THE BUNNIES - Ooh Wee Baby (2002)

01  Julia
02  Everybody Sweet Rock

03  We Got Love

04  Wouldn't It Be Nice

05  Mushroom Girl

06  Pokey Lou

07  Diera-Diera

08  Nap to Do

09  Wildwood Days

10  Don't Make Your Lie

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THE BELLRAYS - In The Light Of The Sun (2002)

Originally released on cassette in 1993 and reissued on CD in 2002, In the Light of the Sun, the Bellrays' first recording, showcases the early Bellrays before they had acquired their knockout, ferocious, Stooges-style sound. Here, they are a soul act with plenty of funk, a little bit of rock, and one superb jazzy tune, "Blue, Blue, Blue." Though, the songs don't explode into red hot fireballs like their later stuff. Rather, these songs sizzle. If someone were to have picked up this cassette in 1993 having never heard of this band, they'd probably be blown away by this. Lisa Kekaula's vocals are astoundingly soulful and the only thing separating them from a lot of the divas you hear on the radio is that Kekaula's voice has more bite. But the music isn't yet up to the standards of the Bellrays' later work. The guitar work is fine, but never rips. Folks new to this band should check out their other records first and then work their way back to this release. Adam Bregman (All Music Guide)

01 Crazy Water

02 Wandering Spirits

03 Footprints on Water

04 Same Ground

05 Can I Make You Want Me?

06 Tell Me What the Sun Said

07 He's Gone Wrong

08 Blue, Blue, Blue

09 You'd Better Find a Way

10 In the Light of the Sun

11 The Ghost I'm After

12 Tell Me What You've Been Working On

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HELL ON HEELS - Les Hell On Heels (2004)

Assembling out of two earlier bands in the band's Arizona hometown, Les Hell on Heels cling to a fine belief - namely, that bad-girl snot-garage bands like the Runaways and the Pandoras aren't aberrations from a presumed standard but reasons to exist. With some patronage from Jeff Dahl (whose "Ain't So Cool" gets covered), the foursome turn up with a fine eleven-song debut; right from the sassy start of "My Kind of Trouble" it's clear that the four know how to work it all well. Lead singer Paula Monarch has the kind of deliciously in-your-face sneer that suggests one who doesn't suffer fools gladly. Jack Endino proves to be an astute choice for producer, with the same ability to capture rough-and-ready energy evident as much as he was able to show with Mudhoney and others years before. If one word can cover everything here, it's 'swagger' - songs like "He's Alright" and "Waste of Time" could almost coin the term in both the singing and the brawling, rolling punch of the band (big credit to both Chela LaRue and drummer Kristin Mackynski). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the band's and album's best song is "Hell on Heels" itself, with an arrangement that suggests the underrated "Keep It Clean" by the Vibrators but lyrics with their own bite ("Give me your heart/Gonna add it to my wall!"). Quick and to the point (the album is over and done with before the half-hour mark), Les Hell on Heels' debut makes for a good start if the band choose to stick with it -- word is that at least two more albums will follow. Ned Raggett (All Music Guide)

01 My Kind of Trouble

02 Got What We Need

03 Heel on Heels

04 He's Alright

05 Ain't So Cool

06 Said & Done

07 Real Thing

08 Break Down Love
09 Waste of Time

10 Pretender
11 Snake Eyes

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THE TRASHWOMEN - Spend The Night With The Trashwomen (1996)

With a dime budget and the reverb cranked all the way up throughout the production of this album, Spend the Night With the Trashwomen is a straight-up raw release of sleazy rock & roll. The Trashwomen have an attitude that takes no flak from anyone; leopard print outfits, mean looking snarls, and so on. With their '60s garage revival sound that flies from three-chord punk to a handful of surf instrumentals that sound as if the band can barely keep it together, the Trashwomen perfectly capture the tough-girl essence seen in Russ Meyer's Faster Pussy Cat, Kill! Kill!. Fans of the Rip-Offs, Supercharger, and the Hissyfits would enjoy this. By Mike DaRonco (All Music Guide)

01 - Marguya
02 - Perversion
03 - Daddy Love
04 - Peter Gunn
05 - Date's On Me
06 - Nightmare At The Drag
07 - Sling Rave Curvette
08 - Space Needle
09 - Justine
10 - Quasimoto
11 - Cum On Baby
12 - I'm Trash

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V/A - We Ain't Housewife Material (2004)

A compilation of 20 girl fronted bands doing 1 song each. Though most of the bands are in the punk / alternative / hard rock genres they don’t have much in common other than that they’re all at least partially female. Some of the bands suck and shouldn’t be on any compilations whatsoever, while most of them are good enough to be treated like a real band rather than a novelty ”girl band” act. (more info)

01- BETTY BLOWTORCH - Rock and roll
02- MENSEN - Sandy Starlight
03- THE GEE STRINGS - Arrest me
04- ELVIS MCMAN - Slow children
05- FIRE & THE MACH 3 - Have you seen
06- ELECTRIC TURN TO ME - Wrestle with an angel
07- FLOWERMULU - Upside down
08- SHEMALE TROUBLE - Fighting
09- THE SOAP - Party
10- THE DIRT BURDS - Sick bitch
11- THE TUTSIS - Dead of night
12- CANDYRAG - Fight back
13- CYCLUB - 7 of 11
14- VENTRA - Fragile
15- RED BACTERIA VACUUM - Free soul
16- BLAIRE WITCH PROJECT - Shut the fuck up !
17- DEMOLITION - Punk is dead
18- ASTRO BABYS - Drunk boogie
19- FRILL - Kaitsu
20- BELLY BUTTON - Sunny

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THE GYMSLIPS - Rocking With The Renees: The Punk Collection '82-'85 (2000)

The original band of Suzanne Scott (bassist / vocalist), Paula Richards (guitarist / vocalist) and Karen Yarnell (drummer) got together in 1980 but first played as The Gymslips in August 1981. The band supported the Dolly Mixture on a UK tour. They contributed the song Midnight city all girl compilation LP, "Making Waves". A tour supporting the Androids of Mu and Rock Goddess followed. In the spring of 1982 they recorded their first of five sessions for John Peel after which they signed to Abstract Records. Their first single "48 Crash" (a cover of the Suzi Quatro hit) was released in November 1982 and the follow up "Big Sister" was released at the beginning of 1983. April 1983 saw the release of their "Rocking with the Renees" LP which also saw the band expand to a four piece with the addition of keyboardist Kathy Barnes. With two further John Peel sessions, good reviews for the "Robot Man" single and the release of the album in a different sleeve and with the title "Drink Problem" for the American market, The Gymslips' future looked bright. But twelve months of personnel and contractual problems led to Paula having to recruit a new line up and start all over again. With Karen Kay on bass, Sue Vickers on keyboards and Michelle Chowrimootoo on drums The Gymslips recorded their final Peel session in the summer of 1984 before issuing their last single "Evil Eye" (produced by the Angelic Upstarts' Mond Cowie) in early 1985 and then calling it a day soon after its release. Karen Yarnell went onto join Serious Drinking and The Blubbery Hellbellies. Paula Richards joined The Deltones and then Potato 5 before again teaming up with Yarnell in band called The Renees and issuing the LP "Have you got it" as well as contributing the track "He called me a fat pig and walked out on me" to the female only compilation "Postcard from Paradise". (Wikipedia)

01- Renees
02- Drink Problem
03- Barbara Cartland
04- Face Lifts
05- Thinking Of You
06- Angels
07- Robot Man
08- Dear Marje
09- Wandering Stars
10- Yo Yo
11- Some Girls
12- Complications
13- Big Sister
14- 48 Crash
15- Miss Nunsweeta
16- Pie & Mash
17- Multi Coloured Sugar
18- Take Away

19- Evil Eye
20- Wonderland
21- Don't Lead Me On
22- Call Again
23- Loves Not The Answer
24- Slobadobdob
25- Silly Egg
26- Valley Girl
27- Renees Reprise

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BRATMOBILE - The Real Janelle 12" Ep (1994)

 

Bratmobile's second 12", and their last release for close to six years, 1994's The Real Janelle is a big step up from the chaotic Pottymouth, both in musical skill and clarity of thought. The songs are more pointed - "Brat Girl" is a violent screed holding up the infamous suburban high school serial rapists "the Spur Posse" as the ultimate result of the kind of emotional abuse touched on in "And I Live in a Town Where the Boys Amputate Their Hearts" - and also more subtle. The low-key, quietly tense "Yeah, Huh?" is almost downright pretty in comparison to a full-force punk-rocker like "Die," but even the latter song is more controlled and direct than Bratmobile's earliest releases. The highlight, however, is the title track, the catchiest song of Bratmobile's career, and a scrappy punk-pop D.I.Y. classic.  Stewart Mason (All Music Guide)

01 The Real Janelle

02 Brat Girl.mp3
03 Yeah, Huh?

04 Die

05 And I Live In A Town Where The Boys Amputate Their Hearts

06 Where Eagles Dare

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THE LONG BLONDES - "Couples" (2008)

The Long Blondes' second album, Couples, avoids the clichéd sophomore slump by taking some chances and leaving behind the joyous clatter and clutter of their debut for a more emotionally powerful, sonically adventurous approach. With producer Erol Alkan behind the boards, the group removes the punk from its post-punk sound and adds more post. That is, more icy detachment, more space and careful arrangement of instruments, and more of an eye to the disco-punk dancefloor. Where the songs on Someone to Drive You Home were almost giddily peppy and bursting with energy, the songs here feel like they were taken right from the studio, stored in a freezer for a month, and then mastered onto disc. (Think the Blondie of "X Offender" versus the Blondie of "Heart of Glass" for a quick and relevant comparison.) Even the songs like "Erin O'Connor" that start off with some fire and spunk end up being bathed in atmosphere before too long. While the decision is a risky one that might put off fans looking for Someone II or a song as addictive as "Once and Never Again," ultimately it is a wise move that shows a band intent on making interesting albums and not just rehashing the same territory. Not that the group has forsaken catchy tunes or made an unlistenable record. Not by a long shot. There are still plenty of strong melodies and catchy songs to hold on to, still songs you'd want to drop into a playlist -- like the hopeful, un-nostalgic "Nostalgia" or "I'm Going to Hell," a stomping rocker that is most reminiscent of the songs on Someone. "Guilt" is likely the song that will stick, riding a funky backbeat and a hooky chorus deep into the memory banks. So, the sound of the album is arresting and the songs are good, but the true star of the album is vocalist Kate Jackson. She showed herself to be quite adept at delivering punky pop songs on Someone; on Couples she blooms into a quite impressive interpreter of lyrics. Perhaps her ability to inhabit different characters (like the desperate lover on the lam on the harrowing "Round the Hairpin" or the sad nightclub philosopher on "The Couples") comes from singing guitarist Dorian Cox's lyrics and not her own (she only wrote words for two of the ten tracks), or maybe she's destined to become an actress like her Charlie's Angels namesake. Either way, she makes each song come alive beautifully, and her alternately tough and tender (to the point of fragile beauty on the heartbreaking "Too Clever by Half") vocals help make the album an impressive triumph over the age-old dilemma of how to follow up a successful debut. It also strikes a blow for taking chances and not resting on your accomplishments, but most importantly, Couples is an exciting, challenging listen full of brains, daring, and plenty of icy heart. Tim Sendra (All Music Guide)

01 Century

02 Guilt

03 The Couples

04 I Liked The Boys

05 Here Comes The Serious Bit

06 Round The Hairpin

07 Too Clever By Half

08 Erin O'Connor

09 Nostalgia

10 I'm Going To Hell

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BOSS HOG - Drinkin' Lyin' & Lechin' Ep (1989)

Taking their name from a biker magazine rather than from the white-suited character in The Dukes of Hazzard, Boss Hog's debut sounds more like the missing link between Pussy Galore and the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion than something new. (That said, the band wasn't originally envisioned as the full-time project it would become.) Spencer sings lead on most of the tracks and wife Cristina Martinez -- both from Pussy Galore -- mostly just growls along. Martinez would take on more of the vocals for subsequent releases as the band became more melodic in the manner of the Shangri-Las or Bikini Kill. The songs here certainly rock hard enough (Big Black's Steve Albini handled the production duties), but aren't particularly memorable otherwise. At the time of its release, the six-song EP attracted more attention for the cover art, featuring Martinez clad in black boots and gloves -- and nothing else -- than for the music (Martinez would also forget her clothes for the cover of 1989's Cold Hands). The personnel for this incarnation of Boss Hog included Charlie Ondras (from Unsane), Jerry Teel (from the Honeymoon Killers), and Kurt Wolf (also from Pussy Galore). Kathleen C. Fennessy (All Music Guide)

01 Trigger, Man
02 Pull Out
03 Spanish Fly
04 Dandelion
05 Sugar Bunny
06 Fix Me

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BETTY AND THE WEREWOLVES - Teatime Favourites (2010)

Attention casting directors! Are you looking for a band to provide music for the Talulah Gosh story? Look no further than Betty and the Werewolves. This U.K. foursome has the sound down. Just like the heroes of C-86, they’ve got clattering, super-charged punk tempos, careening guitar riffs, witty, snarky, and heartsick lyrics, sugar-sweet vocals that overlap and tumble into tricky harmonies, and the magical ability to make twee pop sound like the most exciting music on earth for two-and-a-half minutes at a time. They aren’t mere copycats however; they add an extra level of fierceness and fire to the classic twee punk template. And they write songs so good and catchy that it really doesn’t matter if they share some DNA with their inspirations. The two singles ("Euston Station" and "David Cassidy") leading up to the release of their debut album Teatime Favourites were thrilling songs that were certainly nostalgic, but also promised that Betty were on the trail of something quite special. The first listen to the album confirms that they indeed did deliver something special. Teatime Favourites is the work of a band who has fully absorbed the past but isn’t content to just spit it back out, they’d rather blast it out on rockets. The record is filled with fast and ferocious songs that must leave the band dripping with sweat when the play them live. Drummer Doug McFarlane plays like a whirlwind throughout, working to keep the songs under control while pushing them forward with manic glee. The rest of the group plays like they are in the middle of a mad dash, too. The guitars slash and crash, the vocals breathlessly wind around each other, and anyone who doesn’t feel like getting up and dancing like a fool to tracks like "Cassidy," "Francis," "Plastic," or "The Party" is probably listening to the wrong record. The songs that dial back the tempo in favor of a more restrained and thoughtful approach like "Should I Go to Glasgow" or "Hyacinth Girl" give the listener a chance to hear how lovely the vocals of Laura McMahon and Emily Bennett really are; McMahon's leads are sugar sweet and the way their voices mesh together on "Paper Thin" is worth the cost of admission alone. These songs also provide a much-needed break for breath and some nicely melancholy reflection as well. It makes for a well-rounded listening experience, full of abandon and fun but also some spots of real emotion and beauty, too. Betty and the Werewolves may never reach the legendary status of Talulah Gosh and the C-86 pioneers, but it won’t be for lack of talent, effort, and now, this excellent album. Tim Sendra (All Music Guide)

01 Euston Station

02 Paper Thin

03 Good as Gold

04 David Cassidy

05 Purple Eyes

06 The Party

07 Wind-Up

08 Francis

09 Heathcliff

10 Tu Veux Jouer

11 Should I go to Glasgow

12 Werewolves

13 Plastic

14 Hyacinth Girl

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SUPERSNAZZ - Sweat Box (2006)

Supersnazz are a Japanese garage rock band from Tokyo, formed in 1990 as an all-girls band... Sweat Box is an album that consists entirely of Supersnazz playing other musicians' songs - right, twelve killer cover tunes.

01 Brown Sugar

02 I Live Off You

03 God Damn Job

04 Tell Him

05 Happy

06 Year 1

07 Love Will Keep Us Together

08 Hey Tonight

09 No Good Lover

10 Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

11 Lazy Day

12 Stay With Me

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STEREO TOTAL - Monokini (1997)

By the time of 1997's Monokini Stereo Total had refined its sound, tightening up from the fuzzy, sprawling beginnings heard on Oh Ah! Indeed, it would have been difficult for them to get any looser without falling apart altogether, but fortunately they didn't sacrifice much spontaneity for smoothness. Songs like the Serge Gainsbourg-meets-Pulp pop of "Supergirl" and the stomping rock of "Lunatique" are as vibrant as anything off of the group's debut, but the more complex songwriting and cleaner sound reflect the progress Stereo Total made since that album. And while the album has its share of fizz-bomb punk like "Aua," "Tu M'As Voulue," and "LA, CA, USA," Monokini's focus on electronics, pop, and ballads makes it a very different beast than Oh Ah! The album's opening track, "Ach Ach Liebling," reveals this trend quickly: its spare production, fuzzy synths, and linear melody make it quite a departure from the noisy bounce of the previous album. "Schön Von Hinten" is another landmark track, boasting a cut-n-paste production that recalls a European version of Pizzicato Five's Shibuya-kei sound (indeed, the song also appears in Japanese, as "Ushilo Sugata Ga Kilei," toward the end of the album). High-strung electro-pop makes up a good chunk of Monokini, from the playful, aptly named "Cosmonaute" to the rapid-motion clockwerks of "Und Wer Wird Sich Um Mich Kümmern" to the sparkly electronic bossa nova of "Moustique." These electronic dabblings highlight the retro -- but far from conservative -- naïveté of Stereo Total's music while taking it in a direction that influenced every album that followed Monokini. "Dilindam," meanwhile, isn't groundbreaking, but it is one of Stereo Total's most charming pop songs, a love story set in a rainstorm that sounds like it could be from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. A significant step forward for Stereo Total, Monokini brought some order and polish to the group's sound; for the rest of its career, the band alternated between the smooth pop leanings of this album and the rougher, punkier sound of Oh Ah!, often within the course of one album. Fans of My Melody and especially Musique Automatique who were previously unable to find Monokini will find it an especially fun and rewarding look back now. Heather Phares (All Music Guide)

01 Ach Ach Liebling
02 Lunatique
03 Supergirl
04 Furore
05 Schön von hinten
06 Dilindam
07 Cosmonaute
08 Aua
09 Und wer wird sich um mich kümmern?
10 Tu m'as volue
11 Moustique
12 LA, CA, USA
13 L'appareil a sous
14 Grand Prix Eurovision
15 Ushilo Sugata Ga Kilei 

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BANANA ERECTORS - Banana Erectors (1999)

Under the spell of the Ramones, early 60's female pop-singers and '77 punk resulted in Japan's Banana Erectors. With the combination of May's high pitched voice leading on snotty, three-chord pop-punk resulted in a lot of attention on both sides of the Pacific and a deal with Sympathy for The Record Industry. 1998 saw their debut single not too long after, followed by their self-titled full-length the next year. Mike DaRonco (All Music Guide)

01 Pretzel Eatin' Rocker
02 Teenage 3k Worker
03 Fed up With High School Days
04 Get Married to Your Job
05 I Woke up in Love This Morning
06 Danger Zone
07 (Jenny Is) Looking for Flavor
08 Pierrot le Fou
09 I'm Henry the VIII, I Am
10 Break My Heart
11 Fun at the Beach
12 I Don't Wanna Be Alone Tonight
13 Disagreeable Sensation

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THE EYELINERS - Here Comes Trouble (2000)

Although the tediousness of Ramones influenced punk sank in sometime around the release of the Queers Beat Off album, here come The Eyeliners to rekindle this worn out genre. On their debut of Here Comes Trouble, these three leopard print, leather jacket wearing broads are full of attitude and snottiness. Female-fronted three-chord punk that's complete with a presence that exudes that they take slack from no one. If Rizzo from Grease got cloned three times and they started their own band, it would definitely sound something like the Eyeliners. Mike DaRonco (All Music Guide)

01 Here Comes Trouble

02 Party 'Til The Break Of Dawn

03 Johnny Lockheart

04 See You Tonight

05 So What

06 Stuck On You

07 That's The Way It Goes

08 Rock & Roll Baby

09 Don't Go

10 I Don't Like You

11 Punk Rock Planet

12 Do The Zombie

13 If I Were You

14 Nothing Left To Say

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FREE KITTEN - Unboxed (1994)

Free Kitten is a musical collaboration between Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Pussy Galore's Julie Cafritz. Originally performing under the name Kitten, they changed their name, after receiving threats of legal action by a heavy metal singer performing under that name.

This is a UK compilation of the indie rock supergroup's first two years of recording (1992-1994), includes singles & live tracks. (Wikipedia)

01 Skinny Butt

02 Platinumb

03 Smack 1

03 Smack

04 Falling Backward

05 Oneness

06 Dick

07 Yoshimi vs. Mascis

08 Oh Bondage Up Yours!

10 Party With Me Punker

11 John Stark's Blues

12 Guilty Pleasures

13 Sex Boy

14 Cleopatra

15 Loose Lips

16 Oh Baby

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BANGS - Call and Response Ep (2002)

Girl-fronted punk rock that could wipe the floor with any band it wanted, Bangs' latest, the Call And Response EP, is a blazing, melodic, sing-along collection of anthems. It is the type of punk rock record you can put on at a party and dance too or sit and enjoy in the background while you carry on a conversation with another drunken patron, before interrupting the exchange when you find yourself singing along and tapping your feet. The irresistible, moving songs possess the pop prowess that makes great rock bands, and they know it, utilizing it at every turn. Creating something that is loaded with guitars, but not bogged down, ready to hit you at home or at the live show, and entice your senses with noisy rock that shines with just the right amount of pop. I'll give it a B. Alex Steininger (In Music We Trust)

01 Call And Response

02 New Scars

03 Kinda Good

04 I Want More

05 Leave It Behind

06 Dirty Knives

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THE HELLCATS - Hoodoo Train (1990)

01 Where the Hell Is Memphis

02 Hoodoo Train

03 Crazy About You Baby

04 Don't Fight It

05 Baby Please Don't Go

06 Antarctica

07 I Did My Part

08 Shine

09 When You Walk in the Room

10 Silly Whim

11 Back Door Slam

12 Love Is Dying

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FIFI & THE MACH III - Mach A Go! Go! (1997)

01. Tomahawk whizz

02. Mach a go! go!

03. What fun to be good ole rock'n'roll

04. He hit me (it felt like a kiss)

05. Shock trooper

06. Darkside of my mind (the full moon madman)

07. Get marry

08. She'll be crayin' over you

09. Rock'n'roll girls

10. Can't stop wantin' him

11. Swing a big hammer

12. Kiss me as reach as my skull

13. You can't go home

14. I want you to want me

15. I like sunday

16. Goin' underground

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DETROIT COBRAS - Baby (2005)

While plenty of acts in the current nuevo garage universe strive to capture the lean, funky snazz of classic R&B sides, the Detroit Cobras have a different way of going about it than most -- instead of trying to write songs that sound like vintage soul tunes, they just dig up vintage soul tunes you (probably) haven't heard of and infuse 'em their own brand of guitar-based swagger (as well as Rachel Nagy's tough-gal vocals). Depending on your point of view, the Detroit Cobras are either a great cover band or an original group who embrace a purist's approach to classic R&B while adding their own perspective to the style. On their third full-length album, Baby, they unfortunately sound more like the former than the latter -- there's no denying that this band has a great feel for their material, they've picked a solid set of tunes (and even written one themselves, with the help of Greg Cartwright from Reigning Sound), and Nagy (always the Cobras's greatest asset) is in fine voice. But the bottom line is as good as this stuff it, it sounds a little too clean and neat for its own good, without the full measure of sweat and raunch this music needs to really get over, and while the Cobras know and love their chosen genre, on this set they don't cross the line from playing other folks' music really well into making these songs their own, which is what makes all the difference when taking this approach. And it doesn't bode well that the album's sole original, "Hot Dog (Watch Me Eat)" (written by Nagy, guitarist Mary Restrepo and Greg Cartwright of Reigning Sound, who also contributes guitar and helped produce), is easily the weakest song here. Baby is a good album from a better-than-average group, but it's hard to say if this stuff is really going to matter to anyone a few years down the line, except as a guide to filling out your record collection. By Mark Deming (All Music Guide)

1. Slipping Around
2. I Wanna Holler (But the Town's Too Small)
3. Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand
4. Weak Spot
5. Everybody's Going Wild
6. Hot Dog (Watch Me Eat)
7. Mean Man
8. Now You're Gone
9. It's Raining
10. Just Can't Please You
11. The Real Thing
12. Baby Help Me
13. Cha Cha Twist

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EXCUSE 17 - Such Friends Are Dangerous (1995)

For its second and final full-length, Excuse 17 recorded a glorious punk rock racket far more polished and catchier than the band's promising, self-titled debut. Nearly every track here simmers with an overwhelming sense of urgency, and from the opening whiplash crash of "5 Acres" to the more subtly moving "She Wants 3-D," it's an album full of violently emotional catharsis (check out the startling centerpieces "This Is Not Your Wedding Song" and "The Drop Dead Look"). Often mesmerizing in the chaotic call and response between vocalists Carrie Brownstein and Becca Albee -- a rudimentary version of Brownstein's vocal interplay with Corin Tucker in Sleater-Kinney during the years to come -- Such Friends Are Dangerous is a swan song that only hints at what could've followed. Of course, as many fans of the Pacific Northwest scene know, what would follow for guitarist Brownstein is the wildly successful and talented Sleater-Kinney trio.   Jimmy Draper (All Music Guide)

01 5 Acres
02 Forever Fired
03 Watchmaker
04 I'd Rather Eat Glass
05 Decatur H S
06 This Is Not Your Wedding Song
07 The Drop Dead Look
08 Designated Shotgun
09 Getoff
10 Nervousness Never Fades
11 Special Guest, Me
12 Framed
13 She Wants 3-D

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BIKINI KILL - Pussy Whipped (1994)

 

Though peers such as Hole's Courtney Love and Babes in Toyland's Kat Bjelland became more famous, no riot grrrl screamed with as much emotional force as Kathleen Hanna. Though it's frequently difficult to hear what she's saying, especially above the glorious din of Billy Karren's fierce guitar, Hanna declares herself a "self-fulfilling porno queen" on "Sugar," and threatens to "scratch out your eyes" with her "long red nails" in "Lil Red." The quartet's relentless hardcore is straight from the Dead Kennedys school, which means it's tough to take in large doses when you're in a reflective mood, but 1993's Pussy Whipped is one of the great punk albums of the '90s.  Steve Knopper

1.  Blood One
2.  Alien She
3.  Magnet
4.  Speed Heart
5.  Lil' Red
6.  Tell Me So
7.  Sugar
8.  Star Bellied Boy
9.  Hamster Baby
10.  Rebel Girl
11.  Star Fish
12.  For Tammy Rae

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