So here it is, we had female artists in polls before, but this time let's enjoy the ladies really rocking, the key word here is "energy", so no mellow  folksy stuff this time. 

It's not just vocals, any other instruments will do, as long as there are women players.

Let's have some fun! 

First, one of my favorite female fronted bands:

The Breeders - "Saints"

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I like to post as much variety as I can on these polls to try to cover as much of the topic as possible.  This one is probably not one many would consider heavy, but to me, it rocks.  The Jones Sisters are not all sisters, in fact, none of them are related.  In reality, they are more of a collective, with a few of them being regulars.  About half of their songs are fronted by the women of the band.  I've posted songs from them before....

The Jones Sisters - "The Power of Your Soft Young Heart"

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Now, something from the 90's, from the early years of grunge:

L7 - "Shove"

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And finally, something from the Archives, a post rock band from Portugal (I see no rules against PA entries in this poll, but if it doesn't qualify, then I'll nominate one of the others):

Linda Martini - "Este Mar"  (The bassist is the amazing Cláudia Guerreiro)

Sylvia Juncosa - One in Three

I hope this counts - three men and the amazing front lady Anette Humpe.

Ideal - Eiszeit

Edit: It looks like the video is unavailable now. This one is a non-video unfortunately but has a good sound at least.

oh yeah, it counts! 

Oh, nice, rocking ladies... Nena! ... Hmm, maybe I'll start with someone else...

Her second single was a tremendous hit in the Netherlands in 1997 and her first album was that year produced by Golden Earring's Barry Hay and George Kooymans. I see her yt-clip has 18 million views, so maybe you know it...

Anouk - Nobody's Wife:

From the same Anouk, but this one is more a rock ballad, so maybe too mellow on Cristi's scale of mellowness for this poll...  But I don't want to withhold you this song she made two years ago; and since we are celebrating women, this one celebrates women! And I think it is a wonderful song! (I recommend you to watch the clip and read the text underneath it).

Anouk - It's A New Day:

And a band that I nominated way back in one of the first few interactive polls.

And the vocals of Taylor Momsen with guest Tom Morello on guitar.

And if you don't recognize Taylor from the Pretty Reckless, you might from one of her earlier recordings.

From France, this time, but on her first two albums she was singing in English and very much influenced by 70s rock (her father Jacques Higelin was a famous rock artist in France): singer/songwriter and guitarist Izia. This one is from her second album (2011):

Izia - So Much Trouble:

1) Cristina Donà: Ho Sempre Me

2) Carmen Consoli: Besame Giuda

3) Ustmamo: Tannomai

Rethought my first choice, will save for another time.  This time, decided to bring back Heather Nova, with "Walk This World."  

Here is an alternate viewing, provided kindly by Kees, for those who can't see from my first link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzIE4j3TOlE&ab_channel=LucasVosch

Next up, definitely NOT folky whatsoever, is "Never Say Never," by Romeo Void:  

And lastly, perhaps known to all, but a fine bit of rock, imo, "Middle of the Road," by The Pretenders:  

Not the same version, but quite good too. Did you post it because the other one didn't work?

Cristi:  Joan Jett & The Blackhearts “I Hate Myself (For Loving You)  Live video of hard rockin’ Joan Jett, et al.  Really great at the straight-ahead stuff, a classic rock hit. Delivers all the goods.   Fanny “Place in the Country”  One of the first (if not the first?) all female rock bands.  I remember this well, they were quite the novelty in their time.  Elements of Joplin in the vocalist, to my ear (who was also fabulous and would do very well in this poll, esp her “Cheap Thrills,” era.  Nice, bluesy-honky-tonk piano solo, too.  Girlschool “Race With The Devil”  One I don’t know, although I know the name.  Interesting juxtaposition with the sweet-faced girl and the tenor of the music, quite effective, actually.  Well crafted and played, bounces right along.  Interesting whoosh break2/3rds in and slammin’ guitar jammin’.  Blood Ceremony “Goodbye Gemini”  Flute starts the piece, video is of a Satanistic or pagan type ritual.  The pace picks up considerably, a female fronted dark-Gothy band.  You can probably guess this is my fave of yours, of the two I didn’t know.

JD:  Lee Aaron “Watcha Do To My Body”  Marshall Stacks!  I remember this!  80’s hard rock with attractive lead singer.  But she’s talented at this kind of thing, too.  Lita Ford “Kiss Me Deadly”  Also remember Ms. Ford, I had some dealings with Kim Fowley (who pushed the Runaways and was very odd, to say the least) when shopping a female fronted band back in the 80’s, and also had dealings with Ozzy at the time that their duet was released, as we were working with Bill Ward.  Anyway, she also delivers all the goods (I will probably use this a lot in this poll, lol, no other way to put it).  Well crafted, 80’s hard rock treatment, with plenty of energy.  The Runaways “Cherry Bomb”  And here are the Runaways.  Kinda garage-y hard rock 80s vibe, Kim loved the ladies, especially the bad girls.  Again, well-crafted and hit-bound music for the time.  I know all of these, so can’t vote for them, but they certainly are deserving of being in here.

Mike:  The Breeders “Saints”  I know the name, but don’t think I’ve ever heard anything.  This has a truly heavier, bluesy edge to it over all the of previous selections so far, less hard pop, more punk.  Enjoy the sneering attitude.  The Jones Sisters “The Power of Your Soft Young Heart”  Chunky guitars and multiple joyful voices here (hasn’t been a LOT of joy in here yet, either, lol).  Upbeat, yet still rocking.  Nice lead guitar, too.  L7 “Shove”  We carried these folks on our buses, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard them.  Definitely grunge!  Angry!  Yelling!  Sneering and snarling!  I get a kick out of this kind of stuff, though, the attitude is kinda fun.  Linda Martini “Este Mar”  As you might expect, this one hooked me from the start.  Driving, driving guitar, bass and drums, in a hypnotic trance, yet heavy. Goes into hard sci fi territory, for lack of a better descriptor and abruptly, all of the tracking systems fail.  If I have to pick another of yours for a favourite, though, it would be The Breeders.

Christian:  Sylvia Juncosa “one in three”  Driving guitars and bass, quickly joined by the drums.  A punky vocalist this time, with a garage-y band, except the band is almost ready for the clubs and the lead guitarist will leave the band and become a member of a post-punk band that somehow, never does get signed.  The vocalist shows a slightly softer side about 2/3rds in.  Ideal “Eiszeit”  Lots of these have been live performances, which fits for the style. Here is a new wave sound and delivery, with a sense of detachment in watching the vocalist.  Plenty of energy, with that sort of flat new wave vocal that was so part and parcel of much of the genre.  I know you often add later, but so far, the first is my fave. 

Apparently, this is a version made for a film (that I haven't seen). It is more raw and starts with a guitar instead of a bass. Since this one was put up by Universal Music France, and since they also have the original clip in stock, this one might work:

There both fine to me...

I like a lot this song, strong contender to the podium.

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/maailma-rikki-world-broken.html" rel="nofollow - https://lyricstranslate.com/en/maailma-rikki-world-broken.html

This one I can't "see."  The first one that I can, has 27+K views, but it is the album cut at 3:25.  Will give that one a listen, let me know if it's totally wrong, or if someone else can get a US-allowed one, if this isn't it.  

Like JD, I can't "see," the first Azia video, either, so am going with your second version that you added on Page 2.

I can't see the Heather Nova video 

Regarding Anouk's Nobody's Wife, that is probably the original album version (like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGGOAsRyENk" rel="nofollow - this one , if this one is visible...?). The clip starts with a couple of spoken words: "tell me about her" and has a laugh mixed in at some point, but the music is exactly the same, so that's all OK.

Regarding Izia: the second one I posted is exactly the same clip, just another source - glad it works.

Your alternative Heather Nova vid works for me, so I suppose it'll work for Cristi and other Europeans...

Glad about that, I like the video that was done, sorry there doesn't seem to be an alternate to the Vevo one, but you can get the idea.  It's the same music, after all.  

Kees:  Anouk “Nobody’s Wife”  Begins with acoustic guitar, then full band kicks in.  Don’t mess with an angry woman.  😊  Kind of Etheridge-y, there were a lot of great female artists in that era, with plenty of angst.  Driving lead 2/3^rd s in.  Seems to be the time for driving leads in this genre.  I like her.  😊  Anouk “It’s a New Day”  This is a ballad with strings and really showcases her fine voice, in more of a poppy diva mode, a paean to women’s advancement in the world.  A deep electric guitar lead, sets it apart from so many of the higher, wailing leads preferred in this genre.  Izia “So Much Trouble”  (2^nd version, from page 2)  As stated, heavy bass, the vocal is delivered in a staccato manner, and it’s quick-paced.  Angular sounding and definitely rocky, in almost a punky kinda way at times, but more mature playing than punk, as far as the band.  Either of the first two work the best for me, but this is the hardest rocking one. 

George: Dead Sara “Weatherman”  Straight-forward hard rock here, with a touch of alt-rock/grunge, catchy guitar hooks and a raspy-voiced lead vocal.  Bit of a rap 2/3rds in (a trend here), then back to the driving song.    Thunderpussy “Powerhouse”  This band is sorta 70’s hard rock sounding to me, thre’s a blues feeling to it.  The Pretty Reckless (feat. Tom Morello) “And So It Went”  Heavy, driving guitars and a model-ish vocalist, a bit of rasp to her voice, a bit of a break, ooh, ½ way in! where she softens it up for a few before the yep, 2/3rds in guitar lead.  Cute touch to add in the video of her before she got away from her likely backstage-mommy, lol.  I like Dead Sara and crew the best, here. 

tigerfeet:  Joanne Shaw Taylor “Bad Love”  Rockin’ it up, this lady has definitely a bluesy feel to her. I like her vocal delivery a lot here.  Oooh, lead is 1/2way in!  Shakin’ it up!  And another one 2/3rds in.  A for extra effort there. 

Greg:  Melt-Banana “Shield for Your Eyes, a Beast in the Well on Your Hand”  Wrangling guitar noise dominates this one, almost atonally, very pointedly.  Then kinda screechy female voices add their own pointedness, at a headlong pace all through, punkish and in your face.  Midori “ミドリ — かなしい日々”  Cacophony from the start and another kinda yelling vocal.  I like the piano breaks, this is very in-your-face madwoman music.  1/2 in break with sweet voiced portion instead of a guitar solo. Abrupt end.  Eskaton “Dagon”  Kind of psych organ sounds, waves and an operatic voice, that becomes a bit discordant at times.  Gets to becoming kind of a bad trip 2/3rds in, in a good way.  As you likely know I do like this kind of stuff, enjoy the dynamics of a build.  This would be my fave of yours here.

first song is groovey and mellow

second one is a good rocking one. 

Which means that you are accepting the first one or not? It get's more and more energetic.

I'm not rejecting anything

In the end you know you (me and everyone else) have to choose one final nomination. 

If you have a sec, listen to her guitar solo. It starts at 3:30. She is a one-woman-act/band, a real powerhouse! 

Like I said, I'm not rejecting anything. 

 Ok thanks! Let's see, maybe someone comments on them.

tigerfeet:  Ellips “Maailma on Rikki”  I like the way they look on stage, After a vocal into, heavy guitar, bass, flute and drums.  Very energetic performance, definitely hear some Icelandic vibe to the music, too.  I enjoy a lot of the bands who draw from their ancestry in the north, this is heavier than most I listen to, which tends to the dark folk side, but this is quite enjoyable in this group, for me.  Blending some psych in too, with some extended jamming and solos.  Imelda May “Johnny Got A Boom Boom”  Cool instrumentation, kind of a jazz/rockabilly quintet with a large tar-lke drum and other percussion, stand up bass, electric guitar and trap set.  Enjoyable for the novelty of it, but I do like your second selection the best here.   

I like Heater Nova's song.

Good rock ballad with a catchy chorus. Much of the beauty comes from the woman's singing, which takes inflections, typical accents, I suppose geographically determined.

Thank you, I always enjoy getting feedback and honesty, too.    Agreed, Heather is more of a "vocalist," although what Chrissie Hynde does with most of her material is subtly difficult to actually pull off (not in this piece, however).  Debra Iyall comes direct from the SF punk scene.  

Not sure whether you call this "rocking" but I do...

Go_A - Shum (Ukraine contribution to Grand Prix Eurovision 2021)

There's a problem I have with quite a bit of music here, which is that I'm not very keen on what I call rock'n roll cliches. Obviously that's not the fault of the ladies but rather I could probably write this in any poll called "the rocking (whoever)". There, I said it... 

I do like some energy in my music though, and sometimes it's a fine line and some rocking stuff wins over my heart...

There's a clear winner among cristi's suggestions, which is Blood Ceremony.

Same for JD, The Runaways head and shoulders over the other two.

With TCat's list as well I have to scroll down to find the better stuff, L7 has the kind of energy I like, post punk and grunge are surely closer to my heart than vintage style rock, but then there's a female post rock band and good at that. Hadn't heard of them but I for sure have to check them out.

More of the same pattern with suitkees: Izia sends me many more sparks than Anouk.

That's it for now, and thanks to all who write about all the suggestions and even in detail. I don't really manage to do this but love reading it.

I am sure that is no surprise to those here, but it is absolutely not to cast aspersions on those who do enjoy straight-ahead rock in any form...as stated, I like some, too, it's just a smaller field for me than for some.  I am pleasantly surprised by hearing some of what I am unfamiliar with, here, however, as of course, I am the first one to note that I don't know everything, nor am a averse to having my ears stretched in unaccustomed manners (ouch!  lol).

I don't understand or better said i don't know what exactly you are saying. 

There were themes I wasn't particularly fond of but for the fun and sake of the game I participated. 

There were songs posted in the game that did nothing for me throughout the games, but I never felt the need to point them out or anything.

I'm not complaining. The thing is I like controversy and criticism, and I like to be challenged. The poll is fine even though it's not that much down my alley. What I less like (although I grudgingly adapt at times) is the idea that only positive things should be said.

and here I thought I'd make an easy to do, fun round. It seems I failed. 

Well, you are challenged, pick a cool song we'd have fun listening to here. 

You certainly have not failed, it is and has been fun, and I've had a blast writing about it, as well as listening!

My post was addressed to Lewian. 

I think this round is moving on nicely. 

I knew it was likely with this one, Logan.  It's a popular field of music and a lot of women have had huge hits in it's genre. 

The Jezabels: Trycolour (2011)

Another one from me. So now I am at three. - 2/4 members of this Oz alt rock band are ladies. Sadly they disbanded a few years ago. I normally prefer to share recent stuff but I want to stick with Australia.

I will be commenting on the songs this weekend if that is not too late. Cristi, when does the nomination round start?

All these Interactive Polls have been a real joy to me and this one is no exception. Sometimes a poll theme is not as challenging to me as others, but I'm also always surprised by the diversity that is generally brought forward. Sometimes the musical/generic clichés are evident (some themes lend themselves better to that than others), but when I like the clichés I don't mind. For exemple, I much more like the rock clichés here than some metal clichés (like djent, or the need for speed), so I'm more comfortable here than I would be in a metal poll, but I wouldn't mind at all participating in the latter (though there might be less to be found to my liking). Also, I don't mind when people don't like my submissions and tell me that - I will be utterly disappointed and all night and all that, but I will get over it. Each has her/his own preferences and taste etc. and I appreciate everyone's appreciation, be it positive or negative - that's how we also get to know each other a bit better.

So, back to this poll and my appreciations... And, if you don't like to read what I don't like, then you better not read them at all...   They're just mine.

Cristi: A nice selection of classic hard rock! Joan Jett & The Blackhearts stand out for me, together with Fanny's blues grounded rock: they have that extra touch that make them more original and/or more captivating than the "average" rock band.

JD: Just as with Cristi's selection, this is the hard rock I like: damned catchy, a bit glammy and a pleasure to hear. Maybe The Runaways the least interesting to my ears, but Lita Ford and Lee Aaron are competing... I prefer Lee Aaron though.
I very much like Nina Hagen, but not all of what she has done. This one is not convincing me.

TCat: The Breeders make me think a bit of Alice Cooper and produce a nice bluesy rock & roll americana. Grunge is not really my cup of tea and L7 confirms that. I'm a bit disappointed by the post-rock track of Linda Martini because in my opinion she doesn't get out of the post-rock cliché sound and structure. My favourite of yours is without hesitation The Jones Sisters, maybe because it's not heavy, but especially because it is catchy and uplifting, also thanks to the chorals.

Lewian: Sylvia Juncosa definitely is energetic, but maybe a bit too raw, too bare-bone to my liking. Ideal is a bit in a similar vein but has an extra - more New Wave - touch that I prefer. Not very enthusiastic about either though. Go_A, on the contrary, is much more to my liking. It was one of the two/three songs that stood out from the sea of mediocrity that the Eurovision contest generally delivers, and my preferred one. Damned captivating with that hypnotic rhythm speeding up. Don't know if it is rock, but it is good!

Mathman: Dead Sara is a nice example of where all the clichés work out well; I find it a great energetic and captivating track, well performed (I suppose the song is referring to The Weather Undergound movement?). More convincing than Thunderpussy (a bit too straight forward) or The Pretty Reckless (too much djent).

Tigerfeet: Joanne Shaw Taylor sounds a bit too linear to me, no highs or lows, just straight ahead... Imelda May brings a speedy rock 'n roll song, quite nice, but I think I prefer Ellips, a great rocking song with some nice instrumental interludes (apart from the solos) and catchy chorus (thanks for the link to the lyrics!).

suitkees: Nobody's Wife is a good example of what a cliché rock song is: it is rather formulaic (verse, chorus, verse...), heavy guitars, a bit of rage and a catchy melody. But it is just good! It's A New Day should be shown everywhere where there is still no gender equality (which means everywhere, thus!). What a voice! But probably too mellow for this poll. Izia brings a more modern take on the cliché rock song, with a snippet of grunge. Great voice too and nice melodies changing over from the vocals to the instruments and back.

Logan: Oohwaah...! Yes definitely energetic, but both are a bit too noisy to my liking. If I have to point out a preferred one, it is between the groove of Melt-Banana or the chaotic quirkiness of Midori. I go for the groove, but don't expect to get my vote ;) *putting ears to rest*  (will listen to them again though, being warned now)
Victim is not something I will get in to, I think. Eskaton on the other hand is a great discovery! Not to say outstanding! There's a lot going on here too, but it is more challenging in the good way... Forget the noise!

jamesbaldwin: Love the Italian language, I only wished I could speak it a bit better. This is a nice selection. Carmen Consoli sounds the least original to me. Cristina Donà sounds good and is typically an example for me that I probably would enjoy much more in a live setting than from a CD (or streaming). I surprise myself for quite liking Üstmamo, bringing in a bit of rap. This one is competing with Cristina Donà, but I think I have a slight preference for Üstmamo.

Snicolette: Heather Nova with her beautiful voice trapped in a cliché rock song, ha! Yes, I like it, a bit mainstream maybe, but she adds something to it that makes it more interesting. Romeo Void bring in a touch of Ska but this does not entirely convince me; it sounds a bit too linear to me. Oh yes, The Pretenders, very well known, but I don't remember this song. Not their best, imo, but it is a solid rock song, nice to hear. Cannot choose between them and Heather Nova.

Mila: Tash Sultana with a more downbeat song. Sounds more pop than rock to me, apart from the guitar solo towards the end, but I quite like it - it's nicely grooving. Courtney Barnett's song is more rocky. It's a bit linear to my ears, not unpleasant, and I'm not really convinced by her declamatory vocal style. But from the three I think I prefer The Jezabels. Great rhythms, great singing, energetic... it has all it should have.

Had to do some digging in older polls, because I presented her before, but I never nominated her. So, that will be done now... I thought that a live performance would be justified, because it brings forward that she is also an awesome performer; and - damn - she rocks! This will be my nomination:

Anna Calvi - Wish (live):

Thank you for the perfect description of the Heather Nova piece!  Also, I always enjoy your stepping back and reviewing your own selections (nice touch).  Also your opening statement especially the last 2 sentences.  

^ If I were you, which luckily for you I'm not, I would stick with Melt-Banana. It may not be for me, but somehow I guess it might much more please Cristi, Mike, George, Özgür (he hasn't participated in this poll (yet), but somehow I guess he might like this more than me...) and maybe others. There are only few commenting and of course they are not representative of what the IA-crowd (all and everyone! The masses!) might think.

Logan wrote: Regarding criticism generally: I consider music to be very much a part of me in a way and when I share music meaningful to me I feel like I am making a personal statement -- baring my soul a little bit even if others would not see it that way. When one hears negativity about the selection, it can feel like that person is negating you, is invalidating you. But the thing is not to take it too personally, and realise that what that person says comes from their experience and tastes and says something personal about them. It used to bug me when I would share something I like and someone else would say "That sucks", "There are better choices" etc. And rarely would those claims be backed up, as its subjective.   I found that strange as I don't make the claim that what I like is good or the best generally and recognise the subjective nature of music appreciation. I'm happy with criticism as I long as I feel it's constructive and well-meaning. It's when the delivery comes across as "cold", as arrogant, as belittling, as invalidating of different perspectives that it can be hard to swallow. I'm fine when people tell me that they don't enjoy what I enjoy as long as they don't claim that I am wrong to like it or express incredulity over me liking it or make certain non-demonstrable truth claims. Another's tastes can be unfathomable to oneself.

-------------

The razamataz is a pain in the bum

This time around, I've noticed that everyone that commented seemed to like a different track more than the others, and it turns out that among the comments, every one of the submissions was preferred by someone, and therein lies the danger of posting a variety.  So, I'm still thinking about which one to nominate, but I'll decide by Monday.

Thanks again for the comments!

The Breeders - "Cannonball"

Cristi:

Joan Jett – I Hate Myself for Loving You.  Already know this one too well.  Joan was one of my best friend’s favorite artists when I was growing up, so I’m quite familiar with her music.  Fanny – Place in the Country – This is the vibe I love to hear, raunchy, and not over-produced and a lot of attitude.  And a great mix of soul in there with the rock with impressive guitar and piano solos.  Killer ending.  Girlschool – Race with the Devil – Great guitar work with an addictive hook, the vocals a bit to sweet however, and it’s a bit cliché, but still fun.  Blood Ceremony – Goodbye Gemini – Sort of a Grace Slick vibe and the added flute is cool.  Love the solid hooks, but I do lose interest towards the end.   My pick from yours is the Fanny track, and it is a contender.

JD:

Lee Aaron – Watcha Do To My Body – She’s got the swag for it, but I’m not that convinced, and nothing there really reeled me in.  It’s basic heavy pop.  Lita Ford – Kiss Me Deadly – Already quite familiar with this one.  Great hooks and more convincing than the previous one, but its still heavy metal pop and not the style I care for “You know I like dancin’ wit’chu”  .  The Runaways – Cherry Bomb -  Much better.  I like the attitude and it seems more authentic.  Great hooks, better video, more of the punkish attitude which I love, though it’s not punk, I still like it better.  This one would be my favorite.

Bonus track:  Nina Hagen – Universal Radio – Glam rock with the larger-than-life personality to match.  Not a fan of the programmed synth, and the clips from the live show with the guitarists hitting the power chords when there are no guitars playing at the time is humorous.  Still like The Runaways best.

Lewian:

Sylvia Juncosa – One in Three – That’s what I’m talking about.  A lot of attitude mixed with an unpolished sound and a lot of originality.  Plus a great hook, crazy tempo and a blistering guitar solo.  This is perfect.  Ideal – Eiszeit – Not bad, but a bit on the repetitive side, melodically.  Not quite as captivating as the Juncosa track, but still pretty good.  Punkish, but with a high dose of new wavish sound mixed in. 

Suitkees:

Anouk – Nobody’s Wife – Solid beat on the chorus with softer verses, but it has the right attitude.  I like her vocals and the track is also pretty good.  It’s got that ‘90’s alternative rock feel which was a bit cliché in 1997, but it sounds good now.  Anouk – It’s a New Day – Still love her vocals which stand out even more on this song.  And it’s got a more updated feel to it, not just in the message, but in the sound.  There are great rocking ballads, and this one is really good.  Izia – So Much Trouble – Great tension build up that delivers nicely.  I love that it keeps the driving rhythm on the 2^nd verse.  This one is another great track.  I like all three of your tracks, so I’d be good with any one of them, though I probably lean towards the Izia track most as it has more of an unpolished feel to it, though I like Anouk’s vocals more, so it’s a though choice.

mathman0806:

Dead Sara – Weatherman – Yeah, I like this one.  It definitely is convincing and sold me on her gruff vocals and the driving rhythm.  Yeah the chorus is a bit repetitive, but her vocals make that okay.  And that hook is awesome, so is the middle section when it builds that tension.  Did I mention that I love the vocals.  I’m sold!  Love it.  My favorite out of your submissions.  Thunderpussy – Powerhouse – Hard and heavy, but it doesn’t deliver the punch like your first selection did, even with the video, which seems a little mismatched to the song for me.  The Pretty Reckless – And So It Went – This one is a bit better, but it’s still a little unconvincing to me.  I do like the alt-metal feel to it, the RAtM/Audioslave-like guitars (Morello is involved after all and that’s the best part), and the delivery is okay, but it just doesn’t have the punch of the Dead Sara track. 

tigerfeet:

Joanne Shaw Taylor – Bad Love:  Yeah, I love the blues-influenced hard rock on this one, and she definitely rocks.  Killer guitar solos.  This is a great track and her use of the famous lyrics which fit perfectly here.  It’s my kind of rock, blistering and hard driving music.  Great track.

Logan:

Melt-Banana – Shield for Your Eyes, a Beast in the Well on Your Hand – Yessssssssssss!!!!  This noisy guitar driven, bass heavy music is what I absolutely love.  And then the unhinged vocals only make it all better.  I’m going to have to dive into this one even more.  Great stuff!  Midori – ミドリ — かなしい日々。Okay, this one is a little bit over the top, though there are some parts about it that I love.  Not a fan of the vocals, even though I understand where they’re coming from.  I suppose I might get to like it if I could get past the vocals.  Melt-Banana is my choice from these two.  Eskaton – Dagon – Nice slow build and the organ and harmonized vocals mirroring each other is a great touch, very mysterious and sinister.  Then that crazy change of direction at 5 minutes is awesome!  The growling bass sounds like a behemoth.  The beat drives forward, pushing like it can’t wait to get to a certain pay off of sorts.  Love this.  I gotta get me some more of that, for sure!  So, I would be happy with this one or the Melt-Banana track.

jamesbaldwin:

Cristina Donà - Ho Sempre Me – Yes, I really like this one and it’s good to hear that Italy has impressive nineties artists.  Great guitar (though I wish that was a little longer) and excellent vocals, it’s one that grabbed my interest right from the start.  It’s a far cry from that Matia Bazaar song “Fantasia” that I loved back in the early 80’s, and that’s a good thing.  Carmen Consoli – Besame Giuda – And here’s another great one, though it is a little less intense, it’s still a great track.  Nice, unique voice which stands out more than anything on the song.  Ustmamo – Tannomai – Great mix of sung vocals and rap-style vocals.  Some really great guitar work underneath it all, plus I love the way it switches from that punk feel to a funky style in the middle, and then an alternative flair towards the end.  Love the style changes. This one is pretty good, but I think I like the first of your submissions the best.

Snicolette:

Heather Nova – Walk this World – Nice, sultry, and yes a rock edge to it all, kind of that dark alt-rock that I really like.  There are some great guitar effects in the middle that grabs my attention.  Love the cello-like bass in it too.  Romeo Void – Never Say Never – This is a band I remember from the 80’s, but I never paid a lot of attention to it for some reason.  After hearing this now, I don’t know why I ignored them so much as this is the kind of messy, punkish feel that I tend to be attracted to now.  That being said, I do remember this track and am familiar with it, though I guess I never put the band name and the song together.  Love the song, but, I know it already, but I do thank you for reminding me of it.  The Pretenders – Middle of the Road – An all-time favorite of mine from way back when I first heard it.  I love the first three albums by The Pretenders, including and especially this hard rocking, fast moving song.  It gets me going every time!  So, I have to go with the Heather Nova track since I already know the other two, but The Pretenders would otherwise have been a contender if I had never heard it.  How can you resist that driving, unrelenting beat and wild guitar?

 

 

mathman: The Pretty Reckless are my winner among yours - the christmas thing made this extra fun for me. Dead Sara not far behind though.

Logan: Cool stuff there - both are big fun. Hard to decide between them, both could be prizeworthy. By the way I only know 4 Visions of Eskaton and it's great, as is the one you play here. I need to expand them in my collection it seems.

jamesbaldwin: It seems the law of this poll that the last suggestion works best for me - maybe because it makes me proud that I now get most of the Italian lyrics. Christina Dona isn't bad either, the second one isn't my cup of tea.

Snicolette: I'm tempted to say just for the sake of keeping up the law mentioned above that I prefer the Pretenders. Indeed there's not much between them. Honestly Romeo Void comes over as most fresh and sharp here.

tigerfeet: We're properly back to last one trumps here. The first one meh, the second one nice, the third one Imelda May big fun.

Mila: These two are very different and hard to compare. I think Courtney Barnett makes me want more to hear her song again. (Heard Jezabels now who don't change my preference.)

 I wouldn't have complained and I've seen Camel a number of times, but chances are most of the rest of the audience would've had different ideas.

Something from PA out of competition, I always found this outstanding, particularly Renate's vocals and the sax, despite the album not being that popular.

PS @Mila: Sometimes also for me linking a youtube video doesn't seem to work. I then go to my youtube history, delete the video there and search it again. Normally linking it will then work. (Don't ask...)

Latecomers:

TCat, The Breeders "Cannonball" - I like this more than the other Breeders one but not as much as L7.

suitkees, Anna Calvi: Yeah, I can definitely see why this picks your slot, I would've loved to be in the audience.

"Watching the Clothes Go Round" was quite funny especially since it was the more punk sounding of the songs on the album, but also a bit sad if you think about it.  I love that album because it has such a great variety of styles on it.

"Watching the Clothes Go Round" was quite funny especially since it was the more punk sounding of the songs on the album (and punk rock, to suit the theme), but also a bit sad if you think about it.  I love that album because it has such a great variety of styles on it.

Yeah, we used to always sing it when we were in the laundromat in Santa Cruz, lol.    But you're right, it is also sad.  The band was very versatile, and I think I said somewhere that Chrissie Hynde's vocal lines seem like they might be easily sung, but that's because she's a very talented vocalist.  

Thanks all for the comments. It really is amazing to see how we all listen to something, and perhaps depending on many factors, come to a feeling, as it really for me is a feeling for a song, if it gives me some kind of spiritual or physical reaction.

Suitkees, yeah, Joanne Shaw Taylor can sound quite linear, and for me, it depends on my mood, especially for Blues based songs. Sometimes I just cant listen to her (or the blues), while other times I find myself in "that" place. 

@Cristi

Fanny > Blood Cerimony

@ Logan

Midori

@TCat

The Jones Sister > Linda Martini

Izia

@Lewian

Eiszeit

Greg:  Victime “Fatigue”  This one is discordant and punky, and angry one with lots of whangling keys and guitars.  A bit of a bass solo for relief.   Eskaton still my fave.

Mila:  The Jezabels “Trycolour”  This moves along nicely in a pop/rock mode.  I like this one, too, but still prefer Tash.

Sadly I didn't manage to finish commenting. I did listen to all songs carefully, though and ranked them. You guys started the nominations already but well.

Mila-13 wrote: Much appreciated but now I'm even more confused! lol

Same here, I thought Sylvia Juncosa was going to be the clear winner of the audience's prize (and I'd have nominated her for that) but now preferences seem to distribute almost equally.

I think I surprise myself and nominate Go_A - Shum, even though maybe this is more known than the others.

I don't think that anyone here except me is following Eurovision. lol Though I see Go A as an ethno electronic/dance act rather than in the rock category?

I was trying to keep to live or semi live performances (although Joanne Shaw Taylor did not have a good live quality video) I think you made me re-evaluate how some noms work as live performances and some do not. I guess it depends on the sound quality and energy. The Ellips album version would have been a better choice for quality and not going off on solos etc., whereas the Imelda may studio version just did not have the same raw energy and attitude as in the live performance. 

So, I nominate, partly for those reasons, Imelda May - Johnny Got A Boom Boom 

I don't mind. Genre tags are overrated.