Crushing on the Female Singer-Songwriter
There was a period between the late 80’s and early 90’s when I crushed hard on the girls.
It was a listening counterpoint to the overblown 80’s pop production, the male sweat and energy of Australian rock bands and my obsession with Robert Smith and The Cure — the female singer-songwriter. The crush really went deep in 1988. These three albums distinctly got under my skin : “Ancient Heart” by Tanita Tikaram, “Shooting Rubber Bands at the Stars” by Edie Brickel and “Short Sharp Shocked” by Michelle Shocked.
The albums were lyrically direct, fierce but melodic, produced with heart and my 17 year old self identified with the little story vignettes in all of them. Girls in mini dresses, provincial towns, running, chasing, getting wasted with friends, love, lust and the tension between traditional values and emancipation, freedom.
In the intervening decades I have explored so many genres, styles, production trends in music, Australian music first and foremost. There is something that still really grabs my guts about a great song written and performed by a woman.
Don’t get me wrong, my music library is heavy with so many brilliant blokes singing, harmonising, playing guitars and synths with every inch of blood, sweat, tears and testosterone they have.
There is something about the feminine experience, the common emotions, thoughts and desires that female artists seem to capture. I connect with them, almost effortlessly at times.
Now halfway through 2016 and I have just drifted across new music this year.
Not working at the front line of the music business anymore, music has to work that bit harder to get across my eyes and ears. Only the quality stuff gets felt in my guts and triggers those heart soaring emotions that I yearn for. Nothing was really grabbing me by the jugular this year — although kudos to great albums by Luke Daniel Peacock and Matt Corby, thank you gentlemen.
Curating my music library in this era of streaming feels like housekeeping and it is boring. Much like organising your phone photos and putting away the washing I dread the monotony. However, every few months I have to tidy up my random lists of “summer/winter/spring songs I like”, “new releases I like”, “songs for next road trip” or “need new exercise music”. It is on the To Do List after saving some treasured photos to a hard drive and purchasing socks and light bulbs.
Recently, the process made me notice the amazing songs by female artists that have hit the repeat list already in 2016. The following ten tracks are my highlights from the exceptional current crop of new music being made by a variety of immensely talented Australian women. All in control of their craft and know what they want to say and stand for. Respect.
My Top 10 Tracks by Australian Female artists so far in 2016
Emma Louise — Underflow (Little Dragon Remix)
Ngaiire — Diggin
Melody Pool — Love, She Loves Me
Montaigne — In the Dark
Abbe May — Are We Flirting?
Bree Tranter — Tuesday Fresh Cuts
Gordi — Wanting
Vera Blue — Settle
Alex the Astronaut — Half of 21st Street
Lisa Richards — Water
Click on this link to open the full list in your Spotify account.
Kudos ladies, thank you for the music and looking forward to your impending albums along with those by your peers that I loved from 2015 : Kira Puru, Thelma Plum, Airling, Adele Pickvance, Lucinda Shaw and many others I am yet to discover.
