You can check out the winning albums on this Spotify playlist (excluding Nervous Twitch and Bratakus, who are both far too punk for Spotify – find them instead on Bandcamp)
*As voted for by members of LOUD WOMEN’s wonderful reviews and events team, including: Cassie Fox, Kris Smith, Abby Werth, Abigail Brady, Vicki Thompson, Hannah Kessler, Marissa Schlussel, Stacy Norman, Charley Stone, Kitty Fedorec, Sarah Lay, Phil Whaite, Gemma Gompertz, Alex Sarll, Jess McPhee, Tegan Christmas, Richard Archer, Jenny Bunn, Keira Cullinane, Hannah Wright. Thank you all for your time! x
Joanne Joanne is the world’s premier all-woman Duran Duran tribute band, and we love them to bits. Who better to headline our Christmas party on 21 December at The Lexington! In preparation, we asked 10 questions of JJ’s lead guitarist, the legendary Charley Stone (pictured centre, bottom).
Who is the best Joanne of recent times?
Two of them are in our band! Jo Bevan and Jo Gate-Eastley. But also, Jo Brand, for dry wittingly and perfectly challenging all-male panels everywhere.
What’s your favorite Duran Duran song?
Probably ‘New Religion’ because it’s a “dialogue between the ego and the alter-ego”. Or ‘Sound of Thunder’, from the first album, because it makes me think about lying out in the sun with synth lines and drums racing through my head feeling drunk on life.
San Junipero or The Handmaids Tale?
Can I confess I’ve not actually watched either of them. I did read The Handmaids Tale recently and yes it’s amazing but a bit too depressing for some of these Viewers at this current time. Can I instead put in a vote for the book everyone’s reading on the tube, i.e. The Power by Naomi Alderman. [Ed. LOUD WOMEN thoroughly endorses this book also.]
Best heckle, you’ve received (or given)?
For many years I used to shout out for “Martha’s Harbour” at every gig I went to, including e.g. hardcore American punk bands. These days I tend to stick with “Very Good Indeed” or “Not Bad!”
Who were the second best 80s band (after DD)?
The Fall [Ed. LOUD WOMEN thoroughly denounce Mark E Smith.]
What’s the 2nd best tribute band name (after Joanne Joanne)?
The Misters of Circe, my gender-nonconforming Sisters of Mercy tribute band. Let’s face it, it’s even better than the original.
What’s the best thing about being in your band?
I always wanted to be in Duran Duran, but actually with this we’ve created the ideal version of Duran Duran: all the best bits and none of the rubbish. And totally inhabiting it. Don’t just dream it, be it.
Recommend a record and a book that you think our readers might not have heard of.
Can I put in a word for “The Book of Words”, Duran Duran’s lyric book from 1984, with essays about their Seven & The Ragged Tiger tour and making-videos, and lots of thoughts from Simon le Bon about the artistic process. It was a very formative work for me, I’ll be honest.
What are your band goals?
Hammersmith Odeon by ‘82, Wembley Arena by ’83, Madison Square Garden by ‘84.
Give your top 5 contemporary bands.
Jen Macro’s Hurtlingare amazing! We’re really excited about playing with them on 21 Dec – make sure you get there early to see their whole set. They have the only bassist who can give our Jo Gate-Eastley a run for her money.
Also can we mention our sister band, MX Tyrants? Formed when we kept coming up with new riffs and ideas while rehearsing Duran Duran songs for Joanne Joanne. Current line-up is me (Charley), Lolo, Jo Gate-Eastley and Catherine Riley – we have a new video out, Sycamore Semaphore.
For this – the very first LOUD WOMEN ‘Her’cury Music Award – we’ve honoured most of the criteria of our rival, the so-called “Mercury” prize: that is, albums by British-based musicians released between30th July 2016and21st July 2017 (sorry to Deux Furieuses and Crumbs, respectively).
With TWO differences: our ‘Her’cury prize doesn’t care about record formats or industry distribution, and these artists are all LOUD, all female-fronted or female-driven, or just plain all-female. From a pool of thirty options, our scientific poll of the LOUD WOMEN Team has produced this shortlist of 12, given below in alphabetical order.The winner of the ‘Her’cury Music Award will be announced at lunchtime on Thursday 14 September.
Actual Crimes – ‘Ceramic Cat Traces‘
Swansong album from Kirsty (Cat Apostrophe) Fife, Aaron Batley and Ruth Mair. Tense post-hardcore melodies in the music and subtle political undertones in the words, topped with the prolific perzine-ster’s borderline-breakdown vocals.
Desperate Journalist – ‘Grow Up’
Second album from the runaway success story of the London indie scene, pushing all your Britpop/postpunk/pop-goth/80s-indie buttons at once. Soaring vocals, chiming guitars, proper songs and all’s right/wrong with the world.
Brilliant hook-laden grunge pop from this Glasgow duo, with every song a winner; proving that the ‘difficult second album’ is just a problem for other people.
The Menstrual Cramps – ‘We’re Not Ovaryacting’
The Menstruals (well, we can’t really nickname them ‘The Cramps’) hit the ground running earlier this year with this impressive digital debut and a ridiculously-confident live debut on International Womens’ Day for Who Runs the World/LOUD WOMEN.
Nolay – ‘This Woman’
Latest album from the Unorthodox Daughter, and impossible to number because so many of Nolay’s releases have been mixtapes straight from the underground. No pop-grime crossover, no compromise, and no holds barred. Nolay’s definitive feminist statement.
Oh! Gunquit – ‘Lightning Likes Me’
Second album from criminally-underrated, slightly-uncategorisable (although we’re about to have a go), new-wave surf-garage trash-punks!
Pet Crow – A Simple Guide to Small and Medium Pond Life
Impressively-tuneful debut album from Derby male/female 4-piece, released on vinyl by LIINES’ label Reckless Yes. Dancey, surfy, garagey indie punk fronted by Danielle Cotterill’s powerful vocals. https://petcrow.bandcamp.com/releases
Petrol Girls – ‘Talk of Violence’
Debut full-length release from probably the most powerful feminist band in the UK, known to leave audiences genuinely shocked-and-awed with a combination of rock hooks, hardcore assault and uncompromising lyrics. One of two shortlisted bands with a track on the LOUD WOMEN Volume One compilation album.
Sacred Paws – ‘Strike a Match’
Definitive musical statement from Rachel Aggs (Trash Kit, Golden Grrrls, Covergirl, Shopping) – possibly the UK’s greatest guitarist – combining what used to be called ‘world music’ with Postcard Records-esque post-punk funk. Scottish Album of the Year, and now LOUD WOMEN ‘Her’cury shortlist!
The Tuts – ‘Update Your Brain’
Widely-acclaimed and long-awaited debut from one of the hardest-working DIY bands in the business, released a decade after they first formed at school. Standout newer tracks ‘Con Man’ and ‘1982’ bring the best punk-pop hooks and ‘Give Us Something Worth Voting For’ delivers the clearest message.
The Wharves – ‘Electa’
Second album from this all-female melodic post-everything powerhouse follows 2014’s ‘At Bay’, showcasing more of their tightly rhythmic and skilfully harmonic repertoire. https://gringorecords.bandcamp.com/album/electa
With regards to songwriting, Desperate Journalist’s new album feels like a great lost record from an era when bands like the Cure or the Smiths were at the peak of their powers. With regards to the band themselves and the production, they sound a lot tougher than that. From the opener ‘Hollow’ onwards, you can hear the bands’ possible influences but also their distance from them. For instance, on ‘Resolution’, there are flashes of Simon Gallup-like bass invention, but anchored to a punchy bottom-end that simply doesn’t belong in that era. The end result is more Simon Wallop.
Likewise, ‘Be Kind’, features Smiths-y (or do you just say Smithy?) guitar work on the verse but explodes on the chorus in a style more that is more chunk than chime. And of course, singer Jo Bevan has been compared to Morrissey but to my ears this is only here and there in the melodies. The imagery in her lyrics feels miles away from the kitchen sink grit of the Moz, such as on Resolution:
“She says I haven’t seen you in years
Like confetti in the atmosphere”
Enough of that anyway, there are tracks on here that simply beguile. ‘Purple’ hypnotises thanks to Caz Helbert’s perfectly-judged drumming, as does ‘Lacking in Your Love’ with its amazing twisty guitar riff that grabs your attention from the songs beginning. This is the band’s second album and so evident is the band’s scope and propulsion that you’re left feeling intrigued as to what album three may bring. A really excellent album.
Pending releases
Feature – Banishing Ritual LP Apr 07
The Baby Seals – Lips Are Sealed Apr 07
Long Teeth – Canned Laughter Apr 20
Darling Buds – Evergreen EP April 21
The Nyx – The Nyx EP – April 21
Skating Polly – New Trick EP Apr 28
Wolf Girl – Moody/Get You – May 5
Blondie – Pollinator – May 5
Oh! Gunquit – Lightning Likes Me – LP May 19
Coathangers – Parasite EP – Jun
Lorde – Melodrama 2nd LP – Jun
Jo Bevan of Desperate Journalist – photo by The Chaos Engineers
How are you feeling about releasing your album ‘Grow Up’? We are all so excited and impatient about it – we have all put so much work and love into this record and we can’t wait for people to hear it.
What your personal favourite track off of ‘Grow Up’ and why?
If I have to choose it’s probably ‘Lacking In Your Love’, because it feels so big and anthemic and has only got one chorus. It’s my favourite to play live as well.
What’s your writing process like, is it more solo or collaborative?
Rob will write bits and pieces or even whole song structures, and we all work on fleshing the ideas out into fully formed song structures. Then I write the melodies to what we have, and work out how to fit lyrics I’ve already got to the music.
What’s the concept behind your recent video for ‘Resolution’?
The song was written after a New Year’s Eve party where I was feeling totally out of step with everyone and the social whirl of it all and the video is basically a literal interpretation of that.
You’re about to embark on a UK and German tour, are you looking forward to playing new songs live?
Hugely. Playing live is my favourite part of being in a band, and we all love doing new stuff because it’s always much more exciting. We are already playing a number of songs off the new album live and they’ve been going down really well which is great.
Are there any places you would like to play in the future?
I really want to do the whole breaking America thing, but it’s just way too expensive at the moment unfortunately. I’d also like to play my childhood hometown of High Wycombe, out of spite.
Finally, what date of tour are you most looking forward to playing?
The Scala, which will be the biggest gig we have ever played. I’m terrified/super excited.
Check out Desperate Journalist’s releases on Bandcamp and keep up with their tour plans on Facebook
Ringing in the new year with a brand new song from their upcoming album, Desperate Journalist’s ‘Resolution’ is full of chiming guitars and lyrics sung with conviction. The track kicks of the new year with a melancholy note, with a sweeping and mournful sound that wraps up what 2016 was to many people.
Vocalist Jo Bevan explains the story behind the track:
“The song was written in a hotel room after a New Year’s Eve party when I was feeling particularly peculiar, unable to drink and on a lot of codeine. NYE is obviously an unusually heightened time to feel completely out of the loop with a group and when that happens to me, like everything else I can’t really cope with, I romanticise it into filmic fragments.
The countdown to midnight was dramatized massively by the band we were watching (as is standard), and I couldn’t escape fixating on teenage thoughts like: how many cliched repetitive conversations/Fun Times you have with people on Significant Days of the Year, how emotionally awkward the midnight kiss was for so many of us, the people making big pointless romantic gestures, and the general warm frenzy of everyone else from the weird cold bubble of where I was. So broadly speaking, the song is about being detached and overstimulated.”
The track is released on the build up to their second album ‘Grow Up’ which will be released on the 24th of March, and is sure to get an airing at their headline show at Scala on the 6th of April.
For all those who support putting women on stage, and turning up the volume
Joanne Joanne is the world’s premier all-woman Duran Duran tribute band, and we love them to bits. Who better to headline our Christmas party on 
by Eloise Bulmer
