Angry girl rants have been a secret smile shared between women since their inception. Memories of my mother giving me the knowing look as she sang the words “You’re so Vain” comes to mind, along with her performance as Tina Turner singing “You Better Be Good To Me” at a costume party.
Siouxie Sioux’s infamous rant on racism in “Hong Kong Gardens ,” Pat Benetar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” and Deborah Harry’s “Call Me” under Blondie moniker have influenced my personal style and taste in music along with other Gen X-ers as we sit cooling our boots influx between mid-life identity crisis and the great unknown.
The 90s ushered in an onslaught of angry girls but none as shocking as Alannis Morissette’s graphic depiction of licentious behavior in a movie theater captured in “You Oughta Know.” The number one angry girl rant goes to Gwen Stefani under No Doubt moniker in, “I’m Just a Girl,” no explanation necessary.
A new candidate for the angry girl rant is rebel, feminist, androgyne Miss June‘s frontwoman, Annabel Liddell. Expressing raw emotions of fury, angst, and pain to call out boyfriends, fathers, and the entire patriarchal system is just one of her many talents; she is a skateboarder, model, and fifth-year medical student.
New single “Enemies”, taken from forthcoming debut album “Bad Luck Party” due to be released on September 6th through two-decades-old New York label Frenchkiss Records, set the sassy caustic tone Miss June has come to be identified with giving Annabel a global platform to push boundaries and express political views.
Described as “some unholy union between Sonic Youth and Le Tigre” the Auckland, New Zealand four-piece, completed by the music school alumni recruited by Liddell – guitarist Jun Park, bass player Chris Marshall, and drummer Tom Leggett – has built a reputation for fierce, formidable and head-spinning live shows as their recent brief UK and US tour confirmed.
The official music video for new single “Enemies,” takes a dark turn with references to emotional deprivation, betrayal, and heartbreaking sorrow adding yet another dimensional layer of complexity to the mix.
A bit more guitar-heavy than usual, “Enemies” bursts out with taut throbbing basslines that surge into jagged abrasive guitar riffs as they ebb and flow in all-pervading rush of relentless energy, punctuated by bold tumbling drums as raw, caustic female voice lacerated by pity, abandonment, and disregard are heard in an intensely painful outpouring years in the making culminating with heavy squalling guitar shreds needling the tension into a relaxed rhythmic noise provoking a reaction.
Anger blurs between a current boyfriend and father when a woman venomously rants about the disinterest, lack of consideration, and disrespect shown to her from the men in her life. Sarcastic and snide remarks reveal how badly she is hurting as almost laughing she says, “Oops I broke your heart again.” The connection between the men is revealed when furious screams parlay, “He rode in on a big white horse and I was star-struck,” thus explaining the level of severe disappointment and antagonistic behavior associated with the tirade.
A short film, directed by Dylan Pharazyn, employs a dramatization featuring New Zealand model Emily Laurich and NZ Skateboard aficionado Emile Boyle playing young lovers on the run. Between kissing and holding hands the female character is experiencing an inner turmoil that manifests itself as terrible visions involving an older man from her past. Flashing lights set an urban parking garage into a claustrophobic maze where the duo finds enemies around every corner causing one to spin out of control.
Cover Artwork by Erin Forsyth of the upcoming debut album “Bad Luck Party” due September 6th through Frenchkiss Records. Pre-order the LP here
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