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The sounds and lyrics that these three women create definitely have bite.
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Ani DiFranco
I'll write something about Ani here. But until then, here are some links so you can find out about her on your own:
Ani-Difranco.Net
On Her Own
Ani DiFranco lyrics - Her lyrics are amazing, trust me.
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Aimee Mann
I first heard of Aimee when I read an article talking about how the pretty chick with the crazy hair from the 80's band 'Til Tuesday (remember "Voices Carry"?) had gone solo and had contributed a bunch of songs for the soundtrack to the movie Magnolia. At around the same time, her latest album. Bachelor No. 2, had come out. Both the soundtrack and the album were getting great reviews, so one day while I was at Borders (where I often can be found), I decided to give Aimee a try. I bought Bachelor No. 2 and ever since then, I've been so glad I did. That album is PHENOMENAL! I think that Aimee Mann is, hands down, the best lyricist out of all the songwriters I know. Her lyrics are so clever and are about as far away from cliche as you can get. What other musician that you know of uses words and phrases like "Margaret Thatcher," "ricochet," "Pavlov's bell," "Rubicon," and "tourniquet" (just to name a few) in their lyrics? And the way she does it, it doesn't sound random or wacky, but original and smart. Not to mention she also has a lovely, expressive voice, and she can write songs that stick in your head whether they're upbeat, melancholy, or sarcastic/pissed off.
Aimee links:
AimeeMann.com - her official website. You can listen to her entire new album, Lost In Space, there for free!
Aimee Mann: How She Is Different - a great French fansite. You don't have to know French to navigate through it, and a lot of it is in English anyway.
Driving Sideways - nice fansite in English.
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Patti Smith
She's been called everything from the original punk poet to the godmother of punk. But whatever words of praise are lavished on Patti Smith, she deserves it. Although her 1975 debut album, Horses, is a classic, and Easter (1978) is my favorite, she's continued to release great music throughout her entire 30-year career. She was known in the beginning for her her husky voice, rockin' sound, there's-nothing-she-won't-say poetry, and bold lyrics. Who else would write a song called "Rock N Roll Nigger" in reference to the criticism placed upon her for being a woman in the male-dominated punk world....be so influenced by the French poet Arthur Rimbaud that she would name her album Radio Ethiopia after the place where he lived....and change Van Morrison's relatively tame "Gloria" into a song that begins with the words, "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine"?
Now a 50-something year old widowed mother of two kids my age, this year Patti released Trampin', one of my favorite albums of her career. Although it's too bad I wasn't around in the '70's when she was first making her name, I'm glad to call myself a Patti Smith fan while she's writing her new classics. Several years ago, I saw her live on her tour for her 2000 album Gung Ho. Seeing Patti dance barefoot on stage, while singing "Dancing Barefoot," was practically a religious experience.
Patti's Official Site - with information on Trampin' and her new tour.
A Patti Smith Babelogue - my favorite fansite
Above: Patti on the cover of Horses. Above left: live in 2003.
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