10 Greatest Hard Rock Songs Of The 2000s
8. Screaming Females - “The Real Mothers”
New Jersey’s Screaming Females have become stalwarts of the hard rocking indie scene, but perhaps their best track to date features on an early album, 2007’s What If Someone Is Watching Their T.V.? Initially a self release (then put out by Don Giovanni in 2009), it’s a raucous collection of fully throated punk in a scene that could often tend towards the lily-livered.
The highlight is “The Real Mothers”, a lyrically bizarre, incredibly energetic cut that stands among the group’s best ever work. After a quick bass riff, Marissa Paternoster’s unmistakable vocals begin. She sings with an unrestrained shake in her voice, selling the material with real character.
It gets better still in the chorus, as she belts out the title in nothing less than a shriek. The backing drops lower to really show off Paternoster’s willingness to destroy her vocal chords.
The bassline grooves along to an upbeat, danceable middle eight before reverting to type for another chorus which builds up to mania. It’s a short, sharp shock of adrenaline which perfectly encapsulates a band with a vital voice.