Not since the Riot Grrl movement has there likely been a better time for alternative female singer-songwriters. With the likes of Feist, M.I.A., Lily Allen, and (on a smaller scale — for now), St. Vincent and Kate Nash blowing doors off packed venues, women are reclaiming a fair share of the spotlight. The trainwrecks in the female mainstream spotlight (Britney, Amy Winehouse, et al.) can only help, making the intelligent, grounded women named above seem even better by comparison. Thank goodness, then, that Thao Nguyen & the Get Down Stay Down offer their stunning full-length, We Brave Bee Stings and All, under these conditions — it might actually receive the attention it deserves. (more…)