w.o.w. - women of williamsburg

"her power will prevail"

Or not. W.O.W.: Women of Williamsburg (ironically distributed by Big Daddy) seems to think that most of the females in Williamsburg are vegan, yoga-practicing, chanting, neo-feminist songwriters who can only write ballads à la Joni Mitchell (who I love), Sarah McLachlan, Kate Bush, Jewel, Cowboy Junkies, or Indigo Girls. Well, I live in Williamsburg, and I feel rather confident saying that’s not the case.

But I didn’t make the album.

Apart from the yoga chant tracks (I’m not kidding) or the performance -art skits, or the type of music described above, there are a few tracks that are worth checking out. Suziblade is straight-ahead rock by dirrrty grrrls that like to play loud music— a combination of Sleater, the Donnas, and Dead Girls. Nearly halfway through the CD, Kathy Taler finally provides feedback and alternative rock (think Matthew Sweet, Pete Yorn, and eighties new wave). Swelter’s contribution is happy and melodic, though their songs exude the Indigo Girls/ Matthew Penn vibe. And then the next-to-last tune by Mary Wood has some energy and a good beat—sort of Luscious Jackson, Meredith Brooks, and Natalie Imbruglia—with a moving chorus. I’ll take conventional pop at this point.