Female hip hop stars are akin to major metropolitan areas in the central United States: they can be few and far between. In a male-dominated industry that some perceive as generally misogynistic, it takes a strong voice both literally and lyrically to stand apart and prove that hip-hop is more than a boys’ club. Nicki Minaj has proven her skills at the age of 25 by being signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money label and putting out four mixtapes in the last four years that combine samples from other artists with Minaj’s original work.

Although Minaj has had to work through the same issues that have plagued many female emcees, namely sex appeal being valued over substance and public scrutiny of her sexual orientation, her work is picking up thousands of fans and showing the viability of different forms of expression for young females everywhere.

It’s 2010, and Cul de sac is back in session. We decided to kick it old school by starting off with our nouveau classique series, Musician Mondays. Marina Diamandis is a 24-year-old Greek-Welsh singer based in London who plugs into sounds ranging from ’80s new wave to modern pop, dance and synth-rock. Her surname literally translates as “Diamonds” and is used as a stage moniker to denote her fans, not her backing band. Marina and the Diamonds‘ debut album, The Family Jewels, will be released on February 22 in the US.

Marina’s voice recalls strong female alt-musicians from Kate Nash and Lily Allen to Kate Bush and Imogen Heap, and her lyrics touch on identity-formation, commercialization and female sexuality. She is currently touring her native UK, heading across the pond for a few dates in New York this March. The first single from the album, “Hollywood” is set to be officially released on February 1 (our editor-in-chief’s date of birth!), but you can watch the video below:

by Jacob McPherson

British indie-powerhouses The XX and Friendly Fires are touring together.  They will be playing a sold-out show at Bottom Lounge in Chicago on Tuesday, December 1st.  Although the two produce music that differs greatly from each other, the pairing is unsurprising.  The XX debuted in August of this year and create music that shows influences of R&B and 80’s guitar.  Deep bass complemented by well-tuned vocals drives their sound.

Friendly Fires have been on the scene since September of 2008.  They create a sound that can be best described as Britpop dance-punk.  It seems appropriate that The XX are opening for them, as they will get the mood started out right for the high energy that Friendly Fires will bring.  Both artists are on the Beggars roster and are of equal caliber.

Although I will not be seeing this show, I have seen both of these acts separately.  The members of Friendly Fires are true rock stars and will have everyone dancing to tracks like “Jump in the Pool” and “Photobooth.”  The XX forces the audience to pay attention and become part of the music.  With tracks like “Crystalize” and “Islands,” a melodic journey is sure to take place.

by Jacob McPherson

Friday night, I ventured over to the Metro to experience the Peaches concert.  Amanda Blank opened, and I was a little underwhelmed with her performance, given all the hype around her.  However, she was still enjoyable and made an appropriate opener for Peaches.  Since this was my second time seeing Peaches, I knew what to expect from the performance.

I first saw Peaches at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. Drag personality Sherry Vine was in the VIP section; it is very hard to compete with that, but Peaches still delivered an incredible show.  What I enjoy most about her is that she truly is a performer.  She wears the most ridiculous outfits, walks across the crowd, and brings a third dimension to her music.

As expected, the majority of the crowd was queer.  With risqué songs like “Tent in Your Pants,” “I Feel Cream,” and of course, “Fuck the Pain Away,” it was pretty much like a Friday night at Berlin.  Although her latest album, I Feel Cream, put out by XL Recordings, has been out for a while, it is still a must for any party mix.

by Jacob McPherson

Sweden keeps producing strong musical acts.  Saturday night, I thoroughly enjoyed myself when experiencing the music of Little Dragon.  They played a free show for the fifteenth anniversary of Double Door in Chicago.  It was one of those concerts where the energy of the music was absorbed through the entire crowd, creating a surreal atmosphere.

Led by Japanese vocalist, Yukimi Nagano, the group pumped out electronic soul music that sounded retro yet modern at the same time.  Nagano’s vocal skills were well complimented by beats created by Erik Bodin, Fredrik Wallin, and Hakan Wirenstrand.  Although the group can be compared to acts such as Bjork, Miike Snow and Kate Bush, their experimental sound sets them apart.  There are traces of 80s pop and jazz, all blended into one amazing package.

by Jacob McPherson

80s-style synth-pop duo Chromeo released their third album DJ-Kicks back in September.  In efforts to promote this record, the group has been touring and recently rolled through Chicago at the Congress Theater Friday.  The show, which also included Crystal Castles and Boys Noize brought together a diverse mix of people who just wanted to have a good time.

Chromeo consists of childhood friends David Maclovitch and Patrick Gemayel who demonstrate that diversity is musical bliss.  The two met while growing up in Montreal and often joke that they are the only successful Arab/Jewish partnership since the dawn of human culture.  This bold statement speaks volumes about combining differences.

Even gay gossip blogger Perez Hilton has a soft spot for Chromeo.  He is quoted as saying, “If you like Justice or Daft Punk, then these boys will make you cream!”  Okay, calm down Perez, but they are pretty damn good.  The DJ-Kicks CD should be a part of anyone’s dance music collection.  It’s a feel-good CD that doesn’t discriminate.  Chromeo is neither gay nor straight, black nor white; it’s the way music should be.

by Jacob McPherson

Newly signed XL artist, Holly Miranda, performed during this past weekend’s annual CMJ festival in New York, a showcase for new independent music artists. Born and raised outside of Detroit, Miranda left her life in the Midwest at 16 to jumpstart her music career in New York.  After becoming part of the East Village’s music scene, her career began picking up fast.  More recently, she has been hyped by the likes of celebrities such as Kanye West.

As an openly out lesbian, Miranda makes strides for burgeoning queer artists.  She recently was a guest on the series finale of This Just Out with Liz Feldman to sing and chat about what it would be like to make out with Scarlett Johansson.  Exposure like this creates an influence that will bring to light the importance of queer musicians. She is able to show us that you don’t have to sing about queer-related content to be a queer artist.

The music she creates is a mix between Cat Power and CocoRosie.  Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio produced her most recent CD, the “Sleep on Fire EP.”  We can definitely feel Sitek’s influence with the way Ms. Miranda expresses her vocal skills.  She is certainly teaming up with the right people and is well on her way to becoming an overnight success.

XL recordings, which gave us Vampire Weekend, M.I.A., Peaches, and Friendly Fires, will release Miranda’s debut album in early 2010.  For now, you can purchase and download her EP through her website, where she is offering a free download of one of her songs, “Waves.”

Another weekend, another Chicago music festival. This weekend marks the 13th annual Lollapalooza festival. Started as a touring festival in 1991 by Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction, Lollapalooza became stationary in 2005 in Chicago’s very own Grant Park. This year’s line-up boasts over 130 artists with sounds as diverse as the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs to Deerhunter and Depeche Mode to Snoop Dogg.

For our money, we would recommend checking out Lou Reed, Of Montreal, Fleet Foxes, Bat for Lashes and Animal Collective. Who are you most excited to see perform at the festival this year?

As we approach the increasing heat of August, it’s a good time for some refreshing music. This Musician Mondays, we’ve chosen three singles from the upcoming albums of some of our favorite artists. Give them a listen below:

A Fine Frenzy is the musical moniker for Alison Sudol, a 24-year-old virtuoso. Her sophomore album, Bomb in a Birdcage, will be released on September 8. Listen to “Blow Away” here or download it at A Fine Frenzy’s site. This MP3 was provided for free after A Fine Frenzy received over 1 million followers on Twitter.

Imogen Heap’s voice is very distinct from its appearance on the soundtracks of Garden State and The O.C., and her third solo effort show her explore the range of her unique style. “First Train Home” shows that her new work will be a bit more stripped down than her previous electronic-influenced albums. Ellipse will be released on August 25.

Well, we suppose this one is not from an album, but it is a fun dance tune by Kid Cudi featuring a bare-bones piano version of “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga. And with appearances by Kanye West and Common, how can any Chicagoan turn it down?

Located far from the reaches of major labels on the East and West coasts, Chicago relies on independent artists to thrive in providing live performance to its citizens. The yearly Pitchfork Music Festival, held this year from July 17 to July 19, exposes many low-profile Chicago artists to a wider audience by joining them with more recognizable artists. And of course, many of them have a queer pedigree. Cul de sac Magazine will be traveling to the stages between Ashland and Randolph for part of the festival, but make sure to check out some of the artists we’ll really be digging.

Yo La Tengo (Friday, 6:10 PM) – Yo La Tengo’s 24-year history has led to a compelling array of sonic greatness, and their contribution as composer to the soundtrack for the 2006 film Shortbus is indelible.

Final Fantasy (Saturday, 4:15 PM) – The solo work of openly gay arranger and composer Owen Pallett, who has worked with The Arcade Fire, Beirut (who will also be at Pitchfork on Saturday) and many more artists, is masterful. If his win for Canada’s inaugural Polaris Prize and honorary degree for composition that he received in 2002 for composing since the age of 13 are any indication, Pallet is definitely someone to check out.

Ponytail (Saturday, 4:30 PM) – Baltimore group Ponytail have got a lot of verve, much of it coming through queer frontwoman Molly Siegel. The powerful vocals and charged performances will definitely have you dancing.

The National (Saturday, 8:40 PM) – This New York band was part of the Dark Was the Night compilation released last year for HIV/AIDS fundraising organization Red Hot. Two of the band members were producers of that album, which also featured a duet between Feist and Ben Gibbard and original recordings by Antony of Antony and the Johnsons, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stevens and Yo La Teng

Grizzly Bear (Sunday, 7:25 PM) – The beautiful folk rock of Grizzly Bear will help close out the festival (right before The Flaming Lips rock it out). Led by openly gay Ed Droste, the band’s unique lyricism and understated melodies are essential listening.