Best Girl Band

[GuySajerForgottenSoldier]

He said girls, not queens.

[Turbodog]

O.k. Mac, here I am.

I agree that Heart was a good band back in the day. I saw them live at City Park, summer of 1975, I thnk it iwas. Anyway, the Wislon sisters are talented, and made some good records. However, they did have significant male participation in the band most of the time, including longtime member Howard Leese and others, including early on, Roger Fisher.

When I think oi girl band, I think all girl band. If we are including mostly girl or prominently girl bands, my favorite is the Muffs (two female guitarists with male rythym section on 1st record, then a 3 piece after one of the girls left for the next few records, all in the 1990's). The Muff's frontgirl was Kim Shattuck, formerly of the all girl garage band the Pandoras.

So, back to all girl bands. Obvious choices are the Bangles and the Go-Go's. I liked them both, actually. I was also a fan of the Runaways. L7, the Breeders, Bratmobile and the Donnas.

So, here are my opinions.

The best all girl band was........the Runaways (without them, we would not have had the Go-Go's, or the Bangles; for influence reasons only, I give an honroable mention ot the Shaggs).

Best bands with strong female presence.....the Muffs (I really dig Kim Shattuck). Hornorable mentions to Heart, 4 Non Blondes (was originally all female,but replaced a founding member, guitarist Shauna Hall with a male guitarist (Roger Rocha) before their 1st record came out), the Fastbacks and the Breeders.

[Low-N-Slow]

What, no Girlschool?

Also, last year's Paul Rodgers: Live in Glasgow features Howard Leese on lead guitar. Still gots the chops.

[Great Danish]

The Tom Tom Club was kind of fun - it was Tina Weymouth from the Talking Heads and some other female musicians. They had a few nice songs.

[Mac da Knife]

Great report, TD!

4 Non Blondes was a great band.

Although I stand by Heart & The Bangles (both backed by males; but then which woman isn't?)

Waiting for the fallout...

[Roman09]

Hole, Doll Parts was amazing.

[Great Danish]

Mea culpa…my mistake….Tom Tom Club as a group and its eponymic first album were begun by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth in 1981.

Does anyone remember a group called "Toxic Shock Syndrome"? I don't remember their music but that name always cracked me up...

[Turbodog]

Dansih, Tina and Chris are married. Love the Tom Tom Club (Wordy Rappinghood!). BTW, Chirs and Tina contributed backing vocals to records by the britsh band Gorrillaz (led by former Blur frontman Damon Albarn).

Mac, I don't blame you for standing by your choices, as they are good ones.

BTW, the Bangles were all-girl, all the time. I do not recall any male help on tours, although perhaps they did have some other players helping out on records. I met Vicki Peterson when she was living in New Orleans (she played in the Continental Drifters when that was a great band, as well as the Psycho Sisters duo with Susan Cowsill). Vicki is a hottie!

[peychaud]

Le Tigre
Cub
The Runaways
Sleater-Kinney
Heavens To Betsy
Tiger Trap
The Slits
Shonen Knife
The Raincoats
LiLiPut
The Shaggs
Fanny
Pee Shy

If you wanna open up the voting to include bands with males, I'd probably add Liz Phair (for her first three albums only), Hole, Bikini Kill and the SF Seals.

[Mac da Knife]

I remember a Talking Heads concert at the Warehouse (A Warehouse, to be correct), and Tina Weymouth absolutely kicked ass on her bass.

To this day, I remember her exquisite ass shaking as she was Burning Down the House, way before that song was released.

One of the finest bands ever, IMHO.

Damn, I'm old.