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Revenge of the She-Punks: A Feminist Music History from Poly Styrene to Pussy Riot
A dazzling survey of women in punk, from the genre’s inception in 1970s London to the current voices making waves around the globe.As an industry insider and pioneering post-punk musician, Vivien Goldman has an unusually well-rounded perspective on music journalism. In Revenge of the She-Punks, she probes four themes—identity, money, love, and protest—to explore what makes punk such a liberating art form for women.With her visceral style, Goldman blends interviews, history, and her personal experience as one of Britain’s first female music writers in a book that reads like a vivid documentary of a genre defined by dismantling boundaries. A discussion of the Patti Smith song “Free Money,” for example, opens with Goldman on a shopping spree with Smith. Tamar-Kali, whose name pays homage to a Hindu goddess, describes the influence of her Gullah ancestors on her music, while the late Poly Styrene's daughter reflects on why her Somali-Scots-Irish mother wrote the 1978 punk anthem “Identity,” with the refrain “Identity is the crisis you can't see.” Other strands feature artists from farther afield (including in Colombia and Indonesia) and genre-busting revolutionaries such as Grace Jones, who wasn't exclusively punk but clearly influenced the movement while absorbing its liberating audacity. From punk's Euro origins to its international reach, this is an exhilarating world tour.“In this witty, must-read introduction to punk music, Vivien Goldman sifts through decades of firsthand encounters with feminist musicians to identify how and where these colorful she-punks have arrived—and where they might be headed.”—Tin Weymouth, Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club“Revelatory . . . [Revenge of the She-Punks] feels like an exhilarating conversation with the coolest aunt you never had, as she leaps from one passion to the next.” —Rolling Stone“This book should restore Goldman’s place in the rock-crit firmament just as she sets out to give punk’s women their long-denied dues.” —The Guardian“[Revenge of the She-Punks] doesn’t just retell the story of punk with an added woman or two; it centers the relationships between gender and the genre, showing how, through the right lens, the story of punk is a story about women’s ingenuity and power.” —NPR“An engaging and politically charged exploration of women in music looking to the past, present, and future.” —Bust Magazine“Riotously entertaining . . . A vibrant and inspiring introduction to feminist music history that invites more scholarship and music making.” —Foreword Reviews
217 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
March 27, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTfgW...
This fucking song. The bombastic sound, the angry vocal, the ironic, funky saxophone. It’s perfect. And its meaning has only gotten stronger over the years.
I’ve read a few books about women in the punk subculture, and while they were commendable efforts, they didn’t really resonate with my experience of being a girl in the punk scene. This book is different.
The first thing that really struck me with the she-punks, when I was an isolated teenager just discovering the punk subculture, was that they were not conventionally attractive. When I looked at pop stars with straight hair and straight teeth, I couldn’t see myself in them, couldn’t hear my experience in their songs. But girls with untamed hair, badly or theatrically applied make-up, who wore both comfy clothes and defiantly feminine clothes at the same time (I am definitely a 90s kid through and through because I still think a cute dress with Doc Martens is just about the coolest outfit one can wear) – now THAT was something I understood. Also, the stuff I felt didn’t make me want to sing, it made me want to scream. And those girls roared. They talked about eating disorders, identity, depression in their songs, stuff I could understand. How could I not love it, how could it not mean the world to me.
Goldman took the history of women in punk, and divided it into 4 themes: identify, money, love (or unlove) and protest. For each section, she offers a playlist, and if you are going to read this book, you owe it to yourself to hop on YouTube and listen to the songs she lists. Those themes serve as windows through which she explores how the punk subculture galvanized some truly remarkable women and gave them a platform and an outlet for all the things the mainstream just wouldn't let them express.
Each section explores the works of various bands and artists, as per the playlist at the beginning of each chapters, and it is a wonderfully inspiring journey to read through the lives and achievements of those amazing she-punks. The topics explored by Goldman are complex and nuanced - but I found them important and relatable.
This is an important book on the topic of women in music - not just punk rock, because it addresses a lot of the challenges that are specific to female musicians and artists, and why what they did mattered, and more importantly, still matters to those who have no realized what can be accomplished by learning to play three chords and scream on key.
If I have one tiny complaint, it's that Goldman's prose sometimes feels a little overdone, but it's not a big deal: her words are very important, even when the turn of phrase is a little weird. Highly recommended for feminists, punk rockers and other Doc Marten wearers.
This fucking song. The bombastic sound, the angry vocal, the ironic, funky saxophone. It’s perfect. And its meaning has only gotten stronger over the years.
I’ve read a few books about women in the punk subculture, and while they were commendable efforts, they didn’t really resonate with my experience of being a girl in the punk scene. This book is different.
The first thing that really struck me with the she-punks, when I was an isolated teenager just discovering the punk subculture, was that they were not conventionally attractive. When I looked at pop stars with straight hair and straight teeth, I couldn’t see myself in them, couldn’t hear my experience in their songs. But girls with untamed hair, badly or theatrically applied make-up, who wore both comfy clothes and defiantly feminine clothes at the same time (I am definitely a 90s kid through and through because I still think a cute dress with Doc Martens is just about the coolest outfit one can wear) – now THAT was something I understood. Also, the stuff I felt didn’t make me want to sing, it made me want to scream. And those girls roared. They talked about eating disorders, identity, depression in their songs, stuff I could understand. How could I not love it, how could it not mean the world to me.
Goldman took the history of women in punk, and divided it into 4 themes: identify, money, love (or unlove) and protest. For each section, she offers a playlist, and if you are going to read this book, you owe it to yourself to hop on YouTube and listen to the songs she lists. Those themes serve as windows through which she explores how the punk subculture galvanized some truly remarkable women and gave them a platform and an outlet for all the things the mainstream just wouldn't let them express.
Each section explores the works of various bands and artists, as per the playlist at the beginning of each chapters, and it is a wonderfully inspiring journey to read through the lives and achievements of those amazing she-punks. The topics explored by Goldman are complex and nuanced - but I found them important and relatable.
This is an important book on the topic of women in music - not just punk rock, because it addresses a lot of the challenges that are specific to female musicians and artists, and why what they did mattered, and more importantly, still matters to those who have no realized what can be accomplished by learning to play three chords and scream on key.
If I have one tiny complaint, it's that Goldman's prose sometimes feels a little overdone, but it's not a big deal: her words are very important, even when the turn of phrase is a little weird. Highly recommended for feminists, punk rockers and other Doc Marten wearers.
October 11, 2019
Every chapter starts with a playlist that connects with the chapter topic. In some cases, the songs aren't searchable anywhere, like the Indian teen girl group that was prevented from ever recording. I love that unrecorded songs sit shoulder to shoulder with punk icons, as they should.
July 7, 2020
Oh Bondage, Up Yours!
Writing a feminist history of punk—especially one that goes beyond the New York-Seattle bubble or the Riot Grrrl movement and into international depths—is an ambitious project, and although rather capsulised within a mere 200 pages, Vivien Goldman has written hers astonishingly well. Revenge of the She-Punks is a vivid exploration of punk as a liberating force for women's self-assertion; an electrifying herstory of rebel girls and outliers across the world who have channeled their radical and emancipatory ideas regarding identity, materialism, love and protest into convention-defying music that has come to define a movement.
Intent on producing an immersive history that allows the reader to properly experience these sonic social revolutionaries as they read, Goldman begins each chapter with a playlist of songs by the bands she discusses, establishing the music as links through which she weaves the narrative around each artist, connecting them into sisterhoods at the helm of a powerful wave. She uses oral history, profiles, criticism, and the aforementioned playlists to situate these "she-punks" in feminist history, while also elucidating on the social, cultural and political (and often personal) contexts that their music sprang up around. Goldman also supplements the vibrant narrative with her personal recollections of the artists as an industry insider and fellow punk musician to lend the book an intimate, conversational feel even as it explores a dizzying array of acts, ranging from England and America to Japan, China, Spain, India, Colombia, and Jamaica at breakneck pace.
The problem with Revenge of the She-Punks is its brevity: while it captures various artists' angst and justified anger against the societal barriers that weigh down women in general and women artists in particular, it is too brief and distilled a history to accommodate each band beyond their barest essence or boldest message — I certainly wish it were longer, and provided more than some glimpses of the "she-punks", especially regarding the queer-core and trans artists; the Kashmiri girls impeded by a fatwa; and the bold situationism of artists like Malaria! in 1980s East Germany and Pussy Riot in Putinist Moscow.
Still, I loved this book for its approach to punk: not as an (ironically) aesthetic subculture but as a vehicle for rebellion against systemic injustice, political activism, and reclamation of women's lives and experiences as their own. This feminist music history isn't restricted by style, genre, appearance or commercial success (it in fact brings to fore many suppressed and forgotten voices). It is instead supported by a liberating understanding of the spirit of punk—questioning, angry, powerful, and definitely not dead.
Writing a feminist history of punk—especially one that goes beyond the New York-Seattle bubble or the Riot Grrrl movement and into international depths—is an ambitious project, and although rather capsulised within a mere 200 pages, Vivien Goldman has written hers astonishingly well. Revenge of the She-Punks is a vivid exploration of punk as a liberating force for women's self-assertion; an electrifying herstory of rebel girls and outliers across the world who have channeled their radical and emancipatory ideas regarding identity, materialism, love and protest into convention-defying music that has come to define a movement.
Intent on producing an immersive history that allows the reader to properly experience these sonic social revolutionaries as they read, Goldman begins each chapter with a playlist of songs by the bands she discusses, establishing the music as links through which she weaves the narrative around each artist, connecting them into sisterhoods at the helm of a powerful wave. She uses oral history, profiles, criticism, and the aforementioned playlists to situate these "she-punks" in feminist history, while also elucidating on the social, cultural and political (and often personal) contexts that their music sprang up around. Goldman also supplements the vibrant narrative with her personal recollections of the artists as an industry insider and fellow punk musician to lend the book an intimate, conversational feel even as it explores a dizzying array of acts, ranging from England and America to Japan, China, Spain, India, Colombia, and Jamaica at breakneck pace.
The problem with Revenge of the She-Punks is its brevity: while it captures various artists' angst and justified anger against the societal barriers that weigh down women in general and women artists in particular, it is too brief and distilled a history to accommodate each band beyond their barest essence or boldest message — I certainly wish it were longer, and provided more than some glimpses of the "she-punks", especially regarding the queer-core and trans artists; the Kashmiri girls impeded by a fatwa; and the bold situationism of artists like Malaria! in 1980s East Germany and Pussy Riot in Putinist Moscow.
Still, I loved this book for its approach to punk: not as an (ironically) aesthetic subculture but as a vehicle for rebellion against systemic injustice, political activism, and reclamation of women's lives and experiences as their own. This feminist music history isn't restricted by style, genre, appearance or commercial success (it in fact brings to fore many suppressed and forgotten voices). It is instead supported by a liberating understanding of the spirit of punk—questioning, angry, powerful, and definitely not dead.
December 30, 2020
Rather than a staid history, Goldman is interested in how feminist punk remains relevant. She interviews pioneers like The Raincoats, The Slits, Au Pairs, Delta 5, and Bush Tetras to discuss their artistic processes, their paths through the industry, and which elements of their radical art echo most loudly today.
She looks at the Riot Grrrl movement and more recent female bands who've found empowerment in the philosophy of punk, while also exploring the genre's global influence. It's fascinating to read how artists in China, India, Mexico, Jamaica, Nigeria, etc. have adapted punk to their own specific sonic and cultural agendas.
Exploring identity politics, gender fluidity, relationship dynamics, capitalist roadblocks, and political protest, Goldman embraces the complexities and teases out the nuances of this provocative music.
She looks at the Riot Grrrl movement and more recent female bands who've found empowerment in the philosophy of punk, while also exploring the genre's global influence. It's fascinating to read how artists in China, India, Mexico, Jamaica, Nigeria, etc. have adapted punk to their own specific sonic and cultural agendas.
Exploring identity politics, gender fluidity, relationship dynamics, capitalist roadblocks, and political protest, Goldman embraces the complexities and teases out the nuances of this provocative music.
July 21, 2019
Histories of music and musicians often seem to boil down to a lot of cliched narratives of drug-use, loss of identity to fame, and then sometimes a kind of personal redemption and acceptance of fame. This book thankfully is none of that. Vivien Goldman gives her reader a fascinating oral history mixed with meditations on feminist ideologies mixed with contemporary political insight mixed with honest music journalism to create a wonderous book that leaves the reader with a deeper appreciation of the punk scene over the last forty years.
The only problem with the book is because it tries to handle so many different bands and so many different ideas the book often feels like it's being stretched and twisted in multiple directions. Ultimately this might just be part of the aesthetic goal, and a book about punk-rock should never have to worry about fitting up to somebody else's standards, but I feel that this book could have and should have been an interesting opportunity to set the history of women in punk music in a more narrative format.
But whatever, this book exists and it doesn't care whether or not you like everything in it. And I honestly can't think of anything more punk rock.
The only problem with the book is because it tries to handle so many different bands and so many different ideas the book often feels like it's being stretched and twisted in multiple directions. Ultimately this might just be part of the aesthetic goal, and a book about punk-rock should never have to worry about fitting up to somebody else's standards, but I feel that this book could have and should have been an interesting opportunity to set the history of women in punk music in a more narrative format.
But whatever, this book exists and it doesn't care whether or not you like everything in it. And I honestly can't think of anything more punk rock.
June 29, 2019
3-3.5 stars. I appreciated that Goldman covered such a wide range of artists, several of whom I’ve never even heard of, and I look forward to listening to their music. However, the structure of this book is a bit formulaic: awkward paragraph trying to connect the band she just talked about with the next band she is about to discuss, followed by some paragraphs on that second band, and then repeat this method throughout the book. Also, the section on trans musicians really really really could have used some feedback from a trans person before publishing this because yikes.
February 14, 2026
Quando riesco a scovare delle chicche, in quanto alla "Resistalpotentosi", sono sempre così rincuorato del fatto che gente che si batte per le libertà fondamentali alla vita, ne è pieno il mondo. E quando, come nel presente libro, leggo di donne di varie etnia e/o mista, che sbattono sulla biffa ai misogini di tutte le razze, tutte le loro rivendicazioni, mi esplode il gulliver da quanto sono grandi!!
Il presente saggio sul movimento punk femminista è suddiviso i 4 parti su 4 macroargomenti: l'identità femminile, denaro, amore/non-amore e protesta. E per ogni parte, all'inizio vi è una playlist di circa una decina canzoni che poi verranno esposte nella parte di riferimento.
Alcune band le conoscevo come le Slits e i Crass, tra le fondatrici del movimento e molte altre a me sconosciute e che ho scoperto proprio con questo prezioso libro. L'autrice, che è anche parte integrante del movimento, avendo inciso canzoni punk e soprattutto vivendo quella prima ondata trascendentale dei turbolenti anni '70 del Novecento, si fa narratrice appassionata e ci racconta quali band hanno reso possibile e realizzabile questo movimento ancora in fermento oggi.
Ora bando alle ciance e via con un bel po' di sana musica underground e soprattutto DIY:
Poly Styrene and X Ray Spex - Identity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYoiC...
The Raincoats - No One's Little Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgLUf...
Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOCWm...
Tamar-kali - Pearl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyQlj...
The Slits - Typical Girls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brtGL...
Pussy Riot - Kropotkin Vodka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKIj7...
Crass - Smother Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zmSe...
Cherry Vanilla - The Punk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFL2E...
Tika & The Dissidents - Tubuhku Otoritasku
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KNL7...
The Special AKA featuring Rhoda Dakar - The boiler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crsBb...
The Bags - Babylonian Gorgon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVv3N...
Sleater-Kinney - Little Babies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmiV4...
Zuby Nehty -Sokol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDGe4...
Las Vulpess - Me gusta ser una zorra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZBmB...
The Selecter - On My Radio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=074Af...
The Poison Girls - Persons Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbnGU...
Tanya Stephens - Welcome To The Rebelution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL0vp...
Il presente saggio sul movimento punk femminista è suddiviso i 4 parti su 4 macroargomenti: l'identità femminile, denaro, amore/non-amore e protesta. E per ogni parte, all'inizio vi è una playlist di circa una decina canzoni che poi verranno esposte nella parte di riferimento.
Alcune band le conoscevo come le Slits e i Crass, tra le fondatrici del movimento e molte altre a me sconosciute e che ho scoperto proprio con questo prezioso libro. L'autrice, che è anche parte integrante del movimento, avendo inciso canzoni punk e soprattutto vivendo quella prima ondata trascendentale dei turbolenti anni '70 del Novecento, si fa narratrice appassionata e ci racconta quali band hanno reso possibile e realizzabile questo movimento ancora in fermento oggi.
Ora bando alle ciance e via con un bel po' di sana musica underground e soprattutto DIY:
Poly Styrene and X Ray Spex - Identity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYoiC...
The Raincoats - No One's Little Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgLUf...
Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOCWm...
Tamar-kali - Pearl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyQlj...
The Slits - Typical Girls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brtGL...
Pussy Riot - Kropotkin Vodka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKIj7...
Crass - Smother Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zmSe...
Cherry Vanilla - The Punk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFL2E...
Tika & The Dissidents - Tubuhku Otoritasku
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KNL7...
The Special AKA featuring Rhoda Dakar - The boiler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crsBb...
The Bags - Babylonian Gorgon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVv3N...
Sleater-Kinney - Little Babies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmiV4...
Zuby Nehty -Sokol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDGe4...
Las Vulpess - Me gusta ser una zorra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZBmB...
The Selecter - On My Radio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=074Af...
The Poison Girls - Persons Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbnGU...
Tanya Stephens - Welcome To The Rebelution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL0vp...
June 3, 2025
o punk, Robert Pattinson, o comunismo e estar putopillado son, xenuinamente, as grandes invencións da raza humana.
July 21, 2019
Talk about a timely book….a current retrospective of women in punk rock is finally available and Vivien Goldman puts an explanation point on this well-written and impossible to put down other than “bringing up YouTube or Bandcamp to hear all of these bands” book. In the last few years we’ve heard from Viv Albertine, Carrie Brownstein, Chrissie Hynde, Alice Bag, Kim Gordon and we’re all anxiously awaiting books by Debbie Harry and about Poly Styrene. Vivien Goldman is a excellent musician as well as an writer and hearing her solo work is mandatory for readers of this book.
The book is sub-titled a “Feminist Music History from Poly Styrene to Pussy Riot”, but it actually goes past these endpoints as earlier influential women musicians such as Patti Smith and the Runaways are not bypassed. Of course, there were and are many other women who played and still play punk rock (a shoutout to Nikki Corvette, Carolyn Striho, Sarana Verlin, Laryssa Stolarchuk and all those other cool Detroit chicks) that made punk so great in those early days.
If you’ve been listening to punk as long as I have than you probably know all about Poly Styrene, the Slits, the Raincoats and Pussy Riot, but the real value of this book is when Vivien dives deep into places like Communist China and Kashmir where being a girl in a punk band is a lot more complicated than dealing with sexist booking agents and setting up a tour. Here she shows how totalitarian governments and centuries of oppression make the simple act of playing in a band a real life-threatening situation.
In some places, the book is difficult to follow as it jumps around from a little too much, but trying to cover such a broad subject in 200 pages is asking the impossible. A couple of annoying geographic mistakes crept in such as stating the Riot Grrl movement started in “America’s Northeast” and moving Carole Kaye from LA’s Wrecking Crew to Motown, but overall this book is a “must have”.
So, yeah buy this book and be prepared to dig in and learn how women have made and are making punk rock as relevant as when I first heard the Slits and X-Ray Spex blasting from my 8-track player in a 1971 Ford LTD.
P.S. At this year’s Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas, two standouts were the Coathangers and the Darts – they didn’t make it into this book, but they and many others make it clear that the “She Punks” have a lot more in store for us.
The book is sub-titled a “Feminist Music History from Poly Styrene to Pussy Riot”, but it actually goes past these endpoints as earlier influential women musicians such as Patti Smith and the Runaways are not bypassed. Of course, there were and are many other women who played and still play punk rock (a shoutout to Nikki Corvette, Carolyn Striho, Sarana Verlin, Laryssa Stolarchuk and all those other cool Detroit chicks) that made punk so great in those early days.
If you’ve been listening to punk as long as I have than you probably know all about Poly Styrene, the Slits, the Raincoats and Pussy Riot, but the real value of this book is when Vivien dives deep into places like Communist China and Kashmir where being a girl in a punk band is a lot more complicated than dealing with sexist booking agents and setting up a tour. Here she shows how totalitarian governments and centuries of oppression make the simple act of playing in a band a real life-threatening situation.
In some places, the book is difficult to follow as it jumps around from a little too much, but trying to cover such a broad subject in 200 pages is asking the impossible. A couple of annoying geographic mistakes crept in such as stating the Riot Grrl movement started in “America’s Northeast” and moving Carole Kaye from LA’s Wrecking Crew to Motown, but overall this book is a “must have”.
So, yeah buy this book and be prepared to dig in and learn how women have made and are making punk rock as relevant as when I first heard the Slits and X-Ray Spex blasting from my 8-track player in a 1971 Ford LTD.
P.S. At this year’s Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas, two standouts were the Coathangers and the Darts – they didn’t make it into this book, but they and many others make it clear that the “She Punks” have a lot more in store for us.
June 5, 2019
Vivien Goldman is a British journalist who has been following and participating in punk since its origins in the 1970s. She knows her stuff. In Revenge of the She-Punks, she studies women's involvement in punk in a transnational context. It's not a history so much as an academic, thematic study of different bands. I learned about a *lot* of bands I've never heard of before.
Reading this book works best if you read it slowly, stopping to listen to the music Goldman discusses before moving on. It's a truly academic read--and a good one!--but not for you if you want more of a popular history of women in punk.
Reading this book works best if you read it slowly, stopping to listen to the music Goldman discusses before moving on. It's a truly academic read--and a good one!--but not for you if you want more of a popular history of women in punk.
September 7, 2022
Even if you're not that interested in punk music, this is a good read!
September 6, 2025
2.5
I remember seeing reviews elsewhere say that this book is disjointed and yeah, it is.
Goldman means well and tries to provide a global range of what she describes as 'feminist music.' But using a thematic approach instead of providing a timeline of feminist music certainly contributes to how disjointed this is. Even then, Goldman's narrative is almost list-like, you are given a playlist at the start of each chapter, which is the order of which musicians and groups are discussed and there is very little room to discuss not only these tracks, but Goldman introducing the musician/group, their background and discussing the lyrics. They're more like samples of these musicians/groups. In terms of engineers, producers, management or record labels, Goldman introduces statistics on the lack of women in these positions in the music industry, but doesn't engage that much further in this.
Surprisingly the starting point of this is punk (from 1977-2019), which is odd, I would have been curious about the rise of Women's Lib, feminist musicians and record labels and how that distinguished itself from the rise of punk in the late 70s up to the rise of Riot Grrrl in the 90s. Even something like a mention of groups like Henry Cow, one of the few prog rock groups in the 70s with women as members who were also involved in feminist improvisational groups. I think it's a strange point to start with, but it might be because the sounds chosen for this book are limited to a punk/Riot Grrrl sound, with lyricism that often delves into what I call 'manifesto lyrics,' direct and political which is important to have, but can result in a lack of variety in terms of how musicians approach 'feminist music.'
Whilst this is 'a' feminist history, it is more accurate to call it a feminist punk history. There are some explorations into other genres such as reggae, pop, funk, disco and hip hop, but not much. Contemporary examples are also fleeting, a lot of the music discussed is from the 20th Century and any 21st Century mentions are mostly small, DIY groups who have broken up or sparsely record.
But the main thing for me with this was that Goldman's prose is very much the music journalist of the 70s turned 'punk professor,' who even talks about her own songs in this book. Some passages are strange, others are painful, almost cringe in trying to describe this kind of music and a definition of 'punk.' I think it adds to how disjointed the book is and at times, it felt like the book needed another approach to its editing to help make it flow better and make it a more enjoyable read.
I think another look would have helped to avoid some of the bizarre wording ('some of the founders did mate' 'affinity for transvestites' 'sensible Scandinavia') or outright untruths, such as how slut-shamming wasn't a thing in the UK like it was in Riot Grrrl. ('The horror of being called a “slut” that the Riot Grrrls were to battle in America’s Pacific Northwest in the 1990s was not even an issue in Britain, where it was assumed that all punks, boys and girls, were sluts and glad of it.')
Goldman also glosses over a lot of things too, whilst she mentions the backgrounds of some of these musicians, there's just no consideration as to why some of these white, UK-based musicians move away to places like Belize as some sort of colonialist fantasy 'escape from consumerism.' Goldman will mention how a Crass member got an inheritance (on top of being able to live communally in Dial House, a 16th Century cottage), but also how everyone was poor and squatting in this scene. I think that is her lack of awareness of the difficulties today in creating spaces for music or the lack of opportunities to get involved with music without being rich and having a blue link parent. Similar issues existed back then, but it does feel like it's said as if nothing has changed now and it's just as easy to 'start a band, make a zine.'
Goldman also seems unaware of how much 'punk' has become commodified, including in reactionary ways and how it is seen as 'Western' to those outside of the UK/USA. She is shocked that Gia Wang is pro-Trump and anti-abortion, but builds her up as this rebel in China only for this to be revealed and adds the caveat that Wang is entitled to this view 'especially in punk.'
Positives are that yes, this book still does help introduce readers to different varieties of 'feminist punk,' including some lesser mentioned and more obscure musicians/groups. Goldman's writing is also much better when she focuses on reggae, dub and ska, something that she specialises in, or when she's known the musicians for a long time and can have more introspective conversations.
Overall, I think if you are interested in feminist music that there are other resources (such as music discovery websites such as RYM or AOTY, especially if you want anything from the 21st Century) that might help in finding something outside of this narrow definition of 'feminist (punk) music.' This book was pretty disjointed, but I wonder if it's because I've not read too many music books (yet).
I remember seeing reviews elsewhere say that this book is disjointed and yeah, it is.
Goldman means well and tries to provide a global range of what she describes as 'feminist music.' But using a thematic approach instead of providing a timeline of feminist music certainly contributes to how disjointed this is. Even then, Goldman's narrative is almost list-like, you are given a playlist at the start of each chapter, which is the order of which musicians and groups are discussed and there is very little room to discuss not only these tracks, but Goldman introducing the musician/group, their background and discussing the lyrics. They're more like samples of these musicians/groups. In terms of engineers, producers, management or record labels, Goldman introduces statistics on the lack of women in these positions in the music industry, but doesn't engage that much further in this.
Surprisingly the starting point of this is punk (from 1977-2019), which is odd, I would have been curious about the rise of Women's Lib, feminist musicians and record labels and how that distinguished itself from the rise of punk in the late 70s up to the rise of Riot Grrrl in the 90s. Even something like a mention of groups like Henry Cow, one of the few prog rock groups in the 70s with women as members who were also involved in feminist improvisational groups. I think it's a strange point to start with, but it might be because the sounds chosen for this book are limited to a punk/Riot Grrrl sound, with lyricism that often delves into what I call 'manifesto lyrics,' direct and political which is important to have, but can result in a lack of variety in terms of how musicians approach 'feminist music.'
Whilst this is 'a' feminist history, it is more accurate to call it a feminist punk history. There are some explorations into other genres such as reggae, pop, funk, disco and hip hop, but not much. Contemporary examples are also fleeting, a lot of the music discussed is from the 20th Century and any 21st Century mentions are mostly small, DIY groups who have broken up or sparsely record.
But the main thing for me with this was that Goldman's prose is very much the music journalist of the 70s turned 'punk professor,' who even talks about her own songs in this book. Some passages are strange, others are painful, almost cringe in trying to describe this kind of music and a definition of 'punk.' I think it adds to how disjointed the book is and at times, it felt like the book needed another approach to its editing to help make it flow better and make it a more enjoyable read.
I think another look would have helped to avoid some of the bizarre wording ('some of the founders did mate' 'affinity for transvestites' 'sensible Scandinavia') or outright untruths, such as how slut-shamming wasn't a thing in the UK like it was in Riot Grrrl. ('The horror of being called a “slut” that the Riot Grrrls were to battle in America’s Pacific Northwest in the 1990s was not even an issue in Britain, where it was assumed that all punks, boys and girls, were sluts and glad of it.')
Goldman also glosses over a lot of things too, whilst she mentions the backgrounds of some of these musicians, there's just no consideration as to why some of these white, UK-based musicians move away to places like Belize as some sort of colonialist fantasy 'escape from consumerism.' Goldman will mention how a Crass member got an inheritance (on top of being able to live communally in Dial House, a 16th Century cottage), but also how everyone was poor and squatting in this scene. I think that is her lack of awareness of the difficulties today in creating spaces for music or the lack of opportunities to get involved with music without being rich and having a blue link parent. Similar issues existed back then, but it does feel like it's said as if nothing has changed now and it's just as easy to 'start a band, make a zine.'
Goldman also seems unaware of how much 'punk' has become commodified, including in reactionary ways and how it is seen as 'Western' to those outside of the UK/USA. She is shocked that Gia Wang is pro-Trump and anti-abortion, but builds her up as this rebel in China only for this to be revealed and adds the caveat that Wang is entitled to this view 'especially in punk.'
Positives are that yes, this book still does help introduce readers to different varieties of 'feminist punk,' including some lesser mentioned and more obscure musicians/groups. Goldman's writing is also much better when she focuses on reggae, dub and ska, something that she specialises in, or when she's known the musicians for a long time and can have more introspective conversations.
Overall, I think if you are interested in feminist music that there are other resources (such as music discovery websites such as RYM or AOTY, especially if you want anything from the 21st Century) that might help in finding something outside of this narrow definition of 'feminist (punk) music.' This book was pretty disjointed, but I wonder if it's because I've not read too many music books (yet).
March 6, 2022
in a generation where we have access to music from artists like patti smith, bikini kill, the slits, x-ray spex and so many more within a few seconds on our phones, i think it’s so important to read about the roots of the riot grrrl movement.
this book was structured so well, with four sections covering different themes of the history of women in punk music and why they’re so liberating.
my favourite thing about this book is that at the start of every section, there was a playlist with the songs and artists discussed. i hadn’t ever heard of the majority of the artists so it was exciting to listen to them while i read.
my only complaint is that i felt there was too much information packed in. i feel like with less quotes and references and more of Goldman’s personal thoughts and opinions, it could’ve been a little more enjoyable.
overall i really enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. if you are interested in music and women in music i’d highly recommend
this book was structured so well, with four sections covering different themes of the history of women in punk music and why they’re so liberating.
my favourite thing about this book is that at the start of every section, there was a playlist with the songs and artists discussed. i hadn’t ever heard of the majority of the artists so it was exciting to listen to them while i read.
my only complaint is that i felt there was too much information packed in. i feel like with less quotes and references and more of Goldman’s personal thoughts and opinions, it could’ve been a little more enjoyable.
overall i really enjoyed this book and learned a lot from it. if you are interested in music and women in music i’d highly recommend
March 29, 2025
"oh bondage, up yours!"
July 18, 2019
Smart. Incisive. Uplifting. Encouraging. Raw. Powerful. Inspirational.
Check out my review over at Bearded Gentlemen Music: https://beardedgentlemenmusic.com/201....
Check out my review over at Bearded Gentlemen Music: https://beardedgentlemenmusic.com/201....
July 17, 2019
I’m tempted to give this book 5 stars just for breadth and depth of bands covered alone (so many amazing diverse women, many in bands I’d never heard of). Goldman’s themed playlists are things of beauty, truly. Her writing is vibrant, but sometimes gets a bit too meandering, and very occasionally was off-putting. That said, I enjoyed the chapter on money/economics the most and I will certainly be making my way through these playlists.
January 4, 2026
This book reminded me of a friend of mine who will phone me randomly, out of the blue, and as I pick up the phone to say hello, is already talking a mile a minute, mid story, switching from one topic to the next without warning, not seeming to hear any words I may be able to slip in. Totally in a world of her own, perfectly understanding all of her stream-of-consciousness thoughts while the rest of us just nod and say “okay.”
I appreciate the intent of this book, but the writing was just not good (I’m sorry!!). Hard to follow. As a big time reader and sometimes writer, I can’t stand when people feel the need to describe things with the word “literally.” Oh, they’re literally sisters?! I wouldn’t have believed you unless you told me it was *literally* true! She uses “literally” five times in this book - five times too many. Two stars because I did learn about a few bands that I hadn’t heard before. Props to whoever made the playlist and put it on Spotify so I didn’t have to.
For people who are new to punk and/or the artists mentioned in this book, I would skip it. Fortunately I already have knowledge of punk history and have read several of the memoirs by the artists mentioned in this book. I would recommend reading the artists’ own words and listening to their music, rather than reading this attempt at an analysis of their works and lives.
I appreciate the intent of this book, but the writing was just not good (I’m sorry!!). Hard to follow. As a big time reader and sometimes writer, I can’t stand when people feel the need to describe things with the word “literally.” Oh, they’re literally sisters?! I wouldn’t have believed you unless you told me it was *literally* true! She uses “literally” five times in this book - five times too many. Two stars because I did learn about a few bands that I hadn’t heard before. Props to whoever made the playlist and put it on Spotify so I didn’t have to.
For people who are new to punk and/or the artists mentioned in this book, I would skip it. Fortunately I already have knowledge of punk history and have read several of the memoirs by the artists mentioned in this book. I would recommend reading the artists’ own words and listening to their music, rather than reading this attempt at an analysis of their works and lives.
October 17, 2025
I quite enjoyed this feminist history of women in the punk music scene, from its beginnings to the contemporary moment of publication in 2019, and inclusive of women from around the world. Goldman does a good job of covering the history and movement in the US, Britain, China, India, Western and Eastern Europe, and Central America. The text is also inclusive of queer punk artists, including transgender women and men. Goldman reads the text in the audiobook version, and her enthusiasm and passion for the topic really move the story along. The book is divided into four chapters (plus the bookends of introduction and coda), covering identity and the early days of punk; money issues and themes; love/unlove in the punk scene and music; and punk protest songs and engagement. All in all, this was a good read.
May 7, 2021
Title notwithstanding…this is not about anyone’s revenge but it offers a packed and relatively wide-ranging history of the role of women in punk rock. It is written by one of its participants. Vivien Goldman played in Chantage and the Flying Lizards and now she writes about music and teaches Punk, Afrobeat and Reggae at New York University.
The book is set up around track listings with the stories that shape the songs. It is grouped into 4 categories: Girl Identity. Money, Love and Protest. The idea of Punk being uniquely suited to feminism belies the fact that for much of its history, many of the same factors that work against women in the greater world outside are also very much at play in the punk scene--only in punk there is an avenue for self-expression not readily available elsewhere.
At 200 pages, it reads like a long zine or a short documentary.
The book is set up around track listings with the stories that shape the songs. It is grouped into 4 categories: Girl Identity. Money, Love and Protest. The idea of Punk being uniquely suited to feminism belies the fact that for much of its history, many of the same factors that work against women in the greater world outside are also very much at play in the punk scene--only in punk there is an avenue for self-expression not readily available elsewhere.
At 200 pages, it reads like a long zine or a short documentary.
February 16, 2024
“They know that despite years of struggle, they are still paid less and have less access to power and control over their lives, that with inevitable passing years more people will attempt to diminish their influence— and it is maddening.”
Loved this read! Made me access parts of my brain I haven’t used since college. Read extremely educational but necessary.
Loved this read! Made me access parts of my brain I haven’t used since college. Read extremely educational but necessary.
August 17, 2020
Vivien Goldman ("Launderette") surveys women in punk from the 1970s to present-day. As much as I love the Slits, the Raincoats, the Au Pairs, and Delta 5, I was glad that Goldman did not dedicate all of her pages to those influential groups, but actually spends just as much time on punks of color including those from South America and Africa. I'll be checking out her playlists that accompany each chapter in the weeks to come.
November 8, 2021
Definitely enjoyed this book. Really liked how each chapter starts with a playlist of songs that will be discussed. I think the book would've benefited from going in chronological order and focusing on less artists so that it could go in more in-depth to particular songs, albums and the culture of the time. The way the book bounced between songs, artists and time periods was a bit awkward at times, especially when it was discussing topics that are sensitive.
January 30, 2025
Me ha gustado este amplio panorama de un movimiento que desde su mismo nacimiento ha estado invisibilizado.
https://liblit.com/vivien-goldman-la-...
https://liblit.com/vivien-goldman-la-...
August 5, 2024
Fascinating accounts of women punk performers, their music and lives as musicians and their places in society in different countries. Sometimes uneven in tone but so much rich detail not just of the music but also the sexism and sometimes violence trying to stop women from playing, even death threats. A few sad stories too of female musicians murdered because they were young women in "the wrong place", like a street after dark. History but not far removed from current realities.
September 27, 2020
Un libro bastante interesante, especialmente porque a una le cansa que a menudo todas las recopilaciones sobre "la historia del punk" hablen de los mismos grupos desde un punto de vista siempre masculino (cuando no masculinista) y poco crítico. He descubierto a unas cuantas bandas de las que no tenía conocimiento, es de valorar el esfuerzo de la autora por incluir la interseccionalidad para hablar de artistas de otros países y culturas (aunque su óptica sea eminentemente británica y se nota) y para incluir también la dimensión de raza o lo queer, para mí es lo que más enriquece al libro.
Lo único que a menudo me ha causado un poco de confusión es que no sé muy bien qué baremo utiliza para clasificar a alguien como punk. A menudo incluye a artistas que no hacen punk ni subgéneros derivados, sino otras cosas como reggae, funk o jazz. Es interesante, sí, pero hace que el libro a veces se desvíe hacia lugares sin aparente conexión con el punk, es decir, ves que la autora empieza a hablar de una artista porque a ella le gusta y poco más, no hay un raccord muy claro entre ellas más allá de que la autora considere que tienen una "actitud punk" o algo así que no sé muy bien como describir pero me parece que al final queda poco concreto y pierde el hilo. Quizás el problema es que el libro es demasiado corto para trazar las conexiones que podría abrir entre géneros, como el reggae con el que experimentaron bandas y podría llegar en última instancia al skapunk u otras combinaciones que podrían encajarse en afropunk. Al final la categoría punk de la autora es difusa porque habla de artistas que le parecen interesantes, a veces artistas multidisciplinares o experimentales, pero que no tocan el punk ni tangencialmente.
A pesar de este detalle es una lectura muy muy interesante que rescata bandas olvidadas o semiolvidadas, cuando no desconocidas (al menos para mí). Habría que dejar claro que la etiqueta feminista no es algo que defina a las artistas que se incluyen, porque muchas lo son pero otras no se consideran así. Hay hasta una señora que es directamente nazi (y bastante poco punk, habría que añadir) y con la que tras hablar la autora no puede dejar de mostrar perplejidad. El término feminista aquí se relaciona con la idea de trazar una genealogía de mujeres en la música de la escena punk o que podrían relacionarse de alguna manera con lo punk. Y creo que en esto cumple sobradamente su cometido, aunque se haga corto y falten muchas muchísimas.
Quitando algunas cosillas donde creo que la autora mete la pata por desconocimiento o por idealización y aspectos temáticos que son poco claros (desconozco por qué en la sección que clasifica de amor/desamor incluye temas de violación y violencia sexual contra las mujeres, por ejemplo) en general es un muy buen libro que me ha gustado mucho. Así que 4 estrellitas.
Lo único que a menudo me ha causado un poco de confusión es que no sé muy bien qué baremo utiliza para clasificar a alguien como punk. A menudo incluye a artistas que no hacen punk ni subgéneros derivados, sino otras cosas como reggae, funk o jazz. Es interesante, sí, pero hace que el libro a veces se desvíe hacia lugares sin aparente conexión con el punk, es decir, ves que la autora empieza a hablar de una artista porque a ella le gusta y poco más, no hay un raccord muy claro entre ellas más allá de que la autora considere que tienen una "actitud punk" o algo así que no sé muy bien como describir pero me parece que al final queda poco concreto y pierde el hilo. Quizás el problema es que el libro es demasiado corto para trazar las conexiones que podría abrir entre géneros, como el reggae con el que experimentaron bandas y podría llegar en última instancia al skapunk u otras combinaciones que podrían encajarse en afropunk. Al final la categoría punk de la autora es difusa porque habla de artistas que le parecen interesantes, a veces artistas multidisciplinares o experimentales, pero que no tocan el punk ni tangencialmente.
A pesar de este detalle es una lectura muy muy interesante que rescata bandas olvidadas o semiolvidadas, cuando no desconocidas (al menos para mí). Habría que dejar claro que la etiqueta feminista no es algo que defina a las artistas que se incluyen, porque muchas lo son pero otras no se consideran así. Hay hasta una señora que es directamente nazi (y bastante poco punk, habría que añadir) y con la que tras hablar la autora no puede dejar de mostrar perplejidad. El término feminista aquí se relaciona con la idea de trazar una genealogía de mujeres en la música de la escena punk o que podrían relacionarse de alguna manera con lo punk. Y creo que en esto cumple sobradamente su cometido, aunque se haga corto y falten muchas muchísimas.
Quitando algunas cosillas donde creo que la autora mete la pata por desconocimiento o por idealización y aspectos temáticos que son poco claros (desconozco por qué en la sección que clasifica de amor/desamor incluye temas de violación y violencia sexual contra las mujeres, por ejemplo) en general es un muy buen libro que me ha gustado mucho. Así que 4 estrellitas.
January 21, 2026
Well, I don't think I knew enough of this side of music to *actually* enjoy the lectures. I think I'd have understood it much better as a documentary or something visual. But: the playlists for each chapter are a great touch, help frame the text, and have made me add some songs to my favourites to stream!
February 25, 2020
It's hard not to like this, Goldman's shambolic profiles of women in punk rock both in and out of the Anglosphere. This may just be my expectations being confounded by the lack of academic prose in a book from an academic press, but I think it's mostly Goldman's willingness to be led by the spirit of the thing, with all its inherent contradictions, instead of trying to hew to a narrative.
October 23, 2021
I didn't enjoy this. It felt like an overwritten, thinly-veiled panegyric of the author's own life and all the famous people she knows. It was fun to follow up on some of the artists mentioned in the book, but I didn't get a strong sense of narrative and I don't feel like I learned much about the punk movement, though it got slightly better towards the end.
August 1, 2019
Probably the best history of punk music I've ever read, re-establishing the lost trail of women in punk that were so important to several different genres. Goldman has a unique ability to accurately and compellingly describe the sound of songs.
January 22, 2020
Pues habla de tantísimas mujeres olvidadas de la industria que hacen música punk o no tan punk pero de espíritu muy punk. Está un poco desordenado pero la banda sonora es una maldita maravilla
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