21 Underrated Female Indie-Rockstars

21 underrated female indie rockstars from the 2000's.

Cristiano Del Riccio - originally posted to Flickr as Oscar, Bjork and the Swan Dress / Via en.wikipedia.orgörk

Bjork is infamous for her “notorious” and iconic swan dress that she wore to the Academy Awards in 2001 to promote the release of her new album.

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1. Bjork

Bjork is Icelandic singer-songwriter, and lead singer of the late 80s alt-rock band, The Sugarcubes. In her early teens she played in all-girl punk rock band Spit and Snot. Later, she achieved international success after leaving The Sugarcubes in order to pursue her solo career. Bjork is ranked number 29 in VH1's "The 100 Greatest Women in Music," number 8 in MTV's "22 Greatest Vocals in Music," and 60th in Rolling Stones, "100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time." In 2015, Bjork was named in Time's 100 Most Influential People.

In elementary school, my friend and I made up dances in her living room to "It's Oh So Quiet." There is nobody like Bjork--she is perpetually reinventing her musical identity. Bjork's album Medúlla is composed entirely of human vocals; she has performed in a variety of bands with a wide range of musical genres. Bjork starred, wrote, and produced the musical score for the film Dancer in the Dark, a musical drama. She released her most recent album, Vulnicura, in 2015.

Notable listening: Debut (1993); Post (1995); Homogenic (1997); Medúlla (2004); Volta (2007).

English singer, songwriter, musician extraordinaire.

Dave Mitchell (Plastic Jesus) - Flickr: davemitchell / Via en.wikipedia.org

2. PJ Harvey

PJ Harvey embarked on her solo career in the 90’s to international success. Harvey has collaborated with a wide-range of musical artists, including John Parish, with whom she has produced some of her best work. She is dedicated to never repeating herself and vigorously forging new musical terrains; recently, Harvey celebrated the release of her new album, The Hope Six Demolition Project, April 2016.

Notable listening: Dance Hall at Louse Point (with John Parish, 1996); Uh Huh Her (2004); A Woman A Man Walked By (with John Parish, 2009); Let England Shake (2011)

All hail St. Vincent, virtuoso guitarist!

Tristan Loper / Via en.wikipedia.org

3. St. Vincent

Annie Clark is the cool kid on the block. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Clark attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston before dropping out.

St. Vincent looks stunning, but shreds on the guitar like an incendiary bat out of hell--with a low, vicious, distorted guitar sound, and a pedalboard setup cloaked in mystery. Clark has collaborated with David Byrne and Bon Iver (“Roslyn” appeared on the 2009 soundtrack for the film New Moon); she’s opened tours for Black Keys, Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, The National, Death Cab for Cutie, and more.

Clark began her career early in the Polyphonic Spree. In 2006, she performed with the Sufjan Stevens touring band before launching her solo career under the pseudonym St. Vincent. In 2014, Clark was the first woman in over twenty years to win a Grammy in the category for best album of the year. In April 2014, Clark performed lead vocals with Nirvana at the 29th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Currently, she is dating supermodel Cara Delevingne and we are all super jealous.

Notable listening: Strange Mercy (2011); 4AD Session (Youtube, 2012); St. Vincent (2014)

A sexy beast on the guitar.

Rama / Via commons.wikimedia.org

4. Anna Calvi

Calvi spent the first three years of her life undergoing treatments and surgeries to correct congenital hip dysplasia. In an interview with Domino Records, she states about her experience:

“The way I dealt with that was to create my own world. And that’s what my relationship with music is--a world of my own creation that I escape into. I was always a dreamer.”

Calvi attended University of Southampton where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Despite her uncanny and haunting vocals, she did not discover her courage to sing until her mid twenties. In an interview in 2011 with The Daily Telegraph, Calvi declares: “I had a phobia about it until five years ago. I wouldn’t sing in school or even in the shower. I had this emotional block about hearing my voice. So the guitar became my voice when I was a teenager, it was how I could express myself.”

Listen to Attic Sessions on Youtube for a series of wonderful stripped down performances. In 2009, Calvi began filming a series of weekly videocasts from her attic, including covers of TV on the Radio, Bowie, and a gorgeous rendition of Leonard Cohen’s "Joan of Arc." She declines to speak publicly about her sexual identification. There is no limit to Anna Calvi’s awesome-ness!

Notable Listening: Attic Sessions (Youtube, 2009); Anna Calvi (2010)

Better known as her stage name, Cat Power.

Kim Metso / Via en.wikipedia.org

5. Chan Marshall

Chan Marshall is an American singer, songwriter, model, actress, spokeswoman for Chanel, and lovely human being. Marshall first opened for Liz Phair in 1994, where she was discovered by Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth and Tim Folijahn of Two Dollar Guitar, and later signed with Matador Records in 1996.

Marshall has openly discussed her struggles with depression, alcoholism, and stage fright. Suffering from substance abuse addiction and health problems--it hasn’t been an easy road for Marshall; she has overcome many obstacles in her personal life, reflected in the evolution of her musical styles, but she continues to produce beautiful songs. Her musical style is described as constantly experimenting.

Handsome Boy Modeling School featured Chan Marshall’s vocals on the track “I’ve Been Thinking” (one of my favorite songs) for their album, White People, released in 2004.

Notable listening: You Are Free (2003); Sun (2012)

Musical pioneer.

Michael Stillwell / Via Flickr: mjs

6. Fiona Apple

Like wine, Fiona Apple only gets better with time. Apple, classically trained on the piano, began composing at eight years old. She released her debut album, Tidal, at seventeen years old--and received a Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the single “Criminal.” Only four albums--but, oh, how they sparkle--Apple’s songs are composed of titillating verses that "trickle down your spine" (to quote Fiona).

Her experimental musical constructions are often haunting and awe-inspiring. A reviewer in American Songwriter describes, “The Idler Wheel isn’t always pretty, but it pulses with life, brutal and true.” Her melodies are living, breathing entities seeking harmony in chaos.

Apple has discussed her struggles with mental illness. Fiona Apple isn’t afraid to paint herself in a bad light, but expresses emotional vulnerability as a redemptive force through musical ingenuity.

Notable listenings: The Idler Wheel…(2014); Extraordinary Machine (2005)

A magical unicorn.

Mathonius / Via commons.wikimedia.org

7. Jenny Lewis

Lewis was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a former child actress, american singer-songwriter, lead vocalist of the indie band Rilo Kiley, style icon, and magical unicorn. Jenny performs solo, as well as part of the duo Jenny & Johnny with boyfriend Johnathan Rice. Lewis has collaborated with Cursive, Postal Service, Conor Oberst, the Watson Twins, M. Ward, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, and more.

Her solo album, The Voyager, released in 2014, reveals Jenny Lewis’ musical prowess continues to solidify her influence in the world; I’ve truly loved witnessing her musical career evolve over the last decade.

Notable listening: The Voyager (2014)

Best known as the vocalist for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as well as her notable collaborations with Spike Jonze.

Aurelien Guichard / Via Flickr: aguichard

8. Karen O

South Korean-born American singer, songwriter, and director. O attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

O composed the songs for the soundtrack Where The Wild Things Are and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for “The Moon Song” from Jonze’s film Her in 2015.

O declined the offer to pose nude for Playboy. She’s married to director Barnaby Clay, and gave birth to their son Django in 2015.

Notable Listening: Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2001); Fever to Tell (2003); Show Your Bones (2006); Where The Wild Things Are: Motion Picture Soundtrack (2009); Crush Songs (solo, 2014)

“VV” and “Baby Ruthless.”

Andersju / Via commons.wikimedia.org

9. Alison Mosshart

American singer-songwriter, lead vocalist of The Kills and The Dead Weather, formed by band mate, Jack White, Mosshart performs under the stage names “VV” and “Baby Ruthless.” Mosshart is your bad girl in rock n roll.

She and bandmate, Jamie Hince AKA “Hotel,” overheard each other playing music while staying in the same hotel; Mosshart eventually moved to London to be closer to Hince and the rest is history.

Notable listening: No Wow, The Kills (2005); Keep on Your Mean Side, The Kills (2003); Sea of Cowards, The Dead Weather (2010)

Musical prodigy.

Alice Johanna / Via commons.wikimedia.org

10. Joanna Newsom

The American singer, songwriter, harpist, and keyboardist is married to comedian Andy Samberg and lives in Los Angeles. Born and raised in a small town, Nevada City, California, Newsom began piano lessons at age five. She dropped out of highschool to focus on her music. She produced home-made recordings of E.P.’s before recording her debut studio album, The Milk Eyed Mender, in 2004. Newsroom crafts magnificient ballads on the harp.

She appeared in the P.T. Anderson film Inherent Vice.

Notable listening: The Milk Eyed Mender (2004), Divers (2015)

M.I.A.

Evan Williams / Via en.wikipedia.org

11. M.I.A.

M.I.A. is notable hip hop artist, director, producer, activist, fashion designer, and more. Her debut album, Arular, was released in 2005, followed by the release of her second album, Kala, in 2007, to international success. The single “Paper Planes” reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Her third album, Maga, was released in 2010, with the hit single “XXO” and followed by the release of her fourth album, Matangi, in 2014. In 2005 and '08, M.I.A. was named artist of the year by Spin magazine; Time magazine hailed her one of the world’s most influential people in 2009. Esquire named her on its list of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century.

Notable listening: Maga (2010)

Singer-songwriter, guitarist, vocalist for the New Pornographers, former member of The Jody Grind and the Rock-A-Teens in the local Atlanta music scene in the early 90s.

zonagirl (Nancy) / Via it.wikipedia.org

12. Neko Case

Neko Considers Tacoma, Washington to be her hometown. She graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver in 1998. While living in Chicago in 2001, Case recorded her first E.P. on her own label, Lady Pilot. She recorded the album in her kitchen. In 2003, Case was voted “Sexiest Babe of Indie Rock” in a Playboy Internet poll. She declined the offer to pose nude for the magazine. Case has a longstanding indie rock background as a singer in bands and a super impressive resume as backup singer.

Notable listening: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (2006); Neko Case: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert (Youtube, 2013)

Member of all girl punk rock band Sleater-Kinney with bandmates Janet Weiss and Corin Tucker.

Charlie Llewellin / Via en.wikipedia.org

13. Carrie Brownstein

Brown stein is a member of all girl punk rock band Sleater-Kinney, comedian and actress on the Emmy Award winning comedy, Portlandia. She attended Evergreen State College in Oregon, where she met her fellow students who would become the pioneers of the riot grrrl’s movement. Corin Tucker of Heavens to betsey, Kathleen Harris of Bratmobile, Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill, and Becca Albee of Excuse 17 led the feminist punk rock and zine movement that emerged in the early 90s in the Northwest. Brownstein is the only woman on the Rolling Stone’s readers’ list of 25 “Most Underrated Guitarists of All-Time.”

In regards to her sexual identity, Brownstein stated in a 2010 interview for Willamette Week, “It’s weird, because no one’s actually ever asked me. People just always assume, like, you’re this or that. It’s like, ‘Ok. I’m bisexual. Just ask.”

Notable listening: One Beat (2002); No cities to Love (2015)

Former bassist for the Pixies.

Danny Norton / Via Flickr: dannynorton

14. Kim Deal

Former bassist for the Pixies and lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the Breeders, Deal and her twin sister (and bandmate in the Breeders), Kelley Deal, were introduced to music at a young age while growing up in Ohio. Deal attended seven colleges, but never graduated. In 1986, Deal answered an ad in the Boston Phoenix for a bassist who was into a rare and obscure hardcore punk rock band. She and Black Francis formed the Pixies; however, Deal blossomed into her full musical splendor later in her career. Reportedly, Kurt Cobain had said: “I wish Kim was allowed to write more songs for the Pixies.”

Notable listening: POD (1990); Last Splash (1993); Title TK (2002)

Recording artist, founder of Wondaland Arts Society, six time Grammy Award nominee, and CoverGirl spokesmodel.

Joe Mabel / Via en.wikipedia.orgáe

15. Janelle Monáe

Originally from Kansas City, Monáe moved to New York City to study drama at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. After moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 2001, Monáe met Outkast’s Big Boi, and released her first E.P. The Audition in 2003, followed by Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) with Bad Boy Records. In 2010, Monáe released her first studio full length album, The Arch Android, followed by The Electric Lady in 2013. Monáe has received six nominations for Grammy Awards, including Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance.

Notable listening: Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) (2007)

Tim Bugbee / Via Flickr: weeklydig

16. Sharon Van Etten

Etten is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and most eclectic rising star from New Jersey. She attended Middle Tennessee University, but dropped out after a year, and then self-distributed her own recordings prior to her studio debut, Because I was in Love, released in May, 2009. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Notable listening: Tramp (2012); Sharon Van Etten live on KCRW (Youtube, 4-20-11)

She & Him

Joe Cereghino / Via vi.wikipedia.org

17. Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Deschanel made her singing debut in movies, including Yes Man, where she performs in an imaginary, but super creative band, Munchausen by Proxy. In 2001 she performed in a jazz cabaret duo If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies; Deschanel released her first studio album with M. Ward under the name She & Him, Volume 1, in 2007.

Notable listening: her collaborations with Brian Wilson, Volume 3 (2014), Classics (2014)

Lead vocalist of Little Dragon, Swedish singer, songwriter.

Karatyshov / Via en.wikipedia.org

18. Yukimi Nagano

Yukimi was born and raised in Sweden to a Japanese father and swedish mother. Yukimi established Little Dragon with close high school friends. Featured on Gorrillaz’s 2010 album, Plastic Beach, Nagano co-wrote and lent her vocals to the track “Empire Ants.” She’s collaborated with musical artists DJ Shadow, Big Boi, and more. In 2015, Little Dragon released their most recent album Nabuma Rubberband.

Notable listening: Machine Dream (2009); Ritual Union (2011)

Your 90s dream pop queen.

Melanie Vyvyan / Via commons.wikimedia.org

19. Liz Phair

Phair self-distributed, self-recorded audio cassettes under the name Girly Sound in the early 90's. She was signed by Matador Records and released her debut album, Exile in Guyville in 1993; the album is ranked by Rolling Stones in the top 500 albums of all time.

Raised in Illinois to middle class adoptive parents, Phair majored in Art History at Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Phair is known for her provocative lyrics and deep vocals. Liz Phair likes to get down and dirty. In the track “Flower,” she sings: “I want to be your blowjob queen/ I’ll F*** you and your girlfriend too.”

After signing with Capitol Records, New York Times’ Meghan O’Rourke accused Liz Phair of selling out in an article entitled, “Liz Phair’s Exile in Avril-Ville.” With the release of Funstyle in 2010, the experimental songs apparently lost her her label. Phair released a note to her fans on her website regarding the incident: “These [songs] are all me. Love them, or hate them, but don’t mistake them for anything other than an entirely personal, un-tethered-from-the-machine, free for all view of the world, refracted through my own crazy lens.”

Notable listening: Girly Sound (1991); Exile in Guyville (1993); Whip-Smart (1994)

Small town girl with a big heart.

Stephanie Colgan / Via commons.wikimedia.org

20. Haley Bonar

Raised in Rapid City, South Dakota, Bonar currently resides in St. Paul. Bonar released her first album, The Size of Planets, in 2003 at twenty years old. Bonar also performs with the Twin Cities based band, Gramma’s Boyfriend. She released her solo album Last War in 2014 to critical acclaim, yet Bonar maintains a low profile.

Notable listening: Last War (2014)

What will Elson do next?

Jason Persse / Via commons.wikimedia.org

21. Karen Elson

Karen Elson is an English supermodel, singer, songwriter, guitarist, mother, and ambassador for Save The Children. Discovered at sixteen, was on the cover of Italian Vogue by eighteen, Elson has worked with most of the world’s major fashion photographers--walked runways of top designers, including Marc Jacobs, and has appeared in numerous international campaigns.

Founding member of New York cabaret troupe The Citizens Band, she wrote the songs which would become the contents of her debut album in secret while married to former husband, Jack White. Jack White produced her album The Ghost Who Walks on his label, Third Man Records.

Notable listening: The Ghost Who Walks (2010)