Female Friday

We get up and start it all over again
Female Friday Playlist
Lyriquediscorde

Listen on Spotify and YouTube

“Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monáe
“Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight
“Los Ageless” by St. Vincent
“Get Some” by Lykke Li
“Me and My Husband” by Mitski
“Your Dog” by Soccer Mommy
“Pristine” by Snail Mail
“Nothing, Not Nearly” by Laura Marling
“Sail” by Macy Gray
“Cellophane” by Sia
“I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” by Lucy Dacus
“In Undertow” by Alvvays
“Mariners Apartment Complex” by Lana Del Rey
“Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes
“One Day” by Sharon Van Etten
“I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” by Aretha Franklin
“Comfortably Numb” by Dar Williams
“Hey Joe” by Charlotte Gainsbourg
“Blush” by Wolf Alice
“Horses In My Dreams” by PJ Harvey
“Enjoy the Silence” by Carla Bruni
“I Put a Spell On You” by Nina Simone
“Don’t Kiss Me Goodbye” by Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle
“Sparks Fly” by Waxahatchee
“Portions For Foxes” by Rilo Kiley
“Caught a Light Sneeze” by Tori Amos
“Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridges
“You Know I’m No Good” by Amy Winehouse
“I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James
“Is That Alright?” by Lady Gaga
“I Honestly Love You” by Julianna Hatfield

We get up and start it all over again

 

Under the covers we all sing-a-long
A Female Friday Playlist

Listen on Spotify and YouTube

“Desperado” by Linda Ronstadt
“Everybody Knows” by Concrete Blonde
“Comfortably Numb” by Dar Williams
“Ship Song” by Lissie
“Go Your Own Way” by The Cranberries
“Norwegian Wood” by Heather Nova
“Skinny Love” by Birdy
“All Apologies” by Sinéad O’Connor
“Sea of Love” by Cat Power
“Killing Me Softly” by Fugees
“Shoplifters of the World Unite” by Tanya Donelly and Dylan and the Movies
“Your Song” by Ellie Goulding
“Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” by Natalie Maines
“I Honestly Love You” by Juliana Hatfield
“Make You Feel My Love” by Adele
“Absolute Beginners” by Carla Bruni
“Space Oddity” (live) by Natalie Merchant
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Tori Amos
“Sweet Jane” by Cowboy Junkies
“Flashdance…What a Feeling” by Hollywood, Mon Amour
“Under the Milky Way” by Sia
“A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” by Edie Brickell and New Bohemians
“America” by First Aid Kit
“Across the Universe” by Fiona Apple
“Bizarre Love Triangle” by Frente!
“Dear Prudence” by Siouxsie and the Banshees
“Creep” by Macy Gray
“Season of the Witch” by Karen Elson

Under the covers we all sing-a-long

 

Female Friday is back with a brand new playlist to spin through the last gasps of Summertime. Spanning the sonic landscape of genre, style, and sound, this playlist is full of some of my very best favorite women in music.

Love, loss, and the last of the late Summer nights
A Female Friday Playlist

Listen on Spotify and YouTube

“Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush
“Putting the Damage On” by Tori Amos
“Laura” by Bat For Lashes
“Song To the Siren” by This Mortal Coil
“We are Fine” by Sharon Van Etten
“Metal Heart” by Cat Power
“Elegie” by Patti Smith
“Blue” by Joni Mitchell
“My Skin” by Natalie Merchant
“I Know” by Fiona Apple
“Halah” by Mazzy Star
“Night Vision” by Suzanne Vega
“Even Though Our Love Is Doomed” by Garbage
“Ocean” by Goldfrapp
“All Apologies” by Sinéad O’Connor
“Horses In My Dreams” by Polly Jean Harvey
“Come To Me” by Björk
“Love Is a Stranger” by Eurythmics
“I Drove All Night” by Cyndi Lauper
“The Killing Jar” by Siouxsie and the Banshees
“Joanne (Where Do You  Think You’re Going)” (Piano Version) by Lady Gaga
“Elastic Heart” (Piano Version) by Sia
“Crystal” by Stevie Nicks
“Hymn to Her” by Pretenders
“A Little More Love” by Juliana Hatfield
“Acrobat” by Tanya Donelly
“All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James
“Drown In My Own Tears” by Aretha Franklin
“Sail” by Macy Gray
“LA Song” (Live Acoustic) by Beth Hart

Love, loss and the last of the late Summer nights

I was recently talking to a friend, and fellow Music Obsessive about Women In Music and a list of Best Women In Music was mentioned. I thought I’d take a stab at my own List of Favorite Women In Music, and in the process make a Playlist out of it. It’s Female Friday after all.

I will preface this by saying that this is not in any particular order except for by what flows well in a Mix. This time around it will be my Top 50 Women In Music, and in upcoming weeks I will share my Top 50 Albums by Women, as well as my Top 50 Songs by Women.

You can listen to this Playlist on Spotify and YouTube.

Forever Cool
Lyriquediscorde’s Favorite Women In Music
A Female Friday Playlist

“Atomic” by Blondie
“Precious” by Pretenders
“This Is Love” by PJ Harvey
“Like a Prayer” by Madonna
“Human Behaviour” by Björk
“Cornflake Girl” by Tori Amos
“Choose Drugs” by Juliana Hatfield
“Deathly” by Aimee Mann
“Special” by Garbage
“Cowboy Romance” by Natalie Merchant
“Falling In Love” by Lisa Loeb
“Melt Your Heart” by Jenny Lewis
“Elastic Heart” by Sia
“Super-Connected” by Belly
“Malibu” by Hole
“Shadowboxer” by Fiona Apple
“Crystal” by Stevie Nicks
“Make Me Feel” by Janelle Monáe
“Love On the Brain” by Rihanna
“Jump In the River” by Sinéad O’Connor
“I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James
“Back To Black” by Amy Winehouse
“You Don’t Own Me” by Lesley Gore
“(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin
“Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield
“School Night” by Ani DiFranco
“The One Who Stayed and the One Who Left” by Regina Spektor
“Something So Wild” by Bettie Serveert
“Halah” by Mazzy Star
“Angry Johnny” by Poe
“Numb” by Portishead
“Telethon” by Emily Haines And The Soft Skeleton
“Drivin’ On 9” by The Breeders
“Yours To Bear” by honeyhoney
“Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“LA Song” by Beth Hart
“I Do” by Edie Brickell And The New Bohemians
“Misguided Angel” by Cowboy Junkies
“Youth” by Daughter
“So Far Away” by Carole King
“A Case Of You” by Joni Mitchell
“Dancing Barefoot” by Joni Mitchell
“This Town” by The Go-Go’s
“Come On Over” by Olivia Newton-John
“Houdini’s Box” by Jill Sobule
“Ampersand” by Amanda Palmer
“The Greatest” by Cat Power
“Laura” by Bat For Lashes
“Nothing, Not Nearly” by Laura Marling
“Million Reasons” by Lady Gaga

Forever Cool – Lyriquediscorde’s Favorite Women In Music

 

Back to the Alphabet for Female Friday. We are on the Letter “B”, which was a tough letter to narrow down, I must say. This Playlist starts off with Björk, and ends with Sia. Quite eclectic and Obsessively good.

You can listen to this Playlist on Spotify and YouTube. You can also listen to the Letter “A” here on Spotify and YouTube.

Give me a “B”
A Female Friday Playlist

“Big Time Sensuality” by Björk
“Blush” by Wolf Alice
“Baker Baker” by Tori Amos
“Blue Lips” by Regina Spektor
“Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse
“Boys On the Radio” by Hole
“Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)” by Concrete Blonde
“Bleed Like Me” by Garbage
“Both Hands” by Ani DiFranco
“Back In Your Head” by Tegan And Sara
“Brand New Key” by Melanie
“Buffalo Stance” by Nenah Cherry
“Burning Up” by Madonna
“Baby Says” by The Kills
“Back On the Chain Gang” by Pretenders
“Be My Baby” by The Ronettes
“Boyfriend” by Best Coast
“Better Version of Me” by Fiona Apple
“Bulletproof” by La Roux
“bellyache” by Billie Eilish
“Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes
“Baby, Oh No” by Bow Wow Wow
“Bloody Mary” by Lady Gaga
“Blue Jeans” by Lana Del Rey
“Bad Girls” by M.I.A.
“Big Exit” by PJ Harvey
“Breathe Around You” by Tanya Donelly
“Black Boys On Mopeds” by Sinéad O’Connor
“Breathe Me” by Sia

Give Me a “B”

 

A new Female Friday Feature at lyriquediscorde – Artist/Band Spotlight – starts this Month, and will repeat the last Friday of each Month moving forward.

Starting us off is Shirley Manson, Lead Singer of Garbage, and all-around Queen of Alternative Rock. The picture featured in this post is original Art by my oldest daughter Julia Lynch. You can follow her on Instagram to see other incredible pieces. She’s doing a Women in Music Series so you’ll want to follow her to check that out. Shirley Manson is the first of her Series and the first of this new Female Friday Feature.

Keep Art Alive – Shirley Manson by Julia Lynch

Shirley Manson is a Musician, Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer and Actress. She is the lead vocalist of Garbage. For much of her international career, Manson commuted between her home city of Edinburgh and the United States to record with Garbage; she now lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

She is one of my Favorite Women in Music. She’s talented, rebellious, outspoken, strong, stylish, an advocate and activist, and just overall fantastic.

Shirley Manson’s musical career began in her teens when she was approached to perform backing vocals and keyboards for the band Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie. Quickly she developed into a prominent member of the group and developed a formidable stage presence.

“Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie” by Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie

Shirley was then approached by the Band’s Record Label with an idea to launch her as a Solo Artist. She recorded an Album with her Band as Angelfish.

“Suffocate Me” by Angelfish

After seeing Shirley in an Angelfish Video that only broadcasted once on MTV’s “120 Minutes” (wow – what are the chances?), Garbage invited her to audition and Record Vocals on a couple of unfinished Songs. She eventually Co-Wrote and Co-Produced an entire Album with Garbage.

The resulting self-titled debut, Garbage, was a critically acclaimed, worldwide hit, and was followed by four studio albums, including the multiple Grammy Award-nominated Version 2.0, and a greatest hits album. Garbage toured worldwide and sold 12 million records over ten years. (from Wikipedia)

“Only Happy When It Rains” by Garbage

Shirley Manson has long been speaking out for what’s right throughout her career, be it supporting LGBTQ people and causes, being a feminist icon, or working with individual charities like the MAC AIDS Fund, PETA, and The Pablove Foundation. Last year, Forbes recognized her unwavering efforts by naming her “Activist Of The Year” – something that couldn’t have been more deserved. (from NME)

Shirley Manson – Artist Spotlight
A Female Friday Playlist

Listen on Spotify and YouTube

“#1 Crush” by Garbage
“Queen of the Bored” Brian Reitzell, featuring Shirley Manson
“Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go)” by Garbage
“I Think I’m Paranoid” by Garbage
“Special” by Garbage
“The Trick Is to Keep Breathing” by Garbage
“Medication” by Garbage
“Girls Talk” by Garbage, featuring Brody Dalle
“Cup of Coffee” by Garbage
“Vow” by Garbage
“Supervixen” by Garbage
“Androgyny” by Garbage
“Sex Is Not the Enemy” by Garbage
“Push It” by Garbage
“Queer” by Garbage
“Milk” by Garbage
“Sometimes” by Garbage
“Because the Night” by Garbage and Screaming Females
“Butterfly Collector” by Garbage
“It’s All Over But the Crying” by Garbage
“Magnetized” by Garbage
“You Can Love Her” by Angelfish
“Only Happy When It Rains” by Garbage
“Bleed Like Me” by Garbage
“Automatic Systematic Habit” by Garbage
“Suffocate” by Angelfish
“No Horses” by Garbage
“When I Grow Up” by Garbage
“Breaking Up the Girl” by Garbage
“Even Though Our Love Is Doomed” by Garbage

Shirley Manson – Artist Spotlight

 

Juliana Hatfield has released the second Single from her upcoming Album of Olivia Newton-John Covers called Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John. Juliana’s take on “Physical” adds edge and crazy good guitar licks that take the Hit Song that was originally full of Pop, Camp, and Sexual Innuendos and turns it into something Provocative, Powerful, Raw, and very Indie. I never thought “Physical” could sound so ROCK.

“Physical” by Juliana Hatfield
from the upcoming Album, Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John (2018)

Pre-order here 

In case you missed the equally amazing first Track released from the Album, “A Little More Love”, Press Play and check it out below. I’ve been obsessing over it ever since it came out.

“A Little More Love” by Juliana Hatfield

Olivia Newton-John was everything to me as a kid. I was obsessed with her and dreamed of growing up to be her. Juliana Hatfield was a huge part of my twenties, a turbulent time where I desperately needed strong women making Music that I understood/understood me in my life. I can’t quite get over that these two amazing Women in Music, who have meant so much to me, are coming together this way. I’m enjoying rediscovering these Songs and experiencing them in a new way. Knowing all the Lyrics, backward and forwards, and finding the new ways I relate to them.

This Week Female Friday presents The Go-Go’s. Born and raised in Los Angeles, formed in 1978, The Go-Go’s are one of the biggest Girl Bands in the New Wave/Punk scene of the 80’s. They one of my favorites during my High School years when Girl Groups were an obsession (still are) of mine.

The Go-Go’s Got the Beat
Female Friday

I would listen to Beauty and the Beat, Vacation, and Talk Show over and over, dreaming about being in an all-girl band someday, and not so secretly wanting to be some mix of Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin.

I mean, how fabulous are the two of them? I had the same short hair and changing dyed color, and I was clumsily learning the make-up. I’d sing-a-long to every Song, hairbrush mic in hand, pretending it was me. They were aspirational, but they didn’t seem impossibly out of reach. They were from LA after all, not so far from where I was growing up, and they didn’t seem all that different than my friends and I – just a little older, and a lot cooler.

“This Town” (live, 1984)

The Go-Go’s rose to fame during the early 1980s as an all-female band that both wrote their own songs and played their own instruments, rising to the top of the Billboard album charts. (from Wikipedia)

Their debut, Beauty and the Beat, has been considered one of the “cornerstone albums of US new wave.” (from AllMusic) They broke barriers for other American acts in the New Wave genre, as well as pushed forward more possibility and opportunities for Women in Music. They weren’t the first Girl Group or Girl Band, but they were continuing with what Bands like The Runaways, Girlschool, The Raincoats, The Slits, and others.

Beauty and the Beat hit #1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for six weeks. The Album sold over 2 million copies and went double platinum making it one of the most successful debut albums of all time. (from Wikipedia)

I.R.S. Records released Beauty and the Beat in 1981. Prior to its release the Single “We Got the Beat” was released worldwide and became a huge club hit in Europe, then made its way back to the US and hit it big, too.

All four members of The Go-Go’s share writing credit on most of the Songs on Beauty and the Beat. Other notable writers credited are Terry Hall (“Our Lips Are Sealed”, with Jane Wiedlin) and Peter Case (“Tonite”).

Kathy Valentine (bass, backing vocals) wrote: “Can’t Stop the World”. Jane Wiedlin (guitar, vocals) wrote “Our Lips Are Sealed” with Terry Hall of The Specials, The Colourfield, and Fun Boy Three fame. She also wrote “Automatic”.

“We Got the Beat”

Vacation was the second studio Album released by I.R.S. Records. It was released in 1982 and hit #8 on the Billboard 200. The Album was certified Gold. The title Track, “Vacation” was the first Single released and it was a huge Summer Hit in the US, reaching #8 on the Pop Singles Chart. This looked to be as big of a hit, if not bigger, as Beauty and the Beat. (from Wikipedia)

There was an internal “Sophomore slump” going on though. Drugs and fighting between band members are said to have been escalating.

The iconic video shows The Go-Go’s water skiing, although it’s pretty obvious that the girls themselves are not in the water. They look a little spaced-out at times in the video, and Wiedlin told Songfacts why:

“Well, we were at the A&M sound stage, and it was a big budget video, because of course by that time we were really popular, because it was our second album, and our first album had sold like, I don’t know, over two million copies or something. So we had a lot of money to do the video, which was the first time for us, because the other videos we just spent, like $5,000 on or something.

And it was fun, but it was a way of working that we weren’t accustomed to. And I remember it being a really long day, like a 14-hour day, and about eight hours into it we all were getting really bored and restless, so we started drinking. But by the time they actually shot the scene where we’re on the water skis, skiing one-handed and waving and stuff, we were all really looped. It’s so funny, if you look at us, look in our eyes in those parts, we’re all like cross-eyed drunk.

Go-Go’s always made fun of everything. So of course, we were making fun of the whole thing all along. And we were very resistant to following orders, or to acting, because we weren’t actors. But yeah, even thought we had become America’s sweethearts, we were still basically punk rockers at heart.”

Talk Show was the third studio Album released by I.R.S. They released it in 1984, and this Album of the three is the one that had the biggest impact on me. I was fifteen and this Album was everything to me. Though I absolutely love the other three and actually consider Beauty and the Beat the most quintessential, it is Talk Show that has the most memories and personal significance, to me.

“Head Over Heels” was the only Hit, and the Album was considered somewhat of a disappointment, peaking at #8 and selling fewer than 500,000 Albums. It would be the last all-original Album by the Band until 2001’s God Bless the Go-Go’s. (from Wikipedia)

The personality conflicts that started to simmer during Vacation grew and creative differences added to the stress and tension. Drug addiction, too. It took a toll on all five of the Band. Jane Wiedlin left the band in October of 1984 and was replaced by Paula Jean Brown of Giant Sand. She became the Go-Go’s bassist, and Kathy Valentine moved on to lead guitar.

The band played two shows with the new line-up, but couldn’t make it stick. Belinda Carlisle and Charlotte Caffey did not want to go on, so they broke the band up in May of 1985.

Though they broke-up, their music lived on and on for me. Their 3 Albums from the 80’s, especially Talk Show and Beauty and the Beat, became well-played and well-loved standards in my music collection. I still put their Songs on Mixes and Playlists, spin their Albums, and as of recently, play their debut on 8-Track (thank you, 8-Track Paradise).

What are your favorite Songs from The Go-Go’s? Which Album do you love the most?

My Top 5 Songs by The Go-Go’s

1. “I’m the Only One”
from the Album, Talk Show (1984)

2. “Lust to Love”
from the Album, Beauty and the Beat (1981)

3. “This Town”
from the Album, Beauty and the Beat (1981)

4. “Yes or No”
from the Album, Talk Show (1984)

5. “Our Lips are Sealed”
from the Album, Beauty and the Beat (1981)

It’s Friday and all we want to do is dance! For this Week’s Female Friday Feature let’s Countdown (and Turn Up Loud) 20 of the Best Dance Songs by Women in Music. Follow along below, and share your favorites in the comments. You can listen to them all-together via Spotify, too.

Top 20 Dance Songs – Female Friday List

1. “Bulletproof” by La Roux

2. “Into the Groove” by Madonna

3. “Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga

4. “Toxic” by Britney Spears

5. “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa

6. “Work It” by Missy Elliot

7. “Don’t Go” by Yaz

8. “Dancing On My Own” by Robyn

8. “S&M” by Rihanna

9. “Nasty” by Janet Jackson

11. “Paper Planes” by M.I.A.

12. “100% Pure Love” by Crystal Waters

13. “Independent Women, Pt. 1” by Destiny’s Child

14. “Don’t Cha” by The Pussycat Dolls

15. “Fuck the Pain Away” by Peaches

16. “Peek-A-Boo” by Siouxsie And The Banshees

17. “Shame, Shame, Shame” by Shirley And Company

18. “Heart of Glass” by Blondie

19. “I Feel For You” by Chaka Khan

20. “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer

Let’s start up the Alphabet for Female Friday. Every other Friday we will do a new Letter of the Alphabet for the Female Friday Theme until we’ve made it through the year and through the Alphabet.

Give me an “A”
A Female Friday Playlist

Listen here at Spotify and YouTube, or Press Play and Stream from YouTube below

“Anything We Want” by Fiona Apple
“Amber Waves” by Tori Amos
“Angel of Sadness” by A Camp
“Arabian Knights” by Siouxsie And The Banshees
“Absolute Beginners” by Carla Bruni
“Ashes and Wine” by A Fine Frenzy
“All I Ask” by Adele
“Angel Mine” by Cowboy Junkies
“And the Boys” by Angus And Julia Stone
“Adia” by Sarah McLachlan
“Amateur” by Aimee Mann
“Ain’t No Way” by Aretha Franklin
“Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number” by Aaliyah
“Angel Eyes” by ABBA
“All That She Wants” by Ace Of Base
“Atomic” by Blondie
“Awful” by Hole
“The Angels Hung Around” by Rilo Kiley
“Angel” by Madonna
“Army of Me” by Björk
“Avenue” by Agnes Obel
“Acrobat” by Angel Olsen
“Almost Makes Me Wish For Rain” by Lucius
“Ashes To Ashes” by Warpaint
“All I Really Want” by Alanis Morissette
“As Is” by Ani DiFranco
“Acrobat” by Tanya Donelly
“All Cried Out” by Alison Moyet
“Ain’t No Other Man” by Christina Aguilera
“A Little More Love” by Olivia Newton-John

Give me an “A”