Babes in Toyland

Painkillers (Warner Bros)
by Carolyn Gaines

Whoa, baby! This trio is the most definitive example of “riot grrrrls” to come this way in a long time. How something such as this wonderful trio of angry, young women made it into the corporate monster that is Time Warner, I know not. But I’m glad. Talk about the ultimate pinnacle of success while not selling out. Babes In Toyland is now available for mass consumption while not having been toned or trimmed for just that.

Painkillers does just the opposite. I can only think of some Barbie doll bitch screeching her long, red fingernails down a chalkboard while screaming obscenities at the top of her smoky, gray lungs. In fact, that perfectly describes singer Kat (cool name) Bjelland. She’s so hideous she’s cute. It’s the Courtney Love look before it was cool. Bleached platinum atop black roots and red lipstick that looks like it was applied in L.A. during a 9.0 on the Richter scale, with a voice to match.

Babes In Toyland’s music is just dirty, angry music by three women who have what seems to be a major problem with men. Tirades against men dominate the lyrics: “I know that you’re right, everything you do is right, everything I do is true.”, and Kat screaming at some man, “broke my nail, running to your house!” Let ’em have it, I say.