Women Rule -- Part Deux

Speaking of abysmal pop stars I forgot to mention the Spice Girls. Perhaps it's because they've settled into the obscurity they deserve, but according to Carol Sarler, girls and women are still suffering from both their heinous music and the image they foisted upon us.

However, Maulleigh reminded me that there still are women out there writing great music and playing instruments. Sure, they might not be in the current airplay rotation, but they're out there.

It reminded me of my favorite Fiona Apple song, from her first album which is pure brilliance:

Never Is A Promise

You'll never see the courage I know
Its colors' richness won't appear within your view
I'll never glow the way that you glow
Your presence dominates the judgements made on you

But as the scenery grows I see in different lights
The shades and shadows undulate in my perception
My feelings swell and stretch I see from greater heights
I understand what I am still to proud to mention, to you

You'll say you understand
But you don't understand
You'll say you'll never give up seeing eye to eye
But never is a promise and you can't afford to lie

You'll never touch these things that I hold
The skin of my emotions lies beneath my own
You'll never feel the heat of this soul
My fever burns me deeper than I've ever shown to you

You'll say "don't fear your dreams"
It's easier than it seems
You'll say you'd never let me fall from hopes so high
But never is a promise and you can't afford to lie

You'll never live this life that I live
I'll never live the life that wakes me in the night
You'll never hear the message I give
You'll say it looks as though I might give up this fight

But as the scenery grows I see in different lights
The shades and shadows undulate in my perception
My feelings swell and stretch I see from greater heights
I realize what I am now too smart to mention, to you

You'll say you understand
You'll never understand
I'll say I'll never wake up knowing how or why
I don't know what to believe in
You don't know who I am
You'll say I need appeasing when I start to cry
But never is a promise and I'll never need a lie

I do consider myself a feminist -- because all that means to me is that we have equal value in this world as men do -- despite what our culture constantly tells us. Women are more than their fuckability, their ability to make and raise babies, or keep their house clean.

This blog isn't about women's rights or feminism, though. It's about my opinions of the quality of music out there. Unfortunately, there is sometimes a juxtoposition I cannot ignore.

The music that great and talented women make is often ignored or looked over in favor for sub-par music put out (mostly written by men) by these manufactured sex-dolls. Plenty of talented male musicians are looked over for pure crap, too, but for the females it seems to have reached some sort of heinous critical mass.

This is what I will listen to:

PJ Harvey
Ani DiFranco
Aimee Mann
Lucinda Williams
Allison Krauss & Union Station
Fiona Apple
Joan Osborne (her album of covers is awesome)
Joni Mitchell
Rickie Lee Jones
Cesaria Evora
Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet's awesome "Under The Covers Vol. 1"

and the usual rotation of Motown, Rolling Stones, Tom Waits, old Van Halen, and Neil Young.

I'm willing to listen to any decent suggestions, too, as I'm banning radio.