Women of Sound

I have tried to keep up with what is on the charts, but I am not as devoted to the top-forty hits as I once was. As much as I like the noises of Billie, Dua, Taylor and Queen Bee, I still find myself going back to the other side of the equation, meaning the ones who should be bigger. You like Beyonce? I go for Janelle Monae. Taylor Swift? Give me St. Vincent. And Billie Eilish may be hard to categorize, but Bjork got there first. So, pop music will go on, but I want a little bit more.

I am sure that many of you want a little more, too. Some of you have told me that you love my music reviews, but I am not buying music or going to concerts the way I used to. Instead, I have been taking more time hunting down talent online. YouTube and many other pages have helped and I am sure that these names might be too familiar to a select coterie of readers. But for the rest of you, I really hope this opens up your ears and expands your audio palette.

1. Holly Herndon – This one was kind of an accident. I went to a local record store – remember them? – and saw the cover of a magazine. Now, I was really thrown by her and the story I read. She was a modern musician; a very modern musician who seemed more interested in noise for its own sake. And I saw that this was a review of an album called “Platform”. I bought a copy, brought it home…and listened to it once. After one week, I listened to it again. And then I listened to it on repeat. It took me time to accept that clash of sound with lyrics that were incredibly abstract and sharp. Try this link and you may understand my dilemma…and eternal interest in her brilliant career.

2. Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – Another pleasant surprise, this time from hunting down a recording I could not find. After a very fruitless hunt for something to turn my ears, I picked up a copy of “Euclid”. This led me into another deep dive into everything I could find by this particular electronic composer. Danceable and very detailed noises abound on all of her records, and you should take some time to hear this particular talent.

3. Yuja Wang – Oh, Ms. Wang. As soon as I heard you, I wanted to hear more. And as soon as I saw you, I wanted to want more. She is one of the most impressive classical pianists of the last twenty years, drawing huge crowds with her incredible performances both solo and with orchestras around the world…and with her choice of fashion during those performances (high heels and miniskirts will draw a crowd). Please enjoy the show!

4. Mira Calix – I came to the story of Ms. Calix after she passed away (March 2022), but I think that I am not too late to the party. This South-African-British artist worked in multiple mediums, gave at least one TED talk that I can find, and recorded some incredible music as a creator and DJ (I’m a fan of “Bite Me” and “there is always a girl with a secret”). Much like Herndon and Aurelia Smith, Calix prefers to experiment and push what we can take as listeners. This is makes it all the more rewarding and remarkable that she was able to have five records out of sound experiments…and I am still learning all about what has been lost. You need this particular ride.

5. Heloise Werner – I end this with a vocalist. Ms. Werner is a soprano singer, composer and performer who bends and tears apart all the neat categorizations between styles (should I even use just one term to describe her work: Classical? Modern? Untamed?). And she is one of the few performers I have heard by chance that made me freeze in place as she shifted from octave to octave, sound to sound, tone to tone. Start with the link here (“Confessional”), try this Barbican Session, and hear it from the talent herself. An excellent shape shifter of sound…and close friend of Ms. Calix. Please listen…

Those are the five I have chosen. I know that there are many others you might want to add to the list; you may also wonder if I have lost my mind when you hear some of the more extreme work above. Please make your own list and use what I have created here as a jumping off point to something deeper and truly beautiful.

Listen…

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You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

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