Remember when I mentioned the glut of edgy female rock singer/songwriters? Of course you do, it was just two days ago. Well, now we’re up to our second Bacon Top 31 submission into the sub-genre, Greta Kline, otherwise known as Frankie Cosmos.

You’ll notice that Kline’s voice is a bit different from Speedy Ortiz’s (or from Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, etc) in that it’s really high. Up to now, I would have claimed that one of the defining features of the genre is the proclivity of the women in the group to have low-register voices. Kline blows that theory out of the water, even while maintaining the other traits of the sub-genre: honest, hard-hitting lyrics with a garage-band-esque production style.

Kline is the former bass player for the Pleasantville, NY band Porches, and she is also the daughter of actors Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates. Armed with a backing band of revolving members, Frankie Cosmos has released three full-length albums. Vessel is by far the best of the three (and her first for the Seattle label Sub Pop). With 18 songs, most coming in at under two minutes (for a total of only 33 minutes), the album pops with a realism that laments the life of a mid-20s spirited punk rocker.

The band have released a number of videos in support of the album. The one above, for the song “Apathy” is the best of the bunch, but you can also check out “Jesse” and “Being Alive”. And then give the full album a listen, and pay attention to the lyrics, as that is where it really shines.

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28. For Ever by Jungle
29. Twerp Verse by Speedy Ortiz
30. Remain in Light by Angélique Kidjo
31. This One’s for the Dancer & This One’s for the Dancer’s Bouquet by Moonface

Subscribe to the 2018 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2017 Top 31s

Twerp Verse by Speedy Ortiz

There’s a glut of edgy female rock singer/songwriters in music today. If the sub-genre “Edgy Female Rock Singer/Songwriter” were a monarchy, Patti Smith would be the queen, and PJ Harvey and Liz Phair would be the princesses. The next generation to follow is chockablock with young women vying for the throne, and Speedy Ortiz here at #29 won’t be the last of them to appear on this year’s Top 31.

Sadie Dupuis started Speedy Ortiz as a solo project in the early 10s, but the name has grown to cover a full band, and Twerp Verse is their third release. The guitar-heavy album is grating yet rewarding, with Dupuis’ often dark, poetic lyrics always at the fore. It’s no wonder the lyrics aren’t bright and happy (despite the upbeat sound) — Dupuis picked up her nom de plume from a character in the seminal 80s comic book series Love and Rockets, in which Eulalio “Speedy” Ortiz, the brother of one of the main characters, suffers an untimely death, most likely suicidal.

Twerp Verse cycles through the many pains of life in America in your late 20s. Sexuality, relationships, pain and suffering. Dupuis’ lyrics are unpredictable and enticing, don’t skimp on listening to the words she’s singing. Speedy Ortiz also have a penchant for good music videos; in addition to the Lucky 88 above, be sure to check out “Villain” and “Lean in When I Suffer”.

Hopefully you like what you hear on this album, as there are a few more similar yet different takes on this sound yet to come in the 2018 Top 31.

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30. Remain in Light by Angélique Kidjo
31. This One’s for the Dancer & This One’s for the Dancer’s Bouquet by Moonface

Subscribe to the 2018 Bacon Top 31 Apple Music playlist
2009-2017 Top 31s

#27 on the 2018 Bacon Top 31 — Frankie Cosmos

#29 on the 2018 Bacon Top 31 — Speedy Ortiz