![5 Black Women Rockers to Watch](http://noisecreep.com/files/2012/09/laina.jpg?w=980&q=75)
5 Black Women Rockers to Watch
![](http://noisecreep.production.townsquareblogs.com/files/2012/09/laina.jpg)
Laina Dawes is a music and cultural critic and opinion writer, an active public speaker, and a contributor to CBC Radio. She is also a current affairs columnist for Afrotoronto.com and contributing editor for Blogher.org.
But the reason we're featuring here on Noisecreep today is that she's written a fantastic new book called What Are You Doing Here? A Black Woman's Life and Liberation in Heavy Metal.
Out in late October from the folks that also brought us Swedish Death Metal and Mean Deviation, the book finds Dawes digging into world of heavy metal and how black women fit into it all. It's a warts and all look at a subject many of us probably never even have thought about before.
Dawes just sent us a list of five black women rockers everyone in the Noisecreep Nation should check out. We'll let her take it from here!
From Laina Dawes:Thanks to the Metal Evolution TV series and the numerous documentaries on the extreme musical scenes that have aired in the past decade, the philosophy of "community" has been rammed down the throat of many a fan. But who and what define this community? For some, the 'community' simply means that if you love the music, you are an automatic member. But some black women fans and musicians have found that membership into the metal, hardcore and punk communities have not been so welcoming.
There have always been black women musicians in the metal, hardcore and punk scenes that have ignored social categorizations and just enjoyed and participated in the music they love. Most importantly, participation in these musical scenes offer an alterative view as to how we are commonly perceived in popular culture, and many find these genres liberating, and a opportunity to be perceived as individuals. It's okay to be angry, and it's okay to be aggressive – in fact, it's celebrated. It might be the only for and to express emotions that when expressed publically by black women, can land us in jail!
Here are five women artist whom you should check out. Not only do they create excellent music, but they also represent the diversity of experiences found within metal, hardcore and punk communities that is rarely, if ever seen and heard. These ladies are simply inspired by the music they love.
![](http://noisecreep.production.townsquareblogs.com/files/2012/09/tamr.jpg)
![](http://noisecreep.production.townsquareblogs.com/files/2012/09/miltia-1348163419.jpg)
![](http://noisecreep.production.townsquareblogs.com/files/2012/09/alexisbrown.jpg)
![](http://noisecreep.production.townsquareblogs.com/files/2012/09/diamond.jpg)
![](http://noisecreep.production.townsquareblogs.com/files/2012/09/jingo.jpg)
![](http://noisecreep.production.townsquareblogs.com/files/2012/09/cover-1348165961.jpg)
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