by Teyquil Skelton
Over the past 40 years, women in rock/punk rock n’ roll have been making statements and putting their DNA in the rock scene. Female bands of the late ’70s like, Girlschool, The Raincoats, The Pandoras, Partyline, Heart, Au Pairs, Dish Rags, The Slits, and The Runaways just to name a few.
The garage rock era in the 90’s even had female crushers killing the game as well. Bands such as L7, Hole, The Distillers, Bikini Kill, Babes in Toyland, etc. Though there were men in some of the bands I have listed, frontwomen were the driving force and the lead vocal present in the heartbeat of these bands.
Now that we are in the modern age where music isn’t the exact same way it was back then, we are sometimes lucky to come across bands that remind us of those eras and the sound people craved and loved some time ago during those good times.
One of those bands that possess that “It Factor” and brings back that edgy, grit, fingernail in neck aesthetic are the Seattle based all-female rock band, Thunderpussy. These warrior women rockers give it to you raw and make no apologies for anything they do musically. It all comes from the heart of their experiences and what they may have encountered as women in life and in music.
Their EP, Milk It, is an impactful and powerful introduction to the world, and hooks you as soon as the play button makes it accessible to the listening ears awaiting eagerly. Lead singer, Molly Sides, enthralls audiences with her powerful vocals that are seemingly influenced by great vocalists such as, Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, Ann Wilson of Heart and Florence Welch of Florence and The Machine.
The band’s first single, “Never Know,” is an absolute stinger and an all-out catchy good tune that’s hard to turn away from. Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers is featured on drums on the upcoming single “Powerhouse” which is my favorite song thus far. It’s truly a strong-armed track with driven energy and unforgiving relentlessness that hits you square in the face musically.
These four women play a major vessel in the body of Thunderpussy as a whole. Whitney Petty slays guitar leaving leverage for Leah Julius to shred bass as Molly Sides kills the core of it all with her bolder pushing pipes that connect everything in sequence to what is made up of the band Thunderpussy! The song “On The Line” is a slow creeper that has its own claws of sensational feels and beautiful approach which you will find on the Milk It EP also which has been magically touched and carefully structured by the great Mike McCready of Pearl Jam.
Seattle has now unleashed the hound beauties and their running rapid among the weak from city to city. Be sure to become one with the pack and not against, starting with the new EP, Milk It, It’s a sure thing to sink your teeth into and a sure thing to tell others about along the way who may not be aware of the girl power that’s occurring in the city of sweet Seattle.
