She Can Really Lay It Down

“There’s so much joy and glory in these portraits” of contemporary female musical artists (from the foreword by Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker staff writer and author of Do Not Sell At Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World’s Rarest 78rpm Records).  She Can Really Lay It Down celebrates fifty incredible women who shredded, sang, and stormed the stage with ferocity and passion. Each incredible musician in this book defied genre and social conventions to shape the music industry as we know it, but have been overlooked simply because they are women.   Sister Rosetta Sharpe, Carol Kaye, Janet Weiss, Carole King, and Wu Man are just a few of the groundbreaking musicians author and illustrator Rachel Frankel shines a spotlight on.   • Each musician is accompanied by a vivid illustration and heartfelt biography • Readers discover new heroes and revisit familiar faces • Features an exposed spine designed to look like the neck of a guitar   These women rock—in every sense of the word.  She Can Really Lay It Down pays homage to songwriters, performers, and musicians from every genre, inspiring a whole new generation of fearless and talented performers.   This coffee table book and conversation starter is a wonderful gift for musicians, diehard music lovers, riot grrrls, singers and songwriters, music teachers, feminists of all ages, and anyone eager for more stories about musical women.

The artists in this book defied genre and social convention to shape the music industry as we know it. But many of these incredible musicians have been overlooked or cast in supporting roles in their own stories simply because they are women. Until now. Author and illustrator Rachel Frankel shines a spotlight on 50 groundbreaking musicians through vivid portraits and heartfelt biographies that bring each icon to life on the page. This book pays homage to the rock goddesses who shredded, sang, and stormed the stage with ferocity and passion, inspiring a whole new generation of fearless, talented performers.