Long Days, Long Months: 2 August

While countless discussions of Punk and its aftermath have noted the high number of women artists, many of them singers, all this talk remains as such until you dig deep into the proverbial archives so easily accessible now - via the Post Punk Progressive Pop Party site, or 45 Revolutions, or "sharity" blogs; and via actual albums, purchased (indeed, with money!) - and, in such process, notice that you're hearing many extraordinary artists, who happen to be women, playing Rock music; and that similar surveys of other periods, before and after Punk, would not turn up similar results.

Poly Styrene, of X-Ray Spex, giving us more, better humor than in the rest of straight-up Punk combined. Lora Logic, kicked out of X-Ray Spex only to form a better band, Essential Logic. Jayne Casey, whose piercing voice is what you remember about Big in Japan beyond the mere fact that the band's members went on to other, successful ventures; and who then formed her own act, first called Pink Military Stands Alone, then Pink Military, then Pink Industry, always great. Lesley Woods, vivacious singer of The Au Pairs, with her witty lyrics on themes relating society and sex. Gina Birch, Ana da Silva, and Vicki Aspinall of The Raincoats, who having made one of the best Rock albums of the era (their eponymous debut, with drummer Palmolive) then, with the help of a few friends including Robert Wyatt and Charles Hayward, made one of the best non-Rock albums of the era (Odyshape). Delta 5, with three women and two bassists, taking up where Gang of Four's Entertainment! left off (since Gang of Four had little interest in doing so). Vanessa Briscoe's astounding screams, growls... whatever new words or sound-poetry you want to devise to describe them... driving Pylon deeper into the groove. Ari Up, Viv Albertine, and Tessa Pollitt of The Slits, working with producer Dennis Bovell to draw up a confoundingly-successful Reggae-Punk combination. The No Wave guitarists Lydia Lunch of Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, Conny Burg of Mars, and Pat Place of The Contortions, playing their part alongside the likes of Keith Levene and Neil Young to usher the electric guitar into a new age. Linder Sterling, singer of the Jazz-Punk combo Ludus. Penelope Harris, fronting the Avengers, making the likes of Darby Crash and Joey Ramone and Stiv Bators seem utterly boring. Patti Smith, still doing more than any other singer to figure out just what kind of poetry is possible in a Rock context. Alison Statton of Young Marble Giants, suggesting different avenues for the untutored singer to take.

Who am I forgetting? Probably quite a few...