GWSS Blog Post 1

Blog Post 1

mintgreenelephant

Articles:

• "Rosetta Tharpe and Feminist Unforgetting” by Gayle Wald
• “ ‘Death to Racism and Punk Rock Revisionism’ in Alice Bag’s Vexing Voice and the Unspeakable Influence of Cancion Ranchera on Hollywood Punk” by Michelle Habell-Pallán

After reading the articles about Alice Bag and Rosetta Tharpe, I found a common thread connecting these powerful female artists. Habel-Pallán relates that "Alice infused the sound of Hollywood punk with elements of cancíon ranchera's vocal aesthetic, estilo bravío" (Habell-Pallán, 250). This highlights how Alice Bag's musical upbringing played an important influential role in the way she sings. It then allows for us to trace the genre-defining punk vocal style back to roots which we can finally restore power and credit to. In addition, in her performances, Alice Bag “appropriate[s] so-called masculine traits” (Habell-Pallán, 250). Bag makes this important intervention regarding gender roles through singing aggressively and boldly.

Shifting our view to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Wald refers to her as "gospel's first national superstar," (Wald, 157). This calls attention to her influential musical upbringing of church gospel music. Similar to how Bag influenced Hollywood punk, Tharpe's sound played a large part in transforming early rock and roll. By shifting the narrative of rock to instead originate from key female artists like Tharpe, we can re-examine the path that music evolution takes and restore credit to those it is due. Additionally, Tharpe played an electric guitar which is “an instrument so deeply masculinized,” (Wald, 159). Through this, she challenged gender norms in a similar way to Alice Bag.

I grew up listening to rock and roll and punk, which has heavily swayed me to prefer these genres now. It's enlightening for me to finally hear about how powerful minority women have influenced the music that I listen to.

My DJ selections:

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - Bad Reputation (1980): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RAQXg0IdfI

This song illustrates the impact that women have had on punk music and how women have had a hard time in the music industry (a bad reputation). This connects to Alice Bag and her role in punk and shaping the vocal sound. Joan Jett has also been a very influential voice in punk in the Los Angeles scene, both in her band the Runaways, as a solo artist, and with her band the Blackhearts.

Alabama Shakes - Hold On (2012): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le-3MIBxQTw

This song clearly shows how Sister Rosetta Tharpe has influenced rock and roll and paved the way for other female singers. In an interview, Alabama Shakes lists Sister Rosetta Tharpe (first!) as one of their influences and this is clearly evident in both their sound and Brittany Howard’s powerful vocals (article link below). I think this song is a good example because of the evident guitar and how you can clearly feel Howard’s stage presence, both being reminiscent of Tharpe’s sound.
https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/08/alabama-shakes-brittany-howard-interview