Top 5 Front Women

Another Friday, another Top 5. This week I'll examine the Top 5 Front Women in music. In order to qualify for the list, the women must be active (i.e. no Gwen Stefanis or Cranberries) and must be a lead vocalist for their band or group. Keep in mind that this is not the Top 5 Hottest Front Women, either. That, friends, is another list entirely.

#5: Kori Gardner of Mates of State - Clearly, Kori Gardner is not the most talented of vocalists. However, her unique voice, style, and chemistry with the rest of her band (i.e. her husband) is what makes Mates of State work. Without her, Mates of State would be nothing and definitely not worth listening to. So even though she may sound a bit off sometimes, take joy in knowing that it's not going to get any better...and that's the way it should be.

#4: Neko Case of The New Pornographers - Ms. Case is one of the most talented vocalists alive today. However, her spot as #4 on this list is due primarily for her lack of involvement with The New Pornographers. Sure, she's primarily a solo artist, and that's why we love her. But on the same note, the songs that she graces her presence with on each New Pornographers album is beautiful. If there were more of her, it she would be higher. But there isn't....and she isn't.

#3: Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley - Arguably the wet dream of every hipster in the world, Jenny Lewis has managed to charm her audience time after time with her unique mix of sugary vocals and witty lyricism. It is this same lyricism, however, that serves as Jenny's very own double edged sword. While some of her lyrics can be touching, others can be downright confusing or, dare I say, stupid. Regardless, there's no denying the presence that Lewis commands, both on stage and on albums. Despite also being the home band to another talented musician and songwriter in Blake Sennet, Rilo Kiley succeeds primarily because of Lewis' influence. If you don't like her, you're probably not going to like the band. That's power.

#2: Emily Haines of Metric - On the aforementioned hottest list, I feel fairly confident that Emily Haines would go ahead and take the top spot. But as stated this is not that list. Still, number two is no joke, and there's no better woman to fill that spot than Emily Haines. He lyrics range from poignant to sexy, and like so many others on this list, her band would be nowhere if it weren't for her. Haines is much more than a pretty face. She's the most talented frontwoman in indie music. And believe me, it's a long list.

#1: Nina Persson of The Cardigans - What? Really? Yeah, though I'm not the biggest Cardigans fan in the world, I still do like them and Nina Persson has one of the most precious voices that the music industry has ever been graced with. If you don't like it, you're deaf. That's the truth. It really is.