Monday, September 3, 2012

The Final 3 of my Top 9 Hottest Rocker Chicks

Well the time has come on this lazy Labor Day to cap off my list of what I consider the Top 9 Hottest Rocker Chicks around today. So far we've hit on some extraordinary talent that looks a little like this:
Tarja Turunen, Sharon den Adel, Lacey Mosley, Carly Smithson, Emma Anzai, and Amy Lee. You'll notice that the line up so far has included women from all over the world, the top three will be no different.
So without further rambling and stalling, lets explore the top three ladies on the list.(I would love to mean that literally.)

3.) Maria Brink - In The Moment
Maria Brink (In This Moment)

Anyone who dares to cover Blondie's - Call Me as a metal song, definitely deserves a shot on this list. That is exactly what Maria Brink and In This Moment did and it is how I was introduced. After that I was intrigued and scared. This inked up heroine from Los Angeles is the girl that shows up in the nightmares of small children but also in the fantasies of grown men. Ok, maybe just in my dreams....
Her style of singing combines lurid, fragile lyrics with an explosion of emotion and rage. This creates a seduction that you almost feel dirty giving into, but you do just to see how far it goes. The songs Beautiful Tragedy and The Promise are examples of her ability to draw you in to sympathize for her but before you can turn back, she will level you. With the latest two tracks Blood and Whore, lets just say children better avert their eyes.
Maria's unspoken taboo side is what has drawn me to be infatuated with her music. After actually giving it a good listen it put her in the top 3.



2.) Cristina Scabbia - Lacuna Coil
Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil)

Next to a Ferrari, Cristina Scabbia is the hottest thing to come out of Italy. Actually scratch that, I'd take her over the Ferrari any day just based on her voice alone. As the lead singer of Lacuna Coil, she has made a solid name for herself as a hard working, hard rocking artist over their career. Maybe that's why she's been sought after to make guest appearances on songs for Alter Bridge, a re-release of Megadeath's A Tout le Monde, and the second artist on my countdown that joined Apocalyptica on a track. All of this name dropping goes to show for her singing ability but also that you know when you put her in a video people are going to watch.
Aside from her vocal credentials, she's a drop dead elegant beauty. I found it hard to believe that someone that gorgeous of a woman, that carried herself with such grace, could be such a hard rocker. I became a believer early on listening to Lacuna Coil and letting my mind get lost in the lyrics while day dreaming of her. Cristina is the whole package, an infatuation I will always have. For that, she damn near took the top spot on my list.



Well that just leaves the #1 spot.....

Lzzy Hale 
Halestorm
Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)

Come on, could it be anyone else on top? I will pause a moment for those of you that need to take all of this rock goddess in............ better?
Often referred to as my future wife, Lzzy Hale has had me under a spell since day one. Halestorm's self titled '09 release,changed my rock music world forever with this vixen front and center killing the mic and hooking me on every song. This album was one of the last physical CD's I purchased just so that I could have the liner notes. At the time they debuted on the big stage there was very little known of this Pennsylvania band that now has practically become a household name, even being featured on Glee.(That one surprised even me)
From the start, Lzzy's no-holds-barred rock style and sexy rocker chick demeanor drew me in every time. She's not up there to show off her looks but rather to show that she's a pure rocker, plain and simple. In doing that, she's more powerful and appealing than any other, all without having to try. Lzzy is a natural, an animal that devours the lyrics of a song, puts her rock attitude into it and presents them in a way that you can't help but fall in love with. She is the epitome of hard rock sex appeal with the chops that will destroy the competition. That is what puts her at the top of the countdown. 
Now, I can go on all day tripping over my tongue as I have just proven, but I'd rather let you explore a few of my favorite visual aides.



Whew! I'm spent. I hope you enjoyed the journey through this little list as much as I did. I've already had people questioning my placement of some of these artists as well as others that weren't included. To that I'll say, oh well. Write up a list to challenge this one and I will respect your choices as I hope you did mine.
Thank you for your interest.

Sunday, September 2, 2012


Hoffmann's Top 9 Hot Rocker Chicks - #6 to #4



Well folks, time for the 2nd installment of this 3 part list covering, what are in my opinion, the Top 9 Hot Rocker Chicks today. In the last installment I listed out positions 9 down to 7. Just to recap we have Tarja Turunen in at #9, Sharon den Adel taking the #8 spot and Lacey Mosley coming in at lucky #7. Now, as I sit in my yard, while there is chicken on the grill, a beer in my cup holder and my laptop, well in my lap, we'll explore the mid section of our list.

6.) Carly Smithson - We Are The Fallen
Carly Smithson (We Are The Fallen)

Now I've never been a fan of American Idol. In fact, I dislike the show and most of the contestants on it. However, I was told by a friend to check out this phenomenal Irish singer Carly Smithson and I caught a few of her performances. Yep, she's the real deal with awesome stage presence, a killer voice and an that girl next door beauty, that is if you have hot neighbors. All of this impressed me but in my mind she wasn't what the show was looking for, as in she wasn't that cookie cutter pop star that Idol produces. Thankfully, I was right.
After she was eliminated and her contractual obligations had been met, she joined up with Ben Moody, formally of Evanescence, to form the band We Are The Fallen. Now this is a role that she fits into well as her voice lends perfectly to Moody's composition. However, the band has received quite a bit of criticism for being a knock off Evanescence with Carly being compared very heavily to Amy Lee. But that's a topic for a later conversation.
Bottom line, this girl can sing which has been proven time and time again in front of the biggest of all audiences. Although We Are The Fallen has yet to release a sophmore album, I am quite certain it will be released with this masterful fox at the helm showing the world why she made it to this list.


5.) Emma Anzai - Sick Puppies
Emma Anzai (Sick Puppies)

With my #5 pick, I open the door to the first on the list that isn't a singer fronting the band, but rather the backbone. Emma Anzai of Australia's Sick Puppies proves, without question, that women can rock out hard! I've witnessed live the power that she posses when she's hammering her bass better than I've seen a lot of players in the game today. Maybe that's why she carries the nickname of 'Female Flea.' After meeting the band while walking down through concourse at the Fargodome after one of their shows, I realized that my seats that night were not good enough to do her appealing looks justice. I was hooked.
Emma's energy on stage alone is enough to get a crowd pumped but when it's coupled with her playing ability and sublime appearance, it'll knock you on your ass. Her pure talent shines through in the Sick Puppies albums with bass driven composition that you can latch onto. I sometimes find myself  rocking out to her riffs more than the lyrircs(for those of you who know me, hard to believe, right?) Any way you look at it she is one of the hottest in the business today and it's without even trying.



4.) Amy Lee - Evanescence
Amy Lee (Evanescence)

Ah, Amy Lee...... For most that is all you have to say, but for the other's I'll explain. Amy Lee has been a driving force to bring a bit of the dark and gothic side of rock to the mainstream. Her ethereal vocals and accomplished piano skills, coupled within the hard hitting rock band Evanescence are a perfect match. Oh, have I mentioned that she's a looker?( See picture above)
With the timing of this Little Rock, Arkansas band's introduction to the world being about the same time MTV no longer was showing videos and that YouTube didn't even exist yet, I never realized that the voice I was hearing had such a lucid stunner attached to it. When I finally did see who I was listening to it all made sense, an alluring voice like that rarely exists unless it's the whole package. Amy Lee has is that package with a neat little dark bow on top. Like a present to me so that when I hear her delicate and powerful lyrics I can picture in my mind the pure beauty I am listening to.





Alright, two-thirds down and one final act yet to play out tomorrow. Hope you've enjoyed what you've seen so far and come back to see how this little idea in my mind will finish off.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Numbers 9 through 7

After years of having a very eclectic taste for music, I have amassed a rather large hodgepodge of tunes ranging from The Beach Boys & Mudvayne to Katy Perry & Johnny Cash. Rock music seems to be the driving leader in my library though, towering in numbers of artists as well as play count. I partially attribute this to the advent of Sirius sat radio with their hard rock channel Octane as well as listening to the past works of Alan Cross' Ongoing History of New Music. Being a delivery driver who is in the vehicle quite a bit, Sirius has saved me from searching for a station worth listening to when I am halfway across the country.  However, it has also shaped my musical taste driving it towards "Pure Hard Rock."

Within this genre, I seem to be finding myself drawn towards female rockers lately and I started thinking, "What is it that makes me like these bands more than others?" Is it that I'm attracted to them just based on their sexual prowess? Is there a mental trigger when hearing a sensual female voice sing a gentle verse then belt out an explosion of emotion and screaming guitar in the chorus? Beats me, it may just be that I like rock music and I like women, plain and simple.

No matter the question why, I have begun to rank these women based solely on my opinion of their rock presence in my life. The following is the first installment of 3 that I will be presenting over Labor Day weekend, of the top 9 female artists I believe to be the best in rock today. No matter if you agree or disagree with this list overall, I think that there is something that you'll find you like.

So here we go!

9.) Tarja Turunen - Nightwish/Solo

Finland native and classically trained soprano singer Tarja, formally fronted the Finnish metal band Nightwish but now is out to take on the world as a solo artist. I first heard her coupled with All That Remains frontman Phil Labonte on her song titled Dark Star. After hearing it I was very intrigued by her high soprano tone and clean, trained vocals, no auto tune, no gimmicks, no scream lyrcis.(well at least not by her, Phil takes care of that) This voice led me to search for her music and learn more about her. 
Her album What Lies Beneath blew me away with the combination of a beautiful vocals and that huge rock opera sound. Aside from Phil Labonte joining her on Dark Star, another very well known musician, Joe Satriani, came on board to perform with Tarja. She must be doing something right if talent of that caliber is wanting to join. Check out Satriani on Falling Awake and hear the lyrical talent of Tarja:


8.) Sharon den Adel - Within Temptaion

Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation)
Next on my list is the Dutch beauty Sharon den Adel of the band Within Temptation. Thanks to Octane for introducing me to this great band and hot rocker because after hearing the single 'Faster,' I was hooked. Her powerful yet sometimes fragile vocals, coupled with a heavily mastered symphonic metal backing, make for quite an earth moving sound. The song 'Shot in the Dark' from their latest album The Unforgiving, is a great example of this. While her voice is enough to keep me satisfied, she's pretty damn easy on the eyes as well. 



7.) Lacey Strum(Mosley) - Flyleaf
Lacey Mosley (Flyleaf)
How does someone as innocent looking as this be included as one of the hottest women on this list? It's all in that voice. Lacey can sing some of the most soothing, somewhat raspy melodies and then turn it up and hit you with a thrash metal scream that will make you look twice at who you're listening to. Hailing from Arlington, Texas, Lacey is this little, cutie but super powerful front woman of the band Flyleaf. Their music has some of the most wide covering post-grunge comparisons of any on this list being categorized as christian rock, heavy metal, hard rock and so on. This goes to show just how wide ranging Lacey's lyrics and singing style are. She is also one of two women on my list that have done work with Apocalyptica, a Finnish rock band comprised of classically trained cellists. She lends voice perfectly to the matched composition on the track 'Broken Pieces'. However, with a new Flyleaf album I'm pumped to hear what she can do next. 



Well, that's all I've got for today. Tomorrow I'll let you in on the ladies that ranked 4-6 and Labor Day will wrap up the top 3. Thanks for your interest if you made it this far!