they demonstrate a flair for a wide variety of genres including jazz, punk, and psychedelia. The star of the show is Howard’s incredibly potent voice, dripping with sincerity and emotion. Her ability to go from a full-throated scream to a choked whisper in the same bar is startling and refreshing. Her status as a BIPOC lesbian from the south is reflected in her strong viewpoint as a composer and lyricist, revealing a perspective often overlooked by the wider American media. Her live performances are worth watching, even in a small intimate setting like NPR’s Tiny Desk series. Watch below:
G. Scandal
Despite only producing fifteen total songs during their heyday, Scandal featuring Patty Smyth evoke an entire genre of music singlehandedly. That particular brand of super-shiny catchy synthed-out pop rock brings to mind pastel jackets, boat shoes, and skinny ties, all in slightly washed out VHS glory. Formed in New York City in 1981, the members of Scandal quickly made a name with their music and the image of Smyth in the most haute of couture for the modern Eighties woman. Their success was shortlived, however, as the ever-popular “record label politics” reared its ugly head and the band disintegrated. During their time as a going concern, only one five song EP and one full length album were released, all featuring the same lineup of Zack Smith (guitar), Keith Mack (guitar), Benjy King (keyboards), and Ivan Elias (bass). Between the two releases, drummer Frankie LaRocka was replaced with veteran session drummer Thommy Price, while a young Jon Bongiovi was briefly hired as a guitarist. (More cultured listeners might recognize Bon Jovi’s birth name.) Several abbreviated attempts were made at reunions, but none stuck until VH1 got the surviving members back together for their Bands Reunited show in 2004. (Ivan Elias had passed away from cancer in 1995.) Afterwards, they sporadically played shows, shedding members until Smyth and Mack were the only remaining original members. Rumors of new music have made the rounds, but nothing has emerged as of yet.
H. Against Me!
It is the official position of this newsletter and this author that trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary people are valid in their identities. (Certain state and federal legislatures be damned.) Now that that’s out of the way:
Against Me! was founded in 1997 in Florida by Laura Jane Grace, a singer and guitarist who had just emerged from several other imploding bands. After several demos, EPs, and limited release works, their first album Reinventing Axl Rose came out in 2002 from No Idea Records. Immediately hailed by critics as a milestone in folk punk and non-traditional punk at large, the band went on to sign with Fat Wreck Chords and release The Eternal Cowboy in 2003. This was followed up by 2005’s Searching for a Former Clarity in 2005, their first album to chart on the Billboard 200. After struggling with label owner Fat Mike over creative direction for that concept album, Grace moved the band to Sire Records for 2007’s New Wave. This move led to allegations of “selling out”, which irked Grace to no end, and continued her dissatisfaction with the greater “punk” movement. The next Against Me! album was 2010’s White Crosses, which pivoted further into new musical territory. Afterwards the band went on an unplanned hiatus owing to Grace’s founding of her own record label Total Treble Music and her transition. 2014’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues is, frankly, a masterpiece that transcends musical definition to explore raw emotions and confront the inner critic in all of us. There is blood and sweat in every note and every lyric. Audiences responded, too, as it debuted at number 23 on the Billboard 200, the band’s highest chart position to date. Against Me!’s latest release is 2016’s Shape Shift with Me, continuing the exploration of new sounds and new directions with influences from new wave and post punk, while also incorporating spoken word pieces. Laura Jane Grace’s other band Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers released Bought to Rot in 2018, after she decided the songs didn’t fit her vision of Against Me!, while her solo album debut Still Alive came out in 2020 as a surprise after the COVID-19 pandemic meant she was unable to record an album with the full band. The band remains on an indefinite hiatus due to conflicting schedules and ongoing pandemic-related concerns.
I. Stand Atlantic
Hailing from Sydney, NSW, Australia, Stand Atlantic is one of the bands at the forefront of the pop punk revival. Founded in 2012 as “What It’s Worth” by vocalist and guitarist Bonnie Fraser and guitarist Arthur Ng, the band put out their first EP Catalyst in 2013 before changing to their current moniker in 2014. A second EP titled A Place Apart came out in 2015 after a lineup change where drummer Jordan Jansons left to be replaced by Jonno Panichi. This lineup recorded a super fun cover of Ariana Grande (!), as heard here:
They signed with landmark alternative and pop-punk label Rude Records in 2017, releasing a third EP Sidewinder that year after the departure of Ng. Ng would be replaced by incumbent bassist David Potter, who would in turn be replaced by Miki Rich. Stand Atlantic’s first full-length album Skinny Dipping came out in 2018 on legendary pop-punk label Hopeless Records, followed by Pink Elephant in 2020 and F.E.A.R. in 2022. Elephant reached number 23 on the Australian charts, while F.E.A.R. hit number 10 and was nominated for Australian Album of the Year at the J Awards. Stand Atlantic do a fantastic job of merging their influences (Blink-182, The Story So Far, MCR, and Taking Back Sunday) with newer poppier sources so that the band sounds fresh and new while honoring the traditions of the pop-punk genre.
J. Stone the Crows
We close with a classic band, and one of the first prominent rock bands with a woman as the frontperson. Formed in 1969 in Glasgow, blues-rockers Stone the Crows were the brainchild of lead singer Maggie Bell and guitarist Les Harvey after they were introduced by Alex Harvey, Les’s brother. (For those of you unfamiliar with Alex Harvey, fix that quickly.) Beginning their life as a band under the name Power, the band were adopted as clients by famed music manager Peter Grant, who upon seeing the group perform exclaimed “stone the crows!”. Bell and Harvey were joined by bassist James Dewar, keyboardist John McGinnis and drummer Colin Allen. Stone the Crows and Ode to John Law both came out in 1970, after which Dewar and McGinnis left to be replaced by keyboardist Ronnie Leahy and bassist Steve Thompson. Two more albums came out in the next two years, 1971’s Teenage Licks and 1972’s Ontinuous Performance. This last album reached number 33 on the UK album charts, but the band encounter tragedy during its recording. At a show in Swansea in May 1972, guitarist and lead songwriter Les Harvey was accidentally electrocuted on stage by faulty wiring, dying on arrival at the hospital. He was replaced by future Wings member Jimmy McCulloch, but the band could not continue for long without its creative center. By June 1973, the members of Stone the Crows had gone their separate ways. Maggie Bell went on to a solo career under Grant’s management, but never reached the same heights of commercial success or critical acclaim as she did with Stone the Crows.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this spotlight on female fronted bands in popular music. If you’ve liked this piece, please let me know by leaving a comment or subscribing. I take requests for future articles, and not just from my girlfriend. If you have a topic you want to see covered, let me know in the comments below or by harassing me on social media. If there’s a platform, I’m probably on there. Visit my Linktree for more information.