Friday, March 03, 2023

La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special "There is Nothing Like a Dame" Edition

From 1980, please enjoy Wisconsin power pop sensations The Shivvers and a killer live version of their cult hit "Teen Line."

I discovered these guys well after the fact -- I think a reader turned me on to them circa 2012 -- but when I first heard them I fell really hard. God only knows why they're not household words, but singer Jill Kossoris has one of those voices that apparently I was genetically bred to dig; it's the sort of nasal white suburban early Sixties Top 40 sound you hear on records like Diane Renay's "Navy Blue." In any case, the band broke up in 1982, without achieving the success they clearly deserved; Kossoris seems to have made an album in Nashville in 2000 (which I haven't heard) and there's an after the fact CD collecting everything they ever recorded which you can get at Amazon OVER HERE.

But now to business. To wit...

...and the most interesting pop/rock band ever fronted by a biologically female singer is...?

Discuss. (And don't gimme any of that Brandi Carlisle shit, because I don't wanna hear it.)

Have a great weekend, everybody!

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23 comments:

  1. Allan Rosenberg3/03/2023 8:10 AM

    This one is a tie between:

    Blood Oranges: who were co-fronted by Cheri Knight

    and

    Crash Vegas: fronted by Michelle McAdorey.

    Both were wonderful singers, songwriters and never achieved the success in their bands and solo careers they deserved.

    Crash Vegas- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSm7KInT8Ps

    Blood Oranges- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHs7HD3e7gU

    Hopefully these examples will convince you to explore their/her music further.

    Captain Al (the hopeless romantic)

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  2. Anonymous3/03/2023 8:54 AM

    Sleater/Kinney? Or are they too dark for ‘power pop?’

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  3. edward3/03/2023 9:20 AM

    Pretenders
    Siouxsie and the Banshees
    Tru Fax and the Insaniacs (shout out to DC friends)
    The Slits

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  4. Shriner3/03/2023 9:22 AM

    The Pretenders, natch. Chrissie Hynde fascinates me.

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  5. steve simels3/03/2023 9:32 AM

    I was just about to say -- what, no love for the Pretenders?

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  6. paulinca3/03/2023 9:35 AM

    Do the Bangles count? Susanna Hoffs is beguiling...
    That said, Chrissie Hynde is the Queen.

    paulinca

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  7. John K3/03/2023 9:43 AM

    The Corner Laughers.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yellow Dog3/03/2023 9:55 AM

    My personal favorite is Patti Smyth and Scandal (no, not The Warrior with its ridiculous video). Truly great rock & roll voice.

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  9. Phil Cheese3/03/2023 10:44 AM

    Well, Janice did a good job for Big Brother & Holding Company, as did Grace for Jefferson Airplane, Katrina for The Waves, and Karen Matheson for Capercaillie, to mention a few more worthy standouts.

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  10. mistah charley, sb, ma, phd, jsps3/03/2023 11:18 AM

    https://loveriot.bandcamp.com/album/heaven-can-wait

    lisa mathews of baltimore band love riot - i went to a performance of theirs, wrote a fan letter, she answered, we never communicated again - but she has a linked in page now and is still working in music

    life goes on

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  11. JB3/03/2023 12:44 PM

    Ann Wilson of Heart. Saw her a number of times, with and without Heart. The pipes are strong with this one.

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  12. Sharon E. Cathcart3/03/2023 1:00 PM

    Big Brother and the Holding Company. <3 Janis Joplin

    For nostalgia more than anything else, The Runaways. I love "Cherry Bomb."

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  13. BG3/03/2023 1:11 PM

    Shirley Manson of Garbage. Thin voice but perfect for them.

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  14. MJConroy3/03/2023 2:03 PM

    Lots of good suggestions so far.
    Chrissie Hynde rules!

    Newcomers Dea Matrona deserve a mention.
    And despite Steve's misgivings, I always liked Fanny.

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  15. MJConroy3/03/2023 2:21 PM

    Oh yeah, forgot Shocking Blue.
    https://youtu.be/jk2gUGNSLew

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  16. cthulhu3/03/2023 4:32 PM

    The Pretenders, obviously. Chrissie Hynde’s vocal vibrato is second only to the late great Ronnie Spector in the pop/rock era.

    Others…

    Til Tuesday was great, but I prefer Aimee Mann’s solo work, especially Bachelor No. 2, The Forgotten Arm, and @#%&*! Smilers.

    Alison Mosshart is a great frontwoman for the Kills and the Dead Weather.

    For some more recent bands, I love the energy and attitude of the Regrettes and their leader Lydia Night, and when I saw the Who late last year, a terrific British band, the Wild Things, fronted by a powerhouse named Sydney Rae White, opened and played a tight and engaging set - and they definitely fit in the powerpop category!

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  17. steve simels3/03/2023 4:51 PM

    What -- no love for Holly and the Italians?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shYf4x7PWg4

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  18. Alzo3/03/2023 7:03 PM

    What -- no love for L7?

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  19. Marc3/03/2023 10:36 PM

    Surprised no one has mentioned Blondie - so I'll go ahead and nominate them.

    Marc

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  20. Anonymous3/04/2023 6:44 PM

    The Pretenders (for sure)

    The Patti Smith Group (ditto)

    Those Darlins (who deserved a wider audience)

    Big Brother is technically also a fit for this category.


    Vince

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  21. Anonymous3/04/2023 6:52 PM

    How did i forget the Dollyrots!?

    They deserve a Powerpop article all by themselves.

    Vince

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  22. Mark3/06/2023 7:09 PM

    For me, Dorothy Moskowitz is number one. Grace Slick is two, but once the Airplane turned into later iterations, fuhgeddaboutit.

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  23. Alzo3/10/2023 11:31 PM

    Good Lord, it took me a week to remember Elastica!

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