There’s a breathless fragility in ’60s girl groups like the Shirelles, Crystals, and Ronettes that I find far more captivating than the polish of the Beatles or the swagger of the Rolling Stones. And I am captivated by the Sleigh Bells, who are, I think, the girl group for the age of Gossip Girl, in which high school means casual sex and hard drugs.
Britain has been the center of the recent girl group revival, with big acts like Girls Aloud making synth-pop hits. More interesting to me are the self-conscious and wonderfully named Pipettes. Sleigh Bells doesn’t fit into the category as easily as these groups. After all, half the group is male (though this is arguably appropriate in an age of coeducation and loaded gender-neutrality). But, they’re the rightful heirs to the greatest girl group of all time, the Shangri-La’s. Like them, the Sleigh Bells express an attraction to the sublime in twisted pop and frigid vocals. Post-punk, post hardcore, post-Destiny’s Child, they’ve updated the influences, but the basic template remains the same.
Susan J. Douglas of the University of Michigan has theorized that the girl groups’ “girl talk” prepared listeners for the “woman talk” of feminism and liberation. Maybe, but it also prepared them for the next generation of girl talk.
My oldest daughter is 15 and LOVES The Pipettes. She got me turned on to them and I really enjoy their retro sound. Sorry to hear they apparently broke up though.Report
Is there anything more beautiful than this?
The Chantels – Look in My EyesReport
@sam,
I love that opening swoop of strings.Report
@Matthew Schmitz, Yeah, there’s a glorious blues riff in that (blues, alas, something that seems to be completely missing from current rock. In fact, much current stuff reminds me of much of the anemic whitebread pop of the 50s, early 60s.Report
I’m a dope- I started responding to this with a plug for the Shangri-Las, before noticing that you already think they’re the greatest girl group of all time. I totally do too. I see them as sort of the punkest girl group of all time. Incidentally, if I can find it, there’s a new song that Mary Weiss has been singing lately, written by the singer for the Reigning Sound and the Oblivians, that is just totally amazing. I can’t wait to hear it recorded.Report
@Rufus, Hey, I just noticed that Mary Weiss has already recorded one album with the Reigning Sound and is working on another. How did I miss this? Seriously, the Reigning Sound are one of the best bands in America right now. No joke.Report