Bjork

Paul McClean (ATL Producer)

Handy with the dukes should anyone come 'looking some' plus having a wardrobe that resembles the aftermath of a large explosion at a joint fancy dress and paint shop the Icelandic pocket rocket is blessed with the rare and genuine x factor. From the early days of the Sugarcubes, through the bizarre top of her mainstream (but still kinda off-kilter) pop era to her acting and a return to a more esoteric sound, she never, ever treads water and couldn’t be generic if she tried. Her finest moment, in this humble writer's view is still the mix of love song, odd narrative and pounding William Orbit techno provided by 'Hyperballad'. Accept no imititations. In years to come we will bemoan the like of her ilk as we are all forced to listen to the audio equivalent of plain yoghurt, sponsored by megacorp.

Siouxsie and the Banshees

Steven Raniey - ATL Buddy

In the mid-90s, I was given a compilation of 'classic' punk and new wave songs by my first girlfriend. It's no exaggeration to say that this record changed my life, giving me my first taste of Wire, Television, Talking Heads, and Magazine, but perhaps the biggest revelation was my discovery of Siouxsie and the Banshees. 'Christine', a haunting reflection on schizophrenia, flies by on waves of acoustic guitar and layered bass, shimmering and ethereal. I'd never heard anything like it before, and so began my own personal odyssey into the heart of darkness as I became a teenage goth. Over the years, arguably my more gothy impulses have faded into the ether, but my love for Siouxise has never waned, the Banshees' untouchable back catalogue providing a lifetime of delights. From the early metallic post-punk shards of madness, to the psychedelic dreamworld of their mid-period, right through to their pop twilight, the Banshees were true originals, and rightly deserve their place in the grand history of pop.

Laura Veirs

Amy McGarrigle (ATL Content Assistant)

This is a ridiculously huge topic, so here goes. I think I'll go for the biggest surprise act for me in the last couple of years. Lets face it, and I'll be honest, when you see an unknown female singer songwriter name on a poster, the common assumption is it's another Kate Nash or Alanis Morrisette. Female singer songerwriters get hit with a double whammy of 'persumptions' - the boring self indulgent songwriter AND the whinny female complainer. So it's refreshing when you come across a solo female artist who's genuinely none of those things.



Laura Veirs started off during the Riot Grrrl movement, but later went on to record folky solo albums awash with refrences to geology and nature. Bringing in her partner, Tucker Martine, on production, she has made some of the most grogeous slices of indie pop I ever heard in years and it's a damn shame more people don't listen to her music!

Howling Bells

Carys McMorran - ATL Trainee



My favourite female fronted band would have to be Howling Bells from Australia. Juanita Stein is the band’s singer and rhythm guitarist. Her vocals are unreal – she has a great range and is at times very haunting. They were one of my highlights at Oxegen ’09 and I think they are extremely underrated. The band’s third album is one I am patiently awaiting with excitement. Juanita is unquestionably one of my girl crushes, along with Zooey Deschanel of She & Him. I would definitely have a type.