7. Carrie Brownstein
Carrie Brownstein should really be a superhero by now. She's well known as one of the 'good guys' of rock, and her talents span music, journalism, and television (check out Portlandia if you haven't already - it's a beaut). Brownstein first shot to guitar-fame in Sleater-Kinney, where her strong riffs and talented licks stood out from other more traditional three-chords-and-the-truth punk and/or 'riot grrrl' bands at the time. Of all the female guitarists out there, Brownstein has probably had the most coverage. In 2006 she was the only woman in Rolling Stone's "25 Most Underrated Guitarists of All Time", and is regularly on lists of talented guitarists (although usually they're female-specific, like this one). Brownstein and her counterpart (Corin Tucker in Sleater-Kinney, and now Mary Timony in Wild Flag) offer slick dual-guitar work that was and is exciting without being flashy. Brownstein's lead guitar is often restrained, and her solos refrain from fret-w*nking in favour of more subtle and effective melodies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gy7KeWDJUU