I Am Flawed If I'm Not Free

If I could trade lives with anyone for a few days, it would be one of these little ladies.

They are each:
(1) a rare combination of gorgeous, intelligent, and talented
(2) frontwomen of great bands
(3) fostering successful solo careers
(4) brilliant lyricists
(5) known for their incredible style
(6) constantly travelling & surrounded by amazing people



Maria Taylor (Azure Ray, Now It's Overhead)



The first show I ever went to by myself was Maria Taylor at the Troubador in LA, and it was painfully beautiful. She was so tiny and talked in this shy awkward manner, but then as soon as she started playing she transformed into this commanding presence and all anyone could do was shut up and stare - and that RARELY happens at shows in LA. It just felt incredibly intimate and personal; her emotions were so palpable that I actually got anxious and kinda nervous just watching. I cannot imagine being able to put myself on display like that. Not gonna lie, I teared up a little bit when she played "Clean Getaway" (that song was my anthem for the first few months after moving across the country) so I was pretty relieved that I had opted to go alone. I remember listening to Azure Ray in my car on winter mornings driving to high school, and how excited I was when I recognized her voice on so many Bright Eyes tracks. I'm just amazed that anyone this awesome could come out of Alabama.





Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley)



Seriously the cutest girl ever. I could have exploded from happiness when she played "Silver Lining" at Coachella, and then again when Elvis Costello joined her for "Carpetbaggers" at Bonnaroo.





Emily Haines (Metric, Broken Social Scene)



Emily Haines is the most powerfully sexual person I've ever witnessed. It's not that she's overtly goodlooking, she just has this startlingly sensual voice and brash confidence that make everything she sings feel like a come-on. Listen to "Raw Sugar" and you'll understand. This is a woman who moved to Buenos Aires on a whim - completely alone - for a few months last year just to clear her head and write the new Metric album in peace, which is one of the coolest things I've ever heard. She's fucking wild onstage but retains this undeniable mysterious quality which just makes her all the more attractive and captivating.