Is Taylor Momsen the next big thing in rock?

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 1:12pm

"I want the record out so people can hear it. I'm not a pop artist. It's absolutely a rock record, and I get that people probably aren't expecting that, but, buy the record and check it out," Momsen told MTV News on Saturday at the Bamboozle festival. "If you like loud music, you'll like it. Hopefully. It's very loud. If you're not scared of guitars screaming at you and a 16-year-old girl yelling at you, then you'll like the record."

According to Momsen, the yet-untitled album (which she co-wrote with Pretty Reckless guitarist Ben Phillips) will finally see the light of day "sometime this summer." And, to be quite honest, that date can't come soon enough — because she really wants to stop talking about what it will sound like and let the songs speak for themselves.

"It's a record about life. It focuses on all the negatives — and the positives — of life, but it's not 'Go to a club and dance.' It's not an escape record," she said. "It's absolutely a record to confront your problems and get over them. ... It's death, love, rock and roll, sex, drugs and religion; it covers all bases of life. It's not a concept record, unless you consider life a concept."

Momsen said some of her favorite tracks on the album include "Century Gone," "My Medicine," "Light Me Up" and "Since You're Gone," not to mention the first single, "Make Me Wanna Die" (which was released on the "Kick-Ass" soundtrack). The Reckless have even shot a video for the song, directed by Meiert Avis, who's worked with everyone from U2 to Paramore. And according to Momsen, it's a pretty, uh, "cheery" affair.

"It's for the song 'Make Me Wanna Die,' so to try and emulate kind of an epic-y song that's almost like a film, it was a challenge to come up with a treatment," she said. "So I guess we sort of decided to make it like a death march. You can't live anymore in this world, and you're on your way to your death, and you're seeing everything you're passing, and stripping yourself of your belongings on your way to your grave."

Momsen said the video will be released before the Reckless hit the road on the Warped Tour, which kicks off June 25 in Carson, California. And, yes, she's looking forward to facing the crowds — and changing them from cynics into believers. If she doesn't pass out from the heat, that is.

"I'll remember not to wear a leather jacket onstage next time," she laughed. "I learned that today [at the Bamboozle], because it was so hot that I almost puked onstage."

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1638389/20100504/momsen_taylor.jhtml


Gossip Girl starlet Taylor Momsen is a bad, bad girl. With the heat scorching the stage during an early afternoon set with her band, the Pretty Reckless (whose members had to be double her 16 years, at minimum), Momsen quickly tore off her leather jacket and black t-shirt, leaving the teen barely clad in tiny top and cut-off jeans. Later, during the song "Factory Girl," Momsen sang a line about letting a lover in "through the back door," then turned around and shook her ass. It was creepy for just about everyone, even some of the teenage fans. But here's the catch: While she might not be able to pick the Dead Weather's Alison Mosshart out of a lineup, and was bottle feeding when Hole's Live Through This came out, Momsen's songs are pretty kickass, and the girl can really wail, singing with a remarkably raspy, world-weary howl that's worth taking seriously, even if the jailbait routine isn't.

http://www.spin.com/articles/11-best-moments-bamboozle


Last year, Courtney Love went after Taylor Momsen on Twitter, accusing the actress/ burgeoning rocker of swiping her look, "deeply disturb[ing]" her, and trying to pass off Love's name for credibility's sake.

"I don't watch TV or read teen mags and gossip rags, so I wouldn't know," Love snarled (in 140 characters or less). "Do not still 'like my music' please."

Love was referencing an interview Momsen had given to MTV News earlier in 2009, in which she claimed that Hole was a major influence on the music she was making with her band, the Pretty Reckless.

The feud between the two didn't last for long and all seemed to be forgotten, until Momsen spoke to Entertainment Weekly last month, and, when asked about the frequent comparisons to Love, she proclaimed, "I don't wanna be Courtney Love — I wanna be Kurt Cobain. ... I look at Nirvana. I don't look at Hole."

And suddenly everything started up again. Momsen's quote spread like wildfire around the Internet, with most interpreting it as a pretty huge slap in Love's face, not to mention pretty close to actual hubris. So, when MTV News spoke to Momsen and her Reckless bandmates on Saturday (May 1) at the Bamboozle festival, we asked her if she cared to explain what she meant by the comment — or at least try to pull herself out of rather sizeable hole (no pun intended) she'd dug.

"Everything is taken out of context," Momsen said. "Everyone compares me to Courtney Love. Courtney Love is great, sure, but in all honesty, I'm not trying to be Courtney Love. I would rather be Kurt Cobain, [because] I wrote the record. I'm not either [of them]. I'm saying I would like to be John Lennon, I would like to be Liam Gallagher, I would like to be Robert Plant ... should I keep going? You look up to your idols."

And Momsen didn't stop there, either. Seems she's not trying to back down from her comments to EW, not by a long shot. And she's not apologetic about any of it.

"I grew up listening to the Nirvana records, not the Hole records," she said. "And I'm sorry we both have blonde hair and play rock music. That's it."

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1638639/20100506/story.jhtml
Video: Pretty Reckless performs at the Key Club

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 1:31pm

Dear God, I hope not.

[picturetaker9211]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 10:24pm

Honestly, I feel like she tries too hard. She acts like she's being herself or whatever, but her image is really hardcore, which is great if that's who she really is. I remember when the earthquake in Haiti struck, she said in the interview that it was great that other celebs were helping out, but she didn't have time & wanted to focus on her album. Seriously?! Good for you for being honest, but you just lost a lot of respect there. I also don't like the way her voice sounds, but I also don't like that kind of rock. Can't wait for the drug abuse/madness to follow! ;D

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 11:36pm

Courtney Love is the real deal. There are no substitutes. To quote Sandra Bernhard, Courtney "did things that would split these little bitches in half." Taylor is a spoiled princess-all talk. She fronts like she's a bad ass, but she would fold in a heartbeat if really threatened. NEXT!

[StockardFan]

Posted: 5/11/10 at 8:09am

I don't want a 16 year old screaming at me. I used to teach high school, so I had enough of that then.

[danmag]

Posted: 5/11/10 at 8:32am

Taylor Momsen is a pretentious pain in the ass.


...and if she is the next big thing in rock, then we are in more trouble than I thought.

Updated On: 5/11/10 at 08:32 AM

[winston89]

Posted: 5/11/10 at 9:41am

I feel that she is more of a pop singer rather then a rock singer. She is someone that was in a band that pretty much was formed by a record company because they felt that she and her band would sell. It wasn't as if they did the typical rock band thing where they played one crappy club after another waiting for their break.

This reminds me of an interview I saw with Billy Joel around the time that he was selling out 12 shows in a row at MSG. He was speaking about how he didn't like things like American Idol or modern pop music because all you have to be able to do to succeed in something like that is look good and sing. That you learn more as a musician by touring and playing in crappy venues rather then just starting off at the top. He even commented that when his daughter wanted to go into music, he even suggested that route for her since she would be able to learn so much.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 5/11/10 at 5:23pm

You don't think it's a little bit lame for Courtney to attack a girl who's around the same age as her daughter, Bettyboy?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/11/10 at 7:17pm

Huh??

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/12/10 at 7:20pm

Does no one remember her Cindy Lou singing "Where Are You Christmas?" In THE GRINCH? I liked her better then.

[danmag]

Posted: 5/12/10 at 7:58pm

omg Auggie....I totally forgot about that! I liked her MUCH better then...her Gossip Girl character has simply ruined her for me forever.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 5/13/10 at 1:42pm

Go back and watch her when she sings in the film. I thought she was very charming and that song (written by TITANIC's James Horner) equally so. Very haunting and absolutely captures that awkward, sad moment in childhood when magic and fantasy begin to collapse, as the culture presses in, and you want to cling to its mystery all the more. Wonderful little scene. I don't even like to think of Cindy Lou as an adolescent. The film's cover of the song was done by Faith Hill, with an IDOL-y bridge that diluted its sweetness. I'll take Ms. Momson's version. Even the arrangement is haunting.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 5/13/10 at 2:55pm

@mrmidwest-I don't think its lame when Courtney attacks anyone-she's Courtney freakin' Love. Its what she does. And to be perfectly honest, these young women performers of today have NOTHING on the female rockers of the past several decades. As Ann Wilson said, "we are musicians-these girls today are pole dancers. Huge difference."

[rjm516]

Posted: 5/14/10 at 12:11am

God I hope not. I can't stand her. Watched an interview with her on British ITV3, along with others, and she was so disrespectful in each, and also always wears tees and thigh-high tights, no pants. She's 16! It's just weird.