AF 2021 IN REVIEW: Our Favorite Albums & Singles of The Year

If you went into 2021 with high expectations, you weren’t alone. Even if it was hard to feel optimistic this time last year, it certainly seemed as if things could get no worse. Live music did return, after all – though with the appearance of Delta, and now Omicron, the joyful noise comes with a caveat. After sixteen months of having to livestream shows (fun, but not the same) little could stop me from attending shows in person; wearing a mask as an extra precaution felt like no big deal, even if no one else was doing it. But luck (and vaccines) feel like the real reason I emerged unscathed from dozens of risky experiences, and with performances on the horizon canceled once again, maybe it’s wise to enter 2022 with slightly lower expectations.

There’s always recorded music, anyhow. Maybe the tumult of the year just has me personally feeling a bit unfocused, but it seems as though I barely scaled the mountain of this year’s musical offerings without getting a bit buried in the avalanche of releases – ones that had been pushed back, ones that were created in lockdown. I’ll be playing catch up well into the new year, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t gems I connected with almost immediately, and very deeply. And that’s what I’ve heard across the board, from those in the industry as well as casual music fans – is that our favorites this year stayed on heavy rotation, as we latched onto music that accurately reflected our moods, which evolved moment to moment and of course happened to be different for all of us at any given time. What does that mean for year-end lists? Audiofemme has always compiled an eclectic list, including favorites from each of our contributors without overall rank – consider any repeats to be the best of the best. But this year, the list seems even more diverse, meaning there’s a wealth of weird and wonderful music below to discover, dear reader. Thanks for sticking with us through another wild year.

EDITOR LISTS

Marianne White (Executive Director)
- Top 10 Albums:
  1) PinkPantheress – to hell with it
  2) Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime
  3) Low – Hey What
  4) Jazmine Sullivan – Heaux Tales
  5) Julien Baker – Little Oblivions
  6) Dawn Richard – Second Line: An Electro Revival
  7) Indigo De Souza – Any Shape You Take
  8) aya – im hole
  9) Flock of Dimes – Head of Roses
  10) Tyler, the Creator – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
- Top 5 Singles:
  1) Japanese Breakfast – “Be Sweet”
  2) Loraine James (feat. Eden Samara) – “Running Like That”
  3) Hand Habits – “More Than Love”
  4) Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – “Like I Used To”
  5) Julien Baker – “Faith Healer (Half Waif Remix)”

Lindsey Rhoades (Editor-in-Chief)
- Top 10 Albums:
  1) Low – Hey What
  2) Tirzah – Colourgrade
  3) Nana Yamato – Before Sunrise
  4) Emma Ruth Rundle – Engine of Hell
  5) Jane Weaver – Flock
  6) Tonstartssbandht – Petunia
  7) Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams
  8) Squirrel Flower – Planet (i)
  9) Veik – Surrounding Structures
  10) Cassandra Jenkins – An Overview on Phenomenal Nature
- Top 10 Singles:
  1) Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – “Like I Used To”
  2) Special Interest – “All Tomorrow’s Carry”
  3) Squid – “G.S.K.”
  4) Julien Baker – “Bloodshot”
  5) Mandy, Indiana – “Bottle Episode”
  6) Remember Sports – “Pinky Ring”
  7) Cedric Noel – “Comuu”
  8) Gustaf – “Mine”
  9) June Jones – “Therapy”
  10) MAN ON MAN – “Stohner”

Mandy Brownholtz (Marketing Director)
- Top 5 Albums (in no particular order):
  Spellling – The Turning Wheel
  King Woman – Celestial Blues
  Macy Rodman – Unbelievable Animals
  Marissa Nadler – The Path of the Clouds
  Kinlaw – The Tipping Scale
- Top 3 Singles (in no particular order):
  Often – “Deep Sleep”
  Mannequin Pussy – “Control”
  Spice – “A Better Treatment”

STAFF LISTS

Alexa Peters (Playing Seattle)
- Top 10 Albums:
  1) Wye Oak – Cut All The Wires: 2009-2011
  2) Dori Freeman – Ten Thousand Roses
  3) Isaiah Rashad – The House Is Burning
  4) Fawn Wood – Kåkike
  5) Carmen Q. Rothwell – Don’t Get Comfy / Nowhere
- Honorable Mention: Mike Gebhart – Co-Pilot
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) Doja Cat (feat. SZA) – “Kiss Me More”
  2) Mitski – “Working for the Knife”
  3) DoNormaal – “Baby May”

Cat Woods (Playing Melbourne)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) Deap Vally – Marriage
  2) Mod Con – Modern Condition
  3) Laura Stevenson – Laura Stevenson
  4) Joan As Police Woman – The Solution is Restless
  5) Black Country, New Road – For the first time
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) Black Country, New Road – “Sunglasses”
  2) Lana Del Rey – “Dealer”
  3) jennylee – “Tickles”

Liz Ohanesian (Contributor)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) Hackedepicciotto — The Silver Threshold
  2) Saint Etienne — I’ve Been Trying to Tell You
  3) L’impératrice — Take Tsubo
  4) Pearl and the Oysters— Flowerland
  5) Nuovo Testamento — New Earth
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) Midnight Magic – “Beam Me Up”
  2) Jessie Ware – “Please”
  3) Gabriels – “Love and Hate in a Different Time (Kerri Chandler Remix)”

Gillian G. Gaar (Musique Boutique)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) Dolphin Midwives — Body of Water
  2) Sarah McQuaid — The St. Buryan Sessions
  3) Low — Hey What
  4) Witch Camp — I’ve Forgotten Now Who I Used to Be
  5) Full Bush — Movie Night
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) Maggie Herron — “Sweet Lullaby”
  2) Sleater-Kinney — “High in the Grass”
  3) ONETWOTHREE — “Give Paw”

Jason Scott (Contributor)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) Jetty Bones – Push Back
  2) M.A.G.S. – Say Things That Matter
  3) Lyndsay Ellyn – Queen of Nothing
  4) Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed
  5) Christian Lopez – The Other Side
- Top 5 Singles:
  1) Hayes Carll – “Help Me Remember”
  2) Jake Wesley Rogers – “Middle of Love”
  3) Adele – “To Be Loved”
  4) Carly Pearce – “What He Didn’t Do”
  5) Kacey Musgraves – “what doesn’t kill me”

Michelle Rose (Contributor)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) Alex Orange Drink – Everything Is Broken, Maybe That’s O.K.
  2) Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever
  3) Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed
  4) Magdalena Bay – Mercurial World
  5) Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) Blonder – “Ice Cream Girl”
  2) Mitski – “The Only Heartbreaker”
  3) Kristiane – “Better On Your Own”

Victoria Moorwood (Playing Cincy)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) Polo G – Hall of Fame
  2) Benny the Butcher & Harry Fraud – The Plugs I Met 2
  3) Megan Thee Stallion – Something For Thee Hotties
  4) Pooh Shiesty – Shiesty Sessions
  5) blackbear – misery lake
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) Benny the Butcher & Harry Fraud – “Thanksgiving”
  2) Lil Nas X (feat. Jack Harlow) – “INDUSTRY BABY”
  3) 24kGoldn (feat. Future) – “Company”

Jamila Aboushaca (Contributor)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed
  2) Snoh Aalegra – Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies
  3) Lil Nas X – Montero
  4) Darkside – Spiral
  5) Blu DeTiger – How Did We Get Here EP
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) Kaytranada (feat. H.E.R.) – “Intimidated”
  2) Kacey Musgraves – “simple times”
  3) Snoh Aalegra – “In Your Eyes”

Sophia Vaccaro (Playing the Bay)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) Aly & AJ – A Touch of the Beat Gets You Up on Your Feet Gets You Out and Then Into the Sun
  2) Julia Wolf – Girls in Purgatory (Full Moon Edition)
  3) Megan Thee Stallion – Something For Thee Hotties
  4) Lil Mariko – Lil Mariko
  5) Destroy Boys – Open Mouth, Open Heart
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) daine – “dainecore”
  2) Julia Wolf – “Villain”
  3) Doja Cat – “Need To Know”

Sam Weisenthal (Contributor)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) Indigo De Souza – Any Shape You Take
  2) Katy Kirby – Cool Dry Place
  3) Mega Bog – Life, and Another
  4) Ada Lea – one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden
  5) Olivia Kaplan – Tonight Turns to Nothing
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) Charlotte Cornfield – “Drunk For You”
  2) Dora Jar – “Multiply”
  3) Joe Taylor Sutkowski, Dirt Buyer – “What Luck, Goodbye”

Sara Barron (Playing Detroit)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) PinkPantheress – to hell with it
  2) Summer Walker – Still Over It
  3) Erika de Casier – Sensational
  4) Jazmine Sullivan – Heaux Tales
  5) Adele – 30
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) Lana Del Rey – “Dealer”
  2) Liv.e – “Bout It”
  3) SZA – “I Hate U”

Eleanor Forrest (Contributor)
- Top 5 Albums:
  1) Arlo Parks – Collapsed in Sunbeams
  2) CL – ALPHA
  3) My Life As Ali Thomas – Peppermint Town
  4) Halsey – If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power
  5) Remember Sports – Like a Stone
- Top 3 Singles:
  1) FKA twigs (feat. Central Cee) – “Measure of a Man”
  2) Sabriel – “Pulse”
  3) Lexie Liu – “有吗炒面 ALGTR”

Punk Rock Memoirs To Inspire A Fearless, Creative Life

January is not necessarily going to be the big refreshing escape from the year we’ve had, going by the news and the pandemic numbers. It won’t be the celebratory holidays we may have anticipated months ago. But what hasn’t changed, and what may bring some comfort, is that January is always prime reading time. That brief window – for most of us – between work ending in 2020 and starting up again in 2021 is just enough to get through at least one or two juicy reads that give you the energy and inspiration to return to work without losing your mojo.

Confession: I learnt piano for many years and I was pretty good, but I gave up – mostly to spend all my time smoking and drinking with a ragtag collection of fellow 15-year-olds at whoever’s house was devoid of parents. That’s about as close as I got to the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. I never was a girl in a band, but when I think to my life’s inspirations in regards to attitude, fashion, dedication to a creative existence, bravery and originality, they are women in music.

Chances are, if you’re an Audiofemme reader, you too are inspired and influenced by pioneering, persevering women in music. If there’s ever been a time we need to feel inspired by women to overcome the odds, deal with shit and continue to do what they love for the sake of it, it’s now. Consider this a belated Christmas present, then. This is a guide to the best books on modern women in music, in my experience.

Having mentioned girls in bands, let’s start with Kim Gordon’s Girl In A Band, which was released in 2015 and made it to the New York Times Bestseller list. Gordon was the co-founder (and sole female member) of Sonic Youth, a ’90s post-grunge act that fused dreamy fuzz with anthems to teenage lust and frustration. With her slash of red lipstick, tangle of blonde hair and too-cool-for-you attitude, Kim Gordon was the ultimate ’90s alt-rock icon. Girl In A Band covers her childhood, her first creative love – drawing, painting and sculpture – and her days in Sonic Youth, too often stymied by the men around her. She bravely confesses truths about her marriage to the revered Thurston Moore, frontman of Sonic Youth, and the disintegration of their relationship.

In October 2020 she released No Icon, a curated collection of images and scrapbook-style memoirs of Gordon’s Californian youth in the 1960s and ’70s, Sonic Youth in the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to previously unseen photos, there are also hand-written lyrics, newspaper cuttings and all sorts of Sonic Youth/Kim Gordon paraphernalia that make this a keepsake for fans and a treasure chest of discovery for fans-to-be.

The foreword to No Icon was written by none other than Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein (also of Portlandia, bless). Brownstein’s 2016 memoir Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl was so compelling, I admit I lay in bed reading it all day and had to force myself to leave the last chapter until the next day so that I didn’t miss it too much when it was over. Brownstein is candid in talking about the politics and sometimes fractious nature of working with a group of impassioned women, sharing rooms and weeks on the road in close proximity. Brownstein’s ability to tell a story, with a measured dose of hilarity and awkward truth, was evident in Portlandia, so it was unsurprising that her memoir had the raw, vulnerable truthfulness of a personal diary but the strong narrative of someone who is skilled in telling a story from start to finish without losing the momentum of fascination.

If Sleater-Kinney were the 1990s underground punk-rock phenomenon for so many U.S. girls, then Viv Albertine’s The Slits were the original she-punks. Emerging in the 1970s in the midst of a wave of angry boys on stage, Albertine’s no-holds-barred memoir doesn’t paint a pretty picture of being a girl in a band, nor a woman in the world. Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys is the ultimate inspirational read. It made me laugh out loud, take deep, reassuring breaths and reach for the tissues, grip my fingernails so hard into my fist I thought I’d broken skin… it made me react.

For Albertine, growing up in a council home with her single mother and sister, the only reality for her seemed to be watching boys in bands and – at best – dating them. She developed a love affair with the electric guitar, though, and taught herself how to play with the support of her boyfriend at the time. From those early days of hanging out in Vivienne Westwood’s SEX shop, getting raucous with Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious in abandoned squats, and being belittled and degraded by roadies and engineers as inferior to male musicians while on the road with The Slits, the book traverses Albertine’s abortion, her struggles to have a much-wanted child via IVF later in life, her marriage and subsequent divorce, and her return to writing, recording and performing as a solo artist in her 60s. It’s no surprise this brilliant book is being translated into TV.

Memoirs are my favourite way to climb into a musician’s mind and poke about in their memories, finding the nuggets of gold that will sustain my creative soul for life. A good set of essays, or insightful analysis, when written with people and genuine experiences at its core, can also be food for thought. I’m currently reading Revenge of the She-Punks by Vivien Goldman, which was released in 2019. Goldman, now in her 80s, is on the cusp of releasing her first punk album in 2021. Known as “The Punk Professor” due to her transition from a music journalist/band manager/musician/broadcaster/biographer (and more) to adjunct at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, this is a woman who lives, breathes and creates punk rock music. She-Punks looks at the feminist history of punk rock, encompassing The Slits, Bikini Kill, and L7 all the way through to Pussy Riot in the 2000s. Consider her the expert.

Other titles to add to your reading list include Patti Smith’s Just Kids (among others), Poppy Z. Brite’s Courtney Love: The Real Story (as well as her diaries), Debbie Harry’s Face It, Chrissie Hynde’s Reckless: My Life as a Pretender and The Go-Go’s Kathy Valentine’s All I Ever Wanted: A Rock ‘N’ Roll Memoir.

Whether you’re actually a musician or an aspiring one, or women who make brave choices are your spiritual sisters, these books are likely to move you. They’ve certainly moved me, and fundamentally assured me that in my strangeness, my deep need to create, my ability to survive while making mere pennies for a living, are all perfectly valid ways to live in this chaotic, strange world that is not so friendly to women. I hope they’re nourishment for you, too.

Share your favorite punk rock reads with Cat Woods on Twitter or Instagram.

RSVP HERE: Ilithios Streams Debut Live Performance + MORE

Welcome to our weekly show recommendation column RSVP HERE. Due to live show cancellations we will be covering virtual live music events and festivals.

More solo endeavors are sprouting up now that many musicians have been left separated from their bands due to social distancing. Most recently, Manny Nomikos of Catty released a music video of him dancing alone in quarantine and a cover of Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” featuring Rosie Slater. His latest project, Illithios (meaning idiot in Greek), stemmed from a collection songs that never fit well enough to bring to a band. All musicians write songs sometimes that come out of left field, but for Nomikos, a true New Yorker born and raised by a Greek father and Korean mother, the project has its roots in an identity of not feeling a true sense of belonging to either side of himself. The project’s namesake serves as a cover so that “no matter how idiotic it all turns out, at least it’ll be in character,” while the songs themselves range from Thom Yorke-inspired pop to personal drum machine fused folk. Never having performed live before the quarantine, Nomikos will have the unique experience of debuting this project via Instagram livestream. There are only a few tracks available online, so tune in for Illithios surprises tonight (4/27) at 8pm. We chatted with Illithios about how to get better livestream sound quality, Dodge Caravans, and his spirit animal quiz.

AF: You’re livestreaming your live show debut on Instagram. Is that as nerve wracking as having your first show in person?

MN: I hadn’t considered that really, but I suppose it’s way more nerve-wracking. Besides performing on your own, there’s also no physical audience to engage with, which makes the whole performance feel very unfamiliar.

AF: What is your live stream set up like? What’s your favorite piece of gear?

MN: This was the hardest part for me cause I was debating how much I should actually play vs. using samples/pre-recorded parts. I felt that rather than just play the guitar the whole time, I’d use a sampler and tape deck to trigger parts and focus more on a performance. Wasn’t sure I’d be very entertaining just playing a guitar for 30 minutes on the internet. So with that said, my fave piece of equipment is my Critter and Guitari Organelle which I’m using as the central part of the sound.

AF: It says your live stream will be presented in Hi-Fi, what does that mean exactly?

MN: Since being stuck at home I’m sure we’ve all been catching streaming shows and they all sorta have their ups and downs. Instagram live has the best foot traffic for live-streaming but their audio is garbage. So I’m running a bunch of software stuff I found to get IG live running off a laptop and using a proper audio interface so the audio doesn’t have that streaming washiness. Hopefully people put on their headphones and I don’t blow it in the mix and we all have a good time.

AF: One of your cover photos is what I think is a ’90s Dodge Caravan. I owned a 1995 Dodge Caravan named Patrick that was very dear to my heart. Do you have any good Dodge Caravan stories?

MN: There’s a special camaraderie of ’90s Dodge Caravan people. I have yet to meet someone who drove a Caravan who’s not a pretty alright person. I married a Caravan driving gal. One story that sticks out was driving with friends to the mall to get Doom 2. We were so excited to get home that I started to drive before my bud Lamar had closed the sliding side door. And I suppose the momentum or gravity or science did its thing and the door slid back so fast it flew off which was not good. We got it back on but it was never the same.

AF: What is your quarantine anthem?

MN: “Play at Your Own Risk” – Planet Patrol. Or Forest by Stella (with a Greek sigma).

AF: I saw on your Facebook invite you made a spirit animal quiz. What is your spirit animal?

MN: Ooooh… well first off, wanna make sure it’s clear that it’s not like a spammy quiz where I collect data or anything like that. I keep getting butterfly mixed with baby deer. Which is sad cause I made the quiz so I wouldn’t get butterfly but I suppose it can’t be avoided.

AF: What spirit animal do you think I am?

MN: We’ve had limited interactions so I’m gonna guess, based on your Kurt Cobain persona from your Sharkmuffin Halloween show… I’d guess you’re a bat mixed with a little bit of dog spirit. Bats have good intuition, they’re night creatures, are highly motivated but on their own schedule. Like you will make a plan to do your taxes, and you will do it and it will be well done, but like you’ll miss the tax deadline by like a few months. Dog mix gives loyalty and playfulness. I dunno, take the test and see how off I am!

AF: I took the quiz and turns I am 48% an Owl (so you were on track with the night creature), and 43% a Panda.

RSVP HERE for Ilithios first ever live performance 4/24 8pm est on @mannynomikos Instagram.

More great live streams this week…

4/24 Sleater-Kinney (conversation), Harkin via Instagram. 2:30pm est, RSVP HERE

<a href="http://sleaterkinney.bandcamp.com/track/animal">ANIMAL by Sleater-Kinney</a>

4/24 Play On: 3-day virtual music festival: The Flaming Lips, Weezer, Cardi B and more via Youtube. 12:00pm est, RSVP HERE

4/24 Post Malone (Nirvana tribute) via Youtube. 6pm est, RSVP HERE

4/25 Bethlehem Steel 24 hour live stream for NYSYLC. 10am est, RSVP HERE

<a href="http://bethlehemsteel.bandcamp.com/album/bethlehem-steel">Bethlehem Steel by Bethlehem Steel</a>

4/25 Block by Blockwest: a Minecraft music festival: Pussy Riot, IDLES, Cherry Glazerr via Block by Blockwest website. 3pm est, RSVP HERE

<a href="http://pussyriots.bandcamp.com/album/wont-get-fooled-again">Wont get fooled again by pussy riot</a>

4/27 WINTER via Baby’s TV. $5 8pm est, RSVP HERE

<a href="http://daydreamingwinter.bandcamp.com/album/infinite-summer-ep">Infinite Summer EP by Winter</a>

4/28 Bully via Noonchorus. $8 8pm est, RSVP HERE

<a href="http://bullythemusic.bandcamp.com/album/losing">Losing by Bully</a>

4/28 The Footlight Drink and Draw via Instagram. 7pm est, RSVP HERE

4/28 Exploding in Sound Live From Home feat. Pile, Shady Bug, Jordyn Blakely (Stove) + more via Instagram. 6pm est RSVP HERE

<a href="http://explodinginsoundrecords.bandcamp.com/album/old-blues">Old Blues by Bad History Month</a>

REVIEW: Sleater-Kinney Isn’t Dead

Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker carry on as Sleater-Kinney despite drummer Janet Weiss’s departure. Press photo by Nikko Lamere.

Sleater-Kinney is dead. Long-live Sleater-Kinney.

I kept thinking these words as two-thirds of my favorite band played Milwaukee’s Pabst Theatre last Wednesday. Sprung from the riot grrrl movement, powerhouse trio Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, and Janet Weiss had become known as one of the best rock bands on the planet, until Weiss abruptly left the band after recording their latest album, The Center Won’t Hold. They’d just begun promoting it, a tour loomed… and then there were two.

I first encountered Sleater-Kinney in 2002. I was a sophomore polisci major in a boring, rural Midwestern city, listening to the university radio station while working in the dingiest gas station imaginable, when I heard “Sympathy,” from their most recent record at the time, One Beat. The post-911 album paired impassioned, unapologetically shrill and howling vocals with precise, catchy guitar riffs and cleverly written songs on topics like wars for oil, thriving through discrimination and patriotic dissent.

Sleater-Kinney sounded how I felt in a way I’d never heard women emote. I was in love. After a few years of fangirling – and realizing I wasn’t skilled or dedicated enough to play most of their songs on guitar – I saw Sleater-Kinney in a bar following the release of 2005’s The Woods. After a nine-year hiatus that ended in 2015, I saw them again at a much larger concert hall in Milwaukee (with Lizzo opening) on the No Cities to Love tour. Each performance was mesmerizing and impassioned. This was my band.

When news broke in January that Sleater-Kinney’s ninth record would be produced by musical genius Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent, I – and everyone else – rejoiced. Cue choirs of angels. This album, I posited, would make everything in the post-Trump era more bearable. The influence of of Clark’s arty, edgy, experimental rock on Sleater-Kinney’s indefatigable brand of smart poppy punk… What could go wrong? Well… fuck.

In mid-June, the band played its first single, “Hurry on Home,” on Jimmy Fallon. The performance had a dark vibe with costumes, makeup and stage design more reminiscent of St. Vincent’s self-titled record tour than Sleater-Kinney. (Suspiciously, the video of the performance is no longer available.) On July 1, six weeks ahead of the record’s release date, drummer Janet Weiss announced she was leaving the band. The sisterhood-vibey video for “Get Up” flashed in my mind and I cried in disbelief. I had already bought tickets to see them in Milwaukee. I didn’t listen to the new record for fear of being let down.

And then I heard it live last week. Initially, the palpable disconnect between the remainder of the original band and the audience created an air of uncertainty. Touring musicians outnumbered founders on the stage: drummer Angie Boylan of Aye Nako; No Cities touring guitarist Katie Harkin; Toko Yasuda, St. Vincent touring musician and member of defunct electro-indie rockers Enon, on keyboards and percussion. Despite a strong, strobe-light heavy opening with “The Center Won’t Hold,” the audience didn’t recognize or wasn’t excited enough to cheer as new songs began. But intros to tracks from other records were met with applause and dancing. Early in the show, Brownstein noted with a smile, “We know you’re going to dance to songs from [1997 record] Dig Me Out,” before cautioning people in the steep balcony to shimmy with care. I teared up a little when my concert buddy ran out for a drink. Not until about 10 songs in, when they played “Ironclad” from 2000’s All Hands on the Bad One followed by Dig Me Out track “One More Hour” did my inner turmoil relent as I began to feel more at home.

The crowd eventually warmed up too, as more “oldies” were played along with some of the more rockin’ tracks from Center, like “Bad Dance” and “RUINS.” The set and two encores were inarguably dynamic. Yet they passed over three early records worth of material: The Hot Rock, Call the Doctor and 1995’s self-titled LP. Nevertheless, the band and the audience warmed up to each other for an overall excellent event on a tour that was undoubtedly difficult minus a founding member. I left the show feeling partial catharsis. I’d danced and sang along to some of my favorite songs and simultaneously processed some emotions (probably not all Sleater-Kinney related).

A few days later, I found myself singing tracks from the new record, like the semi-boppy “Can I Go On” and the title track. True to the riot grrrl ethos, Sleater-Kinney remains a political band – “Broken” is a reaction to Dr. Christine Blasey-Ford’s testimony a year ago. “The Future is Here” is about life in the digital age. We’re living in an unprecedentedly bleak time and tone of Center reflects that.

It’s undeniable that Clark’s signature style is all over The Center Won’t Hold, and though it still sounds like a Sleater-Kinney record, it probably was not the funnest record to drum on, particularly for someone of Janet’s caliber. The band I knew and loved has changed. And I still love them – but less in that impassioned, idealistic college manner and in a wiser, more experienced, mid-30s kind of way.

Sleater-Kinney (obviously) is a band that’s personal for me. Bands can feel like family and friends – especially when their music comes to you at times when you don’t feel connected to or even have close loved ones. Musicians’ arty renderings of their energy and emotions can help you sort through and understand your own, helping you connect to yourself in the process. And bands, just like people, are allowed to change, even if it’s uncomfortable for their loved ones.

When Janet left Sleater-Kinney, it felt like my aunties were in a fight. These women were and are role models for me, particularly since I was actively discouraged by lame guys from making music as a teenager because of my gender. Initially, I felt like St. Vincent broke Sleater-Kinney. But actually, she challenged them and their fans to try something new. We grow through how we handle change and challenges. Now more than ever, I respect Carrie, Corin and Janet for doing what they do – or deciding not to do it – unapologetically and with heart.

Sleater-Kinney continues their tour through October and November; check their website for dates and locations.

NEWS ROUNDUP: St. Vincent Producing Sleater-Kinney LP, Woodstock Returns, & More

sleater-kinney and st. vincent, hollywood, ca, jan 2019. photograph by jonny cournoyer

New Year, New Music

By Lindsey Rhoades

Sleater-Kinney is in the Studio… Producing an Album with St. Vincent

If this tweet didn’t warm your riot grrl heart, we don’t know what will. Though details are scant (no official release date, no title, no tracklist, no leaked audio) Sleater-Kinney announced via Twitter that St. Vincent mastermind Annie Clark is producing their next record, the follow-up to their return-from-a-decade-long-hiatus-instant-classic No Cities To Love, released in 2015. The tweet came with a photo so amazing we thought we were dreaming: four of our favorite female musicians sitting at a mixing board, their expressions saying only one thing: Y’all are not even ready for this amazingness. Though it’s officially become our most anticipated release of the new year, other artists aren’t slouching – keep reading below for the veritable onslaught of recently released jams. But first…

Woodstock Will Return in 2019… Can it Compete With New Festival Lineups?

Break out the patchouli – Woodstock is coming back for its 50th anniversary. The original founder, Michael Lang, announced Wednesday that he’s planning to book multi-generational artists with an activist bent for a weekend-long festival in August at a racetrack called Watkins Glen; meanwhile, another Woodstock Anniversary fest helmed by LiveNation at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (the original site of the 1969 gathering) was already in the works. No artists or ticket prices for either fest have been announced, but our heads already ache at the thought of sorting out nightmare radius clauses.

Woodstock, of course, has already had some disastrous anniversaries – most recently Woodstock ’99, which ended in rapes, rioting, and violence. But perhaps the bigger challenge than putting that memory behind them will be simply competing for audience numbers in an over-saturated festival market. Coachella announced its lineup, including headliners Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, and Ariana Grande, onm January 2. This week, Bonnaroo announced they’d also be hosting Childish Gambino as a headliner, along with Post Malone and multiple sets from jam band stalwarts Phish (this prompted Forbes to beg the question: Why isn’t Cardi B’s billing higher?). New York’s own Governors Ball has once again invited The Strokes (who have played the fest before but not headlined), as well as Florence + The Machine and Lil Wayne to play their top spots, with Tyler, The Creator, Nas, Sza, Brockhampton and more rounding out the bill. And though it’s not strictly a festival in the same sense as those mentioned above, SXSW has begun hyping the first handful of buzzworthy acts who’ll play showcases all over Austin in March, including Amanda Palmer, Swervedriver, Ecko, The Beths, and Wyclef Jean.

That New New

Kehlani has a new song featuring Ty Dolla $ign; “Nights Like This” will appear on a mixtape due in February, which is itself a precursor to a new album due sometime this year.

Girlpool have a new album coming out February 1st, and have shared the title track, “What Chaos Is Imaginary.”

Ex Hex is finally releasing a follow-up to 2014’s Rips, called It’s Real (out March 22 via Merge). Their first single is “Cosmic Cave.”

Sharon Van Etten will release her first album in five years, Remind Me Tomorrow, on January 18. This week, she shared a video for “Seventeen,” after previously sharing “Comeback Kid” and the absolutely stunning “Jupiter 4.”

Mineral are releasing new music for the first time in 20 years, including this video for “Your Body Is The World.” The song appears (alongside “Aurora“) on a limited-edition 10” that comes with a hardcover book commemorating the Austin band’s 25th anniversary.

Beirut release Gallipoli on February 1; Game of Thrones actor Ian Beattie plays a kind of klutzy knight in the video for “Landslide.”

Pedro the Lion shared “Quietest Friend,” a companion video to “Yellow Bike.” Both singles appear on the group’s first record in over a decade, Phoenix, which you can stream now in full via NPR.

Priests have announced a new album, The Seduction of Kansas, and shared its title track. The LP comes out April 5 and they’re doing a huge tour around it.

FIDLAR ironically manages to Skype in their entire LA crew in a video for “By Myself,” from their forthcoming LP Almost Free (out January 25 on Mom + Pop).

Cherry Glazerr shares “Wasted Nun” from Stuffed & Ready, out February 1 via Secretly Canadian.

Deerhunter released the third single, “Plains,” from Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? but Bradford Cox is worried no one will listen to the record in its entirety when it comes out January 18.

Also releasing an album on January 18, experimental rock duo Buke & Gase premiered the title track from Scholars.

End Notes

Attention Brooklyn! Early aughts rap-rock one-hit-wonders Crazy Town are inexplicably playing Sunnyvale on February 23rd. Sorta wondering if it’ll just be one forty-five minute set of “Butterfly” played over and over.
If you’ve got kids, or have simply interacted with one in the last year, you’ve probably had “Baby Shark” stuck in your head at some point. But this week made it official – every toddler’s number one jam appeared for the first time on Billboard’s Hot 100, making it one of the few children’s songs to do so.
A documentary on Lifetime called Surviving R. Kelly aired the first week of January, and with it has come some new hope for victims seeking justice. The doc has prompted a kidnapping investigation in Georgia, more victims have come forward, and Phoenix, Lady Gaga, and Chance the Rapper have all recently released statements apologizing for working with R. Kelly in the past. Chance recently appeared on Sesame Street and admitted in an Instagram recap that he saved someone’s life by pulling them from a burning car last April, so we think his karma may be in the clear.
In a rare interview, Frank Ocean shared his very respectable skincare routine (and some other stuff) with GQ.
Risqué rap sensation CupcakKe (real name Elizabeth Harris) made some worrisome allusions to suicide on social media, prompting her hospitalization – but she seems to be on the mend, having released a single on Friday called “Squidward Nose.”
Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody was a big winner at the Golden Globes last Sunday, taking home Best Picture and Best Actor for Rami Malek’s portrayal of Freddie Mercury – all in spite of its negative critical reception. Honors for Best Song went to Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga duet “Shallow,” from A Star Is Born.

NEWS ROUNDUP: Planned Parenthood Compilation, Ducktails Singer Assault Details & More

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Sleater-Kinney has a new song on a Planned Parenthood Benefit Compilation.

New Song from Sleater-Kinney on Planned Parenthood Benefit Compilation

You can now stream 7 Inches For Planned Parenthood, a collection of 7 inch records that will benefit the organization, ahead of its November release date. Contributors include a wide variety of notable musicians, comedians, and writers, from Margaret Atwood to CHVRCHES, who recorded covers, spoken word pieces, and new songs for set. Pacific Northwest shredders Sleater-Kinney penned a new song, “Here We Come,” for the collection. You can listen to the full playlist below, and better yet, you can buy the set on 11/17 to help Planned Parenthood during a crucial time when women’s access to birth control, health care, and safe, legal abortion are under threat. Full details are available here.

Yet Again, Reports Of Sexual Assault In The Music Industry

As reported last week, allegations of sexual assaultinvolving several indie musicians continue to surface, including Alex Calder (who has since released a statement confirming the story and apologizing) and producer Gaslamp Killer (who denies the allegations; Brainfeeder label mate Flying Lotus was criticized on Twitter as a rape apologist for coming to his defense at a recent show). But perhaps the most startling developments have been the case against Real Estate/Ducktails guitarist Matt Mondanile, whose unseemly behavior toward women was a so-called “open secret” in the scene. Spin has published the full allegations against him, and most of his Ducktails shows have since been canceled. Meanwhile, Bjork has revealed the harassment she experienced on the set of Dancer in the Dark at the hands of Lars von Trier, and Ariel Pink finds himself embroiled in controversy once again after a reddit user described his “tone-deaf” shenanigans at a performance in San Francisco over the weekend, in which he drunkenly pinned his girlfriend and bandmate Charlotte Ercoli to the ground. If all of this news is depressing, you can take solace in the NPR #MeToo playlist, featuring artists who have used music to validate, work through or transcend their experiences. Listen here.
Other Highlights

RIP Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, read the story of transgender soul pioneer Jackie Shane, Fox News are not fans of Radiohead, watch new videos from Screaming Females, MGMT and Japanese Breakfast, find out how 100 cars can equal a song, the Michael Jackson Halloween special will air on CBS next Friday, Google’s latest doodle honored Selena, Dan Deacon + rats, Roxane Gay interviewed Nicki Minaj, the history of Homerpalooza, Haim covered Shania Twain, new songs from Tears For Fears and The Go! Team, Jack White’s children’s book, and the latest Taylor Swift single.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uJrLmSvXMU

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NEWS ROUNDUP: Coachella Controversy, Dirty Projectors, & More

Dirty Projectors Release New Song, Video

Like 2016’s “Keep Your Name,” “Little Bubble” comes from a reimagined versions of Dirty Projectors as a Dave Longstreth solo project. The former featured samples from old Dirty Projectors songs; the latter references their “Hi, Custodian” film. This newest video also features sad scenes of the songwriter alone, in an oasis of grass, a greenhouse, sitting on a cliff. At one point there’s a shot of a dead bird on the ground, but as the camera pulls back, we realize it’s on an iPad. Watch and listen to “Little Bubble” below:

We Need To Talk About Coachella

There have been calls to boycott the incredibly popular music festival, which spans two weekends in the California desert. Here are the details: The festival is thrown by the production company Goldenvoice, which was bought by AEG in 2001. AEG is owned by Philip Anschutz, who has been known to advocate for conservative causes and has been accused by theWashington Post of using his foundation to fund anti-gay groups, and according to the New York Times, has lobbied against climate change and gave donations to groups against gay marriage. This leaves both artists and concert goers in a predicament, as Goldenvoice/AEG not only put on Coachella, but enough concerts in venues across the world to account for over half of global ticket sales in 2016. That’d be a lot of concerts to miss, but are they worth it?
Musician Murals Featured On New Subway Line

The 2nd Avenue subway line has finally been completed, and includes “the largest permanent public art installations in state history.” The station at 85th Street features huge portraits of Philip Glass, Lou Reed, Zhang Huan, Kara Walker, Alex Katz, Cecily Brown, and Cindy Sherman. There are also two self-portraits by the photorealist artist, Chuck Close.

Other Highlights

Jenny Hval makes a statement about nudity with the very NSFW video for “The Great Undressing;” The fictional Gorillaz character Noodle “released” a playlist of “kick-ass women” artists; Sleater-Kinney paid tribute to Bowie and George Michael on NYE; and Terrence Malick made a film about the Austin music scene which could be cool or insufferable.

NEWS ROUNDUP: David Bowie, Courtney Barnett, & The Market Hotel

*Illustration by Bejamin Schwartz of The New Yorker.*

David Bowie Dies

Just a week ago we were celebrating David Bowie’s 69th birthday and the release of Blackstar, but reviews of the album turned into eulogies with the news that he passed away on Sunday after a fight with terminal cancer. Memorials quickly appeared outside of his Manhattan apartment, and across the country, Bowie Street in Austin was replaced with a sign that read David Bowie Street.

His last album was amazing to begin with, but after the realization that Bowie recorded the album knowing he would not be here much longer, Blackstar has become even more beautiful and haunting. AudioFemme’s Jerilyn Jordan wrote a moving review, which you can read here.

Courtney Barnett Releases New Song

Courtney Barnett has a bad habit, but it’s not what you think. On “Three Packs A Day,” the Australian singer/songwriter celebrates a vice that isn’t cigarettes, but instant ramen: “That MSG tastes good to me, I disagree with all your warnings.” Similar to the work on previous album and EP, Barnett uses her humor to show that she’s a bit of an introvert (and also to warn us of the dangers of ramen addiction): “I’m down to three packs a day, I sneak away to find a kettle/ I withdraw from all my friends and their dinner plans, I’m sick of lentils.” The song will be on on the Milk! Records compilation Good For You, available February 14th.

Father John Misty Performs On The Late Show

“Maybe love is just an institution based on resource scarcity.” The ever-cheerful Father John Misty performed on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” last night, playing the normally quieter, stripped-down song “Holy Shit.” If you’ve ever seen FJM live, you’ll know that he thrives on being unpredictable, so naturally, midway through his song things take an unexpected turn. He’ll be going on a Spring tour in April, but won’t be coming to NYC until the Governors Ball Music Festival this summer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3eDqluZ-Cs

Brooklyn’s Market Hotel Anounces Reopening

The DIY space on Myrtle and Broadway in Bushwick was closed for five years, but after an anonymous grant (and a Sleater-Kinney show last month), Market Hotel announced they will be officially, and legally reopening the weekend of January 22nd. Bands that will playing that weekend include Via App, Kill Alters, Dreamcrusher, Malory, Guerilla Toss, PC Worship, Pill and special guests that have yet to be announced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN4PDI1VDHY

Upcoming Shows

For our readers in NYC, here are the shows we recommend for this weekend and next week:
- 1/15 – Whiskey Bitches @ Baby’s All Right
  
  1/15 – WALL / Pill / RIPS @ Union Pool
  
  1/16 – Guerilla Toss / Zula / Erica Eso / Wume / Father Finger @ Shea Stadium
  
  1/17 – Moon Hooch @ Mercury Lounge
  
  1/17 – Mariachi Flor de Toloache @ Rockwood Music Hall
  
  1/20 – Antibalas @ Brooklyn Bowl
  
  1/21 – Torres / Palehound @ Bowery Ballroom
  
  1/22 – Acid Dad / Total Slacker / AMFMS @ Baby’s All Right

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BEST OF 2015: Our Favorite Frontwomen

Courtney Barnett from Melbourne, Australia, performs during the NPR Music SXSW Showcase at Stubb's in Austin on Wednesday, March 18, 2015. Lukas Keapproth/AMERICAN-STATESMAN — *Lukas Keapproth/AMERICAN-STATESMAN*

2015 was a great year for women in music. Specifically, for women who front a band as both a singer and guitarist. While we’ve reached a point where it’s not totally necessary to point and shout every time we find an amazing band led by a female musician (it’s becoming one of the best trends in music); it feels pretty good to remind everyone how much girls rocked this year. So, here’s a list of the best frontwomen who released albums in 2015, ranked alphabetically.

Alicia Bognanno (of Bully)

Feels Like (June 23, 205)

Bully released their debut album this summer, the tough-but-tender Feels Like. The Nashville band is led by vocalist/guitarist Alicia Bognanno, who previously studied audio engineering at Steve Albini’s studio. She’s just as great when it comes to recording her own music – Feels Like was recorded live in a few takes, and her brutal, raw vocals are the highlight of the record.

Courtney Barnett

Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (March 20, 2015)

Courtney Barnett seemed to come out of nowhere with her song “Avant Gardener,” and then suddenly be everywhere. Though she comes across as a bit soft-spoken, she screamed and shredded through her Terminal 5 show this summer (while still mixing up the set with her quieter, more introspective songs like “Depreston“). The concert opened with Speedy Ortiz and Torres, two other groups on this list, making it one of the best lineups for women guitarists I’ve seen.

Ellen Kempner (aka Palehound)

Dry Food (August 14, 2015)

Ellen Kempner is a vocalist/guitarist (although she played everything but the drums on her debut album Dry Food) who performs under the moniker Palehound. As a songwriter, she’s nailed a self-aware approach that’s heavy on imagery. For an example of her guitar skills, check out “Molly,” a song where she layers playful, melodic parts with harsh interjections of distortion and makes them fit together naturally.

Frances Quinlan (of Hop Along)

Painted Shut (May 4, 2015)

Frances Quinlan of Hop Along has a voice that’s as tortured as it is mesmerizing, whether she’s singing about waiting on the table of an ex’s new girlfriend or her guilt from her inaction in a crucial moment. Reading about the stories that inspires her songs give them even more meaning and depth, though nothing expresses it more than her voice.

Katie Monks (of Dilly Dally)

Sore (October 9, 2015)

You could say that Katie Monks is Dilly Dally‘s vocalist, although her voice is more likely to be coming out in a scream or rasp. Her longtime friend Liz Ball shares guitar duties in the Toronto band, who released their debut album Sore in October. Check out “The Touch” to see just how far she’ll go to nail the right emotion for a song:

Mackenzie Scott (aka Torres)

Sprinter (May 5, 2015)

Mackenzie Scott sings and plays guitar under the alias Torres. Her Spring release, Sprinter, was impressive not just because of her voice, but her ability as a songwriter to channel and transcend emotions like quiet rage in a few minutes of sound. For proof, watch “Sprinter” below or one of the best songs on the album, “Strange Hellos.”

Marissa Paternoster (of Screaming Females)

Rose Mountain (February 24, 2015)

Yeah, we know: Players gonna play, but the Screaming Females weren’t fucking around when they covered Taylor Swift for the A.V. Club; they won the site’s award for best cover song this year with their version of “Shake It Off.” Unlike the original, there was no prancing around or mugging for the camera. Marissa Paternoster was all business with her deep voice and replaced the spoken-word bridge with a badass guitar solo that was way, way too short.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm1-bVYio1k

Sadie Dupuis (of Speedy Ortiz)

Foil Deer (April 21, 2015)

On Foil Deer, Sadie Dupuis showed off her bravado and quick wit with lyrics like “I’m not bossy, I’m the boss.” Live, she ups the definition of boss to pulling off jagged, unexpected guitar lines in some of the best outfits (and coolest socks) you’ve ever seen. And, her band has been using their success for good, by going on a tour to support the Girls Rock Camp Foundation, and creating a hotline for concert-goers to report unsafe or discriminatory behavior.

Sleater-Kinney

No Cities To Love (January 20, 2015)

Sleater-Kinney is finally back, and as an added bonus, contains two frontwomen in one band. Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker do equal singing and guitar playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6thsrNE7p4

Veronica Torres (of Pill)

Pill EP (March 17, 2015)

I saw Pill open for Parquet Courts last week, and they made quite an impression. Their sound is dry and sparse, with saxophone and guitar adding an occasional cool breeze. When Veronica Torres started their set by shouting “Por mi, por mi casa, y lo que quiero saber” over and over, the entire venue became silent.

Victoria Ruiz (of Downtown Boys)

Full Communism (May 4, 2015)

The Providence-based Downtown Boys are led by a pretty fierce lady, Victoria Ruiz. Their name is inspired by Springsteen lyrics, and on Full Communism they cover “Dancing In The Dark,” but that isn’t to keep things light: When she sings the line about starting a fire with a spark, their delivery sounds just as political and urgent as the rest of their work.

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PLAYLIST: A Playlist to Celebrate “Riot Grrrl Day”

April is known for rain, taxes, rabbits, and silly pranks, but now the month has a new, much cooler holiday: Boston’s mayor, Marty Walsh, has designated April 9th “Riot Grrrl Day” in honor of Kathleen Hanna, the front woman of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. Born in Portland, Hanna’s interest in feminism came at an early age. After dabbling in spoken word performance, she realized that her message would be louder if it was delivered in music.

How can you celebrate “Riot Grrrl Day”? Start by listening to this playlist of badass female-fronted acts.

1. Sleater-Kinney “Bury Our Friends”

After a long hiatus, Carrie Brownstein, Janet Weiss, and Corin Tucker reunited Sleater-Kinney with the album Bury Our Friends. Check out the title track above: “Exhume our idols and bury our friends/ We’re wild and weary but we won’t give in.”

2. Speedy Ortiz “Raising The Skate”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyCF9r9NdMo

Speedy Ortiz is fronted by vocalist/guitarist Sadie Dupuis, who created the witty, anxious “snack rock” that rocked SXSW this year.

3. Screaming Females “Hopeless”

New Jersey’s Screaming Females is actually just one female. She may not exactly scream, but guitarist/singer Marissa Paternoster has earned the description by belting rock vocals that defy her size.

4. Bikini Kill “Rebel Girl”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzMGqVh8G20

Of course, we couldn’t make this playlist without including the person who inspired the holiday: Kathleen Hanna, the original rebel girl.

5. Le Tigre “TKO”

Hanna’s next project, Le Tigre, is more polished, but just as fierce:“I’ll say my piece and when it’s over you’ll be on your knees,” she sings, while rocking a suit in the video for “TKO.”

6. White Lung “Down It Goes”

These Canadian punks are led by singer Mish Way, who is also known for writing edgy articles and putting douchey audience members in their place.

7. Perfect Pussy “Work”

Meredith Graves is the woman behind the heavy-hitting, possibly-unsafe-to-google punk band, Perfect Pussy.

8. Waxahatchee “Under A Rock”

Waxahatchee is named after a creek in Katie Crutchfield’s hometown in Birmingham, Alabama. Now living in Brooklyn, the singer-songwriter just released her third album, Ivy Trip.

9. Tacocat “You Never Came Back”

Tacocat is here to prove that cat ladies can be cool, too. The Washington State surf-pop group plays upbeat songs that address feminism, as well as topics related to cats and everyday life.

10. She Keeps Bees “Saturn Return”

The husband and wife duo has a name that almost seems like a warning- as in, “watch out for that chick; she keeps bees.” Their sound is a slow, bluesy creep that builds and sneaks up on you.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

A History of Siren Fest & 4Knots

The fourth annual 4Knots Music Festival is slated to wash ashore at South Street Seaport this Saturday, July 12th, and we couldn’t be more excited. The festival, curated by The Village Voice, gets better each year, with Dinosaur Jr., Mac DeMarco, Re-TROS, Dead Stars, Those Darlins, Speedy Ortiz, Radkey, Viet Cong, Nude Beach, and Juan Wauters slated to grace the 2014 celebration – and it’s all FREE. There’s also an after party at Webster Hall following the day-long extravaganza, and you can get $5 off tickets with the code VOICE by clicking here.

Though 4Knots might seem relatively new, VV cut its festival booking chops on the now-legendary Siren Music Festival, held every summer at Coney Island from 2001-2010. As our anticipation grows for 4Knots 2014, we thought we’d take a look back at some of the best performers to grace 4Knots and Siren stages.

2001 – Peaches

We’re sure Rainer Maria, Guided By Voices and Superchunk were all lovely, but come on… at the time, the gender-bending, sex-positive performance artist was riding on high on the release of The Teaches of Peaches, her debut album that featured hits like “Fuck the Pain Away” and “Set it Off.” The quirk and kitsch of Coney Island was a perfect backdrop for Peaches, who looked every bit the part of sideshow provocateur in her bright red lingerie.

2002 – Sleater-Kinney

2002 was kind of THE banner year for Siren Fest, helped in part by the fact that there was a dance-punk renaissance happening in NYC. We can just picture Karen O smooching Angus Andrew at the top of the Wonder Wheel (they were deep in lurrrrv when their bands – Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Liars, respectively – played the fest), and I’m sure like-minded rockers Les Savy Fav, Mooney Suzuki, The Donnas, and Rye Coalition tore shit up, while The Shins mellowed crowds out with “New Slang” years before it rocked Zach Braff’s world. But Sleater-Kinney is the best band EVER, and their live performances were unparalleled. Even some dude who writes about music a lot agrees.

2003 – !!!

No, I’m not so excited about the history of 4Knots/Siren Fest that I’ve resorted to superfluous punctuation – !!! (usually pronounced Chk Chk Chk but otherwise represented by any three repetitive monosyllables other than Yeah Yeah Yeah since that was taken) gave every ounce of energy they had into converting a boring old rock show into a full tilt dance party. The band had a rotating, often huge lineup of talented musicians, fronted by lead singer Nic Offer, whose spastic showmanship mimed the outsized gestures of arena rock performers like Mick Jagger, but in a weirder, disco-punk context. !!! were known to encourage audience participation, adoration, and most of all satisfaction – you could rest assured they’d at least give you your money’s worth. But Siren Fest, just like 4Knots, has always been free.

2004 – …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead

TV on the Radio were still a baby band, Mission of Burma were already and aging punk dad band, Har Mar Superstar probably grossed everyone out (that was his thing), and Death Cab for Cutie probably made everyone too sad. Blonde Redhead is an amazing band that almost no one appreciated or remembers. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead smashed their gear and dove into the audience.

2005 – Dungen

While Q And Not U kept dance-punk alive, and Spoon continued the mellow indie dude vibes set forth by Death Cab the year before, Swedish psych rockers Dungen, who had apparently just visited Other Music, like, that day, must have thrown the audience for a real loop. Ta Det Lungt had just begun to help them establish an international reputation, and even though none of their songs were sung in English, there’s no doubt the weed cloud hanging over the Cyclone after their set helped with the language barrier.

2006 – Scissor Sisters

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Scissor Sisters Siren Fest 2006 — Scissor Sisters’ nearly full frontal frontman Jake Shears in 2006

I bet Celebration was so, so fucking badass that year because Katrina Ford is a goddess and I’m excited for their upcoming album and I’m excited for their show at Baby’s All Right on July 25th but Jake Shears literally stripped down to a Speedo.

2007 – M.I.A.

Just look at how sweet M.I.A. was before all the Vanity Fair hoopla, before the SuperBowl middle finger, before H/Bollywood got its hands on “Paper Planes,” before the trainwreck that was /\/\/\Y/\… M.I.A’s music has evolved a lot over the years, but she’s always been one of the “Bad Girls,” with enough swagger to last for decades. Though we couldn’t have known it then, her Siren appearance was a rare treat, free of backlash and media sniping and all about the jams. The Black Lips put on a great live show, and are also no stranger to controversy, having recently talked shit on Drake and Lorde, that one time Jared Swilley and Nathan from Wavves got into some fisticuffs in a Brooklyn bar… and oh yeah maybe they’re racist? 2007 Siren, you were a real breeding ground for dissension.

2008 – Times New Viking

While Broken Social Scene is great at cramming a ton of talented musicians on stage, I have to hand it to my Columbus, Ohio hometown heroes Times New Viking for blasting such a huge crowd with their lo-fi gems. I have super fond memories of seeing them play dive bars and basements and living rooms, but their gloriously dingy pop songs harbor all the rickety charm of Astroland, where any ride on the Tilt-A-Whirl in 2007 might have been your last ride on anything, ever.

2009 – Monotonix

When Monotonix crowd surf, they don’t just flop along in a sea of sunburned arms like most bands. First of all, these dudes get pretty much naked except for underpants, socks, and copious amounts of body hair. Second of all, they spend the majority of their set in the audience, as opposed to the casual one-and-done method of even the punkest punks. Third of all, they take their instruments into the crowd with them. These nutso Israelis played over 1000 shows in five years, 400 of them happening between 2006 & 2007, so fourth of all, setting themselves on fire and shit was routine for them.

2010 – Screaming Females

The thing about festivals is that sometimes they’re less than ideal scenarios for the bands that play them. It’s hot, it’s bright, and the sound engineering can be really questionable. After insisting on using his own drums rather than the rented kit Siren provided, Jarrett led Screaming Females on a rambling pre-set jam session to ease any jitters. They also turned their monitors off, because according to this adorable blog post he thought it “better to have no mix than a crazy one.” Anyone who’s heard Marissa Paternoster playing guitar knows she shreds; I can’t imagine headliners Matt & Kim (the only band to play Siren twice!) played a better set than Screaming Females in their 2 o’clock slot.

2011 – Titus Andronicus

Though it made everyone a bit sad when Village Voice moved their annual shindig from an awesome beachfront amusement park with tons of history to, well… a mall with an Uno’s Pizzeria, they at least had the respect for tradition to rename the fest 4knots (the speed at which the East River flows) and booked another expertly curated lineup, which included headliners Titus Andronicus. Their appearance came just after gaining tons of recognition for their intelligently rendered album The Monitor, loosely based on Civil War-inspired themes, not to mention their aggressive live shows. The lineup has since changed but our favorite incarnation of the band featured Amy Klein on violin and guitar. Ahhh, memories.

2012 – The Drums

We’ve always appreciated the swagger of Jonny Pierce, and his band’s beachy vibes practically scream outdoor dance party, so The Drums were a perfect fit with 4knots. 2011’s Portamento saw the group shift from surfy to synthy (the title is a tribute to the analogue settings Pierce and bandmate Jacob Graham bonded over as kids), so we couldn’t be more excited about the upcoming release of their latest album, slated for sometime this year.

2013 – Parquet Courts

There’s a reason these Brooklyn punks quickly gained a well-deserved reputation as one of the best live bands to see, and their ultra-sweaty performance at last year’s sweltering 4Knots is a perfect example. The two things I remember most about last year’s 4Knots were The Men covering Iggy Pop with a rousing horn section, and Andrew Savage extending “Stoned & Starving” with a ten-minute long rant about social media and commodified music that felt both prescient and tongue-in-cheek. You really never know what to expect from a Parquet Courts set except that it will be rowdy. Similarly, we never know what to expect from a Village Voice music fest – so make sure you’re at South Street Seaport on Saturday for this year’s 4Knots!

Tag: Sleater-Kinney