Double-X Chromosomes

Okay, sprite raises a fair issue: there is a dearth of women in my playlists.

And I live with her, so she’s well aware that I have a lot of music by women in my collection.

But this challenge was really great, because it made me realize how much great music I have that features women: singing, rockin’ out on instruments, writing some great licks and lyrics. From punk to folk, rock to blues, country to jazz, I have a lot of great women in my collection.

So in this playlist, I give a sample of the women in my (musical) life. And it’s but a small sample.

1. “Hound Dog” - Big Mama Thornton
   Sure, Elvis made this song a hit, and he was credited with introducing a raw, raucous edge to the fledgling rock-and-roll sound. But when you listen to the original version of this song, from Big Mama Thornton, you’ll find that Elvis toned down the song quite a bit. Big Mama really throws herself at this song, and makes it sound like the kind of bad relationship song that it is: full of rage, hellfire and damnation.
2. “Won’t U Please B Nice” - Nellie McKay
   She’s charming, isn’t she? A young chanteuse from New York City (via the UK and many US cities), Ms. McKay has a clear vision for her work - one that has been both a blessing and a curse to her career. Her first album, Get Away From Me, was issued as a double-disc album to give a “side A/side B” flavor to her work. And while this won her acclaim from critics, her record label (Sony) wasn’t thrilled with the extra production cost. So when she wanted to release her sophomore album, Pretty Little Head, in a double-disc format, Sony put their foot down: one pared-down album or nothing. So Nellie bought out her contract and eventually issued the album on her own. I chose this song because it’s somewhat bipolar: the tune is jaunty, playful and upbeat, while the subject matter is very dark. Yup - yet another dysfunctional relationship song for this set.
3. “Landslide” - Fleetwood Mac
   Fleetwood Mac was simply a British blues band until the arrival of two Americans: Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The addition of two Yanks to the mix created the chemistry that brought forth Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, two mega-hit albums that defined the pop-rock sound of the late-1970s. Buckingham and Nicks were romantically involved prior to joining Fleetwood Mac (they broke up less than two years after they joined, during the Rumours sessions), and Lindsey wrote many songs for the unique voice of Nicks. Among the best is “Landslide,” which was recently a big hit for the Dixie Chicks. Well, to paraphrase Bono: “the Dixie Chicks stole this from Fleetwood Mac - and now the Mac is stealin’ it back!”
4. “Eddie’s Concubine” - Eddie From Ohio
   Yes, there is an “Eddie” in Eddie From Ohio (though Eddie Harkness is not from Ohio), but the vocal leader for this powerful folk-rock quartet is the incomparable Julie Murphy-Wells. Julie has a gift of a voice: powerful, jazzy and crystal-clear. When EFO performs the “Gospel Wake-Up Call” on the final Sunday of the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Julie’s vocals are powerful enough to wake up the entire festival grounds - over 80 acres of people camping. I chose this song because it talks of a woman in an unfortunate situation - feeling like a concubine in her relationship - and finding a way out. Dig the harmonies and excellent acoustic guitar work on this fine “folkin’ excellent” track.
5. “Kiss Kiss Kiss” - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
   You could easily cut out the “John Lennon” credit on this song, because it’s 100 percent Yoko. From Lennon and Ono’s 1980 classic, Double Fantasy, this song is hook-laden and fun. Of course, there are some squeals from Yoko, but they actually serve a purpose during the solo break. And Yoko gets orgasmic in the song - yes, it’s a bit of a TMI moment, but it also works in the context of the song and the album. “Kiss Kiss Kiss” was the B-side to Lennon’s comeback hit, “(Just Like) Starting Over.” This is actually a Yoko song that doesn’t get fast-forwarded when it pops up on my iPod.
6. “Fucking Boyfriend” - The Bird & The Bee
   I was caught somewhat off-guard by The Bird And The Bee. I was initially thrown off by the vocal work of Inara George when I heard her perform “Again And Again” on Leno: she was going after really, really high notes, and hitting most of ‘em quite well. And the song had a hummable tune, if a very nonsensical lyric. So when the full album came out, I was interested in hearing what the rest of the songs held. Needless to say, I was hooked from the first song: George’s vocals and the retro-meets-mod keyboard work create a tasty sonic tapestry. “Fucking Boyfriend” is another great relationship song - not about a great relationship, but about the miscommunication that often happens amongst the single, swinging set. This song, in a remixed version, has been a big hit in dance clubs since late 2006.
7. “This Old House” - Loretta Lynn
   The coal miner’s daughter has seen her share of ups and downs over the years. But her latest studio album is definitely an up, due in large part to her collaborator, Jack White. White’s modern sensibilities dovetail perfectly with Lynn’s classic country and bluegrass style, and “This Old House” is a great little romp of a country tune.
8. “Call My Name” - Charlotte Church
   Remember Charlotte Church? You know, the teenager from Wales who set the classical music world atwitter with her performances of arias and other operatic endeavors? Okay, now toss aside that entire image from your mind. The Charlotte Church of today is a brassy, bratty young woman who chain smokes, hosts an entertaining music variety show on Channel 4 (UK), and sings catchy pop songs. When I first heard this song in 2005 over in the UK, I was completely taken aback: instead of operatic vibrato, there was sassy, note-perfect belting of songs. And then there’s the video, where Charlotte sheds the stage dresses for something…. more risqué, to say the least. The song is power pop, sure, but it’s catchy, good pop - and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Lemme tell ‘ya: I had a hard time narrowing down this list to the 25-minute limit. If I could’ve gone longer, songs by Joni Mitchell, The Pipettes, KT Tunstall, ABBA, Allison Krauss, Patty Smith, Janis Joplin, The Mamas & The Papas, Jefferson Airplane, Ani DiFranco and many, many more would’ve been in the running.

Download: “Hound Dog” - Big Mama Thornton (mp3)
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Download: “Won’t U Please B Nice” - Nellie McKay (mp3)
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Download: “Landslide” - Fleetwood Mac (mp3)
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Download: “Eddie’s Concubine” - Eddie From Ohio (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Kiss Kiss Kiss” - John Lennon & Yoko Ono (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: “Fucking Boyfriend” - The Bird And The Bee (mp3)
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Download: “This Old House” - Loretta Lynn (mp3)
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Download: “Call My Name” - Charlotte Church (mp3)
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Download: “Double-X Chromosomes” playlist (xml)
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If you want it all and want it in a single file:

Download: “Double-X Chromosomes” (zip)
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