Girl Crush Pt. II

It's time for another edition of

GIRL CRUSH

this week's special featuring:

Brody Dalle

"It's not important to how the band functions or to what we do. That's just many people's opinions on what they see. A lot of people project stuff on you, but that's ok"

- Brody Dalle



Madame Brody has been a strong influence on my life since I was a wee girl (ie. an angst-ridden teenager under the height of five feet) when I discovered her band The Distillers and was instantly intrigued by her musical similarities to my hero/worst fear Courtney Love, as she combined screaming guitars, tortured and intelligent lyrics, and a gravelly voice which suggested hours gargling whiskey and was on the verge of being "mannish". Though I had always had a soft-spot for punk music, Brody was the first contemporary punk rock chick to grace my record collection, as most of the other feminine punk role models I appreciated had made their definitive albums years before. Brody, however, was modern and relevant and, more importantly, smothered in tattoos, oxblood lipstick, and sex appeal.

"Boys don't like it when you play with their toys, especially when you do it better."

- Brody Dalle

Aside from all these shining features Brody possessed, she also had a charming swagger I admired, as she was known to trash talk her critics who claimed she was not a legitimate musician due to her gender. Brody was (and still is) hella bad ass, vulgar, and ironic, and she delivered the romantic brand of punk rock I had been so desperately craving while struggling through Ashlee Simpson and Avril Lavigne records. Brody was the real deal and had the tormented life to back it up, having started her first band at the age of thirteen in her home country of Australia as a means to spend time away from her broken home; she lied about her age at sixteen in order to seduce Rancid's Tim Armstrong, whom would later become her ex-husband as she ripped his heart out with a torrid affair with her current husband, Queens of the Stoneage's Josh Homme, (a move I have only forgiven due to my massive crush on the Ginger Elvis), and she grew up and moved on from the Distillers to form one of my other favourite bands, Spinnerette.

[Warning: next quote involves harsh words]

"They say women can't play guitar as well as men. I don't play my guitar with my fucking vagina, so what difference does it make?"

- Brody Dalle

Brody is also a strong advocate for girl power, as indicated by the scathing quote above. Never one to play nice with the haters, Brody often voiced her opinions on sexism in music, and being strongly in possession the talent required to back up these opinions, she gained my respect not only for her unapologetic appearance but also for her outspoken nature. Brody is a woman who refused to compromise her integrity to live up to the status quo. Her friendship with Gwen Stefani, another idol of mine and a powerful feminine force in punk, and more recently pop, music, demonstrates that alliances with other women are admirable rather than a hindrance in achieving success, disproving the common notion that you should keep your enemies closer.

"When you meet someone for the first time, that's not the whole book. That's just the first page."

- Brody Dalle

Finally, in coming to the most obvious reason for being in possession of a girl crush, I must discuss Brody's sometimes shocking but always edgy appearance. Brody has rocked every hairstyle from towering mohawk, to shaved sides and green tips, to a strawberry blonde bob, but no matter what her hairstyle she remains true to her own unique and fearless brand of beauty. Rocking crop tops and cargo pants is no easy feat, and being a curvy girl in an industry which emphasizes a thin body type as ideal cannot always be easy, but Brody projects a confidence not often seen in tiny popstars with manufactured images. She is elegant, sensual, and sultry in a way reminiscent of the classic bombshells of Americana.

As a teen longing for the day I could get her first tattoo, with dyed raven hair, and a penchant for black and burgundy, Brody demonstrated that goth could be sexy in a way that wasn't the whimsical costuming of Evanescence's Amy Lee or the gimmicky neo-gothism of Dirrty-era Christina Aguilera (although these ladies both strongly influence my teenage style as well, sad as it is to admit). Brody made punk a legitimate statement for me at a time when I was desperately searching for something new, and her brooding lyrics and shocking appearance still resonate with me today, fittingly so as gothic style is making a resurgence, and black leather and wine-stained lips are becoming a style staple once more. I am proud to return to my dark roots, and I have no problem admitting to having a girl crush on Brody Dalle.

[another forewarning: though this is one of my favourite Distillers tracks and is a song that provokes a dozen different emotions, some viewers may find it extremely loud. I implore you to listen anyway, if only to broaden your horizons, but also to simply experience the raw emotion this woman is capable of using only heart-felt lyrics and the manipulation of her astonishing voice. however, consider yourself warned]