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Bikini Kill

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Bikini Kill

Bikini Kill was a punk rock band of the riot grrrl movement formed in Olympia, Washington in October of 1990. The group was well known and notorious for its radical feminist lyrics and fiery performances. Their music was abrasive hardcore-influenced punk with plenty of hooks.

While occasionally collaborating (politically and creatively) with high-profile acts such as Nirvana and Joan Jett, Bikini Kill was well known for shunning major labels and the mainstream rock press. After two full-length albums, several EPs and two compilations, the group disbanded in 1998.

History

The band was formed in Olympia, Washington by Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox and Tobi Vail. They began working together on a fanzine called Bikini Kill, and with the addition of Billy Karren, formerly of The Go Team on guitar, formed a band of the same name. The band wrote songs together as a group and encouraged a female-centric environment at their shows, urging girls to come to the front of the stage and handing out lyric sheets to them.

After an independent demo cassette, Revolution Girl Style Now, Bikini Kill released Bikini Kill EP on the indie label Kill Rock Stars. Produced by Ian MacKaye of Fugazi and Minor Threat, the album began to establish the band's audience. In 1993, Bikini Kill went to England and began working with Huggy Bear, releasing a joint recording together and touring the UK. The tour was the subject of a documentary film by Lucy Thane entitled It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill In The U.K.. By the following year, Riot Grrrl was receiving constant attention in the media and Bikini Kill were increasingly referred to as leaders of the movement. Hanna called for a "media blackout" amongst Riot Grrrls, as those within the group felt the band and the movement were being misrepresented and commodified.

Upon their return to the United States, the group began working with Joan Jett of The Runaways, whose music Hanna described as an early example of the Riot Grrrl aesthetic. Jett produced the single "New Radio/Rebel Girl" for the band.

The band's final album was Reject All American (1996, and the band broke up in 1998). Shortly before the breakup, a collection of singles released only on vinyl between 1995-1996, titled The Singles was released.

Post-breakup

During the summer of 1992, Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox and Billy Karren began to perform and record together with Molly Neuman of Bratmobile, as The Frumpies, who toured as late as the early 2000s with similar Italian punk band Dada Swing[1], [2].

Vail, notorious for her numerous side projects and being in several bands at a time, later resurfaced in a band called Spider and the Webs. Kathi Wilcox plays in the Casual Dots and Bill Karren is in Boo-Boo and the Corrections.

Kathleen Hanna first contributed to an LP as a member of The Fakes, and then turned to more dance-based, New Wave music (with similar feminist lyrical themes) on her solo debut, Julie Ruin. She then became a member of the political New Wave outfit Le Tigre, which saw Hanna become far more comfortable with major record labels and the press.

Trivia

Discography

Albums

Singles

Compilations

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