Ice Queens

According to my own interpretation, and stealing the term from an epic song by Dutch metal band Within Temptation, Ice Queens are the female vocalists that I know, like or admire closely or vaguely related to the intriguing genre of Goth in all of its variables (Metal, Darkwave, Rock, Industrial, Ethereal, Electronic, etc). Obviously, I've stretched the genre at my own convenience to be able to fit all of my favourite performers, but all in all it summarizes an insatiable research for what music sounds in the dark caves of the underground, usually far from mainstream radio stations.

I have listed some basic information for each singer, such as the bands they're part of, their origin, the albums they've released (only full lengths and occasionally others), band members, influences, etc, and then, for the bands I like the most I've tried to explain why I like them and why you should listen to them.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Well, make your way to the right hand side of the page, scroll down, and you'll find a list of about 100 ladies divided in categories. Click on their name and their page will come up. This page is still under construction, which means that by the time the Holy Family Church in Barcelona is finished we will have a release party for this web as well.

Even though this page is mainly for musically curious and morbid people like me, I've also written it in the hopes to lure all those lost souls amidst the hertzian waves of shitty radio who are looking for something new and don't know where to start. And I've also written it for myself, so when I have grandkids someday I can show them what grandma was into when she was young (and then they'll start crying).

"For the pleasure, for the knife."

I am writing today, on the last day of January 2007, to specify that I have decided to enlarge the roster of female vocalists of Ice Queens to make room for all the performers that had an impact on my musical life. Obviously, this decision causes many of these ladies to not be in the Goth world per se, but I want to keep the name of the site because that's how it got started. Come what may, I'm still a fan of the dark. Enjoy.

NOTE: This list has been compiled based on the artists that I know, like or that awaken my curiosity. If you know of a vocalist that isn't here but should be, I will gladly listen to your recommendations. Thanks!

ANOTHER NOTE: It is April 2010 and I am just writing to say the blog isn't dead, I have just been absent, but I want to go back to it and update it soon. Thanks!

Marta (rolling the r)

WHAT'S ON MY CD PLAYER NOW (I don't know why I keep saying that, because I never play CDs anymore):
1) School of Seven Bells "Alpinisms"
2) Midnight Movies "Lion The Girl"
3) Great Northern
4) Fever Ray "Fever Ray"
5) Bat For Lashes "Two Suns"

ICE QUEEN: Gena Olivier
BAND: Midnight Movies
ORIGIN: Los Angeles, CA
GENRE: Indie
ACCOMPLICES: Larry Schemel (guitars), Ryan Wood (bass), Sandra Wu (drums)
DISCOGRAPHY: "Midnight Movies" (2004), "Lion The Girl" (2007), "Nights" EP (2008)
INFLUENCES: Whatever their influences are, Gena is a reincarnation of Nico

IMHO:

FAVORITE SONGS: "Souvenirs"
FAVORITE ALBUM:

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

ICE QUEEN: Rachel Stolte
BAND: Great Northern
ORIGIN: Los Angeles, CA
GENRE: Indie
ACCOMPLICES: Solon Bixler
DISCOGRAPHY: "Sleepy Eepee" EP, "Trading Twilight For Daylight" (2007), "Remind Me Where The Light Is" (2009)
INFLUENCES: Elliot Smith, P.J. Harvey

IMHO: My Romantic idea of apocalypse is driving around thru vast fields of nothing in the aftermath listening to Great Northern. Obviously, this is just an idea, but behind it is the notion that GN is great driving music, maybe the best ever, along with Markus Schultz's "Travelling Light". I remember driving back from upstate NY listening to them in the fall, observing the leaves and thinking I was on my way to paradise. I am so beyond excited about their new album... Maybe I shouldn't, so it doesn't become a disappointment later, but judging by the first single "Houses", I have every reason to be about to jump off my seat. Pure... love...

FAVORITE SONGS: "Telling Lies", "The Middle", "Low is a height", "Houses"... etc
FAVORITE ALBUMS: "Trading Twilight For Daylight", but I can't wait for the new one.

WHAT OTHERS SAY: Rachel is interviewed by The Scenestar here.

ICE QUEEN: Karen O. (born Karen Lee Orzolek)
BAND: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
ORIGIN: New Jersey, USA
GENRE: Indie
ACCOMPLICES: Nick Zinner (guitar), Brian Chase (drums)
DISCOGRAPHY: "Yeah Yeah Yeahs" EP (2001), "Machine" EP (2002), "Fever To Tell" (2003), "Show Your Bones" (2006), "Is Is" EP (2007), "It's Blitz!" (2009)
INFLUENCES: Sonic Youth, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, New York's No Wave

IMHO: The first time I heard the YYY's was when I was helping my friend Scott to edit his documentary "Kill Yr. Idols", a mise-en-scène of the New York No Wave versus the Yes Wave. He had gone to see them play in some very small venue, and came back and said "these kids are going to be the next big thing, I must interview them for my documentary." He was obviously right. At the beginning I saw Karen O as a female version of Marilyn Manson meets Freddie Mercury meets Morrissey meets Jack Skellington, a spasmodic stick figure jumping, stretching and screeching all over the stage... It took me a while to get used to her stage persona, but I quickly loved the music, the simplicity of a guitar, drums and a voice (what a voice), and the endless creativity and ideas that came based on those three elements. Three studio albums later, I can't wait to listen to "It's Blitz!", and although they have departed a bit from the raw lo-fi punk of their beginnings, their electronica era sounds very promising.

FAVORITE SONGS: "Pin", "Miles Away", "Cheated Hearts", "Y Control", "Way Out", "Cold Light", "Art Star", etc etc etc.
FAVORITE ALBUM: Really, all of them.

SEEN THEM LIVE: At Irving Plaza, NYC, back in 2003. I don't remember much about that show, I should go see them again.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

ICE QUEEN: Ninja (born Nkechi Ka Egenamba)
BAND: The Go! Team
ORIGIN: London, England
GENRE: hmm, how to describe it?
ACCOMPLICES: Ian Parton (electric guitar, harmonica, and drums), Sam Dook (electric guitar, banjo, bass, and drums), Chi Fukami Taylor (drums, vocals), Kaori Tsuchida (vocals, electric guitar, keys, and melodica), Jamie Bell (bass)
DISCOGRAPHY: "Thunder, Lightning, Strike" (2004), "Proof of Youth" (2007)
INFLUENCES: A mixture of early hip-hop, cheerleading squads, Saturday morning cartoons, '70s TV theme music and '90s noise-pop.

IMHO: The Go! Team are one of the most exciting bands of the moment, if not the most, in the indie world. They have been able to create and consolidate their own sound in only two albums, and it never gets boring. I could try and describe their music, but isn't it easier if you just listen to some of their stuff? It's a collage of styles, and Ninja's voice is just one more element in this salad of sounds. Really cool, fresh and lo-fi stuff.

FAVORITE SONGS: "Bottle Rocket", "Grip Like A Vice", "Huddle Formation"
FAVORITE ALBUM: Both, really, they are great

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

ICE QUEEN: Liela Moss
BAND: The Duke Spirit
ORIGIN: London, England
GENRE: Brit Pop
ACCOMPLICES: Luke Ford (guitar), Dan Higgins (guitar), Toby Butler (bass), Olly Betts (drums, percussion)
DISCOGRAPHY: "Cuts Across the Land" (2005), "Neptune" (2008)
INFLUENCES: Sonic Youth, Pixies, Dinosaur Jr., P.J. Harvey, The Jesus and Mary Chain, motown music

IMHO: This band follows a pretty standard and formulaic alternative British rock style, but the extra kick to their songs and Liela's raspy velvety voice got my attention. They remind me a little bit of Catatonia and Cerys Matthews, but the Duke Spirit is considerably darker and more instrumental. Very enjoyable!

FAVORITE SONGS: "Lasso", "My Sunken Treasure", "The Step and the Walk"
FAVORITE ALBUM: "Neptune"

SEEN THEM LIVE: At Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ on Feb 15th, 2009. The Duke Spirit kicked some ass, old school fast beat rock and roll, made lots of noise and played an excellent live show! The only inconvenience is that it was a little bit too short (1 hour), but I had a blast. The stage was way too small for Liela and the band. I hope they get a better venue next time.

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

ICE QUEEN: Fay Fife (born Sheilagh Hynde)
BAND: The Rezillos, The Revillos
ORIGIN: Edinburgh, Scotland
GENRE: Punk, new wave
ACCOMPLICES: Eugene Reynolds (vocals), Jo Callis "Luke Warm" (guitar, vocals), Hi-Fi Harris (guitar), Angel Paterson (drums), Dr. D.K. Smythe (bass), Gale Warning (backing vocals). This is the very first lineup of the Rezillos, which would continuously change after the first single. When Fife and Reynolds left the band, they renamed themselves the Revillos.
DISCOGRAPHY: Rezillos: "Can't Stand The Rezillos" (1978), "Mission Accomplished But The Beat Goes On" Live (1979); Revillos: "Rev Up" (1980), "Attack!" (1982)
INFLUENCES: Sixties garage rock, The Ronettes, the Shangri Las

IMHO: I remember having a conversation with a work mate recently about bands that are fun. We were scratching our brains for a while, and all we could come up with was Zombina and The Skeletones, The Go! Team, the Horrorpops, Tub Ring and some other psychobilly stuff... How could we bypass the Rezillos?? They are like the epitome of fun! Shame on us! So I want to use this space to mention that these guys are awesome and fun. Ok, done. Do you know any other bands that are fun??

FAVORITE SONGS: "Flying Saucer Attack", "Glad All Over", "My Baby Does Good Sculptures", "I Can't Stand My Baby"
FAVORITE ALBUM: "Can't Stand The Rezillos"

WHAT OTHERS SAY: If you are interested in the band, as you should, I recommend checking out the punk77 web page section on them.

ICE QUEEN: Theo Kogan
BAND: Lunachicks, Theo & The Skyscrapers
ORIGIN: New York City, USA
GENRE: Punk
ACCOMPLICES: Lunachicks: Gina Volpe (lead guitar, vocals), Sidney "Squid" Silver (bass, vocals), Sindi Benezra Valsamis (guitar), Becky Wreck (drums), Chip English (drums after Becky), Helen Destroy (drums after Chip); T&TS: Sean Pierce, Chris Kling and Dimitry Makhnosky.
DISCOGRAPHY: Lunachicks: "Babysitters on Acid" (1990), "Binge & Purge" (1992), "Jerk of All Trades" (1995), "Pretty Ugly" (1997), "Drop Dead Live" (1998), "Luxury Problem" (1999); T&TS: "Theo and the Skyscrapers" (2006), "So Many Ways To Die" (2007).
INFLUENCES: The Ramones, Kiss, the MC5.

IMHO: The coolest thing about this bad mama is that she has a deep metal voice but her music is totally punk and fast-paced. The combination is totally explosive and contagious. Ass kicking.

FAVORITE SONGS:
FAVORITE ALBUM:

WHAT OTHERS SAY: "Somehow the Lunachicks were overlooked in the whole Riot Grrrl marketing phenomenon, despite hailing from NYC's East Village, conveniently located in the media capital of the world. They're a highly politicized, feminist all-female loud rock band, but they never attracted a tenth of the attention paid to L7 or 7 Year Bitch. I guess it's because the Lunachicks have less of a hardcore/grunge aesthetic: they use overdubs and even occasional guitar effects, plus they articulate their words so you can actually understand them. But they're hardly Neil Diamond: lyrics frequently focus on excretory functions and misogyny, besides plain old-fashioned spleen. Theo's voice takes some getting used to: it doesn't have the raw power you expect from a hard rocker, but she uses it effectively to put across irony and sarcasm." from this web page, where you can also find reviews of their albums

ICE QUEEN: Kim Deal (born Kimberly Ann Deal)
BAND: Pixies, The Breeders, The Amps
ORIGIN: Dayton, Ohio (USA)
GENRE: Alternative rock
ACCOMPLICES: Pixies: Frank Black, Joey Santiago, David Lovering; The Breeders: Kelley Deal, Tanya Donnelly, Josepine Wiggs, Jim McPherson, Carrie Bradley, José Medeles, Mando Lopez (these last two on the current lineup along with Kelley); The Amps: Jim McPherson, Luis Lerma, Nate Farley.
DISCOGRAPHY: Pixies: "Come On Pilgrim" (1987), "Surfer Rosa" (1988), "Doolittle" (1989), "Bossanova" (1990), "Trompe Le Monde" (1991), "Pixies at the BBC" (1998), "Complete B-Sides" (2001); The Breeders: "Pod" (1990), "Safari" EP (1992), "Last Splash" (1993), "Head To Toe" EP (1994), "Live in Stockholm" (1995), "Title TK" (2002), "Mountain Battles" (2008); The Amps: "Pacer" (1995).
INFLUENCES:

IMHO: I discovered The Breeders in college. I saw a girl wearing a t-shirt with the Last Splash record cover on it, which I always thought it was a strawberry. I must say I have discovered a lot of music because I saw an album cover I liked, the most notorious examples being Portishead and Elastica. I saw the cover of Last Splash and thought "now there is something I have to listen to". I can't remember what we listened to at that point, but we were probably at the birth of the Brit Pop phenomenon, Pixies, Smiths, etc. I've probably mentioned it ten thousand times in this blog, but the year 1994 was the biggest musical year of my life. Blah blah nostalgia etc. So in that year I discovered The Breeders thanks to a t-shirt. That's why cotton is so important in our lives. I soaked Last Splash, Pod, Head to Toe, Safari... anything I could get my ears on. I liked Kim Deal because she was cool. Her band was cool. Her music was cool. I could be totally wrong, but it was one of the first indie all-girl-except-for-the-drummer bands (the Throwing Muses too). And they rocked! So that's pretty much it. I see that they are publishing a new album in 2008 and that gives me hopes I'll see them live again.

I actually just saw them live again this past weekend! Read my droolings in the section below.

I know at least two songs inspired on this muse, which are "Cool as Kim Deal" by The Dandy Warhols and "Ohio Girls" by Spanish indie band El Inquilino Comunista. Do you know any others?

FAVORITE SONG: "Gigantic" (with Pixies), "Saints", "Doe", "Safari", "Do You Love Me Now?", "No Aloha", "Tipp City", "Overglazed", "It's The Love", "German Studies" and so forth
FAVORITE ALBUM: Hmmm, so hard to decide...

SEEN THEM LIVE:
The Breeders: February 11th, 2002 and August 1st, 2002. Both times at the Bowery Ballroom, NYC. The Breeders came twice to NY that year, first to present "Title TK" and then to squeeze the juice out of it. I went to see both shows, and they can squeeze my juice all they want, because I adore them. I remember Kelley Deal came out to the stage with a pink feather handbag and a 2-litter Mountain Dew bottle. Kim is so passionate about her music that is a pleasure to see her perform. And the drummer they had with the black thick glasses rocked too! For me it was so great to see in person these people I had idolized in my early twenties... I don't care if their glam-and-glitz years are all gone: seeing them in the flesh being who they are was really great. I hope they keep touring because I will continue to go see them.

I saw them again, and twice! this past weekend! July 12th and 13th, 2008. First, at the Starland Ballroom, in Sayreville, NJ. I missed the Webster Hall show last june due to a work conflict, so I found this show conveniently scheduled on a Saturday, and my friend Annie, my husband and I got in a car and went to see them! It was a great venue, because it was fairly small and we were literally on the first row by the fence, and no pushing, no trampling. It was pretty much like they were giving a show in their living room, and the feeling was awesome. It seemed like the band felt comfortable too, and Kim didn't leave the stage during the encore break, she stayed and played the drum riff from Shocker in Gloomtown with drummer José Medeles on the guitar. I will never forget this show. They have a 2nd guitarist for the road shows, "her name is Cheryl, and she is from Florida" -Kim dicit.
The second show, The Breeders at McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn. It was a free show, so you can imagine the pool filled up with people who were there for the music and people who were there for the pool party, which is a total opposite feel to last night's intimate show. They played the same songs as the day before, but I enjoy any energy I can get from KD. I absolutely love this band.

Pixies: November 30th, 2004. Mullins Center, Amherst, MA. It was spine-chilling to see the Pixies (the Pixies!) live at their alma matter, UMass. Yeah, they have some more pounds and less hair than in the last decade, but they rocked my nostalgia.

WHAT OTHERS SAY: I had no idea about this, which I found at wikipedia: "The Breeders are an American rock band, formed in 1977 as a folk rock duo featuring twin sisters Kim and Kelley Deal of Dayton, Ohio which played country covers at truck stops and bars and dissipated in the early 80's. only to be revived as a side project in 1988 for Kim who by then was playing bass for Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses."

ICE QUEENS: Bianca Casady & Sierra Casady
BAND: CocoRosie
ORIGIN: Hawaii and Iowa, USA
GENRE: Freak Folk, New Folk
ACCOMPLICES:
DISCOGRAPHY: "La Maison De Mon Rêve" (2004), "Noah's Ark" (2005), "The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn" (2007).
INFLUENCES: Klaus Nomi, The Cockettes, Nina Simone

IMHO: Bianca and Sierra Casady have done with CocoRosie something very unique these days of cliche and formulaic music: these sisters have created their own universe and their music has developed and grown along their 3 albums. Bianca sort of raps and talks over the music, and Sierra brings the operatic power, which is probably why I listened to them in the first place. Together, and in the company of hip hop beats and quirky toy sounds, they captivate your eardrums song after song, telling you macabre fairytales. One would think that after "La maison de mon rève" it was all said and done and that there wouldn't be much more to explore, but they just keep getting better and better. Their new single "God Has A Voice, She Speaks Thru Me" is friggin delicious.

FAVORITE SONGS: "Not For Sale", "Werewolf", "By Your Side", "Madonna", "Good Friday", "Rainbowarriors", "Promise."
FAVORITE ALBUM: "La Maison De Mon Rève", "The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn"

WHAT OTHERS SAY: Don't miss this extended article published recently (by recently I mean July 2008) on The New York Times.

ICE QUEEN: Billie Lindahl
BAND: Promise and The Monster
ORIGIN: Stockholm, Sweden
GENRE: Indie, Ethereal
ACCOMPLICES:
DISCOGRAPHY: "Transparent Knives" (2007)
INFLUENCES:

IMHO:

FAVORITE SONGS: "Antarktis", Sheets."
FAVORITE ALBUM:

WHAT OTHERS SAY: Read Pitchfork Media's review of her album here.

ICE QUEEN: Lavay Smith
BAND: Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers
ORIGIN: Phillipines and Southern California, USA
GENRE: Swing
ACCOMPLICES: Allen Smith (trumpet), Bill Ortiz (trumpet), Mike Olmos (trumpet), Danny Armstrong (trombone), Jules Broussard (alto and tenor saxophones), Charles McNeal (alto and tenor saxophones), Ron Stallings (tenor and baritone saxophones), Howard Wiley (tenor saxophone), Robert Stewart (tenor saxophone), Pete Cornell (alto, tenor and baritone saxophones), Charlie Siebert (guitar), David Ewell (string bass), Darrell Green (drums) and Chris Siebert (piano, arranger, bandleader).
DISCOGRAPHY: "One Hour Mama" (1996), "Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Miss Thing!" (2000).
INFLUENCES: (from her myspace page) Jazz: Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Helen Humes, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Teri Thornton, Denise Perrier, Mary Stallings, Ledisi, Paula West, Carmen Gettit, Ingrid Lucia, Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, Al Hibbler, Eddie Jefferson; Blues: Johnny Otis, Big Mama Thornton, Koko Taylor; Gospel: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Marie Knight, Mahalia Jackson, Dorothy Love Coates; R&B: Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Lauren Hill, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Alicia Keyes; Country: Patsy Cline.

IMHO: I discovered this band by accident at a friend's house and automatically loved it. It's refreshing to hear this jazz/swing music with a retro flare being performed nowadays, as a breakaway from all those other bands that try so hard at being new and unique.

FAVORITE SONG:
FAVORITE ALBUM:

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

ICE QUEEN: Hope Sandoval
BAND: Mazzy Star, Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
ORIGIN: Los Angeles, CA
GENRE: Dream pop, shoegazer, folk
ACCOMPLICES: David Roback in Mazzy Star, Colm O'Ciosoig (My Bloody Valentine) in Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
DISCOGRAPHY: MS: "She Hangs Brightly" (1990), "So Tonight That I Might See" (1993), "Among My Swan" (1996); HS&TWI: "Bavarian Fruit Bread" (2001).
INFLUENCES: The Doors, The Velvet Underground

IMHO: The year was probably 1998. We were riding back from Athens, GA to Clemson, SC in my friend Alex's beaten Skylark, an excuse for a car, and it was late night, and we were exhausted (we might have been to a show or something). My friend's friend Chastity put on a mixed tape and "Halah" came on. I can't describe how suiting was that song for that moment. So I bought the cd, and blah blah blah, I loved it, and audio beauty ensued... Really, though, Hope has an amazingly soothing voice. I love their cover of Slapp Happy's "Blue Flower". I think it was also covered at some point by Pale Saints.

FAVORITE SONGS: "Halah", "Blue Flower", "I'm Sailin'", "Be My Angel", etc.
FAVORITE ALBUM: "She hangs brightly"

WHAT OTHERS SAY:

ICE QUEENS: Ana Da Silva & Gina Birch
BAND: The Raincoats
ORIGIN: London, England
GENRE: Post-punk
ACCOMPLICES:
DISCOGRAPHY: "The Raincoats" (1979), "Odyshape" (1981), "The Kitchen Tapes" -live- (1983), "Moving" (1984), "Looking In The Shadows" (1996).
INFLUENCES: Bob Dylan, Prince Buster, Melanie, The Slits, Patti Smith

IMHO: I recently discovered these girls by accident through the Last.fm radio and liked them right away. I prefer their more mature sounds of "Looking In The Shadows" than their quirky early songs, but all together they are highly entertaining. I have to confess that I have an unconditional instant devotion for any voice that remotely sounds like Toni Halliday's. So far such voices are Gina Birch, Soffy O, the girl from Starlit.... and I'll come back and add more names as they come around in my brain.

FAVORITE SONGS: "So Damn Early", "Pretty"
FAVORITE ALBUM: "Looking in the shadows"

WHAT OTHERS SAY: Click here for an extended interview with Gina Birch.

ICE QUEEN: Gaye Advert (born Gaye Balsden)
BAND: The Adverts
ORIGIN: Bideford, Devon, England
GENRE: Punk
ACCOMPLICES: T.V. Smith (vocals), Lorry Driver (drums), Howard Pickup (guitar).
DISCOGRAPHY: "Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts" (1978), "Cast of Thousands" (1979).
INFLUENCES: Sex Pistols, Ramones, The Clash, Buzzcocks.

IMHO: Gaye Advert is considered the First Female Punk Star, according to wikipedia's sources. She played bass for punk band The Adverts. I enjoy small doses of these guys and girl when in need of a quick pick me up... It's all good, positive energy.

FAVORITE SONGS: "Bored Teenagers", of course.
FAVORITE ALBUM:

WHAT OTHERS SAY: All things Gaye in this great interview from punk77.