Screaming Females Live Up To Their Name

Screaming Females are a hard rock explosion for the new generation.  Formed in New Brunswick, NJ in 2005 (the same place to produce Streetlight Manifesto, last week’s band under the spotlight) the trio is bringing back the same lo-fi heavy guitar and thundering drums of some of the best late 80’s/early 90’s alternative.  Having toured in support of bands such as Garbage, Dinosaur Jr. and Artic Monkeys, the Females are attracting attention from big names in multiple genres and decades which is good considering the band has released five full length records, three of which have been on the independent label Don Giovanni Records.  I haven’t had a chance to listen to their new album Ugly but it’s high on my list.  Their third album Power Moves came up on my iPod the other day and reminded me how much these three rip.  Tracks like “Bell” “Starving Dog” and “Halfway Down” are phenomenal and the first time I heard them made me feel like I was listening to early Bikini Kill.  The band lives up to their name with lead singer/guitarist Marissa Paternoster shrieking sections of the songs into the mic in an almost indiscernible exhale of aggression.  One of the number one things I look for in a band, especially a rock band is how earnestly they sing their lyrics and Screaming Females are one of the most earnest I’ve heard in some time.