Local music is alive and well in San Diego, specifically when it comes toLGBT-friendly acts. Check out these awesome female-fronted bands! While not all of the musicians below identify as lesbians (some even prefer to leave their personal sexual orientation out of the music discussion), you can still find them active in San Diego's gay community. They're guaranteed to blow your mind and delight your ears, each in their own very special way! It's only a matter of time before any or all of these acts blow up - now you can say you were the first to know about them! The best part is: they are all friends, so suck it, stereotypes about women!

The Lovebirds
One has perfect pitch. One has perfect dimples. Together, they make the perfect pair. Sounding very much not like The Indigo Girls (although they’ll take the compliment), The Lovebirds are a folk/pop duo featuring award-winning San Diego songwriters Lindsay White and Veronica May. While most of the songs on their brand spankin’ new debut album Nutsy Pants focus on love, life for The Lovebirds is not always chirpy. They have faced a host of obstacles throughout their musical and romantic partnership, including divorce, mental illness, parental estrangement, and hospitalization. Thanks to the power of love and music, The Lovebirds can take a beating and keep on tweeting. The Lovebirds just finished up a very successful month-long West Coast Tour. They have received national media attention (Curve, OutFront Colorado), national radio airplay (KLCC /NPR Eugene), and international blog recognition (Homegrown Podcast-UK, and Out of the Pan- Australia). Whether playing for pop fans, folkies, or their LGBT family, The Lovebirds are known for having a unique mass appeal. They were the Official Showcase selection at last year’s Far West Folk Festival, they opened for national touring act Raining Jane featuring Jason Mraz at the House of Blues main stage, and they are scheduled to play this year’s Pride festival in Moab, Utah and will play your Pride event in a hot minute. Check out their lesbian “anthem” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqFAODJU3YE&feature=plcp

Find out more:
www.thelovebirdsmusic.com

Tori Roze & the Hot Mess
Seeking nothing more than to shed light on the human experience, Tori Roze is a key artist in conveying the emotional intent behind a song. If you are seeing her live, hold on tight because you might not be the same after she opens her mouth. “Hearing Tori Roze’s sultry voice for the first time is like learning that Santa Claus isn’t real: It absolutely breaks your heart. Roze seduces you with her Erykah Badu-esque flair, and just when you think she can’t be any smoother, she claws her way into your ears with her rocking roars” (San Diego City Beat 2011). The Hot Mess, comprised of five exceptional jazz-infused musicians that literally bring the house down (one of which is her mother), is sure to leave you reeling with toe-tapping excitement. Since the release of their “old school jazz” style debut album “From the Hip” (recorded in one day and completed in three by multiple Grammy Award winning engineer Alan Sanderson), Tori Roze and The Hot Mess have been blazing a trail with local & regional media not to mention playing alongside the likes of The Bird & The Bee, Margaret Cho, and JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound. Although their first “official” release as a group, the album was nominated for Best Blues Album in the 2011 San Diego Music Awards. “If you combined the music of Erykah Badu, Ella Fitzgerald, and Janis Joplin, you would acquire what our sound is. We like to put some stank on it, bottom line,” Roze says of their fearless musical style. Their edge being that of heart-driven souls mixed with the nitty gritty truth, Tori Roze and The Hot Mess are sure to leave you with a sense of relative human connection and an original style that is absolutely unforgettable.
Find out more: http://toriroze.com/

Sister Speak

After several tours, singer/songwriters Samantha Cathcart & Sherri-Anne have teamed up to form "Sister Speak." The two artists met in the Chicago music scene shortly after completing their own debut albums. They have since performed over 350 shows together, including appearances at the NAMM Show, on Canada's global TV, at various festivals, and all over the USA and western Canada. Sister Speak has recently made San Diego their home and were nominated 'Best New Artist' at the 2011 San Diego Music Awards. They were also named one of Music Connection Magazine's "Hot 100 Unsigned Bands" for 2011. Whether performing as a duo or backed by their astounding rhythm section, Sister Speak's powerful presence is inspiring and refreshing, combining mesmerizing vocals with elements of 'Acoustic-Rock, Blues & World.' In addition to their 2 live CD's, a new album for 2012 is in the works! "

Find out more: http://www.sisterspeakmusic.com/

Bitter Sober:

Bitter Sober is a San Diego based indie pop/rock band currently in the studio recording their first full length album with Beth Ladwig of elliotthedog music, inc.  After being discovered on Myspace by Beth in late 2008, Bitter Sober has recorded and released their first EP, created and released their first music video, played countless packed shows in San Diego and gone on four tours, three up and down the West Coast and one which took the band as far as Wisconsin and back.  The band has opened for popular national acts DEVO and Blake Lewis (of American Idol fame) and puts on a highly energetic and entertaining live show.  Bitter Sober’s first full length album was released in July 2011

Find out more: http://elliotthedog.com/bittersober/

Tori:

A Long Island native, Tori moved to California in 2003 and promptly discovered her passion for songwriting. At 18, she started playing coffee houses and busking street corners. At one of these shows, Beth Ladwig, from elliotthedog Records and Bitter Sober, heard Tori, saw her potential, signed her immediately to her label and started working on her first album. In an astonishing one month, the duo combined to record over 20 songs, 10 of which make up her debut album. Even before officially releasing a note of music, Tori has been chosen to open up for Jewel and Colbie Caillat at the new Western Metal Supply Concert Series to benefit Stand Up 2 Cancer.

Find out more: http://elliotthedog.com/tori/