Restless Leg Syndrome

I don't know if this is the best photo for this post, but look at all the colors!

We here at Restless Leg Syndrome were only halfway to our tenth birthdays in the mid-90s; Nina was fresh off the boat from Russia working towards her now-impeccable grasp of the English language by watching cartoons in Brooklyn, and I was… well, I guess I was just building snow tunnels in New Jersey with my dad during the blizzard of 1996.

As far as my individual appreciation of music and my ability to find music I liked from a source other than my parents’ record collection, I couldn’t pin point an exact year or song or date. I do know, however, that although I would have come inside from making snow tunnels and my parents would have inevitably put on Bruce Springsteen or The Beatles, there were a bunch of pretty bad ass female singer songwriters back in ’96.

PJ Harvey (whose new album Let England Shake is probably going to be one of my favorites of the year, if I can call it this early), Liz Phair, Aimee Mann (“You Could Make A Killing” may trigger that scene from Cruel Intentions to reel in my mind, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great song), Tori Amos (who is 47 right now, wtf??!?) and even Ani DiFranco (yeah, I said it, what do you wanna do about it?) all ruled the ’90s with their indie-rock songwriting. Coupled with the tail end of riot grrrl bands like Sleater-Kinney, Le Tigre and Bikini Kill (and more) the ’90s were a good time to be a female musician.

And I could probably says something sorta mean about Alanis Morisette (couldn’t we all?) but dammit if Jagged Little Pill isn’t a solid album. Sure, the lyrics to “Ironic” may not hold up over time or even really correctly define what irony is, but this was before the “ironic t-shirt” phase in hipster history, so let it go guys, let it go.

*For a more detailed explanation of Alanis Morisette and basically anything that happened between 1990 and 2000 in alternative music, read Stephen Hyden’s 10-part “Whatever Happened to Alternative Nation” on the A.V. Club.

Point is, I like to think that although I mostly listened to classic rock until I was about ten or so, the female singer songwriters of the ’90s shaped my music sensibilities. That is why now, in the early ’10s (what the hell do we call this decade, has anyone decided yet?) when singers like Sharon Van Etten and Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak have come out with these epic new albums (one of which is called Epic), I gravitate towards their style. I saw Sharon Van Etten last week at Brighton Music Hall and not only did she look straight outta ’96 with her pencil skirt, baggy shirt and shaggy haircut, she sounded it. And that is a good thing. That back and forth, chorus heavy style sang with soul and bravado is what made mid-’90s ladies so catchy and powerful. Listen to Visible Voice’s recording of the show here.

There have of course been female singer songwriters throughout the earlier 2000s; Tegan and Sara and St. Vincent are some favorites of mine. But this seeming revitalization of a very specific kind of music style is quite welcome by me. It sounds like a return to a more emotional and proud kind of music, and I think it’s the kind of move we ladies could use. So, if you haven’t gotten Epic by Sharon Van Etten or Civilian by Wye Oak, or Tell Me by Jessica Lea Mayfield, for that matter, do it.

I know I haven’t mentioned all the ladiez out there, so please forgive me. This was not meant to neglect, I just can’t name ‘em all.

Here’s some tracks.

Blue Skies Again by Jessica Lea Mayfield on Tell Me Buy on Amazon

Don’t Do It by Sharon Van Etten on Epic Buy on Amazon

The Last Living Rose by PJ Harvey on Let England Shake Buy on Amazon