I blame it all on Wet Leg. Since they conquered the world from their Chaise Longue in 2021, "indie" girl bands have become much more exciting than "indie" boy bands. To be fair, with a few noteworthy exceptions, the lads have been pretty dull for a decade or so - the "Landfill indie" movement of the early noughties was mostly a masculine affair, so good on the ladies for stepping up to show the lads how it should be done.
Today, it seems like we finally have an equal gender playing field when it comes to making noisy guitar music. Makes you realise what outliers and pioneers the likes of Debbie Harry and Chrissie Hynde really were. Here are some of my favourite songs made by noisy young women his year...
English Teacher - Nearly Daffodils
Let's start with a band I've already seen crop up on a few other End of Year lists... which almost makes me feel like I have my finger on my pulse. English Teacher initially came to my attention because they'd chosen to name themselves after me. How could I not listen to their records? If you are thinking of starting a band next year, can I suggest calling yourself Failed Writer or Shit Fashion Sense or Miserable Bastard? I'll be there in the front row.
Even better, Lily Fontaine, who fronts English Teacher, was born in Huddersfield. Putting her right up there with Jodie Whittaker and James Mason in my estimation.
This is the best thing English Teacher put out this year. I have high hopes for their imminent LP.
7ebra are Inez and Ella Johannson, 25-year-old twin sisters from Malmö, Sweden. They're the point of the Venn diagram where Wet Leg overlap with First Aid Kit. I Have A Lot To Say is one of the best songs I've heard all year. That the rest of their debut album couldn't quite live up to it isn't really their fault. Sometimes you write a song that's so good, nothing else can come close.
Skipping across to Germany now, where we meet the charming Ms. Anna Erhard...
Anna Erhard - Picnic at the Seaside
From Abba to Nena to Vanessa Paradis, there's definitely something about women who sing with European accents. I think it taps into the mythical "Exchange Student" fantasies that we had as teenagers. Not that I remember ever meeting an exchange student. And if I had, I wouldn't have dared talk to them.
Anyway, Anna Erhard writes songs about campsites and picnics and guest rooms and idiots - everyday things from an idiosyncratic point of view. She's only released one song this year (the one above is from her 2022 album), but it was enough to make me grin for at least three minutes and fifteen seconds...
The Beaches come from Toronto. They're not exactly a new band as I'm pretty sure I remember listening to their debut LP in 2017. It's taken the six years to release a follow up, but, y'know, the world did rather fall apart during that time.
They also win the My Top Ten award for best inspirational slogan of 2023...
Those guys are just the tip of the iceberg though. Lately, every time I switch on the tube of you, I find it's recommending me an exciting new female fronted rock 'n' roll band. Blame the algorithms. (Steve For The Deaf has also been responsible for alerting me to many of these.)
Coach Party - All I Wanna Do Is Hate
Crawlers - Would You Come To My Funeral?
Bugeye - Dancing Out In The Dark
However, the female-fronted band I'm most excited about hearing a proper record from in 2024 is probably these guys.
The Last Dinner Party - Sinner
They're a little bit goth and a little bit Kate Bush but they can also rock it out like the kids used to do before they discovered drum machines. I also think they may be familiar with the work of Jim Steinman.
Over the past few months, The Last Dinner Party have swiftly become darlings of the cognoscenti, to the point where it almost feels like I should be rebelling against them, because it's never cool to like what the cool kids are telling you to like. But as long as they keep delivering singles like this one... I can't help but be swept along with the crowd.
Lots to explore there.
ReplyDeleteThat last number sounds like a raunchy follow up to The Day Before You Came!
You just caused me to reinterpret that title as never before...
DeleteNot convinced at all by The Last Dinner Party.
ReplyDelete7ebra featured recently on TVV as part of Martin's round-up of the Best of Swedish Music 2023....not the song you've offered u, which is an absolute belter of a tune.
I only picked up on Coach Party from The Robster's end of year recommendations. I've bought the debut album on vinyl, and everything that came prior to that I picked up digitally via Bandcamp. They are excellent.