Bikini Kill

The Singles (Kill Rock Stars)
by Rowan-Morrison

The route most good bands take after releasing a few great albums on an indie label, is succumbing to Major Label money and subsequently polishing their music to the point of blandness. Like Fugazi, Bikini Kill has managed to generate plenty of attention from corporate pimps, but passed it over so they could continue releasing raw, uncompromising punk. Of course, BK is now defunct, while Fugazi trudges on. In any case, this CD collects the singles spanning BK’s eight year existence, some of which also appeared on their albums. If you’ve never heard BK, then The Singles collection is the perfect purchase, considering that it showcases some excellent examples of their garage-meets-punk tunes. Historically speaking, this three girls and a guy band from Olympia, WA was best known as the figurehead of the Riot Grrrls – a movement moniker created to define self-sufficient women, but which degenerated into a catchphrase for simplistic and poorly produced female punk bands. Although production has rarely been a strong point on BK’s releases, Kathleen Hanna’s passion on the mic overpowered any of their recordings’ shortcomings. Since her vocal range wasn’t going to win her a singing scholarship, Hanna infused her delivery with a strong sense of dynamics by alternating between jagged wails and soft verses. Lyrically, Hanna espoused a lot of views on gender injustices, but she didn’t get preachy… just angry. Because her messages were conveyed through stories, as opposed to lectures, there’s a deep sense of conviction behind Hanna’s words. It’s this element that endeared her to the rampant BK admirers. Among the classic cuts featured on this CD are “New Radio,” “Rebel Girl” and “Demi-Rep,” all three of which were produced by Riot Grrrl precursor, Joan Jett. Even though some musically more adept bands such as Team Dresch and Sleater-Kinney have filled the BK void, Hanna’s rage-riddled throatwork will always be known as the most inspiring voice of the female-rock revolution.
(PMB 418 120 N.E. State St. Olympia, WA 98501)