Mixed gender bands are much less rare today than they were twenty years ago. Rock and pop bands have a long history of paring up male and females, though for the first few decades of rock’s existence the mixed gender was usually confined to girl singers and boy musicians. Today, of course, girls with guitars or drumsticks are no longer a novel or even shocking sight. The trend today is more likely to produce an album on which you hear a male singer on some songs and a female on others. Some of the best mixed gender bands rise or fall directly on the basis of the chromosomal makeup of the vocalist. Not to say that the band sucks when the singer is male, but in some cases the band only really takes off when the vocals are delivered by the distaff singer.
Southern Culture on the Skids
A number of different adjectives are at your disposal to describe the style of music produced by Southern Culture on the Skids. That style remains pure and uncompromised regardless of whether the singer is Rick Miller or Mary Huff. You have to love Miller’s southern fried freakazoid delivery, but the best songs in the catalogue of SCOTS tend to be those fronted vocally by Mary Huff. Huff has, without question, one of the 10 greatest voices in rock music history. Highlights to search out include “Funnel of Love” and “Just How Lonely.” For the record, although I do prefer Southern Culture on the Skids songs that feature vocals by Huff, it is only by a small amount.
Camera Obscura
Camera Obscura, on the other hand, is a case where I only listen to the songs sung by the female vocalist. This is true to the point where I do not even know the male singer’s name. Tracyanne Campbell, however, is one of the my favorite vocalists around today. When she takes over the microphone, this Scottish band becomes one of the most listenable in the world. Highlights to search for include “Let’s Get out of this Country,” “The Sweetest Thing” and one of my picks for the top 10 songs of the first decade of the 21st century, “Lloyd, I’m Ready to be Heartbroken.”
Swimming Pool Q’s
The Swimming Pool Q’s are fondly remembered by many as one member of the fruitful alt music scene coming out of Georgia in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Often miscategorized as an Athens band, they are actually from Atlanta. The Swimming Pool Q’s was a mixed gender band that belonged to the same jangly guitar tradition as REM and Let’s Active. Jeff Calder is the male vocalist of this band that, some may be surprised to learn, are still quite active. Calder, like Rick Miller, affords a very listenable experience, but there is just something better about Swimming Pool Q’s songs when vocal are by Anne Richmond Boston. Check out “Pretty on the Inside” and “Wreck Around” to get a dose of Boston’s signature deep tones, but be sure not to miss “Big Fat Tractor” for a more comprehensive opinion.
For more from Timothy Sexton, check these out and read them in a falsetto voice:
Top Ten Songs from 21st Century First Decade
Three Female Singers Who Can Actually Hold a Note
The Chapel Hill, NC Music Scene