This is a great demonstration. I’ve just watched this three times back-to-back.
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Band-Maid cracks me up because they flipped it around. “This maid cafe job sucks. Let’s make a band and own this.”
All of Yasutaka Nakata’s acts are maybe less good examples though. Kyary’s career is built upon cuteness (literally, by definition even). Perfume as well, though they are getting more clubby now that they get in to their late 20’s. And Capsule is very much a club band with sex as at least part of their image. The man is brilliant and an excellent electronic musician but as a producer he knows what sells for each band.
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sure. poison ivy of the cramps used to show up on stage in skirts that were smaller than most belts. and often she would forget to wear underwear (oops). but if any guy or girl said shit to her or tried to touch her, she would go at their heads with a gretsch. was it sexy, yep. was she provocative, yep. was she doing it for your benefit, nope. was she doing it to sell more albums, nope.
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Kyary always juxtaposes her cuteness with something not cute, like birds wings or garbage in her hair. She in her own words like to mix cute and grotesque. Check out Pon Pon Pon - she passes gas and picks her nose in it. She is rarely just cute.
Band Maid certainly does a good job turning the tables. And there is the whole alt idol movement - groups like Bish or Necronomidol.
Or speaking of female bassists and women who do not flaunt it, there are The Brats, Rei Kuromiya and her sister Aya Kuromiya on bass, and this is the band they started.
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Yeah, I mean, I didn’t mean to imply she wasn’t interesting. But she literally (jump)started the kawaii movement and it is absolutely central to her image.
There’s a lot more depth there than people think though sure. Some of that is Nakata for sure, but she brings it too. invader INVADER is a good example.
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Christa Hillhouse - 4 non Blondes
Ariana Cap
Ryan Madora
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The use of a visual identity applies to all musical genres and genders. It’s probably as old as mankind. Why does one have to look like the perfect son-in-law to succeed in classical music for instance 
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cough
She’s great.
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Mozart’s Requiem is just such a strong piece of music… and all the stories about how he died while finishing it certainly add to its “reputation”.
Now, need to find something more upbeat… and female…even if not on the bass…
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Already mentioned above, but Kim Deal is the one that got me into bass playing. Her strong and solid basslines carried much of the work from the Pixies, and I just had to play those songs. Before that I didn’t even realise bass players played any role in songs…
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@Regina I came here to give props to the female bassist that pushed me over the edge to buy a bass and start learning, only to find out you did it in the first post 
. I’ve had Joy Joy in my head since I first heard it! The bass cover of September ain’t bad either…
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That has to be one of the most soul-less, empty and amateur bass cover versions of that song I have ever heard. This proves your point perfectly @itsratso but you now owe me back the time I wasted watching it. I would rather see a kid try to play it and make mistakes than watch that shameless half hearted cynical sh@&. What happened world? Have we really become THAT shallow?
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I don’t even think her playing was bad. It’s mostly that it was more of a cleavage exhibition than a bass cover.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but she doesn’t need to do that; she has bass talent on its own.
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It’s sending mixed signals for sure! As someone else said for a similar video: “I had to put on my glasses to hear better!”
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I honestly don’t see the controversy of the cover in question. She’s dressed pretty tamely.
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Except maybe for the fact that she was robotically playing the same riff with a disregard for when, in the original version, that riff is actually played and when it isn’t.
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@smuckle Now I feel a little bad cause I’d only just discovered her when I posted this. Great to hear that she was the one that made you get on the bass learning journey. Hope you’re enjoying it as much as I do. 
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I don’t really know where to start with the whole “controversy” but let me just say that it’s always good to know that sooner or later a topic that was intended to be inspirational (especially but not only for women) and celebrating women’s contributions to music will end up with judgements on looks and sexiness. Really happy that it took so long before getting there.
So thanks for all the fashion advice, will bear in mind that sexiness is a necessity in the business, but really not necessary, good sometimes, mainly if you are also a really good bassist (short skirt allowed), in which case, however, you really don’t need this and you shouldn’t sink to that level, unless of course it is meant somehow ironic, but not always, and most importantly wearing a white top over a pair of nice breasts sends mixed signals and people have to wear glasses to hear you play while at the same time your breasts are just too in your face. Right? Maybe this should be included in the course, seems mighty confusing but I’m sure some wise men have it all figured out. 
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To get back on topic, Band-Maid released a new video today and Misa kills it on base as always. Kanami on guitar is an iconic image.
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Another standout, Johnette Napolitano and Concrete Blonde.
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