The term "badass" is thrown around far too often, if you ask me. This time, however, there is literally no better description: Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett is nothing short of complete badass. And sure, so's her music, but we're kind of obsessed with the singer herself.
We caught her act at the 2014 Northside Music Festival in Brooklyn and were blown away. We'd heard Barnett's music and loved it, but seeing her perform on for a packed room in the heart of Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood brought her music to a whole other level. Black and white animations played behind Barnett as she simply let loose onstage. This isn't an artist going for an "aesthetic" or placing any emphasis on superficiality: she's all music and nothing else. From the ease of her conversation with the crowd to her devil-may-care style of taking the stage, Barnett is a musician we can really get behind because that's all she's about: the music.
Look, we're not saying we don't love when other artists put lots of work into theatrics and performing (that's fun too), but it's nice to know that there is a section of the music industry that appreciates a woman who is doing nothing more than killing it onstage and practically saying, "if you don't like what you see, I don't give a fuck." Men have been doing that for years onstage, but women doing the same are fewer and far between.
You probably already know one or two of Barnett's songs for their laid back lyrics and slightly drunken rhythms, but Barnett's got quite a few tricks up her t-shirt sleeves:
"Avant Gardener" — The Song You Know
Good music plus Wes Anderson-esque tennis makes us very happy.
"Anonymous Club" — AKA, Next Level
Fun fact: These are some of the illustrations that scrolled behind Barnett during her Northside performance. Pretty neat, eh?
"History Eraser" — The Closer
Annnnnnd we're hooked.
