Like any music lover, I like to check out what’s #new and #trending. Lately I’ve noticed that most popular music is performed by men; right now, Spotify’s most popular tracks are by Justin Bieber, The Weeknd and Drake. When you exclude solo artists and just look at bands that are popular, the majority of them have male lead singers or are all guys, like The 1975, Walk the Moon and Imagine Dragons. So, popular music has me asking this question: where them girls at? Here are some groups with awesome leading ladies to shake up your fall playlists.
1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an alt rock/post punk group from New York City. The lead vocalist Karen O and Nick Zinner met at NYU in the late 90’s and recruited drummer Brian Chase before recording their debut album Fever to Tell, which was released in 2003. Check out “Heads Will Roll” off of their 2009 album It’s Blitz! for a sample of their punky, yet funky style.
2. Best Coast
Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno got together in 2009 after Bruno produced recordings for Cosentino’s previous group, Pocahaunted. Their debut album Crazy for You epitomizes their garage rock/surf rock vibe. Give its title track a listen and let BC chill you out.
3. The Wind and the Wave
Dwight Baker and Patricia Lynn, also known as The Wind and the Wave, released their debut album From The Wreckage in 2014. Oddly enough, I only listened to this album after falling in love with Covers One, which the Austin-based duo released earlier this year. They gave a folky, poppy flavor to well-known tunes like Sia’s “Chandelier” and “You’ve Got Time”, the theme song of Orange is the New Black, originally performed by Regina Spektor. My favorite is their remix of Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me”.
4. Noisettes
This duo from London brings punk, blues, dance and rock together to create one amazing sound. Lead singer Shingai Shoniwa beautifully croons over all of their creative instrumentals, especially on “Never Forget You”, which has a Supremes-meets-Artic Monkeys quality to it.
5. The Dead Weather
This “supergroup” of former members of The Raconteurs (Jack Lawrence and Jack White, also of The White Stripes), Queens of the Stone Age (guitarist Dan Fertita) and The Kills (lead vocalist Alison Mosshart) formed in Nashville in 2009. The group’s sound is a glorious combination of their previous bands’ styles with something entirely new thrown into the mix. Mosshart leads the charge on tracks like “Mile Markers”, my favorite song off of their newest album Dodge and Burn.
6. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
Remember this iPod commercial? The funky pop track playing alongside the demonstration of ~the funnest iPod ever~ was brought to you by the Danish group The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. The group, led by vocalist Mette Lindberg, found their first successes in the Apple commercial and Katy Perry’s European tour during the summer of 2009. Revisit the late-2000s favorite “Around the Bend” here.
7. Alabama Shakes
This band, appropriately named after their home state of Alabama, is led by the incredible Brittany Howard, who tops off the group’s rock-y/blues-y sound with gritty, powerful, Janis Joplin-esque vocals. Give “Always Alright” a spin, and be sure to check out Howard’s solo album that was also released this year—for this project, she chose to go by “Thunderbitch”.
8. Daughter
For the Bon Iver fans out there, look no further than Daughter for that same quintessential indie folk sound. The London based group, fronted by Elena Tonra, formed in 2010 and released their first EPs in 2012—Wild Youth and His Young Heart . Take in their chilled-out vibe with songs like “Youth”, from 2015’s If You Leave.
9. Shovels and Rope
This duo hails from Charleston, South Carolina. They combine aspects of folk, pop folk, rock and country to create something new and powerful. Cary Ann Hearst leads the harmonies that weave through tracks like “The Devil is All Around” from their 2014 album Swimmin’ Time. They have opened shows for artists like Jack White and are starting their own tour in February 2016.
10. Wild Flag
This band is all female, but I’m including them in this list because this is a group of ladies that can JAM. The supergroup (based in Portland, OR and DC) was formed in 2010 by former members of Sleater-Kinney and The Minders. Its frontwoman, Carrie Brownstein, is also one of the co-creators of the hit comedy show Portlandia. My favorite song of theirs is “Romance”, the second single that they released in 2011.