Strong Wind Dried My Tears: 21st Century Women Who Rock (Indie Music Playlist)

So many notable female artists of late, both solo and in collaboration with others, creating some of the most powerful timely music we've ever heard. Here's just a few:

Billie Eilish When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?

Phoebe Bridgers Stranger In The Alps solo debut, collaborations: boygenius (with Julien Baker & Lucy Dacus) and Better Oblivion Community Center (with Conor Oberst)

Filthy Friends (feat Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney). Emerald Valley is a solid second album from this collaboration between Corin & R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. By the way, there's a new Sleater-Kinney album produced by St. Vincent forthcoming)

Jenny Lewis On The Line

The C.I.A. (feat Denee Segall on vocals with husband Ty Segall & Emmett Kelly, both on bass)

Karen O & Danger Mouse Lux Prima

Stella Donnelly Beware Of Dogs

Ex Hex (feat Mary Timony) It's Real

Y La Bamba Mujeres

Susanna Garden Of Earthly Delights

Sharon Van Etten Remind Me Tomorrow

Marianne Faithful Negative Capability

Courtney Barnett Tell Me How You Really Feel (LP), "Everybody Here Hates You" (single)

PJ Harvey All About Eve (Original Music for the Film)

Priests The Seduction of Kansas

Sara Bareilles Amidst The Chaos

Mavis Staples If All I Was Was Black is the second album from the singing civil rights legend which is essentially a collaboration with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy who produces, writes, plays guitar, and even sings a little. The notion of a middle-aged white dude putting words in a Black woman's mouth (especially on a personal song such as "If All I Was Was Black") requires a great deal of sensitivity and the possibilities were high for a total embarrassment. To his credit, Tweedy pulls it off, not stepping on any toes, allowing Mavis the space she needs. Mavis seems to be enjoyable a revival of sorts recently and no one deserves it more. Worth checking out is Mavis' powerful cameo on Hozier's  "Nina Cried Power"

Hall of Fame: Fanny, Aretha Franklin, Patti Smith, Aimee Mann, Memphis Minnie, Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Odetta, Laura Nyro, Barbara Dane