2 posts tagged “sleater-kinney”

In answer to Cock Rock and Wizard Rock, comes: Riot Grrrl!

Let's be clear about this, this is not a definitive guide to all things Riot Grrrl, but just some selections of music that I have and liked.

I've always been fond of this music genre, which started in the early 90s through music and fanzines. The origin of the name seems to have come from Jen Smith (Bratmobile) writing a letter to Allison Wolfe about how the Summer of 1991 was going "to be a girl riot." Soon afterwards, Wolfe, Kathleen Hanna and Tobi Vail were inspired to create a fanzine called Riot Grrrl.

The explosion of Riot Grrrl music and political and social message leaked into the mass media. Soon, there was a backlash of Grrrl being "anti-men". Imagine that! By 1994-1995, there were hundreds of bands in this genre. Although Riot Grrrl still exists to this day, it's not that prevalent (at least in music).

Here are some Riots I like:

BIKINI KILL THE Riot Grrrl band. This is just a quick summary, I'm sure I will be revisiting for a more in-depth look at Kathleen Hanna's career. The first song I heard from them is "New Radio", so I got into them late in the game. But it was the most amazingly different song I've ever heard. I didn't have a record player for the longest time, so I'm glad they compiled all the 7" into Singles on CD in 1998 (by which time they had broke up).

Bikini Kill - New Radio 1 comment

BRATMOBILE The other band that's closely tied to the Riot movement. I have Pottymouth (1993), but I did not actually see them live until years later when they reformed and toured with Le Tigre. I picked up Ladies, Women and Girls (2000) immediately and discovered that after a seven years gap, that they sound EXACTLY the same! There's something very comforting in that. Trivia: I think one of the girl dated Graham Coxon, so they did a medley of "There's No Other Way" and "No You Don't" on John Peel's radio show.

Bratmobile - Cheap Trick Record

TEAM DRESCH I only have Personal Best (1994), which I'm assuming the cover is also a recreation of Mariel Hemingway's movie "Personal Best" (1982). They're known as a queercore band, but I've never really thought of them that hardcore (loud) as Lunachicks or Babes in Toyland. They broke up, but reformed in 2004 for some shows.

Team Dresch - Fagetarian and Dyke 2 comments

THE SMEARS I have always associated these three girls to be part of Riot, but I don't think these girls actually wanted to be part of that movement. Their album Love is Fer Suckers (1994) is fantastic. I believe they named their album off a Twisted Sisters song! They sound like a girls version of the Ramones!

The Smears - Honey Jar

EXCUSE 17 Excuse 17 was a short-lived band, releasing only two albums, Excuse Seventeen (1994) and Such Friends Are Dangerous (1995), before breaking up. Carrie Brownstein went on to join this band called Sleater-Kinney.

Excuse 17 - Special Guest, Me 2 comments

HUGGY BEAR I've always thought they were a girl band, but when I bought the album, Weaponry Listens to Love (1994), I was disappointed to hear that it's mostly driven by singer Chris Rowley. If you're looking for more sound like "No Sleep" off of Taking the Rough with the Smooch (1993), then don't get Weaponry (unless you like Punk music, it's a pretty good punk album). Trivia: Nude Records wanted to sign these guys really badly. Huggy Bear said they'd only sign if Nude drop Suede. Suede was Nude's biggest money-making band, so of course there was no deal.

Huggy Bear - No Sleep

CHIA PET Inspired by Riot Grrrls, the girl editors at Sassy Magazine form Chia Pet in 1992. They were not that serious about it, but managed to release one single and contributed one song on the Freedom of Choice CD. Their "Hey Baby" song is quite good and I think really represented the Riot sound.

Chia Pet - Hey Baby 4 comments

Before you mention that I am missing certain bands, that is because I don't have their albums.  I know regrettably I don't really have any Babes in Toyland or Lunachicks.  Although I do have cover songs they both did, which may surface on cover lover.  Here's Lunachicks' Heart of Glass and watch for a Carpenters cover by Babes in Toyland.

Related: Bangs - Scorpi-oh, Le Tigre - Bang! Bang!, and Chia Pet - Hey (Don't You Want Me) Baby

 July 14, 2007 2:55 PM  vu my w♥m posts vu@weheartmusic.com  hot-topic.org/riotgrrrl

Lodi's very own horror-movie-loving, skull-collecting, fan-pummeling, Jerry-Only-hating, muscle-bound poet turned 52 yesterday.

I wanted to post half a dozen pictures of a shirtless Danzig pretending not to flex, pointing, or just looking mean, but then I'd have to pass out the smelling salts, wouldn't I? So, all you get is a bunch of covers and live performances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nutley Brass, who've also covered the Ramones, perform cheerful, lounge versions of 11 Misfits classics. "Die, Die My Darling", "Last Caress", and "Angelfuck" are standouts, though the entire cd is pretty good. "Hatebreeders" is the only song with (oohing) vocals and the least recognizable.

 

 

  

Portland's The Misfats keep the tunes and amusingly mangle the lyrics into the Anti-Danzig: Reveling in all things Fat. Some of their parodies include "Mommy, Can I Go Out and Grill Tonight?", "Hungry Moments", and "Butter". You get it.

Even though I can't make out at least a third of the lyrics, there's enough there to make me giggle. (Glenn Hamzinger declaring "You Don't Go in the Bathroom.. After Me" in "Private Bidness" almost made me choke on my allergy snot.)

If you'd like to hear more, there's a download link on their MySpace blog. I'm not too sure if it still works, though. I do know of another source. Just mail me.

 

 

Aerial M is David Pajo of Pajo, Zwan, Tortoise, etc. From the little that I've heard, his own music is not too different from his accoustic version of "Last Caress", which is almost soothing and pretty -- if you ignore the lyrics.

I kind of laughed at the violent bits. Oh man.

 

 

 

 

Sleater-Kinney and three fifths of Pearl Jam performed "Mother" live in 2005. Googling will easily lead to the mp3.

 

 

 

  

 

The Misfits and Henry Rollins at The Whiskey in 1982. Rollins tries to keep up with Danzig, but just ends up screaming a lot.

 

 

 

 

 

Tip: Don't rent a movie solely based on what was screamed in a Misfits song. This guy's the Roger Corman of music.

 

Snottily, Cristina