BY: Bea Cadigan

When you think of artists who perfectly capture the concept of feminine rage, you may think of Paris Paloma (specifically “Labor”) or Ethel Cain. In fact, these two artists were foundational in helping me explore how I experience anger in anti-masculine ways. A few months ago, however, I stumbled upon a song that epitomized feminine rage to me: Kiki Rockwell's “Burn Your Village,” from her debut album Rituals on the Bank of a Familiar River. A dark indie-pop album full of witchy imagery and religious references, it was the perfect rage album for me. But then Rockwell's sophomore album, Eldest Daughter of an Eldest Daughter, released in October.

The album uses mythology and even more witches to protest the struggles women continue to face in the modern world, especially at the hands of men in power. Producing her own music in her home in the woods, Rockwell forms her own comprehensive world full of European mythology. Notable in this case are “Syrena,” a song about a siren calling a sailor into the depths, “The Kelpie,” named after a mythological horse that would pull its male riders into the ocean, drowning them, and “Dragonrider,” a tale about a woman who tames a dragon. Each has a distinctly feminine character who wins out in the end. 

As for religious themes in the album, “Lilith” comes from the perspective of the title character, who some believe to have been the first woman ever created, banished to Hell due to her individuality and replaced with Eve in the Garden of Eden. Lilith refuses to submit to the wills of God and Adam, wishing to be her own person, which she is punished for. “Holy Rage” and “Seven Angels Greet Me In The Carpark” have obvious religious imagery just in the titles. 

For songs that are most direct in feminist rage, “Agent 44,” “Apocalypse Child,” and “Malleus Maleficarum” are my top pics. Each rages against a figure, usually a man, who deserves revenge and usually gets what is coming to them. The second of these specifically strikes a chord with me in respect to the climate crisis, as the main character laments being handed a ruined world that they did not create.

There's also a Daft Punk cover. 

Rockwell is a master at blending folklore and experience, with each song being based in millennia of oral history but still drawing from her own life. From front to back, every song is a tale with brand new characters and creatures straight from a storybook. If you're looking for something to vent your anger to that isn't always loud and aggressive, or even just want some cool songs about European folk tales, Rockwell is the way to go.