Pretend We're Dead: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Women in Rock in the '90s by Tanya Pearson
Big thanks to Hachette Book Group and NetGalley for allowing
me to read an advanced copy of Tanya Pearson’s excellent book Pretend We’re Dead: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Women in Rock in the ’90s,
documenting the rise, fall, and re-emergence of women in alternative rock. I
really enjoyed this book because I not only remember listening to a lot of the
artists and bands that Pearson interviews for the Women of Rock Oral History Project, but Pearson’s analysis of the trajectory of Women in Rock really
challenged my thinking about music, the music industry, and how styles and
trends in music emerge and go away. Furthermore, she intersperses her
interviews and analysis with her own experiences as a fan, musician and scholar
who seeks to document and champion the many influential women in rock
(especially from the 90s) who have somewhat been forgotten or pushed away as
music trends have changed.
Pearson’s book is divided into two parts- one documenting
the rise of women in alternative music, and looks at some specific artists and
bands, including Liz Phair, L7, Babes in Toyland, Hole, Veruca Salt and
Throwing Muses. Her introduction outlines her own experiences with 90s
alternative music and her reasons for championing the women of this often
misrepresented and undocumented time period that has proven to be incredibly
influential to many current musical artists, styles and trends. She also clearly
defines grunge/alternative music, which is great because I feel like there is
no real consistent definition, and while many of the artists and bands who
participated in the book are often lumped into this amorphous category, Pearson
makes it clear that the bands and artists are very different. It’s especially
important when Pearson raises concerns about why women were shut out of radio
play in the late 90s and post 9/11. The second part of the book details that
period of decline, which Pearson attributes to various factors like the
backlash against feminism, the development of a more corporate type of feminism
that has been marketed and sold as an ideal, changes in the music industry with
promotion of pop music and boy bands, and the promotion of masculine,
jingoistic music after 9/11.
I loved learning about the background of these bands and
artists because it is so interesting to see how many of them turned to music in
difficult times, either to escape or as an outlet for emotions, or that some of
them, like Tracy Bonham, came from musical families. Furthermore, Pearson also discussed
how the “grunge” trend helped to usher in a new kind of feminism that wasn’t
necessarily part of the mainstream music nor part of its industry. She largely
credits this with bands like Nirvana (especially Kurt Cobain) and Sonic Youth
(especially Kim Gordon); although the book doesn’t focus on the Riot Girl
scene, Pearson does connect this musical scene with the increased focus on
feminism and inclusion of women. Other chapters discuss some of the challenges
that women in rock faced. I found this fascinating since I didn’t necessarily question
the press’s portrayal of women in rock. However, hearing their words and
experiences made me realize the kind of double standard they faced, and if they
challenged perceptions or tried to correct the narrative, they were often labeled.
In fact, no matter what they did, it seemed like the press had labels already
for these artists to fit into, whether it was Liz Phair, L7, or Courtney Love.
They all seemed to fit stereotypes and categories of different types of women,
even though they were trying to be authentic or possibly challenge these stereotypes.
Furthermore, because these artists did not fit into the more conventional (or
conservative) roles for women, they were often criticized or faced unfair
accusations; some like Kristin Hersh or Courtney Love even lost custody of
their children due to interviews they conducted. I forgot about that incident
with Courtney Love, and it was pretty shocking to look back and realize this
kind of double standard. Other chapters in the first half of the book detail
the rise of women in rock in the ’90s, and tie their increasing popularity to
upliftment of women from that year and the kind of advocacy and awareness that
women brought to rock music. It’s really interesting to read these chapters as
we approach another presidency that seems regressive to women’s rights and
ideals, and the kind of culture war that seems to reignite around conservative handwringing
as differences emerge and progress is made. I forgot how much happened in the
90s to advance women’s rights and prominence in areas like music and politics,
but it is also kind of depressing to see that there’s just this continued need
to raise awareness and challenge the changes brought about by the Dobbs’
decision. However, it’s good to know that there are artists who continue to
push boundaries and challenge assumptions, and that music, even though it may
not always be welcoming to women, does provide an outlet and a voice for many
women artists. Furthermore, it seems like many of the women in rock from the ’90s
have influenced today’s artists who have more opportunities to record and
self-release or share their music with others.
The second half of the book was both disheartening and interesting
to read—I actually can’t think of another word, but I do want to mention that
many of Pearson’s hypotheses about the reduced role that women in rock had in
the early 2000s really challenged my assumptions about music and society, and
many of the factors that can potentially influence their participation in
popular music. And like most events, there’s no one clear event or factor that
led to this reduction, but rather many different events in society ranging from
changing tastes in music to the attacks of 9/11 that all altered women’s roles
in rock music. Even though I continued to listen to artists like Liz Phair and
Hole, I didn’t actively seek them out, and I also didn’t listen to the radio as
much at this point, especially as the iPod made its way into my life. Regardless,
I can see how many of these events probably did lead to the gradual decline of
women in rock, to the point where some artists complained about labels just
telling them to stay low. Liz Phair’s experience of being moved from label to
label, despite having a critical success with whitechocolatespacegg kind
of shows the level of disrespect and disregard that female artists faced. Other
events like Woodstock ’99 were representative of the sad shift towards rap-rock
and the kind of influence this had on music. I really don’t remember hearing
much about Woodstock ’99, and I haven’t seen the recent documentaries, but it
was pretty crazy to read about what happened. As Pearson notes, only a few
women were asked to participate. While there’s not really a direct correlation,
this kind of event and the participants involved mirrored a lot of what was
happening on the radio and in the industry, moving from a slightly more
egalitarian music genre like grunge, towards more of a hegemonic cockrock that
was popular in the 70s and 80s. This also forced artists like Liz Phair to
recalculate their approach, and with pressure from their labels, find other
genres and sounds that their fans might retaliate against. I think Pearson
helps to promote empathy for these artists, showing that those who didn’t
really conform to the popular styles were often dropped from their labels, and
those who did often faced backlash from their fans. It’s a kind of dilemma that
all artists face, especially those who might try to find a different style or
approach to their art. For me, the biggest revelation was the idea that after
9/11, there was this need for masculinity in music. I definitely remember the
post 9/11 patriotism, and I found much of my escape in CDs and iTunes, as well
as searching out indie and punk rock in Kazaa and Limewire. While I wasn’t
paying much attention to what was on the radio, I can totally see how this was
the case. It was just shocking to hear execs and others mention that there were
too many female artists being played or on a label. Despite presenting some
sour notes, Pearson does end with some hope, sharing how there’s been a resurgence
of ’90s music, and especially with women in music. She cites artists like Miley
Cyrus and Olivia Rodrigo, who had the Breeders open for her, who have covered
or incorporated ’90s female artists into their work. I’ve noticed the influence
in other artists like Soccer Mommy, Japanese Breakfast, and Beabadoobee who
have this kind of really great rock and pop sound that takes me back. I also loved
learning more about the Women of Rock Oral History Project, and the continuing
effort to reshape the narrative of women in rock.
Some of the more powerful writing in this last section was
saved for the critiques of capitalism, corporations, and the kind of limited
choices we have in politics. This was especially true in the ’90s, when there
wasn’t too much of a difference between Democrats and Republicans. Pearson
emphasized how some bills that Clinton signed led to deregulation in the media,
allowing corporations like Clear Channel to buy up radio stations and concert
venues, pretty much eliminating choice for many people. She also explores how
this kind of corporatization and limited choice selection has created a kind of
watered down version of feminism that really is more like surface level
advocacy than anything that might affect change. It reminded me of Jia Tolentino’s
writing in Trick Mirror and how the ideal woman is really like a
corporate/media creation. This last section is really powerful and critical,
and it was some of my favorite parts of the book. Not necessarily because it
was uplifting, but rather because it is a reminder of the need to continue to
fight and challenge, and how music can be a force and art to convey those messages.
While this was an exciting and fun read, one thing I noticed
was that some of the quotes were reused in certain parts. It wasn’t a big deal,
but I came across this a few times and was wondering if I had re-read a certain
part. The other part that I wish this book had was more analysis between the
quotes. It was great to hear from the artists for extended periods, and the
sections were organized according to themes in music, but I felt like this book
would have benefitted from some additional analysis of the points that the artists
made and the concerns they raised. There is some analysis in many of the
chapters, and some chapters were mainly analytical or reflective based on
Pearson’s experiences (which were also cool to learn about—she has a really
amazing and empowering story). However, I would have liked to see more of that
analysis evenly distributed. Maybe that will be in her dissertation. One final
point about Pearson’s experience in higher education, I hope that after she finishes
her dissertation and continues on with research, she considers developing a
kind of book of pedagogy or some kind of teaching guide about using feminist
music in the classroom. I’m not sure that there are many books about this
topic, but it would be a really cool book to read and use for teaching. In any
event, this is a great book, and if you are a fan of music, especially ’90s music,
this is a must read.
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