Cinderella's Big Score: Women of the Punk and Indie Underground

by Maria Raha

Cinderella’s Big Score celebrates the contributions of punk’s oft-overlooked female artists, explores the latent—and not so latent—sexism of indie rock (so often thought of as the hallowed ground of progressive movements), and tells the story of how these women created spaces for themselves in a sometimes limited or exclusionary environment. The indie music world is littered with females who have not only withstood the racket of punk’s intolerance, but have twisted our societal notions of femininity in knots.
Raha focuses on the United States and England in the 70s and 80s, and illuminates how the seminal women of this time shaped the female rockers of the 90s and today. Groups profiled range from The Runaways, The Slits, and The Plasmatics to L7, Sleater-Kinney, and Le Tigre. The book includes women not often featured in "women in rock" titles, such as Exene Cervenka of X, Eve Libertine and Joy de Vivre of Crass, and Poison Ivy Rorschach of the Cramps. Includes rare interviews and more than forty B&W photos.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Feminism, Punk, History, Pop Culture, Gender

380 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2004

About the author

Maria Raha is the author of Cinderella's Big Score: Women of the Punk and Indie Underground. Her nonfiction work has also appeared in Young Wives’ Tales: New Adventures in Love and Partnership (Seal Press, 2001) and The W Effect: Bush's War on Women (Feminist Press, 2004). She is the managing editor of Swingset and a contributor to Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, among other publications. Maria currently resides in Philadelphia.

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know, I should rate this book higher.

I was excited because the book reads like a who's who of my favorite kool rock chicks, from Patti Smith to Kim Gordon to Peaches and everything in between.

I thought I was buying a book of interviews or in-depth profile articles.

Nothing of the sort.

This is essentially a primer. Hip Rock Ladies 101. Each chapter is devoted to a different underground rock chick, sharing the basics of their contributions to post-modern culture. Great if you are going through that youthful "there's more to music than Pink" phase and looking below the surface for something edgier. Not really so great for people who have already been there and done that.

So, like, I don't know. Find a 'tweenie girl who desperately needs to know she is part of a line of insane genius buttkickers and give her a copy - she needs the read more than you do.

[Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Raha celebrates the contributions women have made to the punk and indie music scene over the past three decades, while also exploring the unsurprising amount of sexism and prejudice they fought against. I love this book simply because it exists as a kind of love letter to many of the women who inspired me to assert myself creatively and changed the way I saw the world, as well as exposing me to different types of music, art, and literature that I probably wouldn't have found otherwise.

Which is not to say that this book is perfect. Most of the information about each band or musician appears to be sourced mainly from interviews, and Raha hardly delves deep into the artists' themselves, instead providing only a brief biography of each. I'm sure everyone who reads "Cinderella's Big Score" will have a list of musicians they think should have been included. I found it particularly galling that Mary Timony didn't warrant inclusion despite having infused all of her bands and solo projects with her independent attitude. Likewise, Diamanda Galas deserved a chapter of her own but was barely mentioned, leaving me to wonder if she was perhaps too difficult or extreme for Raha's tastes, even after a career spent battling AIDS related prejudice, religious hypocrisy, oppression, and genocide through her music. But despite it's flaws, this book was still a timely reminder to me of all the greatness that is out there to experience and support.

[C.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

PUNK ROCK SAVED MY LIFE!
PUNK ROCK SAVED MY POEMS!
Maria Raha SAVED my understanding of what I LOVE, and what I missed, but it's NEVER TOO LATE BABY!
MOST SINCERELY,
CAConrad
http://CAConrad.blogspot.com

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential if you are a music fan, especially if you want to learn more about influential women in the punk movement. (Their contributions are typically played down or ignored altogether.)

[Erin Tuzuner · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a word... disappointing. The ideas and reference points are all there, but the stale summaries of women in rock being contrasted to men in rock ad infinitum was a let down. Many of these women are/underground and more deserving than a blurbish 2 page assessment.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

just got this a week ago for my birthday and already read it and want to read it again

[Katie Fustich · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seems like all reviews of this book either fall into the "Wow! This book taught me so much!" category or the "I already knew all of this stuff why am I reading this?" category. For me, it was the latter.

As others have stated, I was under the impression I was going to be getting a bunch of new information/interviews about artists I've loved forever. Rather, every chapter was more like a slimmed-down Wikipedia entry, all of which can be summed up with something along the lines of "Her powerful vocals and inventive lyrics soared over the voices of her male contemporaries!!!"

If you are new to punk music and want a jumping off point to learn more about the women that shaped the movement, by all means check it out. But if the grooves in your Cramps vinyls are worn down and you own an original Riot Grrrl zine, pass this up and save yourself the eye-rolls.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a rock-n-roller at heart, I was initially intimidated by this book, anticipating references would fly over my head and leave me with a nohawk, but I had nothing to fear. Raha is an excellent host to this rollicking, no-holds-barred party with some of the most compelling personalities I've ever met on the page (musicians are rarely a boring bunch, so imagine artists who risk rape, ridicule and years of hard work for possibly zero recognition).

Expertly weaving choice quotes and anecdotes with well-drawn portraits of history's "queens of noise," Cinderella's Big Score democratizes the other half of the underground music scene that even now is mostly the province of "people-in-the-know." This is an essential and entertaining read for its facts, folklore and marvelous descriptions of music. I can't recommend it enough.

[Yasmeen Zahzah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of reviews have criticized this book for being more of a sampler than an in-depth examination of women in music, which is undeniably true: a deeper, more thorough examination of each artist (including interviews) would have been excellent. However, this criticism may be attributed to the fact that the history women in music is something we cannot get enough of!
I do think the book did an excellent job of addressing and explaining the hypocrisy of the punk movement in its introduction/preface, something that is often neglected. The failure of punk to live up to its outlined philosophy is usually spoken of in generalities whereas Raha made sure to explicitly outline why punk's marginalization/mistreatment of women was so idealistically corrupt.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really love the quality of the writing or analysis in this book, but it's a good overview, particularly if you're like me and had managed to overlook an awful lot of these artists (not even just the obscure ones.) It is awfully nice to have the Internet handy to be able to look up pictures and songs, because the book is very descriptive but pretty light on images.

I think this review does a good job of mentioning the shortcomings in the analysis & also the strengths in terms of the gaps that it covers:

http://feministmusicgeek.com/2010/01/...

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book because it reminded me (though I hardly need to be reminded) why I love most of these influential musicians. I didn't really learn anything new though. As most people have stated, it reads like a sampler—an introduction to punk and indie's heroines—especially for those of us who want more depth, interviews, and the like. By all means, hand it to someone who has limited knowledge about this sort of thing, but if you're pretty seasoned in the world of punk and indie, then you already know all this stuff and are surely familiar with most of these musicians & their work. Gimme more!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

for those of us that are already familiar with punk, post-punk, new wave, no wave, riot grrrl, etc. or just feminism in general this is a handy review. probably won't learn anything new, but Raha's writing flows smoothly enough, and is fun for the most part. for the ladies and girls out there that haven't had any exposure, this book is a goldmine. a nice, healthy alternative to the "PMS rock" of Jewel, Alanis Morrisette etc. hopefully it's inspired a few girls out there to pick up an instrument and play it loud and fast.

[Ocean · Rating 2 out of 5]

i was initially really excited about this book because it features a bunch of my all-time favorite artists/bands (patti smith, team dresch, etc.) i was hoping it would be like a feminist/queer version of "please kill me," but instead it was kind of like an overview. i learned little factoids here and there, but i really wish it had gone further. i want more!

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely worthwhile and engaging reportage on the neglected work of women in rock. The introductions to each section are good and set the scene well but the individual chapters on each band are a little lacking - most feel too short to properly tell the stories. Fewer bands and more details might have improved it but who to cut?

[Tpy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kim gordon,Patti smith, bikini kill, dan wanita wanita nakal hebat lainnya ada di dalam buku ini. bagaimana mereka bertahan dan menebarkan virus virusnya membuat buku ini menjadi sangat menarik untuk di baca. plus poto poto eksklusif nya,, yeach yeach ilove you mom!!

[Angie]

have it, have read bits of it, but need to just plow through to get a real sense of it.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart writing and a great book for people looking for a general overview of the female punk scene. Plus, my friend wrote it, so read it!

[Rebekah]

I'm using bits and pieces of this for my dissertation. I found it interesting and informative, but felt "Pretty in Punk" was much better for overall info.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

good overview of some amazing women in rock. doesn't go too deep, but still something any riot grrrl should have on their shelves.

[Anna]

so many books, so little time.

[Allison Thurman · Rating 5 out of 5]

8/26/2010 - Loaned to D.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bitchin'. TOTALLY bitchin'.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pretty much only wanted this for the Bratmobile chapter, but it was nice to learn about all of the other bands mentioned. Well, except Patti Smith. Lo siento.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative romp thru punk's leading lady's influence on music history.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read.

[Davina Rhine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book that taught me I could be punk, too. Forever has a place in my heart.

[rutebega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little depth but lots of breadth -- quick looks at female punk and indie-rock artists you should know.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a lot of substance, really more like a reference book, but I did listen to a lot of things that I hadn’t before (Avengers!) so it was totally worth it.

[Tina Donnelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

There isn’t a person walking this earth that doesn’t know the names Sid Viscous, Johnny Rotten, and David Byrne. There isn’t a soul alive that hasn’t listened to The Sex Pistols or sang along to “Once in a Lifetime.” These artists and their songs helped create the punk/underground scene and bring it to the mainstream. But what about their lady counterparts? Where are the girls of rock n roll? Sure, we all know Joan Jett and Stevie Nicks, but only once they reached worldwide fame and critical success. What about the minor players? The women and girls carrying the banner on the front lines of  punk rock?
Cinderella’s Big Score: Women of the Punk and Indie Underground points a spotlight on the oft-overlooked female artists of the punk and underground scene, the names mainstream media has largely ignored, except to criticize and belittle. Taking a comprehensive look at the music and political scenes of each decade in the late 20th century, each entry in this book highlights the achievements and talents of the lesser-known female rockers, as well as their contributions to music and the feminist movement. Their lives, their bands and projects, and their spectacular showmanship are finally given due credit in this masterfully compiled and expertly assembled guide. Not only are the musical exploits of these inspiring and skilled women finally discussed in-depth, but so is the severe and rampant sexism that exists in the industry even to this day.
This book serves as a much-needed reminder that the punk counterculture, born in the ‘70s in response to the complacent and saccharine-sweet music of the hippie ‘60s, was not an entirely male one. For while Joe Strummer crooned and crowed, Patti Smith screamed and sang. While Joey Ramone serenaded and smiled, Debbie Harry pushed and provoked. And while Kurt strummed sorrowfully along with Nirvana, Courtney Love pumped adrenaline into every corner of the room with Hole.
Author Maria Raha, veteran rock n’ roll writer, says it best in the conclusion of this book: “Anger, intelligence, and wit are ultimately more seductive than zero percent body fat.” Anyone, she asserts, can pick up an instrument and learn to play. Anyone, boy or girl, can make a musical impact. Viva la revolution, and viva la women of punk.