Editorial Review

After its most prolonged absence from the recording studio, Sleater-Kinney has reloaded with a smoldering rock and roll record that rivals John Lennon’s Read more

Reviews (93)

Finally
A thin, reedy, weak voice caterwauling is caterwauling nonetheless. Finally, the production adds some much needed depth and masculinity to this girl-pop trio. Let's face it, the vocals for this group on previous outings were Spears-esque, or Madonna-lite-like at best. Try as they might, these ladies could never match Dalle or Love or Hynde. But Fridmann saved the day by injecting an interesting set of distorted textures and saved these ladies from themselves. This is their only worthwhile record, and man is it a good one.

Hate to see 'em go out like this
Man do I love this band, and "Dig Me Out" and "The Hot Rock" fall firmly in my top 20 albumbs by any artist, but this album is far too inconsistent to recommend. Some GREAT songs, and some that aren't getting better even on the 20th+ listen.

Worse Than Awful- Don't Believe The Hype!
I bought this album based on the media hype preceding its release. It was described by one critic as Led Zeppelin with estrogen or something to that effect. Not being familiar with Sleater-Kinney's previous efforts, I came to this CD with fresh ears and fairly high expectations...which were shattered when I listened to it the first time. Some albums take a while to grow on me so I listened to it a few more times before deciding unequivocally that I hated it. Although "The Woods" is overly recorded, poorly sang and terribly unfocused, I do admit that I like "The Fox". After that I go into a post-punk-induced coma. Refund please! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Indie Rock    2. Pop    3. Punk    4. Rock    5. United States of America   

Editorial Review

With their two-guitar interplay and scrappy rock-goddess assault, Olympia, Washington, gave us the highly touted Sleater-Kinney who created something nearly impossible in 1997: a truly dynamic and vital punk album. Moreover, they're one of the only bands going that can dip into completely non-ironic, celebratory rock convincingly. Read more

Reviews (70)

An absolutely brilliant album -- very close to their best
Most of the time my favorite Sleater-Kinney album is CALL THE DOCTOR, but there are many days when I think it might be this one.I really love the rawness and primitiveness of CALL THE DOCTOR, but there are times I prefer to more intricate arrangements and more polished playing on this one.Luckily, nothing really hangs on my preferring one album to the other.I can love both and still be a good person.
New Listener Blown Away
Wow.How have I not heard this album before? I've been aware of the band for a long time but only recently bought this disc when I couldn't find anything else appealing on the racks. I practically haven't stopped playing it since.
The CD Cover
This is not a review of the CD, since I dont even have it, but while I was looking at the reviews I saw the CD cover, and is it me or are they doing a shout-out to The Kinks, because if you compare the covers its the same exact cover as The Kinks - The Kink Kontroversy.I was just wondering if anyone knows if this is deliberate or not.If so, have they ever done any Kink songs before?Well anyways I just thought that was cool. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Punk    5. Riot Grrrl    6. Rock   

Reviews (10)

The Best L7 Album
I really love this album it completely rocks and the production is just that little bit more raw than bricks are heavy... and American Society is way better than Pretend We're Dead
Great
I love "Smell the magic", it's my favorite L7 album. It's hard, rough, tough and dirty- everything I want. "Shove" is great, but it doesn't beat "Fast and Frightening", "Deathwish", "Packin' a Rod" and "American Society". All the other songs are great as well!
A classic
L7 defintely was my favorite band in the early/mid' 90s. Their music was loud, heavy yet catchy. I discovered L7 when I was flipping through the issue of Rolling Stone that had Nirvana on the cover, Kurt Cobain had a t-shirt that said "corporate magazines sucks".In the issue, there were a bunch of up and coming artists/bands listed and one of them was L7. I was immediately intrigued and bought their major label debut album "Bricks Are Heavy". I loved that album right away and I eventually bought the band's other two albums, their self-titled album and "Smell the Magic". "Smell the Magic" is my favorite of the two independently released albums. The songs were just as catchy as "Pretend We're Dead" and "Everglade". I particularly love "Fast and Frightening", "Deathwish", and "'Til the Wheels Fall Off". "Smell the Magic" is just as good as "Bricks Are Heavy". I miss the '90s when music was still about music and less about bling bling and materialistic garbage that I see on MTV. There was something pure and honest that came out of bands like L7 and Social Distortion. They weren't all about image. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Grunge    4. Pop    5. Punk    6. Riot Grrrl    7. Rock   

Editorial Review

Somewhat poppier than their previous album, Read more

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Reviews (19)

Not One Bad Song On This Album
Kicking off with the driving riff in "Wargasm", L7 know how to rock. I remember hearing about L7 here and there when i was growing up, but never thought anything more about them. Then i heard that their song "Sh*tlist" was used in Natural Born Killers a few years ago, so i watched it again and thought it sounded really cool..it really fits the movie perfectly. Then, like another reviewer, i heard their song "Pretend We're Dead" (Probably the most 'poppy' song on this album) on the game GTA: San Andreas and thought..enough is enough, i gotta buy an album of theirs and so this is it. And i really can't pick a bad song on this, they're all great. They really do mix rock/grunge/metal/pop in and out of each song.
This album ROCKS
I first heard "Pretend we're Dead" off GTA: San Andreas on Xbox. I liked the song, and then saw the album and bought the album, which was produced by Butch Vig. It's a match made in heaven. This album is the best L7 record. Alot of the songs sound the same, but thats ok, its great. "Hungry for Stink", most songs sound different on that album. This is one of my favorite albums ever. The best song is "Scrap". This album retails for $13, cheaper than most. It's a must.

one of the 90's best
L7 has always been a fav of mine. I consider this album to be one of the best of the 90's in it's category. And what category would it be considered? Not knowing is what makes it great. The album is perfect, from start to finish. Don't know if they're still around or not but would be one of the only bands that i would go to see these days of mediocrity. Hope that they are remembered for the music and not only for the infamous 'tampon incident'. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Grunge    4. Pop    5. Punk    6. Riot Grrrl    7. Rock   

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Reviews (82)

slut me open
Heavy, raw and open; this CD really blows away any of the so called "Riot Grrls." A lot of kids want "Punk Rock" but they want it as a suburban commodity, nice and pretty and clean.These songs are angry, pissed off, dirty and ooze with female bombast.This is a classic CD and when the smoke clears, you will see that this is grungier and nastier than Nirvana or other so called grunge bands.

Falling Down, and what an entertaining ride it is!
I love this album! This almost as good as Live Through This (I may like this better but its just not as easy to listen to over and over as Live Through This is).
time flys when your fallin down.
Holes debut album 'Pretty on the inside ' is by far [in my opinion] the best album they put out , its a hurricane of rage , pushing every button until theres nothing left to push. As soon as the album starts it immediatly pulls you in , and takes you for a violent ride in which theres no slowing down , no time to catch your breath . Your shot through Courtneys world of sex , rage , desperation , denial ,pain and turmoil all through a haze of smoke . This is definitly the most raw of all their albums and it shows that they were better off [musically] pre-Kurt Cobain. There is no soft [poppy] spot on this album , which is what makes it truly extraordinairy , i agree with the reviewer who says theres no other band like HOLE in the 00's and this was an amazing start, as much as i love the other albums i wish they would have stayed on the in-your-face path that they started out on in Pretty on the inside. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Grunge    3. Pop    4. Riot Grrrl    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

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Reviews (391)

Courney Love is better than this...
Don't get me wrong, it's a good album, by the standards of any other artist. But as her only solo album, her defining album? It stinks. I always bet Courtney would be a terrific songwriter when she's drugged up but I didn't think she'd actually do it. Her talent shines through (especially in Mono, one of the best singles I've heard. great song) but this is not Love at her best. I am so, so glad she's coming out with another album that she wrote when she was in rehab, and very early reviews are good, because Courtney Love is too good to sign out with "America's Sweetheart". I get the feeling she didn't put in much effort.
Awesome
A great cd! More heavy metal then anything else. Not better then her older band hole, but still awesome. With great beats this cds rocks, and will never age, like Hole. Give it a listen you will not be disapointed!

"Why does it rain on my parade?"
Courtney Love's first solo album, America's Sweetheart (love the title) is a solid effort by the grunge/glam girl. Her voice is a little shot and weak than her Hole albums but I like this album, very brave and catchy. My favorite track is Almost Golden, I can hear this song about 10 times in a row, soooooo good! Mono, But Julian I'm a little bit older than you, Hold on to me, Sunset Strip, All the Drugs, and The Zepplin Song are all standouts. Too bad Courtney can't staighten her personal life out because she is a genius when it comes to creating music, hope she gets the help she needs, don't want to see talent like hers go down the toilet. Get this album if you love Hole, very close to that sound. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Bass (Electric)    3. Drums    4. Grunge    5. Guitar (Electric)    6. Pop    7. Post-Grunge    8. Riot Grrrl    9. Rock    10. Rock/Pop    11. United States of America    12. Vocals   

Editorial Review

Everyone knew that Sleater-Kinney were capable of creating some intense (and infectious) blasts of punk and pop, but in 1999 they finally got the production treatment they deserved. Read more

Reviews (85)

If you like this, then you'll like this...
If you are a fan of Ashlee Simpson or Kelly Osbourne, I think you'll really like this album. This seems to be the template for their careers. If you are into anything rougher/cruder in sound than those ladies, I'd say stay away from this. It will only disappoint.

Possibly the Best Album of All Time
The title may seem drastic, but you know they deserve it. First off to other reviewers who hear this album once then claim they hate should not be allaowed to review. To review an album to need to listen to it over and over, anylising every aspect, and that is epsecially true for this stunningly complex album.
Look at the name of the reviewer below (it says: The Jerk)
Also, pay attention to the fluctuating 4 to 4-and-a-half star rating this album got as of 1999, after 84 reviews. That means, more or less, 84 people gave this album a review that warrants at least an "excellent". Sleater-Kinney will be missed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Drums    3. Guitar    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Punk    7. Riot Grrrl    8. Rock    9. Vocals   

Reviews (2)

Not so Jack Off Jill
I'm only giving this 5 stars because the actual recordings are priceless. However I'm telling you now. DO NOT BUY THIS ALBUM
Raw Teenage Agression
I recommend this CD for any one who loves the rawest, most aggressive riot grrrl acts such as Babes In Toyland and Hole (circa their debut album Pretty On The Inside) and Jack Off Jill's first album Sexless Demons And Scars.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Goth Rock    3. Pop    4. Punk    5. Riot Grrrl    6. Rock   

Editorial Review

Sleater-Kinney's musical manifesto is a wake-up call to not only the old boy network, but to young women who find themselves increasingly at odds with it. Helmed by Corin Tucker (Heaven's To Betsy) and Carrie Brownstein (Excuse 17), this trio is not only furious and formidable, but genuinely significant. On a musical landscape populated by open sewers like The 7 Mary Bush Pilots Idiot-Grunge Revival or Hootie's Home for the Terminally Bland and Sensitive, Tucker's spine-shivering voice shrieking "I wanna be your Joey Ramone / Pictures of me on your bedroom door" cracks through the narcotic haze of mediocrity like a rat tail on a bare bottom. When she declares herself "The Queen of Rock & Roll," I'm inclined to smile and think "If only." Cultural importance aside, this rocks. Their eerily dead-on Sonic Youth snippet in "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" had me checking the credits for a Kim Gordon cameo, while "Little Mouth," "Stay Where You Are" and the incendiary title track are some of the most raging chunks of punk found around these parts since Greg Sage shook the rain off his rubbers. More than recommended: required. Read more

Reviews (24)

By any measure, a flat out musical masterpiece
Sleater-Kinney is a band I can only talk about using superlatives.Easily the best all-female band in the history of rock.In my opinion the best rock band of the past decade based on actual output (I defy anyone to name a band that has produced six albums as great as Sleater-Kinney has in the past ten years; Belle and Sebastian can come close, but too much of their work of the past five years has been uneven).They were originally viewed as the best of the second wave of riot grrrl bands, but I think that has obscured just how extraordinary this band is.Our society tends to marginalize too many women artists and performers by relegating them to "Female" status, much as I did in the second sentence of this review.Mind you, they are the greatest female rock band ever, but there is a sense in which that helps obscure just how great they are.Radiohead is a great band, but their output from 1996 to the present is not nearly as impressive as Sleater-Kinney's.
the sound of a great band coming into its own
S-K's first album has one great song ("Slow Song") but Call the Doctor is the one where you hear them separating themselves from the rest of the riot grrrl pack. It was here that their lyrics began to move beyond the valid yet cliche sloganeering of their Olympia peers. But they certainly didn't become "apolitical," as some of the more simple-minded have said. In fact, "Call the Doctor" is a wonderful song about the medicalization of power and discourses of normalization that would have made Foucault jealous for its analytic depth. Ditto with "Little Mouth" and "Anonymous." I'll take Sleater-Kinney over a Judith Butler lecture any day of the week. The major highlight is Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker shrieking together on "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone," the title of which brilliantly captures their long-running ambivalence about whether they want to be included in the great rock music canon's stairway to heaven or whether they want to destroy the canon altogether because the rules of inclusion are slanted against women rockers to begin with. Either way, this album established Corin and Carrie as the greatest punk rock songwriting team since Joe Strummer and Mick Jones. Oh, and I love love love the song "Good Things"! "Some things you lose/ some things you give away"... Good work ladies.

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone
Let me first make a point by saying that I agree with the reviewer that said this was their critical breakthrough album."I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" is the standout here like most people say, but this album is more than that."Call The Doctor", "Anonymous" and "Taking Me Home" are indie rock anthems that will go down in history.I'm sorry, but I just don't care for "Little Mouth"."Good Things" is my favorite song on the album because I can easily relate to it when me and my girlfriend were going through hard times.Do yourself a favor and buy this.You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Punk    5. Riot Grrrl    6. Rock   

Editorial Review

It has all the blistering guitar work, punk-rock harmonies, andthunderous drumming of their previous efforts. But with Read more

Reviews (87)

Strident grrl rock that makes no apologies for being catchy.
Let's skip the formalities; this album is amazing. If you like female rockers, vocal harmony, or catchy lyrics that also happen to make a statement, All Hands on the Bad One is for you.
"Watch me make up my mind, instead of my face"
Out of all Sleater-Kinney's seven releases, All Hands On the Bad One probably stands out as being the most poppy. Yet while Sleater-Kinney can get poppy, they show they also can be political at the same time. The first song 'The Ballad of a Ladyman' explores the state the band is currently in, and their refusal to compromise their morals in order to fit into the mainstream. Feminist themes are present in this album, but Sleater-Kinney do not smack you in the face with them screaming their head off, unlike Kathleen Hanna. Rather, they present their ideas in a more clear and clever manner, allowing you to think. '#1 Must Have' bemoans the state of women's presence (both on and off the stage) in rock music, while 'Male Model' talks about society's idea that female musicians will never be equal to their male counterparts. 'The Professional' deals with the 'good ol boy' network that women (and also minorities) face in the workplace. 'Was It A Lie?' talks about how society's pleasure from women's pain, in one such example as a train accident (another example that comes to mind are rape porn movies). But don't think all of the album is serious and political. 'You're No Rock and Roll Fun' is a great fun pop song as is 'Milkshake n' Honey'. The only song I could do without is 'Leave You Behind' which strays too far from Sleater-Kinney's sound, and ends up sounding like a Veruca Salt song circa 'Eight Arms To Hold You'. 'The Swimmer' is an excellent close to the album, fragile, distant, and yearning. I must say, I was a little disappointed when I bought Sleater-Kinney's album 'Dig Me Out' but now that I got this one I was much more impressed. With bands like Hole, Bikini Kill, Babes In Toyland, and L7 gone, it is great to see an empowering female rock band left.

SK's best album .... Yet.
This album rocks, I recommend it. Complex guitar and vocal work. Very meaningful lyrics. Best Track: #1 Must Have. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Punk    5. Riot Grrrl    6. Rock   

Editorial Review

For all the noisy bluster involving plastic barrettes, thrift-store guitars, and caterwauling political catchphrases, Sleater-Kinney have always been pragmatic about their music. The group's self-titled debut got by on ferocity alone. But each successive release has exhibited a dramatic step forward as youthful exuberance gives way to melody and poise. Read more

Reviews (48)

Another extraordinary Sleater-Kinney album
Viewed in one way, Sleater-Kinney is one of the most boring bands in the world.Think about it.All they do is turn out one exquisite album after another.To shake things up, shouldn't they turn out a clunker every once in a while?Why do they always have to be so great?If I were to rank in order the six albums that followed their debut (and only album that couldn't be described as amazing), I would rank this in a tie for weakest with THE HOT ROCK.Yet I wouldn't consider giving either album a rating lower than five stars.They really are that great.
Too Political
I was very pleased to see some of the fire back in this group.They really have not written a ballad that brings out any emotion that I remember, unless you count "Good Thing", a classic.Therefore I really couldn't see how Hot Rock received so much praise as it contained many ballads, the only explanation was the critics were getting on the bandwagon and were forced to write good reviews of their work.I always stuck up for critics because they exposed me to music I never would have heard and many times they championed the interesting releases, but lately I read them and they all are so conditioned to be what they are told they should be it is sickening.Yes exposing us to Sleater-Kinney's first three was incredibly generous, but The Hot Rock just seemed not to deserve the praise it got, the band wasn't maturing they were becoming bland.A couple songs seemed to be leftovers that were nice for completists like myself, but reviewers that championed this one seemed like sheep.All Hands On The Bad One should have gotten love/hate reviews and instead got all middle of the road boring write ups.Now One Beat comes with them playing to their strengths again, but this falls short of their best work. Mainly because people have to share the same philosophy as the political message dictates to really enjoy this CD, also the music seems like it is just going through the motions.I am even a whiney liberal and couldn't get into the lyrics.I am curious how the conservatives insult us for speaking out against the government(America).Especially when they brag about free speech and living in a free country.Then we are told by conservatives if we don't like our government we should move, it seems like free speech is only listened to if it agrees with conservative propoganda.I also notice the conservatives want to take away not only this right, but every other one that conflicts with their idea of right and wrong.Any rule they say they follow should be a law for everyone to live by and the hypocrisy that occurs can easily be ignored.I am glad we didn't question Bush for him starting a war with Saddam, because he looked like the guy we really had reason to attack, Osama.Supporting Bush has really paid off.The world hates us because we are arrogant and feel we have the right to impose our way of thought on every foreign country and if they don't agree we will attack them.We have gotten tons our soldiers, innocent young kids, killed fighting for no reason.We also have lost another war by repeating history and not being able to defeat people that know the tactics necessary to win a war fought on their land. Against soldiers that are willing to die to defeat us.One Beat does give the listener other things to think about, that Haunted House song is the catchiest thing they have done, please tell me this is a metaphor and the girls don't really believe in ghosts.I also love their adrenalin fueled rants.How two girls exchanging screams sounds so good always amazes me.I am back on the bandwagon.I guess my review sucks too, but I think it supports the idea that it is best for a lot of people to write reviews and the listener can get a better idea of what to expect.

Jackpot!
So I was downloading music...yeah, shoot me...and decided to download some Bikini Kill. I downloaded a whole album and was listening to it and suddenly, halfway through the album...what's this I hear? A new voice? GOOD MUSIC??? (come on, I may listen to Bikini Kill, but, well, let's be honest. It's not for the raw talent and musical genius). Somehow it had gotten mixed in with BK. So I figured out who it was.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Indie Rock    2. Pop    3. Punk    4. Riot Grrrl    5. Rock   

Editorial Review

The L.A. quartet was already way up in the grrl pantheon when this disc put them over the top. "Hungry for Stink" delivers a primitive, sludgy, and pissed-off sound, but listen closer for the sonic invention on tracks like "Shirley, She Has Eyes" and "Riding With the Movie Star." Read more

Reviews (14)

A most listen!
If you like Bricks are heavy, your love this cd! The same metal beat but with cooler lyrics. Fast and in your face! My favorite song would be Shirley, its about a drag race that has its frist woman driver. Really awesome. A cd for the metalheads.

A Great Record
I love this album, i own all 6 L7 albums and must say this is one of their best, maybe tied with "Bricks are Heavy". My fav song is "Stuck Here Again", even though it has a somewhat country-sound to it. I love the guitar on that song. Also, "Riding With A Movie Star", is kind of cool. And, ofcourse, Andres!, all in all, its a good album. Another worthy track is "Fuel my Fire". I would buy this if i were reading this like you are.

One of the best metal grunge bands ever!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't really like this band anymore because I have made a radical life change over the years and I just don't listen to this type of music anymore. But I still had to get on here and give this band some respect. These girls freaken rock, and even though there lyrics aren't quite the best, I've heard a lot worse on the mainstream radio. The don't sugarcoat anything at all. They tell it how they see it through their eyes. The basic fact is, these girls know how to jam. There is no other band that does it quite like them. They'll go down in my musical history books.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Grunge    4. Pop    5. Punk    6. Riot Grrrl    7. Rock   

Editorial Review

After its most prolonged absence from the recording studio, Sleater-Kinney has reloaded with a smoldering rock and roll record that rivals John Lennon’s Read more

Features

• Limited Edition

Reviews (93)

Finally
A thin, reedy, weak voice caterwauling is caterwauling nonetheless. Finally, the production adds some much needed depth and masculinity to this girl-pop trio. Let's face it, the vocals for this group on previous outings were Spears-esque, or Madonna-lite-like at best. Try as they might, these ladies could never match Dalle or Love or Hynde. But Fridmann saved the day by injecting an interesting set of distorted textures and saved these ladies from themselves. This is their only worthwhile record, and man is it a good one.

Hate to see 'em go out like this
Man do I love this band, and "Dig Me Out" and "The Hot Rock" fall firmly in my top 20 albumbs by any artist, but this album is far too inconsistent to recommend. Some GREAT songs, and some that aren't getting better even on the 20th+ listen.

Worse Than Awful- Don't Believe The Hype!
I bought this album based on the media hype preceding its release. It was described by one critic as Led Zeppelin with estrogen or something to that effect. Not being familiar with Sleater-Kinney's previous efforts, I came to this CD with fresh ears and fairly high expectations...which were shattered when I listened to it the first time. Some albums take a while to grow on me so I listened to it a few more times before deciding unequivocally that I hated it. Although "The Woods" is overly recorded, poorly sang and terribly unfocused, I do admit that I like "The Fox". After that I go into a post-punk-induced coma. Refund please! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Indie Rock    2. Pop    3. Punk    4. Rock    5. United States of America   

Editorial Review

Though peers such as Hole's Courtney Love and Babes in Toyland's Kat Bjelland became more famous, no riot grrrl screamed with as much emotional force as Kathleen Hanna. Though it's frequently difficult to hear what she's saying, especially above the glorious din of Billy Karren's fierce guitar, Hanna declares herself a "self-fulfilling porno queen" on "Sugar," and threatens to "scratch out your eyes" with her "long red nails" in "Lil Red." The quartet's relentless hardcore is straight from the Dead Kennedys school, which means it's tough to take in large doses when you're in a reflective mood, but 1993's Read more

Reviews (26)

Feminism musically expressed mid 90's.A masterpiece.
Ordinarily I don't write a review when there's already over 5 or so reviews.But, I can't help myself here.I made a 60 minute tape of this, the first split album and their other short album along with the Peel 7".I left off about 3 songs altogether.It made for one swingin' tape.
Feminism Is Still Relevant and Important
This album speaks to a cause, and this type of music usually ends up preaching to the choir, but so what the choir needs sermons too.Anyone who has felt the inside incinerating frustration that comes from being aware of the injustice to the "other" (all non white heterosexual males) inherent in most practiced western ideologies will smile at the angry irony in the tiny "cute" voice with which Kathleen Hanna delivers her biting testimonies of "otherness". There is a certain catharsis in this musical project which renders it inarticulate.The lyrics aren't all that eloquent, however, if you listen close you might notice they're pretty well read.Most people spend a lot more time with Michael Crichton than they do any theorist, but not Ms. Hanna. Musically the songs are energizing, melodies brewed according to a pretty standard punk formula. Unfortunately for you, Bikini Kill (now defunct)were probably at their best live.Live they could express themselves through action as well as music.Typically, Kathleen Hanna would remove an article of clothing at some point during the show, like her skirt, and state that her "big" ass adorned with cellulite and unflattering underwear was a "real ass" unlike that of say a playboy centerfold whose so air brushed she might as well be wearing clothes. A record can't compete with the way an action like that drives the message home. Feminism is still important.Those who believe riot grrls (however you want to call them or spell it) are redundant or unnecessary have been tricked.The power structure (which has not changed since the '60's) wants you to believe that it has reformed itself, and legally, technically it has.Laws are in place, and women in Illinois make 73 cents on every dollar a man does.Fair?Women have nothing to complain about?No, they shouldn't be complaining.What the are they doing out of the kitchen?

I'll scratch out yr eyes!
This is one of the best female albums I've ever heard!! I got their tape from a friend, and I listened to it and fell in love. The best songs are probably Speed Heart, Rebel Girl, and Lil Red. The screaming is rad, because they don't even try to sound cool or anything, they just plain scream. I love it!! I'll probably buy it on CD though, because tapes are smelly and annoying. But anyways, GO BUY IT!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Punk    5. Riot Grrrl    6. Rock   

Reviews (16)

Kathleen Hanna Is The Queen Of My World!
Bikini Kill was the definitive riot grrrl band and should have gotten way better promotion.First off, this 17 minute disc has some of the best punk songs that I've ever heard."Rebel Girl" "New Radio" and "I Like F***ing" are all grrrl anthems that will stand the test of time.I completely disagree with Spin's mini review of the album.Bikini Kill was an indie band that said so many positive and real things that inspired me to spread the word about their awesome music.Guys, buy this for yr grrrlfriend and pick up a copy for yrself too (I mean, guys can't relate to what Kathleen has gone through, but it is one hell of an album and not to offend any feminist because I am one myself, Kathleen is a babe!)

I believe in the radical possibilities of pleasure, babe
Bikini Kill were a phenomenal band, too bad they aren't around anymore. Kathleen Hanna screams about what it's like to be a woman; the pain, anger, and frusteration. She is bold, blunt, and doesn't hold anything back. 'I Like F*cking' is possibly one of the best feminist songs ever written. All the other songs are excellent and I can't pick standouts because they're ALL standouts. Especially recommended to teenage girls.

A brief look at SPIN's editorial review of THE SINGLES
I'm really only writing this review for the sake of pointing out how ...SPIN magazine is - often criticized by the band for it's superficial reporting of the punk underground, we find that the dumb ...can't even review a CD properly...right on the main Amazon.com listing for this album, SPIN describes the CD:Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Punk    5. Riot Grrrl    6. Rock   

Reviews (19)

GIRLS WITH GUTS
When I first bought this CD a year ago I hated it.I couldn't even listen to it all the way through.But I was drawn by some force to listen to it again, and I ended up becoming a Babes fanatic.It's a little jarring at first, because this is unlike anything you've ever heard.(if you're like me and hadn't heard many female rockers)Fontanelle is a little over-produced (Painkillers is better) but it still contains some of their best work.These girls are gutsy and very likeable.