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Girl Groups

330 articles

The Crystals, Phil Spector: The Crystals: New to the Charts — Six Girls With Two Names!

Profile by Alan Smith, New Musical Express, 28 December 1962

SO VAST is the American disc scene that quite often an artist or group can get high into the charts without anybody here knowing much ...

The Shirelles: The Neglected Shirelles

Profile by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, 12 January 1963

"I MET HIM on a Sunday" sang Addie, Doris, Shirley, and Beverly. They were heard by a class-mate at Passiac high school during a rehearsal ...

The Chiffons: New to the Charts: Tokens aid Chiffons

Profile by Ian Dove, New Musical Express, 19 April 1963

'HE'S SO FINE', the disc by the Chiffons — a coloured, all-girl group with a Shirelles-type sound — looks set to confirm the prophecy of ...

The Chiffons, Ruby & the Romantics: Romantics and Chiffons Make Their Marks

Profile by June Harris, Disc, 4 May 1963

Five girls, four boys, two hit groups ...

Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans, The Crystals, Darlene Love, Phil Spector: The Crystals Mystery

Report by uncredited writer, Record Mirror, 29 June 1963

Rumour Has It That The Crystals, Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans, And Darlene Love Are In Fact One Group. Here Are The Facts... ...

The Crystals: Now There's Only Three They're Still Looking For A Fourth!

Interview by June Harris, Disc, 9 November 1963

THREE CRYSTALS, and wearing very offbeat outfits, sat grouped on an American type put-u-up in a huge apartment on New York's fashionable East Side. At ...

The Ronettes, Phil Spector: The Ronettes

Profile and Interview by June Harris, Disc, 9 November 1963

A two-week British tour is planned for end of January ...

Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans, The Crystals, The Ronettes, Phil Spector: Now the Ronettes... get the girls screaming, too

Profile and Interview by Maureen Cleave, The Evening Standard, 11 January 1964

IT WAS A bad idea, perhaps, to interview them in a canteen. A great number of suet rolls and custards never got digested that day ...

The Ronettes: Wrong Phone Number Brought Success

Interview by Peter Jones, Record Mirror, 11 January 1964

TALK ABOUT a coincidence! A thundering great coincidence — a flash of fate which virtually launched the swinging Ronettes, one of the most successful girlie ...

The Ronettes: We Just Haven't Stopped Buying

Interview by June Harris, Disc, 8 February 1964

Ronettes really dig our clothes ...

The Crystals: Crystals Aim To Hit All Our Shops

Interview by June Harris, Disc, 15 February 1964

Four slick chicks fly starry-eyed into town — in knee-length boots ...

Joe Brown, The Crystals: The Crystals, Joe Brown: Coventry Theatre, Coventry

Live Review by uncredited writer, Record Mirror, 22 February 1964

WHAT A wealth of talent the Crystals have, and how the four young American gals displayed it to their first-ever British audiences at the Coventry ...

The Shangri-Las: It's motor bikes next for the seagull girls

Interview by Chris Welch, Melody Maker, 31 October 1964

SHANGRI-LAS hit town and talk to Chris Welch ...

The Shangri-Las: Shangris' Sensational Seagull Sounds

Profile and Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 31 October 1964

THE LATEST gimmick in pop discs: sound effects! ...

Goldie & The Gingerbreads: Goldie and the Gingerbreads: Four Tough Birds...

Interview by Norman Jopling, Record Mirror, 13 February 1965

THERE ISN'T much that scares Goldie And The Gingerbreads. Being an all-girl group in a male dominated scene tends to toughen up the so-called weaker ...

Goldie & The Gingerbreads

Profile and Interview by Nancy Lewis, Fabulous, 14 August 1965

When The Kinks toured Britain last May, another group on their show created quite a stir everywhere they went. Not surprising, considering they were four ...

The Toys: 'Toy June Is So Cute You'll Bite Her' says Toys' Manager!

Interview by Alan Smith, New Musical Express, 26 November 1965

LONDON-NEW YORK INTERVIEW by ALAN SMITH ...

The Detergents, The Shangri-Las: Top Tunes: The Shangri-Las

Interview by Ronnie Oberman, Evening Star, The (Washington DC), 18 December 1965

DANVILLE, VA. — Those are real tears being shed in the Shangri-Las' 'I Can Never Go Home Anymore'. ...

The Supremes: The Chic-est Girls In Show Business

Report by Jane Heil, Hit Parader, May 1966

WELL, OF COURSE, their sound: Supreme, tops, five in a row if you're keeping score. But LOOK at them! I mean, those are three swell-looking ...

The Shangri-Las: The Soul Sound from Sheepshead Bay

Profile and Interview by Richard Goldstein, The Village Voice, 23 June 1966

THEY STARTED with a twinkle in their eyes and leatherette on their hips. Out there on the stage of the Brooklyn Fox, with Murray the ...

The Supremes: Supremes smash phone records!

Interview by Penny Valentine, Disc and Music Echo, 15 October 1966

NO MATTER where they happen to be — Japan or Germany, Australia or Andalusia — a phone call is put in to Mrs. Ross, of ...

The Dixie Cups: Dixie's Dream City is Manchester

Interview by David Griffiths, Record Mirror, 10 December 1966

RAINY OLD Manchester may not be everybody's idea of adream town but it is the favourite British city of The Dixie Cups — at least, ...

The Supremes: Supremes' Flo Ballard: It's Said She's Leaving

Report by Loraine Alterman, Detroit Free Press, 1 August 1967

FLORENCE BALLARD of Diana Ross and The Supremes has temporarily asked to be withdrawn from the group, according to a spokesman for Motown Records. ...

The Supremes: Supremes Heart Chat!

Interview by Alan Smith, New Musical Express, 3 February 1968

YOU COULD see it: the Supremes were overwhelmed. They sat there in the room and hit back with answers as best they could. Reporters and ...

Reparata & the Delrons: Sets of Three

Interview by Richard Green, New Musical Express, 13 April 1968

'Captain' hit big surprise for Reparata ...

Reparata & the Delrons: "We're Getting Fat on Cakes and Sweets!"

Interview by uncredited writer, Melody Maker, 20 April 1968

REPARATA AND THE DELRONS EAT THEIR WAY ROUND BRITAIN ...

The GTOs: Girls Together With Groups Outrageously

Interview by Rob Partridge, Record Mirror, 4 July 1970

YUP, IT was going to be one of those days. Miss Pamela and Miss Cynderella were in town. Which must be worth a quick Wow! ...

Martha Reeves & the Vandellas: Martha's 10 years at Motown...

Interview by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, August 1970

THIS YEAR is the tenth anniversary of Motown Records and to celebrate it in London, Martha Reeves and her Vandellas spent one week meeting the ...

Fanny: Fillmore East, New York NY

Live Review by Mike Jahn, The New York Times, 30 May 1971

Fanny, a Four-Girl Rock Group, Poses a Challenge to Male Ego ...

Fanny, Wet Willie: Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles, CA

Live Review by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 23 October 1971

Fanny Rock Group in Engagement at Whisky ...

Labelle, Laura Nyro: Laura Nyro and Labelle: Gonna Take a Miracle (Columbia)

Review by Lenny Kaye, Rolling Stone, 20 January 1972

THIS ALBUM comes at the nicest time within Laura Nyro's career, for like most of the other performers that have cut a swath through pop ...

Labelle: Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by John Mendelssohn, Los Angeles Times, 21 January 1972

THE IDEA of wedding an English or other foreign fan's perspective on the idiom with a fading American rhythm-and-blues group looks fine on paper, and ...

Fanny: Fanny Hill (Reprise 2058)

Review by Metal Mike Saunders, The Rag, 13 March 1972

FANNY HAVE put out a totally consistent album that captures the spirit of 1964-5 rock coupled with the White Album Beatles/middle-period Badfinger instrumental sound. Considering ...

Fanny: Fanny Hill (Reprise 2058)

Review by Metal Mike Saunders, Rolling Stone, 13 April 1972

FANNY HAVE finally made it: their new album is full of the best mainstream rock and roll I've heard so far this year. As well ...

Love Unlimited: Love Unlimited (Uni UNLS 24 £2.00)

Review by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 28 July 1972

THREE YOUNG Californian ladies who have enjoyed an international hit first time out with 'Walkin' In The Rain', here in its entirety of four minutes ...

First Choice: A return of Choice ladies to the scene

Profile and Interview by Phil Symes, Disc, 23 June 1973

FIRST CHOICE are climbing the charts with a great disco record called 'Armed and Extremely Dangerous'. It is not only their first hit, but when ...

The Three Degrees: The Three Degrees (Philadelphia Int PIR 65858)

Review by Peter Jones, Record Mirror, 9 February 1974

Degrees of heat ...

How the other half lives: The Best of Girl Group Rock

Guide by Greil Marcus, Let It Rock, May 1974

GIRL GROUP ROCK flourished between 1958 and 1965, and though, with the passing of the Brill Building and the coming of the sophistication of the ...

Labelle: Dinner and cards with Reggie

Profile and Interview by Michael Watts, Melody Maker, 9 November 1974

"I REMEMBER the time," says Sarah, "when we toured in England and Bluesology backed us. And Patti used to play cards with Reggie — Elton ...

The Three Degrees: Higher and higher with the rising Degrees

Interview by Giovanni Dadomo, Record Mirror, 9 November 1974

HAVING EXPERIENCED the full force of thelr dynamic and sensual stage act only a few days before, I half expected to find the Three Degrees ...

Labelle: Tomorrow's Brightest Stars ★ ★ ★ ★

Profile and Interview by David Nathan, Blues & Soul, 21 January 1975

ONCE UPON a time, just about fourteen years ago, four foxy young ladies met up and decided to embark on the path that proverbially leads ...

Labelle: Nightbirds (Epic 80566)

Review by Giovanni Dadomo, Record Mirror, 8 March 1975

RELEASED TO coincide with their English tour, this is the album that should establish Labelle as the world's leading female vocal group. ...

LaBelle: La Belle Revolution

Interview by David Hancock, Record Mirror, 15 March 1975

LABELLE ARE fashionable. They have a top ten single and album in the States, yet in Britain — nothing. As I said Labelle are fashionable. ...

LaBelle: ...How The West Was Won — Nearly

Report by Penny Valentine, Sounds, 26 April 1975

A few days in the life of LaBelle. Penny Valentine reports from America's West Coast where the critics are a harder nut to crack than ...

Labelle: Harkness Theatre, New York NY

Live Review by Dave Marsh, Newsday, 7 May 1975

Silver birds ...

The Supremes

Retrospective by Tony Cummings, Black Music, October 1975

THE LEGENDARY Supremes are back in Britain. Showbusiness cannot exist without legends. Be it a crackvoiced Sinatra, or a drawling Dylan, a cool crooner or ...

Labelle: Paramount Theater, Oakland, CA

Live Review by Tom Vickers, Rolling Stone, 6 November 1975

Climax Lacks at Glittering Labelle Premiere ...

The Runaways: Starwood, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 2 February 1976

At The Starwood: Runaways Catch New Rock Wave ...

The Three Degrees: Three Degrees: Palladium, London

Live Review by Rosalind Russell, Record Mirror, 17 April 1976

THREE DEGREES UNDER ...

The Runaways: The Runaways (Mercury, Import)

Review by David Hepworth, New Musical Express, 26 June 1976

Falling foul of Fowley? ...

Kim Fowley, The Runaways: The Runaways: Runaway Girls

Profile and Interview by Harvey Kubernik, Melody Maker, 17 July 1976

RUNAWAYS: the Natalie Woods, Brigitte Bardots and Ann-Margrets of rock. ...

The Runaways: The Runaways (Mercury SRM 1 1090)

Review by Rosalind Russell, Record Mirror, 25 September 1976

THIS ALL girl American group are the female version of the Ramones. They have one more redeeming feature — they're more tuneful. They're rebels, they ...

The Runaways: Girls! Girls! Girls!

Report and Interview by Giovanni Dadomo, Sounds, 2 October 1976

As The Runaways scoot their everlovin' way through Britain and Europe, GIOVANNI DADOMO tries to get his lemon squeezed... Now gasp on... ...

The Runaways: Roundhouse, London

Live Review by Caroline Coon, Melody Maker, 9 October 1976

Runaways — the wild ones ...

The Slits: Slits

Interview by Vivien Goldman, Sounds, 11 December 1976

Palmolive, drums; Kate Korus, rhythm guitar; Suzi Gutsy, bass; Arianna Forster, lead vocals ...

The Slits

Report and Interview by Kris Needs, ZigZag, August 1977

THERE ARE FEW groups I'd rather go and see at the moment than The Slits. They've only been going a few months in their present ...

The Runaways, The Weirdos: Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 29 August 1977

Jett, Ford Grab Runaways' Reins ...

Diana Ross, The Supremes: Diana Ross and the Supremes: 20 Golden Greats

Review by Mick Farren, New Musical Express, 10 September 1977

IF THEY weren't the highest form, they sure as hell were the most refined. The three-piece girl vocal group is almost a dying art. Only ...

The Slits, The Subway Sect: Subway Sect/The Slits: Music Machine, Camden, London

Live Review by Jane Suck, Sounds, 8 October 1977

Sect stumble. Slits excite ...

The Runaways

Report and Interview by Sandy Robertson, Sounds, 12 November 1977

THE HOUR OF MY VINDICATION is at hand. I'm sitting in the lobby of a London hotel waiting for the Runaways to descend from their ...

The Lous have a message for the women of Britain in 1978... "Groupies must become musicians"

Interview by Caroline Coon, Sounds, 31 December 1977

(to be read in a French accent. — Ed) ...

The Ramones, the Runaways: Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica CA

Live Review by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 30 January 1978

THE RECENT Sex Pistols tour threatened, among other things, the Ramones' standing as rock's premiere punk band. But while the Ramones is a bit lightweight ...

Millington: Ladies On The Stage (United Artists UAG 30158) ***

Review by Sandy Robertson, Sounds, 6 May 1978

THE SEVENTIES may be the zenith of the record industry's attempts to have concept and packing triumph over actual content, and this is a prime ...

ABBA, Blondie, Lisa Burns, The Heaters, Ronnie Spector: Albums by Abba, Blondie et al

Review by Howard Wuelfing, Unicorn Times, October 1978

Girl Group Sound Filters Back into Rock Scene ...

The Slits: Girl Trouble with The Slits

Profile and Interview by Nick Kent, New Musical Express, 7 October 1978

NICK KENT on the wildest waifs in town ...

The Emotions: Sunbeam (Columbia)

Review by Ariel Swartley, Rolling Stone, 19 October 1978

THE EMOTIONS don't just sing on Sunbeam — they bounce. They'll spring back from a note as soon as they land on it, giving it ...

Blondie, The Shangri-Las: Blondie and Beyond

Report and Interview by Barry Cain, Record Mirror, 18 November 1978

BARRY CAIN threads his way through the decaying labyrinth known as New York, finds the other faces behind Debbie Harry, unearths two of the "fabulous" ...

Moon Martin, The Runaways: The Runaways, Moon Martin: Whisky A Go Go, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Sylvie Simmons, Sounds, 27 January 1979

THEY CAME down the stairs on to the stage to screams from the sardined crowd and whistles from the majority male contingent, despite the rejection ...

The Roches: The Roches (Warner Bros.)

Review by Ariel Swartley, Rolling Stone, 31 May 1979

The Roches: pretty and high and bright as the sky ...

The Roches: The Roches (Warner Bros Import BSK 3298)****½

Review by David Hepworth, Sounds, 9 June 1979

Dogs and married men ...

Dolly Mixture: Sugary Sweets Can Cause Youth Decay

Interview by Deanne Pearson, New Musical Express, 10 November 1979

Baaa! Baaa! Baaa! We are poor little lambs who have gone astray. ...

Phil Spector, Ronnie Spector: Ronnie Spector Says Goodbye To Hollywood

Interview by John Tobler, Hot Wacks, Spring 1979

PHIL SPECTOR......aah, the magic that name still evokes, but what of the former Mrs Phil Spector. Veronica Benett, better known as Ronnie Spector, this is ...

Chic, Sister Sledge: Sister Sledge: Sisters In Soul

Interview by David Nathan, Blues & Soul, 25 March 1980

Just a year or so back, the sisters Sledge were considering going their separate ways. Happily, 1979 was a fantastic year for the girls and ...

The Go-Go's: Squealin' With A Feelin'

Interview by Mark Williams, L.A. Weekly, 10 April 1980

IT HARDLY seems right that five diminutive females dwarfed behind guitars and drums would be showing the door to half of Southern California's elder statesmen ...

The Slits: Y3 (Y3)

Review by Barry Cain, Record Mirror, 12 April 1980

Slits hit the pits ...

The Shaggs: They are so bad, they're popular

Report by Philip Elwood, The San Francisco Examiner, 13 June 1980

I FIRST HEARD about the Rounder label LP called The Shaggs — Philosophy of the World via a shout of outrage from my 14-year-old son ...

The Shaggs, The Slits: Slits: Y3LP (Y/Rough Trade import); The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World (Red Rooster/Rounder)

Review by Byron Coley, New York Rocker, September 1980

WHAT WE HAVE here are two sets of women arriving at (arguably) the same place by (unarguably) dissimilar routes. The place in question is Primitivesville ...

The Go-Go's: I-Beam, San Francisco CA

Live Review by Mark Cooper, Record Mirror, 20 September 1980

THEY BURST on stage as bubbly as cheap champagne with a resounding "pop". Their clothes are swinging teenage sixties, miniskirts and tights, Mary Quant boots ...

Phil Spector, Ronnie Spector: 'I Wasn't Even a Housewife': Ronnie Spector's true confessions

Report and Interview by Mick Farren, New Musical Express, 27 September 1980

SHE WAS supposed to be promoting her album, but Ronnie Spector’s first solo album isn’t the kind of thing that’s about to stop the world ...

The Roches: Revenge Of the Roches

Profile and Interview by Richard Harrington, The Washington Post, 11 November 1980

Lacerating Lyrics of The New Wave Heroines ...

The Shaggs: Shagg-Rock Comes Of Age

Comment by Robot A. Hull, Creem, December 1980

FREMONT, N.H. — In the antediluvian Era of High School, they would've been called "skaggs": three ugly dames who looked like they crawled out of ...

The Shaggs: Better Than the Beatles (and DNA, Too)

Retrospective by Lester Bangs, The Village Voice, 28 January 1981

I HAVE BEEN getting whiny letters from a lot of you lately complaining about the general state of the art. "What is all this shit?" ...

The Belle Stars: Rock Garden, London

Live Review by Max Bell, New Musical Express, 31 January 1981

THE BELLE Stars are five-sevenths of the former Bodysnatchers: Stella, Penny, Judy, Sarah-Jane and Miranda. The new girls in the key places taken by founding ...

The Roches: Nurds (Warner Bros.)

Review by Jim Farber, Creem, February 1981

THE ROCHES' Nurd sorority is holding a party on their new album to which you are cordially uninvited. As the polar opposite of The Ramones' ...

Dolly Mixture: These Are The Dollies Who Mixed It With The Macho Music Biz And Lost

Interview by Cynthia Rose, New Musical Express, 2 May 1981

Cynthia Rose meets some '80s girls who've suffered rock sexploitation. ...

The Go-Go's, The Specials: Hey Hey! We're the Go-Go's!

Report and Interview by Julie Panebianco, Boston Rock, 1 October 1981

INSIDE SPIT, amid cans of Tab and boxes of equipment sat the Go-Go's looking... well, miserable. ...

The Go-Go's: Beauty and the Beat (IRS)

Review by Toby Goldstein, Musician, November 1981

IT HASN'T been easy to be a fan of groups like the Raspberries during the past few years. What those minions of white-suited quartets and ...

The Go-Go's: They Think They're Go-Go

Report and Interview by Toby Goldstein, Creem, November 1981

Makeup Secrets Of Five Wild & Crazy Girls ...

Leaders Of The Pack: Teen Dreams And Tragedy In Girl Group Rock

Retrospective by Greg Shaw, The History of Rock, 1982

OF ALL THE musical fads that came and went in the early Sixties, the girl-group phenomenon has succeeded best in retaining its appeal. ...

Puppet On A String: Girl Singers Of The Sixties

Essay by Mary Harron, The History of Rock, 1982

There were no bad girls in British pop music in the early Sixties — certainly nothing to compare with the most daring American girl groups ...

The Chantels

Book Excerpt by Alan Betrock, Omnibus Press, 1982

Extract from Girl Groups — The Story of A Sound ...

Transistor Sisters: Alan Betrock's Girl Groups - The Story Of A Sound

Review by Barney Hoskyns, New Musical Express, 1982

"Conform to norm society; won't stand for impropriety; In the extreme of which you dream, you must always join the team . . . " ...

Bananarama, Fun Boy Three: Fun Boy Three & Bananarama

Interview by Ian Birch, Smash Hits, 21 January 1982

CAST YOUR eyes to the right. You know the gents. That's a walkover. It's the Fun Boy Three. ...

The Go-Go's: Go-Go's

Profile and Interview by Mike Stand, Smash Hits, 21 January 1982

"THE WEIRD thing is we've sold nearly a million albums back home and about 20 in the UK," say the Go-Go's, sounding a little bemused ...

The Jones Girls: Get As Much Love As You Can (Philadelphia Int. PIR 85347)

Review by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 23 March 1982

BRENDA, VALONE and Shirley Jones actually sing as good as they look and that's why they are one of the world's top vocal groups today! ...

Girlschool: Hit And Run (Stiff America)

Review by Laura Fissinger, Creem, July 1982

SCREW HOME EC; WE'RE MAJORING IN SHOP ...

The Bangles: The Bangs: Al's Bar, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Mark Leviton, Music Connection, 5 August 1982

THE PLAYERS: Vicki Peterson, vocals, guitar: Debbi Peterson, drums, vocals; Susanna Hoffs, guitar, vocals; Annette Zilinskas, bass. ...

The Raincoats: Raincoats Off The Peg

Interview by Chris Bohn, New Musical Express, 14 August 1982

IF ORDER is considered the new subversion, then what becomes of the untidy old subversives? They're redefined as anachronisms, treated affectionately as museum pieces or ...

Vanity 6: Vanity 6 (Warner Bros. 23716)

Review by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 5 October 1982

WELL, IF you thought Prince was raunchy, try these three ladies because if there is such a thing as musical porno, here it is! With ...

Klymaxx: The Feminine Touch

Interview by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 30 November 1982

IN AN INDUSTRY that is male-oriented, the arrival of the eight-piece, self-contained and all girl group, Klymaxx is a welcome addition. The lovely ladies are ...

Bananarama: Meet Bananarama — Three Fun Girls With A-Peel

Report and Interview by Toby Goldstein, Creem, December 1982

NEW YORK — Bad puns by silly reporters should have been the worst problem the tempting British trio called Bananarama faced during their first trip ...

The Bangles: Big Bangle Theory

Profile by Byron Coley, Boston Rock, 15 December 1982

WHEN ALL'S been said and done, the Recycler has got to be one of the coolest rags in the entire LA press sump. Now, every ...

The Belle Stars: The Belle Stars (Stiff SEEZ 45)

Review by Betty Page, Record Mirror, 5 February 1983

Swinging on the Stars ...

The Roches: Three Sides to Every Situation

Interview by Geoffrey Himes, Musician, March 1983

AT TIMES, the three Roche sisters seem blissfully oblivious to how the rest of the world operates. Take their clothes. Backstage at Washington's Wax Museum, ...

Amazulu: Daughters of the Nation

Interview by Lloyd Bradley, New Musical Express, 5 March 1983

So what's an (almost) all girl reggae combo from London with a fake African name doing singing about Egypt? Lloyd Bradley finds out. ...

Marine Girls: Lazy Ways (Cherry Red)

Review by Don Watson, New Musical Express, 26 March 1983

YO HO HO IT'S THE NEW SENSITIVITY ...

Marine Girls: Lazy Ways (Cherry Red)

Review by Mick Sinclair, Sounds, 26 March 1983

RISKING ACCUSATIONS of unseemly drooling, I'll simply state that I actually feel quite close to the Marine Girls. I don't wish to boast but I ...

Bananarama: Banana'd

Interview by Lloyd Bradley, New Musical Express, 7 May 1983

LIFE IS A BANANADRAMA FOR THIS BUNCH OF GIRLS. LLOYD BRADLEY UNZIPS A SOB STORY. ...

Labelle, Patti LaBelle: Labelle: Girl Group to Gospel

Interview by Geoffrey Himes, Baltimore Sun, 8 May 1983

THE 18 CHORUS members of Your Arms Too Short to Box With God were assembled like a church choir in their red and white gowns ...

Rick James, The Mary Jane Girls: The Mary Jane Girls: Rick's Chicks

Interview by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 31 May 1983

Any Rick James backing group is sure to be talented, suggestive and female! However, there's more to the Mary Jane Girls than at first meets ...

Bananarama: Q&A

Interview by Neil Tennant, Smash Hits, 23 June 1983

Just how different are they? Neil Tennant puts the girls through that terrifying ordeal — being asked the same questions separately. And here's the answers. ...

Bananarama: Deep Sea Skiving (London)

Review by Craig Zeller, Creem, July 1983

HEARING MY fickle cad of a friend freely admit that he was throwing the Go-Go's over for Bananarama on the basis of one import single ...

The Shangri-Las: Leaders of the Teen Beat

Retrospective by David Quantick, New Musical Express, 17 September 1983

Remember (walkin' in the sand) with the Shangri-Las ...

The Gymslips: Smelly Socks And Belches

Interview by Mat Snow, New Musical Express, 24 September 1983

GIRLS! FEEL FEEBLE? LISTLESS? FIGHT ANOREXIA THE RENEES' WAY! THE GYMSLIPS explain the benefits of pie 'n' mash to MAT SNOW. ...

The Bangles: Bangles (Faulty FEP 1302 five-song EP)

Review by Steven X Rea, High Fidelity, November 1983

BACK WHEN they were the Bangs, onstage at various clubs around L.A., the four girls in this bouncy, Sixties-influenced combo were being compared to that ...

Girlschool: Country Club, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Don Waller, Los Angeles Times, 23 December 1983

GIRLSCHOOL'S BRITISH CLASS ...

The Go-Go's: Talk Show (IRS)

Review by Laura Fissinger, Musician, May 1984

CAR 'N' BAR dance bands area pop staple with a frequently short shelf life. One or two albums into some of these careers, then it's ...

The Go-Go's: Exclusive: The Go-Go's Papers

Interview by Charles Bermant, Unicorn Times, August 1984

Explicit Scenes of a Writer's Downfall ...

The Bangles: a Female Fab Four?

Interview by Michael Goldberg, Rolling Stone, 13 September 1984

LOS ANGELES — Are the Bangles the new Go-Go's? One can't help but wonder. After all, like the Go-Go's, the Bangles are an all-female rock ...

The Bangles: All Over The Place (Columbia)

Review by Craig Zeller, Creem, October 1984

CALL ME a female chauvinist if you must but most of the year's most stimulating records have come from women. My current turntable dream set ...

The Bangles: Dingwalls, London

Live Review by Adam Sweeting, Melody Maker, 23 February 1985

CALIFORNIA DREAMING ...

The Bangles: Bangles For Sale

Interview by Iman Lababedi, Creem, June 1985

AT THE CBS building in Manhattan guitarist Susanna Hoffs (all black tights and mini-skirt) explains the Bangles' modus operandi:"It's hard to work keeping your sense of ...

Bananarama: A few home truths about Bananarama

Interview by Chris Heath, Smash Hits, 28 August 1985

• Keren phones people when she's in the bath! Siobhan's growing some lovely gladis in the garden! Sarah's been putting up her own shelves! ...

The Mary Jane Girls: Mary Jane Girls Can't Help It

Interview by Roy Trakin, Creem, October 1985

LOS ANGELES — Ah, the pleasures of pulchritude!! To be surrounded by two members of Rick James's musical wet dream, the salacious Mary Jane Girls: ...

The Bangles

Interview by Tom Hibbert, Smash Hits, 26 February 1986

• Four girls from America who think that TV is mashed potato and Prince is "a little crispy round the edges." Oh... Tom Hibbert meets ...

The Bangles: Different Light (Columbia)

Review by Laura Fissinger, Rolling Stone, 13 March 1986

Bangle Lore ...

The Bangles: Local Girls Make Good

Profile and Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 1986

FOUR WAYS to tell when you've made it, courtesy of the Bangles: Drummer Debbi Peterson: "It's so amazing, standing on the corner — this happened ...

We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It: A Box Of Tricks

Interview by Chris Roberts, Sounds, 7 June 1986

The girls can't help it. WE'VE GOT A FUZZBOX AND WE'RE GONNA USE IT! blend a fun filled concoction of silliness and sexiness and spill ...

Belinda Carlisle (1986)

Interview by Gerrie Lim, Rock's Backpages audio, 30 July 1986

Ms. Carlisle, new to the Top Ten, looks back at the break-up of the Go-Gos; changes to her lifestyle; her passion for shopping; being a woman in the music business... and raising miniature pigs.

File format: mp3; file size: 30mb, interview length: 32' 46" sound quality: ****

The Go-Go's' Charlotte Caffey (1986)

Interview by Gerrie Lim, Rock's Backpages audio, 30 July 1986

The former Go-Go talks about the breakup of the band; about writing for and touring with the newly-solo Belinda Carlisle; about changes in her lifestyle in her 30s; and about how she was influenced by Debbie Harry and in turn influenced new women in pop. Plus she discovers that Belinda's solo album is in the Billboard charts with three bullets...

File format: mp3; file size: 30.4mb, interview length: 31' 39" sound quality: ***

Ted Chippington, The Nightingales, We've Got a Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It: We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It, the Nightingales, Ted Chippington: Fuzzed Among Equals

Report and Interview by Cath Carroll, New Musical Express, 2 August 1986

The Vindaloo roadshow blitzes Britain with firm-hold hairspray, firm-hold Fuzzbox parents, lobbed bunnies and drape jackets. Entertaining FUZZBOX, THE NIGHTINGALES and TED CHIPPINGTON are the ...

Pepsi & Shirlie: Pepsi and Shirlie: 'Us Groovy Chicks Want To Get On Down'

Interview by William Shaw, Smash Hits, 14 January 1987

Quite. That's what Wham!'s former backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie told George and Andrew anyway. Now they're out there on their own but there seems ...

The Bangles: Girls on Top

Interview by Tom Hibbert, Q, April 1987

"JERRY! JERRY! Where's the marijuanaaah?" The voice of The Bangles' bass player Michael Steele booms through the refined lounge of Mayfair's Westbury Hotel causing many ...

Pepsi & Shirlie: Crazy Places, Crazy People!

Report and Interview by Tom Hibbert, Smash Hits, 20 May 1987

"Show us your favourite 'haunts'," we barked at Pepsi and Shirlie. So they did! But little did we know just how downright odd they would ...

Mel & Kim: The Eliza Doolittles of Pop

Interview by Stuart Bailie, Record Mirror, 4 July 1987

Only there ain't no Professor 'iggins needed for Mel & Kim; fings is well and truly goin' like the clappers, they're looking forward to their ...

The Bangles: It's Those Hazy Crazy Bangles!!

Interview by Max Bell, No. 1, 5 March 1988

Yep, Debbi, Vicki, Michael and Susanna are back with 'Hazy Shade Off Winter'. Max Bell spoke to them. ...

Bananarama: Who the hell do BANANARAMA think they are?

Interview by Tom Hibbert, Q, September 1988

You nip into the studio, warble a bit, nip out and embark on a fresh round of televised formation-jigging, giggling press encounters, hazy photo opportunities ...

Harry Crews: Mean Fiddler, London

Live Review by Barbara Ellen, New Musical Express, 1 October 1988

TONIGHT — If past reports of her live shows are to be believed — Lydia Lunch is not quite herself. Nor is she alone. Harry ...

Prince, Wendy And Lisa: Wendy & Lisa: Sisters Of The Revolution

Interview by David Stubbs, Melody Maker, 4 March 1989

PRINCE'S FORMER SIDEKICKS, WHOSE NEW SINGLE,'ARE YOU MY MAYBE' IS SELDOM OFF THE MAKER TURNTABLE, THIS WEEK RELEASE THEIR SECOND ALBUM, LAYERED AND IMPOSSIBLY RICH ...

She Rockers: Rockers On A Roll

Interview by Jeff Lorez, Blues & Soul, 7 March 1989

British rap is gaining momentum at a rate of knots and the She Rockers aim to keep it that way ...

Bananarama: Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Don Waller, Los Angeles Times, 10 April 1989

Bananarama Half-Packs Universal Amphitheatre ...

Wendy And Lisa: Wendy & Lisa: Town & Country Club, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 29 April 1989

Ladies in waiting ...

The Bangles: No Sex Please, We're Bangles

Report and Interview by Barbara Ellen, New Musical Express, 27 May 1989

Amsterdam, city of 1,000 vices and venue for a party to honour all-American girls THE BANGLES. All-British girl BARBARA ELLEN joins them and, between sex-shows, ...

The Bangles: Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Holly Gleason, Rolling Stone, 15 June 1989

Heroines Take a Fall ...

Vixen (1989)

Interview by Mat Snow, Rock's Backpages audio, 15 July 1989

Singer Janet Gardner and drummer Roxy Petrucci talk about how they survived on the road in the early days; the struggle to get a record deal; the place of girl bands in hard rock; their influences, and becoming musicians; getting the songs together for their first album; weird fans, male groupies and difficult relationships, and the lack of women in the rock business.

File format: mp3; file size: 46.1mb, interview length: 48' 04" sound quality: ***

Vixen: Girls Just Wanna Help Bon

Interview by Howard Johnson, Kerrang!, 19 August 1989

"Bon Jovi would just be the best band in the world to play with," says VIXEN bassist SHARE PEDERSEN. Assuming she's talking about gigging and ...

Belinda Carlisle, The Go-Go's: Belinda Carlisle: From Go Go to Solo

Interview by Lucy O'Brien, The Guardian, 22 November 1989

She's come through the live-fast, look-bad, almost die-young scene to a beautiful future. Belinda Carlisle tells Lucy O'Brien how she did it ...

En Vogue: Dawn! Maxine! Terry! Cindy!

Profile and Interview by Siân Pattenden, Smash Hits, 13 June 1990

They're four "comely" maidens from Oakland, California, who don't wear many clothes, but cry at sappy greetings cards and think quite highly of women's "issues". ...

Bananarama: Girls Together Outrageously

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, Melody Maker, 28 July 1990

Ten years on from their ramshackle beginnings, BANANARAMA are the most successful female pop group in the world. They've got wit, flair and great shoulders. ...

Shonen Knife: Shonen Knife

Review by Chuck Eddy, Rolling Stone, 6 September 1990

SHONEN KNIFE consists of three young Japanese women who play some of the happiest, snappiest rock & roll ever to bounce off a satellite dish. ...

Wilson Phillips: The Beat Goes On

Report and Interview by Fred Goodman, US, 17 September 1990

Wilson Phillips proudly wear their famous families' pop-music genes ...

En Vogue: Sisters In Arms

Interview by Paolo Hewitt, Select, October 1990

Can girl groups be taken seriously and is there brains behind the beauty? Tough R&B hitmakers EN VOGUE put the politics into pop and make ...

L7: Smell The Magic (Glitterhouse)***½

Review by Roy Wilkinson, Sounds, 6 October 1990

THE FOXCORE tag may have been coined with tongues in cheeks but L7 prove the NWOAB (New Wave Of American Babes) has substance. Their second ...

L7: V is for Vixcore

Interview by Everett True, Melody Maker, 1 December 1990

Are L7 really Californian white trash bitches from hell or is EVERETT TRUE just having another wet dream? It's best you read on... ...

Lunachicks: Mammary Weer All Crazee Now!

Interview by Dele Fadele, New Musical Express, 5 January 1991

Yowza! It's ladeeez night every night in the weird 'n' wunnerful world of American underground rock 'n' roll, with the totally outrageous LUNACHICKS leading a ...

Belinda Carlisle, The Go-Go's: Belinda Carlisle!

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, Smash Hits, 23 January 1991

• She used to live in the untidiest house in Hollywood!• She plays music to her plants!• She's had about half an hour's holiday to ...

The Ronettes, Ronnie Spector: Ronnie Spector (1991) [transcript]

Audio transcript of interview by Barney Hoskyns, Rock's Backpages transcripts, 13 February 1991

This is a transcript of Barney's audio interview with Ronnie. Listen to the audio of this interview. ...

En Vogue: No. 1 Out of the Box

Interview by David Nathan, Blues & Soul, 30 April 1991

Having secured an almost unprecedented acceptance with their first LP, En Vogue intend to continue their high flying success story ...

Bananarama: Sisters Undie The Skin

Interview by Betty Page, New Musical Express, 4 May 1991

After the gold-disc rush of SAW, BANANARAMA are doing the Dobbie, rediscovering Youth, preparing for their tenth anniversary as The Greatest British All Girl Group ...

Babes in Toyland: Mean Fiddler, London

Live Review by Keith Cameron, New Musical Express, 22 June 1991

AS YET ANOTHER lame-brain shuffles nervously before taking the plunge, the anti-stage-diving lobby have a point for once. In the context of Babes In Toyland's ...

Hole, L7, Nirvana, Sister Double Happiness: Nirvana, Sister Double Happiness, L7, Hole: Palace Theater, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 28 October 1991

A Potent 'Rock for Choice' at Palace ...

Hole: California Screaming

Interview by Andrew Mueller, Melody Maker, 23 November 1991

From out of Nowhere, California, to topping the English independent charts and headlining London, HOLE have been one of the year's most talked-about bands. A laughable hangover of the post-Sub Pop ...

Salt-N-Pepa: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 7 December 1991

MEN, ACCORDING to the rapteuses, Salt 'n' Pepa, are good for one thing. "And sometimes they're not even good for that," Salt observed, on stage ...

L7: Astoria, London

Live Review by Everett True, Melody Maker, May 1992

L'S BELLES ...

Bikini Kill: Revolution Girl Style Now (Bikini Kill)

Review by Everett True, Melody Maker, 30 May 1992

"Stop the j-word jealousy from killing girl love/Encourage in the face of insecurity." (Bikini Kill) ...

L7: The Paradise, Boston MA

Live Review by Jim Sullivan, The Boston Globe, 18 June 1992

L7 — on the go, but in gray zone ...

John Phillips, Wilson Phillips, Brian Wilson: Wilson Phillips: Have you finished in there?

Interview by Adrian Deevoy, Q, July 1992

Meet Wilson Phillips: born to the Californian rock aristocracy, raised amid craziness and emotional undernourishment, writing sad songs to parents who were never "there for ...

Babes in Toyland: Marquee, London

Live Review by Dele Fadele, New Musical Express, 5 September 1992

SHRIEK LIKE A CHILD ...

En Vogue: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 11 November 1992

A lot of heart, but not much soul David Sinclair is charmed, if not wholly convinced, by the British debut of a vocal group that has ...

Babes in Toyland: Year of the Kat

Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 15 November 1992

Kat Bjelland's penchant for purging her emotions brings Babes in Toyland to the brink of alternative rock stardom ...

Shonen Knife: Dagger Dagger Hey!

Profile and Interview by Steven Wells, New Musical Express, 21 November 1992

Do SHONEN KNIFE have some sinister masterplan to conquer Planet Pop or are they just a happy freakshow? STEVEN WELLS pulls on his combat fatigues ...

Lovecraft: interview

Interview by Lisa Verrico, Vox, April 1993

ASK LOVECRAFT to describe themselves, and they'll tell you they're a London-based, five-piece rock'n'roll band. In the flesh, they're a gorgeous, sexily-clad, cosmopolitan collection of ...

Hole: Live Through This (Geffen)

Review by Jon Young, Musician, 1994

"JUST YOU try to hold me down/Come on, try to shut me up," snarls Courtney Love near the end of Live Through This, hurling a ...

Shonen Knife: Rock Animals (Virgin)

Review by Pat Blashill, Details, February 1994

SHONEN KNIFE are insanely cute; it's both their blessing and their curse. ...

The Raincoats: Raincoats prove that there's life after punk

Report and Interview by Jim Sullivan, The Boston Globe, 5 April 1994

CAMBRIDGE – Backstage before their first American gig in 12 years – hey, only their fourth gig period in that time – Raincoats bassist/guitarist/singer Gina ...

Hole: Live Through This (City Slang/All formats)

Review by Barbara Ellen, New Musical Express, 9 April 1994

HOLE ON THE RAGE ...

The 5.6.7.8's: Japanese Rockers in Australia

Profile and Interview by Clinton Walker, Juice, June 1994

UPSTAIRS AT the Lansdowne Hotel in Sydney, Japanese all-girl psychobilly band the 5.6.7.8's are geeing up in anticipation of a performance. They change into matching ...

Luscious Jackson: Girls Just Want to Have Funk

Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 21 August 1994

Luscious Jackson's four females play the game their way, incorporating New York's vibrant soundtrack of punk and hip-hop, jazz and soul. ...

Luscious Jackson: Natural Ingredients (Grand Royal)

Review by Deborah Frost, Musician, September 1994

IF BLONDIE had met the Beastie Boys, Deborah Harry might still be the leader of the pack. And Natural Ingredients may be almost preternaturally accessible ...

Luscious Jackson: The Jackson Thrive — Luscious Jackson: Natural Ingredients (Grand Royal/Capitol 7243 8 28356 22 14tks/46mins/FP)

Review by Simon Price, Melody Maker, 17 September 1994

So In Search Of Manny was the sassiest, coolest record called 'Jackson' since Off The Wall. But, you're gagging to know, can Luscious Jackson do ...

Luscious Jackson: The New York four-piece couch their songs of womanhood in a laidback, yet energetic, jazzy groove…

Report and Interview by Lisa Verrico, Vox, November 1994

NATURAL INGREDIENTS, the first full-length album from female New York four-piece Luscious Jackson, is the follow-up to World Clique that Deee-Lite never made – funky, ...

Shampoo: double bubble

Report and Interview by Craig McLean, The Face, November 1994

Shampoo are two grown-up schoolgirls who've turned their private world of sweeties, ciggies and suburban naughtiness into a hit commodity. Welcome to the world of ...

Eternal: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Max Bell, The Evening Standard, 8 December 1994

Babes at work on the swingbeat ...

Eternal, Michelle Gayle: Hammersmith Apollo, London

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 9 December 1994

Funk for all the family ...

L7: Three Steps to L7

Interview by Ian Watson, Melody Maker, 11 February 1995

L7 used to be the enfants terribles of US rock, all randomly-strewn sanitary towels and gravity-defying knickers. No more! Now they're Yank Grunge's very own ...

Cake Like: Delicious (Avant/Sphere)

Review by Michael Azerrad, Rolling Stone, 23 February 1995

THE MEMBERS OF Cake Like reportedly formed a band because they were sick of listening to their musician boyfriends talk about their bands. They may just get ...

Luscious Jackson: The Jackson Four

Interview by Simon Price, Melody Maker, 11 March 1995

LUSCIOUS JACKSON are four luscious (Janet) Jackson-goes-hip hop Noo Yawk fly girlz whose scratchy white rap has been described as The Breeders-play-The Sugarhill Gang. SIMON ...

Elastica: Under the Influence — Elastica: Sheffield University

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 27 March 1995

Elastica, the vanguard of the new new wave bands, smash and grab their way through classic punk pop in Sheffield ...

Hole: Oxford Street Virgin Megastore, London

Live Review by John Harris, New Musical Express, 6 May 1995

PETTY ON THE OUTSIDE ...

Babes In Toyland: Garage, Glasgow

Live Review by Stephen Dalton, New Musical Express, 27 May 1995

THEY MAY be down, but the Babes come out fighting. Battling lukewarm reviews for their patchy new album and general indifference to grungular yank yowling, ...

TLC: Pretty Young Things

Interview by Carol Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 August 1995

The women of TLC stay cool under fire ...

Björk, The Boo Radleys, Delicatessen, Foo Fighters, Hole, Teenage Fanclub, Tricky: The glory days of 1995 — Teenage Fanclub, Björk et al: Glastonbury Festival, Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset

Live Review by Caitlin Moran, The Times, 1 September 1995

Britpop may be bland, but the Reading Festival shows we are over the dark days of last year ...

Eternal: Inc. God We Trust

Interview by Sylvia Patterson, New Musical Express, 14 October 1995

They're gorgeous, they're currently Britain's most successful girl group and they're very bloody nice. So how come nobody's ever asked ETERNAL what they think before? ...

Eternal: Power Of A Woman (1st Avenue/EMI 8 36354)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 3 November 1995

HAVING SLIMMED to a trio since their million-selling debut. Always & Forever, London-based vocal group Eternal continue to fly the flag for British soul with ...

Exposé: Greatest Hits (Arista)

Review by J.D. Considine, Vibe, March 1996

THESE DAYS, most people think Gloria Estefan was queen of the pre-bass Miami dance music scene. But the real rulers were Exposé, three women who ...

Eternal: Fairfield Halls, Croydon

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 11 March 1996

Here today at least ...

Spice Girls: Taking On The Britboys: Spice Girls

Report and Interview by Paul Gorman, Music Week, April 1996

JUST WHEN BOYS with guitars threaten to rule pop life – Damon's all over Smash Hits, Ash are big in Big! and Liam can't move ...

Total: Like, Totally Awesome

Interview by Michael A. Gonzales, Vibe, June 1996

First they were just Biggie's background singers. Now with their slammin' debut album, Total prove they are definitely more than the sum of their parts. ...

Kenickie: The Zap, Brighton

Live Review by David Bennun, Melody Maker, 13 July 1996

COULD I just get this out of the way? I mean, Kenickie are wonderful for what they are, not what they aren't, but I'd just ...

Peter Andre, Pato Banton, Belinda Carlisle, Cathy Dennis, East 17, Gabrielle, Mark Morrison, Shed Seven, Spice Girls, Robbie Williams: Broadcast Snooze — Robbie Williams, Spice Girls, Belinda Carlisle, East 17 et al: Capital FM Summer Jam '96, Clapham Common, London

Live Review by Sylvia Patterson, New Musical Express, August 1996

IF YOU came all the way from Arbroath, which you probably didn't, you'd be calling it Bairns' Glasto. Only without the sex and drugs, but ...

Kenickie: It's Great When You're Straight 'A'... Yeah!

Interview by Stephen Dalton, New Musical Express, 7 September 1996

They're impossibly young, they're most definitely 'free', they are KENICKIE and they've got A-levels coming out of their ears! And their lo-fi three-girl-one-boy punkoid action ...

Fluffy: Cheek and Destroy

Report by Paul Elliott, Kerrang!, 26 October 1996

Used tampons, crap beer and blokes' naked arses. That'll be FLUFFY on the road, then. A debauched and filthy tale of backstage scuzz and stinking ...

Kenickie: Famous? Kenickie

Interview by Siân Pattenden, Select, November 1996

Punk rock. Splendid A-level results. Sponsorship by Boots No 7. Hail the sound of young Sunderland... ...

Spice Girls: Wannabe in their gang? Oh, yeah — Spice Girls: Spice (Virgin 7243 8 42174)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 1 November 1996

Spice Girls follow up two smash hit singles with a debut LP that has David Sinclair joining their fan club ...

Kenickie: Kamikaze! Karaoke! Kenickie!

Interview by Caitlin Moran, Melody Maker, 9 November 1996

KENICKIE may barnstorm through life like kamikaze karaoke kids, but there's sadness in their madness ...

Kenickie: Underworld. London

Live Review by Robin Bresnark, Melody Maker, 4 January 1997

FLU, FLU, wretched, bastard flu. Wobbly, shaky, queasy arsehole flu. A touch of the sniffles, a grope of catarrh, a 50-quid hand job of nausea. ...

Kenickie: To Hell With Teen Spirit

Interview by Simon Price, Melody Maker, 11 January 1997

KENICKIE may be young, they may use guitars, they may be supernaturally exuberant. But they are not, repeat NOT, a teen punk band. With their ...

Kenickie: Our Friends in the North East

Interview by Siân Pattenden, Select, March 1997

In the greasy spoons of Sunderland, it was just a dream — but with a god-given combination of luck, talent and peroxide, Kenickie became trainee ...

Spice Girls: The Spice Girls: Top of the world, ma

Special Feature by Chris Heath, The Face, March 1997

Dear Mum, Everything's going great in the States. We're dead tired and a bit fed up, but we're zooming up the charts here and we're ...

Veruca Salt: Salted Nuts

Interview by Andrew Mueller, Blah Blah Blah, March 1997

Deadly serious music, fantastically frivolous band — Veruca Salt's Nina and Louise raise a snigger at that great British institution: afternoon tea ...

Eternal: Before The Rain (EMI/CD/Tape)

Review by Stephen Dalton, New Musical Express, 15 March 1997

IN THEIR Louise days, Eternal looked set to be the Spice Girls in negative, thanks to their upbeat pop-soul tunes and post-fem sauce-bomb image. The ...

Sleater-Kinney: An All-Grrrl Band at Heart

Interview by Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 16 March 1997

In true, independent Riot Grrrl fashion, the Sleater-Kinney trio is getting heard far and wide (No. 3 in Village Voice) without abandoning its community. ...

Eternal, Human Nature: Wembley Arena, London

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 7 April 1997

The sound of a well-oiled machine ...

Blackstreet, Brownstone: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 24 April 1997

Street life of Riley ...

RuPaul, Spice Girls: RuPaul and the Spice Girls: Mean Streaks

Report by Chris Heath, The Face, May 1997

Chris Heath discovers which magazine RuPaul really really hates. Go on, guess... ...

Gina G, Spice Girls: The Spice Girls: Spice (Virgin); Gina G: Fresh! (Eternal/Warner Bros.)

Review by Chuck Eddy, L.A. Weekly, 8 May 1997

They Know What They Really Really Want and They Know How To Get It. Spice Girls, Gina G: If they could do it all over ...

Kenickie: Socialist Smirkers Party

Interview by Steven Wells, New Musical Express, 10 May 1997

Tory-bashing, loads of shouting and plenty of swearing. Enough about STEVEN WELLS, 'cos here's KENICKIE. And they've brought their cracking debut LP At The Club ...

Kenickie: Bierkeller, Bristol

Live Review by Barbara Ellen, The Observer, 18 May 1997

Just wanna hear girls talk? ...

En Vogue: Style Be There: En Vogue: EV3 (east west)

Review by Everett True, Melody Maker, 21 June 1997

Forget the bargain basement girl power of The Spice Girls — EN VOGUE are sexier, sassier and downright funky… ...

Spice Girls: Too Hot to Handle

Interview by Chris Heath, Rolling Stone, 10 July 1997

How five British pop tarts built their own world empire ...

Spice Girls: The Spice Girls: Abdi İpekçi Arena, Istanbul, Turkey

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 October 1997

Oriental Spice: Sponsor power, not bazaars, draws the Girls to Turkey ...

Spice Girls: The new product — Spice Girls: Spiceworld (Virgin) ***

Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 31 October 1997

Between the T-shirts, mugs, movies, dolls and video games, the Spice Girls have put out a new album. Caroline Sullivan didn't hate it... ...

Spice Girls: The Spice Girls: Spiceworld (Virgin V2850, £13.99)

Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 31 October 1997

More girl power to their elbows ...

Spice Girls: Spiceworld (Virgin/ALL formats)

Review by Sylvia Patterson, New Musical Express, 1 November 1997

GIRL SOUR! ...

All Saints: All Saints (London 828979 £13.99)

Live Review by David Sinclair, The Times, 21 November 1997

Spice up your soul food ...

All Saints: Well, haloooo...

Interview by Sylvia Patterson, New Musical Express, 22 November 1997

What's got more sauce than Spice, better tats than Eternal, and are gonna save R&B swingbeat from death by blandness? Why, crown princesses of sex-soul, ...

Spice Girls: Spice: The Final Frontier

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 19 December 1997

The tabloids have turned on them, their fans are leaving them — even Smash Hits readers voted them Worst Group. Is this the end for ...

3 Colours Red, All Saints, Goldblade: All Saints, 3 Colours Red, Goldblade: Can't Cook, Won't Cook

Interview by Ben Myers, Melody Maker, 20 December 1997

The search for the spirit of Christmas. Eating 'n' drinking: Ben Myers ...

All Saints: Saint Misbehavin'!

Interview by Robin Bresnark, Melody Maker, 7 February 1998

If you believe the tabloids, ALL SAINTS are a bunch of tune-nicking, three-in-a-bed romping, manager-bashing, Spice Girl wannabes. But is that bollocks? We join the ...

Spice Girls: The Spice Girls: As they say, all you need is positivity

Profile and Interview by David Sinclair, The Times, 24 February 1998

If the Spice Girls are past it, no one told them, the fans fighting for tickets for their first tour, or David Sinclair. ...

All Saints: All Saints (London) **½

Review by Chuck Eddy, Rolling Stone, 5 March 1998

SHAPELY LONDON dance-pop quartet All Saints are slated to supplant the Spice Girls, but they're more like the legacy of TLC and En Vogue — ...

Spice Girls: Wembley Arena, London ★★

Live Review by Max Bell, The Evening Standard, 15 April 1998

Yes, yes, oh yes, the Five are Fab ...

Spice Girls: The Spice Girls: The Girls Can't Help It

Report and Interview by Jerry Thackray, Vox, May 1998

They were supposed to have sunk without a trace by now, but it seems that everyone still wants a piece of the SPICE GIRLS. Certainly ...

Kenickie: Electric Ballroom, London

Live Review by Neil Kulkarni, Melody Maker, 20 June 1998

HEY, LITTLE rich girl, where did you go wrong? The 'Nick should never have moved to London. Left home, met all these glittery chuckleheads, built ...

Spice Girls: Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 14 September 1998

Cooking without Ginger ...

Hole: Celebrity Skin (DGC)

Review by James Hunter, Rolling Stone, 17 September 1998

Courtney Love and Hole make a fiery, flowery return ...

Ronnie Spector: Life Club, New York City

Live Review by Evelyn McDonnell, The Village Voice, 29 December 1998

"BRIAN WILSON wrote this song for me," Ronnie Spector said on Wednesday at her annual holiday party at Life, "but because of publishing and contracts ...

Dallas Austin, TLC: TLC: Spice Who?

Interview by Amy Linden, The Source, April 1999

THE EXPRESSION "eagerly anticipated" may be one of the most played out in the lexicon of show business. Not because fans don't fiend for new ...

All Saints: Saints Preserve Us

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 23 April 1999

All Saints keep marching on as Girl Power's most credible models. They talk to Caroline Sullivan about the good side of being bad ...

All Saints: Gangster Grippin': All Saints: Opera House, Blackpool

Live Review by Ian Watson, Melody Maker, 1 May 1999

"IS Blackpool in the house?" The dreadlocked DJ isn't making too much sense, but the little girls with the whistles don't care. ...

All Saints: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Paul Sexton, The Times, 3 May 1999

Party night for the holy rollers ...

All Saints: Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Live Review by Max Bell, The Evening Standard, 4 May 1999

Shaznay and company pass the live-show test ...

The Donnas: Hot Style: The Donnas

Interview by Ben Myers, Kerrang!, 29 May 1999

ALL THE best bands look great. Whether it was the Sex Pistols in their safety pins or Kurt Cobain throwing on a plaid shirt and ...

Geri Halliwell, George Michael, Spice Girls: Geri: life after spice

Interview by Sheryl Garratt, The Observer, 6 June 1999

Once, she was known to the world as Ginger, the sassiest, loudest Spice Girl. Now, she's grown up, grown out the red, and is ready ...

The Dixie Chicks: Country's bad girls

Interview by Paul Sexton, The Times, 11 June 1999

They broke all the rules in Nashville and now they're heading our way. Paul Sexton meets the Dixie Chicks ...

98 Degrees, B*Witched, Aaron Carter, E.Y.C., Monica, No Authority: B*Witched, 98 Degrees, Monica et al: Nickelodeon's All That Music & More, Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 1999

A Smartly Wrapped Package: All That Music & More tour's acts fly by in a format tailored to kids. ...

All Saints, Bananarama, Spice Girls, The Supremes: Girl Groups: Smash Hits

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 2 August 1999

So Mel C thinks Geri H is untalented, does she? When girl bands break up, says Caroline Sullivan, the pops get personal ...

Bros, Five, Spice Girls: Bob Herbert 1942-1999

Obituary by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 14 August 1999

BOB HERBERT, who has died in a car crash aged 57, didn't invent the idea of the packaged pop group, but, as the man responsible ...

Spice Girls, Thunderbugs: Girls on top

Report by Andrew Smith, The Observer, 22 August 1999

After Spice, all-girl groups are dominating the charts. They're successful, but who's got the power? ...

Hepburn: Bug Night Out!

Report and Interview by Robin Bresnark, Melody Maker, 18 September 1999

Worried that they mere a little, y'know, pop, we take HEPBURN to an indie club in Manchester, get flirted with, discover all about their rampant sexuality ...

The Shaggs' Own Thing

Retrospective by Gary Pig Gold, In Music We Trust, November 1999

ON THE AFTERNOON of March 9, 1969, three guitar-and-drum-beating sisters from tiny Fremont, New Hampshire entered a tiny recording studio and emerged, just a few ...

Atomic Kitten: Who the hell are Atomic Kitten?

Profile by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 26 November 1999

So, who the hell are they? Liverpudlian about-to-be pop sensations Elizabeth McLarnon (18), Kerry Katona (19) and Natasha Hamilton (17). ...

Ronnie Spector Talks to Rainbows

Report and Interview by Dave Thompson, Alternative Press, Fall 1999

SHE WAS ONE of the voices of the American 60s, the purest element in Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound, the heartbeat of an entire generation's ...

Spice Girls: Aromatic For The Little People: Spice Girls: Earl's Court, London

Live Review by Johnny Cigarettes, New Musical Express, 8 January 2000

NEWS JUST IN: David Beckham has had a clause inserted in his contract with Manchester United which says he can become a free agent and ...

Chicks on Speed: International punky art rockers: Chicks On Speed

Interview by Steven Wells, New Musical Express, 8 January 2000

Three Chicks On Speed stand statue-still onstage dressed in leather rags while a giant robo-voice intones "CHICKS ON SPEED" over a demented dustbin techno loop. ...

Girl Thing: No more girl power

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 5 July 2000

Girl Thing were meant to be the new Spice Girls. But the public had other ideas. Caroline Sullivan reports ...

All Saints: Saints & Sinners (London 8573 85295 2)

Review by Dan Gennoe, Q, November 2000

Fallen Angels: Only divine intervention can save them now... ...

Spice Girls, Westlife: Battle of the blands: Westlife versus the Spice Girls

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 13 November 2000

It was the biggest chart clash since Blur versus Oasis: Westlife versus the Spice Girls. What does that tell us about today's music business, asks ...

LaBelle, Patti LaBelle: Patti Labelle and the Blue Belles

Book Excerpt by Phil Hardy, Dave Laing, Faber Companion to 20th Century Popular Music, 2001

Cindy Birdsong, b. 15 December 1939, Camden, New Jersey, USA; Sarah Dash, b. 24 May 1942, Trenton, New Jersey; Nona Hendryx, b. 18 August 1945, ...

The Chantels

Book Excerpt by Phil Hardy, Dave Laing, The Faber Companion to 20th-Century Popular Music, 2001

Arlene Smith, b. 5 October 1941, New York, USA; Sonia Goring, b. 1940, New York; Lois Harris, b. 1940, New York; Jackie Landry, b. 1940, ...

The Chiffons

Book Excerpt by Phil Hardy, Dave Laing, The Faber Companion to 20th-Century Popular Music, 2001

Barbara Lee, b. 16 May 1947, Bronx, New York, USA, d. May 15, 1992; Patricia Bennett, b. 7 April 1947, Bronx; Sylvia Peterson, b. 30 ...

The Shirelles

Book Excerpt by Phil Hardy, Dave Laing, The Faber Companion to 20th-Century Popular Music, 2001

Shirley Owens, b. 10 June 1941, Passaic, New Jersey, USA; Addie 'Micki' Harris, b. 22 January 1940, Passaic, d. 10 June 1982, Los Angeles, California; ...

The Supremes

Retrospective by Bill Brewster, bbc.co.uk, 2001

MANY YEARS BEFORE anyone had ever heard of Hear'Say; and when Kylie and Jason were but a twinkle in Pete Waterman's rheumy eye, the Supremes ...

All Saints: When The Saints Go Marching Out

Retrospective by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 10 January 2001

THEY'VE BEEN on the verge of it before, but this time it looks as though All Saints are finally splitting up. Caroline Sullivan laments the ...

Lisa Lopes, TLC: Lisa Lopes: Rollercoaster career of a troubled star

Obituary by Lisa Verrico, The Times, 27 April 2002

THE POP world lost one of its most colourful characters yesterday with the death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. ...

The Go-Go's: The Fab Femme Five

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Elliott, Q, May 2002

Long before girl-band conveyor-belt pop and mainstream stardom for their mucky singer Belinda Carlisle, there was "the world's best female band" The Go-Go's. Meet the ...

TLC: Reheated Left Eye leftovers

Review by Lisa Verrico, The Times, 8 November 2002

RATHER THAN spell the end of TLC, the death of Lisa Lopes earlier this year in a car accident has meant a bit of a ...

Sugababes: Music profile: Sugababes

Profile and Interview by Lisa Verrico, The Times, 9 November 2002

Sassier than Atomic Kitten, classier than Mis-Teeq, the new Sugababes are the girl group it’s OK for grown-ups to like, claims Lisa Verrico. ...

Isyss: Nice Girls Finish Fast

Profile by Carol Cooper, The Village Voice, 26 November 2002

THE $64 MILLION question? Why, in a post-Spice Girl world, are black girl groups still forming (and falling apart) as if the Spice Girls never ...

TLC: T-Boz: "The doctors told me I wouldn't live to see 40"

Interview by Precious Williams, The Evening Standard, 27 November 2002

She's a member of the famous girl band TLC. Here, T-Boz talks about her daily battle with sickle cell anaemia ...

Girls Aloud: Females with Attitude

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 16 December 2002

Despite the hype, could reality TV's Girls Aloud be the first girl band to matter since the Spice Girls? ...

Fanny: First Time In A Long Time – The Reprise Records

Review by Gillian G. Gaar, MOJO, January 2003

First time on CD for all four studio albums in a set that finally heeds David Bowie's cry: "Revivify Fanny! And I will feel that ...

Clipse, Melanie C, Moloko, Spice Girls: Melanie C: Reason/Moloko: Statues/Clipse: Lord Willin'

Review by Lisa Verrico, The Times, 21 February 2003

Melanie C has too much going for her to rejoin the Spice Girls. ...

S Club 7: That's showbiz!

Comment by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 30 April 2003

S Club are mystified as to how they only made £400,000 each to their manager's £50m. It's called talent. ...

Beyoncé: Perfect diva

Interview by Sylvia Patterson, The Face, May 2003

Beneath Beyoncé Knowles' shining, golden exterior lies a heart which is… damn! It's shiny and golden too. But although she seems the ideal super-star for glittery-shallow ...

Kelly Rowland: Beyond The Call of Booty

Interview by Paul Elliott, Q, June 2003

You're one third of chart-blitzing girl trio Destiny's Child, but what comes next? If you're Kelly Rowland, a Number 1 single, Top 10 album and ...

Northern State: Dying in Stereo EP

Review by Devon Powers, PopMatters, 1 July 2003

THE FIRST THAT you'll read about Northern State in just about any review are their stats – these are three 20-something women who are from ...

Sugababes: Three

Review by Dan Gennoe, dotmusic.co.uk, October 2003

NOT TO PUT too fine a point on it, in the space of two years and two albums the Sugababes changed the face of pop. ...

Sugababes: Wanna be in our gang?

Interview by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 October 2003

Sugababes were 15 when they released their first single. Three years and one line-up change later, they are the coolest, smartest girl band in the ...

Atomic Kitten: Manchester Arena

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 23 February 2004

THE OFFICIAL LINE is that Atomic Kitten are taking time off mainly so that Natasha Hamilton can look after her young son, Josh. However, a ...

The 5.6.7.8's: 5.6.7.8: Who do we appreciate?

Profile and Interview by Tim Cooper, The Independent, 11 August 2004

The 5.6.7.8's are coming to Britain and are drawing sell-out crowds. Tim Cooper meets the idiosyncratic Japanese all-girl rock trio with the Kill Bill connection. ...

Marine Girls: An Interview

Retrospective and Interview by Everett True, Plan B, September 2004

20 years ago, Marine Girls made two albums of beautifully minimal girly pop based round a shared love for flapjacks, Young Marble Giants and the ...

Girls Aloud: How I Became a Girl Aloud

Report by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 17 September 2004

Caroline Sullivan spends a week in the shoes — the very painful shoes — of the UK's number one girl band ...

The Donnas: Heavy Medal

Interview by Scott McLennan, Rip It Up (Australia), Summer 2004

WHILE THE IDEA may seem great when conceived in the back row of a Friday afternoon geography class, the fact remains that high school bands ...

Girls Aloud: What Will the Neighbours Say?

Review by Bob Stanley, Uncut, January 2005

THE 'LOUD'S FABULOUS run of hits to date is as close to a 21st Century Blondie as we're likely to come: two of them — ...

The Velvelettes: Standing in the Shadows of Motown

Retrospective and Interview by Lois Wilson, Record Collector, March 2005

Lois Wilson salutes the Velvelettes, a great but neglected Motown act who are finally getting their due. ...

Sugababes: Taller In More Ways

Review by Nick Southall, Stylus, 20 October 2005

POP ACTS AREN'T SUPPOSED to release four albums, aren't supposed to have careers; they're meant to emerge quickly, define a brief era, and be seen ...

The Bangles: Here Right Now

Retrospective and Interview by Scott McLennan, Rip It Up (Australia), 3 November 2005

With the format only just beginning to be embraced in the mid-1980s, it seems music video programs were made for bands like The Bangles. Far ...

The Ronettes, Ronnie Spector: Ronnie Spector: The Last of the Rock Stars

Press Release by Andy Schwartz, press release for High Coin Records, 2006

ONLY A FEW ARTISTS in history have been capable of defining an entire era in pop music. Ronnie Spector is one of those artists: the ...

Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland: Kelly Rowland: Destiny Fulfilled

Profile and Interview by Angus Batey, The Guardian, 15 June 2007

Kelly Rowland reassures Angus Batey that, despite the all the conspiracy theories, she has not had a phantom baby, her new album isn't bitter about ...

The Cake: More of Cake Please

Sleeve notes by Chris Campion, Rev-Ola Records, August 2007

THREE TEENAGE girls are discovered singing along to records in a New York night club by two hotshot managers. They are rushed into a recording ...

The Go-Go's, Jane Wiedlin: Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's

Interview by Carl Wiser, Songfacts, 22 October 2007

THE GO-GO'S emerged from the late '70s Los Angeles punk/New Wave scene to become pop sensations and MTV darlings. They write their own songs, which ...

Joan Jett, The Runaways: Joan Jett

Interview by Ian Fortnam, Classic Rock, December 2007

The punk-loving former Runaways hellraiser talks about being in the first girl rock band, her fondness for S&M clothes, her blurred sexuality and almost joining ...

Sugababes: Royal Albert Hall, London

Live Review by Lisa Verrico, The Times, 22 March 2008

THEY COULD easily sell out arenas. Instead, Sugababes’ current tour — at 30 dates over eight weeks, the longest in their seven-year career — takes ...

The Supremes: A Love Supreme

Interview by Lois Wilson, Record Collector, July 2008

Mary Wilson Recalls The Highs And Lows Of The Most Successful Girl Group Of All Time. Interview By Lois "No Relation" Wilson ...

Sugababes: Catfights And Spotlights

Discography by Dan Gennoe, dotmusic.co.uk, October 2008

ACCORDING TO reports, the Sugababes plan a hiatus following the release of this their sixth album while founding 'Babe Keisha Buchanan fulfils her ambition to ...

Girls Aloud: Sheffield Arena

Live Review by Pete Paphides, The Times, 27 April 2009

SOULLESS THEY may be, but modern leisure hangars are efficient places when it comes to meeting the needs of those who come to see their ...

Ellie Greenwich: Rock Music Legend Sandy Pearlman On The Passing Of Feminine Culture Power Source, Ellie Greenwich

Obituary by Howie Klein, Huffington Post, 6 September 2009

ON MY FIRST DAY of college freshman orientation I met the president of the student body, Sandy Pearlman. He had long hair and I figured ...

Bananarama: Viva Bananarama

Review by Lloyd Bradley, bbc.co.uk, 14 September 2009

They still bristle with a pop energy born out of total conviction. ...

Phil Spector's Christmas Album

Retrospective by Johnny Black, unpublished, December 2009

GUNS HAVE LANDED Phil Spector in no end of trouble over the years. Usually, as in his confrontations with John Lennon, Leonard Cohen and the ...

The Orlons: Wah Watusi and South Street

Sleeve notes by Gene Sculatti, Collector's Choice, 2010

IF THEY'RE LUCKY, most decades get a handle–not right at birth, but usually by the time they grow up a little and let us know ...

Joan Jett, The Runaways: Joan Jett

Interview by Evelyn McDonnell, Interview, 20 February 2010

IN THE FOUR years that they were together, the quintet of teenage girls that made up The Runaways cut a swath of hard rock, harder ...

Sugababes: Sweet 7 (Island) *

Review by Andy Gill, The Independent, 5 March 2010

WITH THE DEPARTURE last year of final founder member Keisha Buchanan, Sugababes finally slipped from being a band to a brand. ...

The Runaways: Wild Thing — How Sandy West Was Lost

Retrospective by Evelyn McDonnell, L.A. Weekly, 18 March 2010

ON A SUMMER day in 1975, a 16-year-old girl carrying a Silvertone guitar took four public buses from Canoga Park to a two-story house in ...

Kim Fowley, The Runaways: Sex sells: The Girl Band That Changed Pop Forever

Retrospective by Chris Salewicz, The Independent, 19 March 2010

IN EARLY OCTOBER 1976, the Runaways, an all-girl five-piece from Los Angeles, played a sell-out show at London's Roundhouse, their debut date in the UK. ...

Cherie Currie, The Runaways: Cherie Currie recalls life as underage, underwear-wearing provocateur

Interview by Jim Sullivan, Boston Herald, 7 April 2010

WHETHER YOU WERE a rock fan in 1975 — or whether you weren't even conceived — you're going to want to take in The Runaways, ...

The Runaways: Queens of noise: The Runaways

Film/DVD/TV Review by Bill Holdship, Detroit Metro Times, 7 April 2010

Kristen Stewart's Joan Jett is one of many killer riffs that makes The Runaways. ...

The Runaways: Neon Angels

Retrospective by Don Waller, Detroit Metro Times, 7 April 2010

ON AUGUST 12th, 1975, the Runaways played their first gig — at Back Door Man fanzine founder Phast Phreddie Patterson's parents' house in north Torrance, ...

Joan Jett: I Love Rock And Roll

Interview by Terry Staunton, Record Collector, August 2010

Joan Jett talks to Terry Staunton on the making of the Runaways movie, and life after the band split. ...

Nadine Coyle, Girls Aloud: Girls Aloud's Nadine Coyle On Her Solo Debut

Interview by Jude Rogers, The Guardian, 14 October 2010

Often hailed as the best singer in Girls Aloud, now Nadine Coyle is going solo — with a little help from Tesco's. So is this ...

The Bangles: Eternal Flame

Retrospective and Interview by Paul Lester, Record Collector, December 2010

Paul Lester celebrates the enduring pop power of the Bangles. ...

The Saturdays: On Your Radar

Review by Mike Diver, bbc.co.uk, 2011

THE SATURDAYS EXIST because nobody has bettered them yet. ...

Dum Dum Girls: He Gets Me High

Review by Steve LaBate, Paste, 1 March 2011

14 minutes in heaven… ...

TLC's Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip

Retrospective and Interview by Michael A. Gonzales, Juicy, February 2012

Before they were a crazy, sexy, cool multi-platinum-selling girl group, TLC was three young women from Atlanta out to prove that their debut album, Ooooooohhh...On ...

Icona Pop: Girls Of Summer

Interview by Scott McLennan, Rip It Up (Australia), December 2012

IT'S TRUE: drinking to excess really does makes you rich and famous. The temperance movement might shake their heads in despair, but for Icona Pop's ...

Girls Aloud: Arena, Newcastle

Live Review by Dave Simpson, The Guardian, 22 February 2013

A DECADE AGO, when reality TV show Popstars: The Rivals pitted Girls Aloud against favourites One True Voice, you wouldn't have put money on the ...

Savages: Silence Yourself

Review by Luke Turner, The Quietus, 3 May 2013

INSPIRATION, NOT innovation, is what I look for in Savages. One Quietus reader insists, every time we write about them, on commenting "post punk karaoke", ...

The Runaways: Evelyn McDonnell: Queens of Noise: The Real Story of the Runaways

Book Review by Holly Gleason, Paste, 30 July 2013

Peeling away the clichés on the Runaways ...

The Runaways: Evelyn McDonnell: Queens of Noise – The Real Story of the Runaways (Da Capo)

Book Review by Bob Ruggiero, Houston Press, 21 August 2013

ANYONE WHO has seen either the Hollywood film The Runaways or the documentary Edgeplay may think they know the story of this band of five ...

Warpaint: Warpaint

Review and Interview by Jamie Atkins, Record Collector, January 2014

FEW BANDS OF recent times have made attracting both an obsessive fanbase and critical acclaim seem as effortless as Los Angeles’ Warpaint. The languorous, psychedelic ...

The Deers, Hinds (formerly The Deers): New band of the week: The Deers

Interview by Paul Lester, The Guardian, 12 September 2014

This all-female Spanish band capture the sound and spirit of C86 via Spector and the Velvets. ...

TLC Marks 20 Years of CrazySexyCool

Retrospective by Michael A. Gonzales, Ebony, 18 November 2014

Vintage visionary Michael A. Gonzales speaks with producer Dallas Austin, director Lionel Martin and more about the landmark album ...

SWV: Still Sisters With Voices

Profile and Interview by Michael A. Gonzales, Ebony, 22 January 2016

With their fifth studio album, Still, on the horizon, Taj, Lelee and Coko remain sisters after nearly 25 years in the music biz. ...

Little Mix: Brighton Centre

Live Review by Caroline Sullivan, The Guardian, 15 March 2016

IT WOULD BE HARD TO FIND a less weird girl group than Little Mix, which makes the question posed on a screen — "Are you ...

Lita Ford, The Runaways: Lita Ford: Living Like A Runaway – A Memoir (Dey Street)

Book Review by Bob Ruggiero, Houston Press, 6 April 2016

SHORTLY BEFORE hitting her commercial peak in 1988 with her third solo record, Lita, and its two monster singles and videos – 'Kiss Me Deadly' ...

MUNA's About U—an unflinching and unapologetic record of the lives of queer women the world over

Review by Pip Williams, The Line of Best Fit, 6 February 2017

It's hard to review an album when your words just don't feel big enough. ...

The Go-Go's: Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's Reveals All She Ever Wanted

Interview by Bob Ruggiero, Houston Press, 27 March 2020

FOR KATHY Valentine, it was a Christmas gift that not only kept on giving, but in many ways came to define her life and music. ...

Inflatable Boy Clams, Pink Section: San Francisco Punk Pranksters: Pink Section, Inflatable Boy Clams

Retrospective and Interview by Richie Unterberger, Please Kill Me!, 19 August 2020

Influenced by the punk scene centered at Mabuhay Gardens, and the fun, bohemian spirit of a city that was, back then, an affordable place to ...

Ann Wilson, Heart, Led Zeppelin: Ann Wilson: "Singing Led Zeppelin taught me how to sing rock 'n' roll — loud and high"

Interview by Laura Barton, The Independent, 24 April 2022

With her sister Nancy, Ann Wilson fronted the revolutionary, female-led hard rock outfit Heart. Laura Barton speaks to her on the cusp of a new ...

Wet Leg: O2 Kentish Town Forum, London

Live Review by Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian, 24 November 2022

Despite having fans in Iggy Pop and Barack Obama, the Isle of Wight duo are sticking with small venues for now – and enlivening them ...

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