Who Are Today’s Most Dangerous Women in Rock?
Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Mama Cass, Bonnie Raitt, Courtney Love, Joan Jett… These women rocked our lives. Like earthquakes. They were dangerous too!
Known for their forceful, unrefined, brazen, and (sometimes) intransigent attitudes. Their songs were often filled with excruciating pain… But the music that they brought us was so exciting… It was fierce with inner strength and filled with accurate determination. These women were fighters, winners and liberators. In a man’s world.
Here are seven of today’s most original, and most dangerous, female rock stars. These women are so strong — they leave men in the wilderness.
1: Masha Scream
Who Is She?
The über-talented Maria Arkhipova plays keyboards, acoustic guitars and all kinds of percussion instruments, in her band.
She is a total diva… Singing in her native language, she is the main songwriter for Arkona, which is a Russian pagan metal band.
Why so dangerous?
She is into Pagan Metal, Black Metal and Folk Metal.
She believes that there are no limits to her skills and she expects that nothing can (or ever will) hold her back when it comes to performance and composition.
She is emotional, uncontrollable and full of life-force and anger.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/arkonarussia
2: Doris Yeh
Who Is She?
Born in Taipei (Taipei City) Chthonic’s this Taiwanese 5-string bass-player Doris Yeh is known to her friends as “Thunder Tears”.
The band’s aim has been to raise awareness of the tragic events in Taiwan’s history.
The band takes its name from the ancient Greek term for ‘underworld.’
In addition to being a model and musician, Doris Yeh is also a human rights activist.
Why so dangerous?
Her sounds can be described as Extreme Metal, Death Metal.
This is all played thrash-fast and is blacker than the hangman’s hood. Doris is a prominent figure in promoting women’s rights.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/chthonictw/
3: Kim Gordon
Who Is She?
Another sharp bassist — Kim Gordon was a founding member of Sonic Youth.
This band explored a hardcore punk ethos during the American underground movement of the 1980’s.
The band is now on semi-permanent hiatus, and this has enabled Kim to focus on her visual arts.
Why so dangerous?
Her memories from a “Girl in a Band” revealed how she nurtured the band (and a daughter) without much help from any man. In a dishonest world.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kim-Gordon/
4: Taylor Momsen
Who Is She?
Taylor Momsen is a St. Louis, Missouri born rock singer and actor.
Raised a Catholic, she has Russian ancestry. One of the most recognizable voices in rock, you might know her better, though, as the super-bitch from Gossip Girl or the child star from Spy Kids 2 or The Grinch.
Although she is much happier when she is hitting the road with her gritty rock band. She fronts The Pretty Reckless. She is famous for her rigid performances which are almost always overwhelmingly claustrophobic (and include nudity, created just for shock-value.)
Why so dangerous?
The video for ‘Make Me Wanna Die’ (from the ‘Hit Me Like a Man’ recording) is set in a graveyard and shows Momsen stripping.
She likes to provoke and enrage and has suggested that she is an activist for female masturbation.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/theprettyreckless/
5: Peaches
Who Is She?
Peaches, aka Merrill Beth Nisker is a Canadian electronic musician (living in Berlin, Germany.) She sings about sex. A whole lot.
Her songs are known to ignore the rules of traditional gender and to be really very explicit. Her songs have been featured in films such as Lost in Translation and Mean Girls. She has worked with Pink, Christina Aguilera and Major Lazer (among many others.)
On the 2006 album “Impeach My Bush” Peaches managed to enlist a plethora of distinguished musician guests, including Joan Jett, Greg Kurstin, Josh Homme, Samantha Maloney, Beth Ditto and many others.
In 2006, Peaches posed for an anti-seal culling ad created for the campaign “Fur is dead” on behalf of PETA.
Why so dangerous?
Gender identity is one of the themes in Peaches’ music. She deliberately confuses the concepts of gender identity and often subverts gender roles.
Peaches also takes a stand against ageism.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/officialpeaches
6: Zola Jesus
Who Is She?
Nika Roza Danilova is a Russian-American raised in Merrill, Wisconsin known as Zola Jesus.
Her songs include influences from the experimental rock world and also industrial goth.
Right from the start of her career, her intention was to alienate and provoke.
She chose her stage name exactly because she knew that it would divide opinion.
She has said that she has been impressed with the sacrilegious effect that it has on people.
Her sounds incorporate post-punk ideas and ‘banshee’ style Kate Bush vocals. Although her performances are always unrestrained and urgent, critics have suggested that they are ‘an acquired taste.’
Her fifth studio album ‘Taiga’ is a mix of baroque pop, synth-pop and R&B and has been favourably received.
Why so dangerous?
A philosophy student, she has suggested that Schopenhauer provoked the acceptable face of suicide.
She is fascinated by the darker side of life and art and promotes her ideas through music.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/zolajesusofficial
7: Kathleen Hanna
Who Is She?
Kathleen Hanna is a Portland, Oregon musician, and was lead singer of the riot grrrl band Bikini Kill.
Her band’s label was ‘Kill Rock Stars’ — they broke-up in 1997.
She is notorious for her radical feminist views and her fervent performances.
Bikini Kill shunned major labels and mainstream press and collaborated with artists like Nirvana and Joan Jett.
Apparently Kathleen has been politicized since she was a little girl, attending rallies on feminism since the age of nine.
The revolutionary Bikini Kill album “Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah” (released in 1993 – it was ‘split’ with Brighton UK act Huggy Bear) contained the song “Rebel Girl” — considered to be one of rock’s finest songs.
Notoriously, Hann wrote “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on the wall of Cobain (ironically, as it happens,) so inspiring Nirvana’s 1991 hit.
Why so dangerous?
Throughout her career, Hanna has openly challenged authority in all its forms.
She has more or less driven the third wave of feminism in the U.S. And she is still actively campaigning on pro-choice issues.
She is famous for her many side-projects and currently operates a New York band called The Julie Ruin.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/thejulieruin
Words: @neilmach 2015 ©
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