Riot Grrrl Bands

Bikini Kill

Bikini Kill is a feminist punk band that was based in Olympia, WA and Washington, DC, forming in 1990 and breaking up in 1997. Kathleen Hanna sang, Tobi Vail played drums, Billy Karren (a.k.a. Billy Boredom) played guitar and Kathi Wilcox played bass. Sometimes they switched instruments.

Bikini Kill is credited with instigating the Riot Grrrl movement in the early 90's via their political lyrics, zines and confrontational live show.

The band started touring in June 1991. In addition to touring the US several times, they also toured Europe, Australia and Japan. Bikini Kill recorded and released a demo tape, two EP's, two LP's and three singles.

Their demo tape was self-released,while their first two records came out as a full length CD/Tape and their singles were posthumously collected on CD.
Bikini Kill believed that if all girls started bands the world would change.

They actively encouraged women and girls to start bands as a means of cultural resistance. Bikini Kill was inspired by seeing Babes in Toyland play live and attempted to incite female participation and build feminist community via the punk scene. They used touring as a way to create an underground network between girls who played music, put on shows and made fanzines. This independent media making and informal network created a forum for multiple female voices to be heard

They have released several albums and songs over the years.

Bikini Kill - Revolution Girl Style Now - cassette (self-release, spring 1991)

Bikini Kill - Bikini Kill EP (kill rock stars, October 9 1992)

Bikini Kill - Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah EP Split with Huggy Bear Our Troubled Youth (kill rock stars, March 1993)

Bikini Kill - CD/Tape Version of first two records (kill rock stars, March 4, 1994)

Bikini Kill - Pussy Whipped LP/Tape/CD (kill rock stars, October 26 1993)

Bikini Kill - New Radio 7" (kill rock stars, 1993)

Bikini Kill - Anti-Pleasure Dissertation 7" (kill rock stars summer 1995)

Bikini Kill - I Like Fucking 7" (kill rock stars, fall 1995)

Bikini Kill - Reject All American LP/Tape/CD (kill rock stars April 5 1996)

Bikini Kill - The Singles CD (kill rock stars, June 23 1998)

One of there most famous songs would be 'Rebel Girl'

If you like this song, then you should most definitely begin with Bikini Kill's first album Pussy Whipped.

Along with several albums there has also been a movie made about Kathleen Hanna known as "The Punk Singer" which you can watch the full thing on YouTube.

Also, a small fun fact for the Nirvana fans that follow me. Kathleen Hanna was actually the inspiration for the name "Smells like Teen Spirit" after she had written on the side of Kurt's apartment that "Kurt smells like teen spirit". Kurt and Kathleen had know each other at the time through Tobi Vail, the drummer of Bikini Kill. At the time, Tobi and Kurt were dating but it seemed that Kurt was more in love than Tobi.