Strong Women & Angsty Anthems

Born neatly between Generation X and Generation Y (aka Millenials) my teenage years were filled with the raw angst of grunge rock. While most girls were listening to Britney Spears and the Spice Girls, I was jamming to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine and a few originals in my rock band, Anubis.

The inspiration for those originals, however, came from a niche genre within 90's rock. The angry, vengeful, strong women that shaped the era.

Garbage

This was by far my favourite album. I would pop the CD in and listen to it from start to finish over and over and over again. I loved it all! The sovereignty of Supervixen was who I wanted to be. Being always the weird girl, Queer was totally relatable. Stupid Girl reminded me of all the fake people I'd ever known... But I truly resonated with Only Happy When It Rains and Shirley Manson's dark tones.

You wanna hear about my new obsession?

I'm riding high upon a deep depression

I'm only happy when it rains

Unbeknown to me I was depressed at that time and this song made me feel slightly less alone in a world that I was trying to figure out where I fit in. I'd sing it at the top of my lungs in my bedroom, feeling the beat in my bones and the swirling emotions in my chest.

Alanis Morissette

In Australia, Alanis Morissette seemed to come from nowhere. Her songs hit the radio and I was swept up in her emotive story telling at a time when I was experiencing my first of many broken hearts.

I loved Ironic and had taped the film clip on VHS so I could rewatch her driving through those snowy roads in a freezing cold car. She sings from each of the seats in the car and I could relate to having a different me for different places - home, school, out with friends, etc...

Hand in My Pocket reiterated this further saying its OK to be a walking paradox. That we all have multiple things going on and life isn't simple.

And what it all comes down to

Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet

And I still don't have it all figured out yet 25 years later.

Most importantly from this album was You Oughta Know. The ultimate vengeful break up song, it has gotten me through many a broken heart over the years. Back in the late 90s I would stand on my bed and scream this song to the heavens, blasting my little boom box to the point of speaker rupture.

You seem very well, things look peaceful

I'm not quite as well, I thought you should know

Did you forget about me, Mr. Duplicity?

I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner

It was a slap in the face

How quickly I was replaced

And are you thinking of me when you f*** her?

Her portrayal of God in the 1999 film Dogma was the perfect end to a decade that for me was dependent on her music.

The Cranberries

The strong vocals of Dolores O'Riordan reverberated in my soul and I shed a tear in 2018 when she passed away. I loved many of their songs throughout my teen years and after. The sweetness of Dreams where she declares her love to someone. Then to Linger, which is the complete opposite, where she admits that she was wrong to love them.

But when someone says "The Cranberries" we all think of Zombie. A protest song written in memory of two young victims that were killed in the 1993 Warrington bombings. This masterpiece opened my eyes to how simple my life was growing up in middle class Australia, how easy I had it compared to what people were going through all over the world.

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