Favorite Female Lyricists #8 - Kim Gordon
@teamfreak16 (43421)
Denver, Colorado
March 24, 2017 4:52pm CST
We are at #8 in my Favorite Female Lyricists series, in which I countdown my favorite female songwriters. These are not necessarily the best, or most popular, but they are the ones I listen to the most. The eighth spot belongs to one of rock music's coolest women, Kim Gordon.
Raised in Los Angeles, Kim Gordon is best known as the bassist and one of three vocalist's/lyricists for former New York alternative/noise/no wave band Sonic Youth. She has also collaborated and performed with indie bands such as Free Kitten, Harry Crews, and, since the demise of Sonic Youth, Body/Head.
Also a fashion designer, visual artist, and writer (I highly recommend her 2015 memoir, Girl in a Band,) Gordon's lyrics are often of a feminine nature, addressing women's concerns. Lyrics to songs such as "Kool Thing" (male, white corporate oppression,) "Swimsuit Issue" (self explanatory,) "Little Trouble Girl" (co-written with the Pixies' Kim Deal,) and "Female Mechanic Now on Duty" are prime example's of Gordon's work. Her ode to Karen Carpenter, "Tunic (Song for Karen)" is a Sonic Youth classic, and writer Maria Raja used the title of Gordon's song "Cinderella's Big Score" as the name of her book on female indie rockers.
With Gordon and guitarists Thurston Moore and Lee Ronaldo all writing and performing vocals on different songs, Sonic Youth displayed remarkable consistency. But Kim Gordon's tunes always seemed like a special treat.
(Info verified by Wikipedia)
9 people like this
8 responses
@crossbones27 (48417)
• Mojave, California
24 Mar 17
Awesome, always forget about this band for some reason, but like you said, always like a treat when you do hear them. Love the lyrics on this also.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Mar 17
Plus Chuck D appears on it. How can you go wrong.
2 people like this
@chrissbergstrom (10767)
• Banks, Oregon
24 Mar 17
Kim Gordon i do know! Who doesn't love Sonic Youth, Kool Thing i great i also love some of there covers.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Mar 17
They did do some good covers. I liked "Superstar."
1 person likes this
@chrissbergstrom (10767)
• Banks, Oregon
24 Mar 17
@teamfreak16 Yes Carpenters they covered them and did a tribute to Karen to
1 person likes this
@mawdest (1587)
• Canada
25 Mar 17
@teamfreak16 Cool, thanks, will look it up :)
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
25 Mar 17
If you haven't heard it, "Teenage Riot" is good, too.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (62112)
• United States
25 Mar 17
Definitely understand why you like her so much. She pulls no punches in her lyrics.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
25 Mar 17
Yeah, she's pretty straight forward.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
25 Mar 17
Chrissie Hynde's book Reckless is really good too.
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
25 Mar 17
Let's hear it for a hometown girl! Can't go wrong with Sonic Youth.
1 person likes this