Post by Liberaaated on Dec 22, 2006 17:15:34 GMT -5
Bikini Kill was a punk band of the Riot Grrrl movement formed in Olympia, Washington in October of 1990. The group was infamous for its radical feminist lyrics and fiery performances.
The band was formed at Evergreen State College 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 The 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.
The band was formed at Evergreen State College 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 The 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.