On black female rockers in the US

[the_future_modernes]

And Now for something completely different

Black chicks have been rocking since the days of Johnny Cash’s favorite singer, Sister Rosetta Tharpe (don’t believe me? Just watch her lay down some bad-ass gospel guitar). Tina Turner has always had a rock edge, and more contemporary artists like Skin from Skunk Anansie blazed a trail in the Nineties.

Res (love Golden Boys) and Fefe Dobson have carried the torch and won MTV time in more recent years. Although, it must be noted that both of those artists seem to have been dropped by their labels. Which is a real shame. Despite the lack of mainstream attention, black women are out there leading bands, writing their own songs, and making inroads all over the genre.

Miami’s Erica Sommer belts out crunk-rock as the lead singer of Raging Geisha, then tones it down singer-songwriter style with her heartfelt solo project. Chicago’s Suffrajet plays Joan Jett influenced riff-rock, and Blakk Plastick sings southern Rock and soul fueled funk.

Tamar-Kali is the hardcore goddess of the New York scene, and Honeychild Coleman is producing Eighties-esque dub electronica. As Mercinarias deliver the Brazilian new wave, and Imani Coppola is doing some out-there, experimental, bass-heavy pop punk ish.
Even if rock music isn’t your thing, these fierce sistas deserve your attention and applause for deviating from the norm and carving their own niche. For more black rockers, check out the Black Rock Coalition and cool MySpace groups like Negroclash, and Black Rock
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