A Taste of Alt: Inspired by the Enticing Singles of Winona Driver
Winona Driver
Alt rock/femme punk from Chicago inspired by 90s girl groups such as Veruca Salt, The Muffs, L7, and PJ Harvey, Winona Driver is composed of Dani Driver (vocals/guitar), Mickey Driver (vocals/guitar), Alex Rackow (bass), and John Perrin (drums).
Their song ‘Yellin” was released in late September. Its saccharine vocals and crispy bass are grrrlriot-inspired, but their roomy, muted guitars seem to be the Winona Driver trademark on such genres. The restrained disappointment you feel from the song, boiling beneath the usual angst and anger you can hear from such bands, feels like a silent snarl hidden in the shadows rather than the effervescent roar I was first expecting. The song starts with a deep bass, something you can feel in your joints, and with a strong and simple chorus that highlights the vocals.
‘La Chode’ apparently started as a simple joke amongst the band – a name that then stuck. The more playful melody sticks to the top of your mouth, the bass throaty. The drums are highlighted more in this song, feeling more cottony at times than others. The building vocals feel ominous and the drums make this a song I can imagine a crowd jumping along to, all chaotic limbs pushing into your space.
Winona Driver sits on this edge of resentful anger and disappointment, allowing them to dip a toe into the harsher grrrrlriot inspirations as well as the alt-rock sadder side.
Other songs scratching the itch Winona Driver created
(varying genres from all small artists)
NO MEN
I started exploring NO MEN’s sound with ‘Mean Girl’ off of Dear God, Bring the Doom (2016). They mix elements of genres like doom metal and punk, the vocals beautifully roomy like a premonition from God. The melody is simple but all-consuming throughout the song, building, softening, teasing. In the context of the rest of the album, the songs all blend and transition nicely. It is racing and heavy. The doom and chaos all build together so well.
‘Lick the Whip’ is a 2023 single on Fear This, and the transition in sound between their 2016 album and their newest single, ‘Lick the Whip’ is making me act up. The drums in the intro to these songs are a boot to the chest, knocking the air right out of you. It is misty doom metal, sheer emo, and the guitars are mouth-watering. The clarity of the vocals in this single is a satisfying exploration of their sound to hear. The clarity these sharp breaks bring is sonic whiplash. I could rant for a little bit about the clever ways they are combining genres to create some songs unique in their outrage.
Punk Chocolate
‘Girl Next Door’ has an electronic bass that is dark yet bright, like a rainy street full of neon lights. The vocals compliment this nicely, soft around the edges like a whispered secret.
‘Fire’ has intro vocals like echo static building up your spine and raising goosebumps. They have a skull for creating suspension in their songs, creating something that feels like femme, futuristic suspense music.