What Is Riot Grrrl? A Genre Profile

The Riot Grrrl movement began in the early 90s in the Pacific Northwest as both a political feminist statement and a musical style. As a reaction against the male-dominated rock scene, and inspired by strong female musicians from the past, original Riot Grrrl bands Bikini Kill and Bratmobile embraced Punk's ideals of spontaneity and willful musical amateurism. The primal energy of these bands, both signed to Olympia, WA label Kill Rock Stars, fused with their lyrical polemics to convey their pro-female ideologies. Other groups soon followed, most notably Sleater-Kinney, who became Riot Grrrl's biggest stars.

With her unflinching demeanor and powerful music, Proto-Punk rocker poet Patti Smith was the earliest model for future Riot Grrrl acts. Punk bands X-Ray Spex, The Slits, The Au Pairs, and Raincoats, along with Pretenders vocalist Chrissie Hynde and Rock singer Joan Jett, all had significant musical impacts, as well. Also key to the formation of the genre were the feminist writers upon whose ideas the members of the original Riot Grrrl bands based their philosophies of radical feminism.

Riot Grrrl's pioneering bands came from colleges in the Pacific Northwest. Bratmobile was formed at Oregon State University by singer Allison Wolfe, guitarist Erin Smith, and drummer Molly Neuman. The band played their first concert at the 1991 International Pop Underground convention in [link url=http://altmusic.about.com/od/regionalscenesevents/p/OlympiaWA.htm] Olympia, Washington.

At that town's Evergreen College, singer Kathleen Hanna, bassist Kathi Wilcox, drummer Tobi Vail, and guitarist Billy Boredom formed Bikini Kill in October 1990. Both bands played ragged, noisy Punk Rock and sang out against domestic abuse, rape, male dominance in society, and prejudice against homosexuality. In England, Huggy Bear held similar aesthetics and are often considered a Riot Grrrl band.

Many Alternative Rock acts, either female-led or comprised entirely of women, sprang up during this same time. Grungey early '90s LA group L7 played more of a Hard Rock sound than was typical of Riot Grrrl acts, but their lyrics were radically feminist. Other similar bands from this era were Babes In Toyland, Lunachicks, and 7 Year Bitch. Debuting in 1992, British Alternative Rock artist PJ Harvey explored strongly feminist ideas and utilized a somewhat primal, blues-based sound.

Olympia trio Sleater-Kinney debuted in 1995 on Portland, OR label Chainsaw, which originated as a feminist magazine in the late '80s. The group began as a true Riot Grrrl act. By their late '90s albums for Kill Rock Stars, Sleater-Kinney's melodic, rhythmic, and lyrical interests had expanded, although the group remained strongly feminist until their dissolution in 2006. Bikini Kill disbanded in 1998, and Kathleen Hanna formed Indie Electro-Punk outfit Le Tigre in 1999. Their sound isn't Riot Grrrl, but their pro-feminism stance is.

• Bikini Kill
• Bratmobile
• Sleater-Kinney
• Huggy Bear
• Team Dresch
• Excuse 17
• Slant 6

• L7
• Babes In Toyland
• Heavens To Betsy
• Lunachicks
• 7 Year Bitch

• Le Tigre
• Peaches
• Chicks On Speed
• The Donnas
• The Gossip
• The PeeChees