LOTW 10: Big Joanie, Jamila Woods
Mid-October is here and the tunes keep on tuning. Let’s see what’s been making my ears happy this week.
“New Year,” “Used To Be Friends,” Sistahs, Big Joanie (2018)
Black feminist punk group Big Joanie released their debut LP in 2018. Based out of the UK, the group first entered the scene in 2014 with their Sistah Punk EP. Determined to diversify the London DIY punk scene, Big Joanie leaned into angst and identity early on, becoming a beacon for Black queer people in a genre overflowing with cishet male whiteness. The trio has gotten acknowledgment from many of the greats of the ’90s riot grrrl movement: they’ve opened for both Bikini Kill and Le Tigre on recent tours, and collaborated on a new single, “Today,” with The Breeders’ Kim Deal, released in July.
On Sistahs, Big Joanie delivers angst times 1000. Taking inspiration from everyone from Nirvana to the Pixies to the Ronettes, the group combines doo-wop sensibilities with massive, distorted grunge textures. See “Down Down” for a perfect example of this: canonically surf rock guitar blown out to the max, with repeated lyrics that create an entrancing, almost psych-grunge blend. The combination of heavy fuzz and deep drum patterns shows off the slight psychedelic lean Sistahs has, and I appreciate the daring combination of these two genres. “Way Out” is another example, with underwater effects added to a quippy guitar riff that provides an almost pop accompaniment for the lyrics to flow through, similar to The Beatles’ influence on Nirvana’s “About A Girl.” In terms of pure angst, “Used To Be Friends” is a high point; this track was exactly what I needed when I was kicked out of my middle school friend group at 13. From the echoey vocal delivery—“I’d like to be friends with you / But I only feel hatred”—to the minor-but-hopeful guitar patterns, this song exudes the kind of confidence and strut that anyone going through a friendship breakup would need, and the trio keeps this vibe for the rest of the record.
Listen if you like: basement shows, letting your anger out, distortion, refreshing takes on well-known classics
“Bugs,” “Wolfsheep,” Water Made Us, Jamila Woods (2023)
Chicago-bred poet and artist Jamila Woods released her third solo album, Water Made Us, on Friday. The album’s title is inspired by the Toni Morrison quote “All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was,” exploring the journey of a relationship from blissful beginnings to languishing ends.
The opening track, “Bugs,” starts us off at the honeymoon phase: learning things about a new partner, taking it all in, and deciding if these traits and habits are compatible with you—“I don’t know how I feel about it / Still don’t know how to feel about it.” Woods uses warbling guitar, heaven-sent strings, and cutting harmonized vocals that catapult listeners into the world of the album. The track’s bridge reminds us of Woods’ roots as a poet, with a spoken word verse emphasizing the crux of the song: “lowering the stakes” of love and continuing with someone even if they do things that bother you (for her, that’s smoking a lot of weed and working late, among other things). This plants the seed for the eventual destruction that is to come. On “Wolfsheep,” we see the cracks in the foundation—“Hindsight I see so clearly / You did a number on me.” The relationship that started with Woods ignoring some traits she didn’t like has turned into a blocked-numbers-inducing breakup. This arc continues, but Woods also acknowledges the nuances that go into certain thought patterns and ruminations around breakups, like a rose-colored look back at the other failed relationships (“I Miss All My Exes”), or a 15-second quip about certain astrological traits (libra intuition). From top to bottom, Woods tells a story about movement: getting through, getting over, and getting back to your own personal equilibrium.
Listen if you like: personal growth, free verse, Jhené Aiko, oceans, canon events
That’s all she wrote (literally). We continue forward!
