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Bikini Kill

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Bikini Kill
OriginOlympia, Washington
Years active1990–1998
MembersKathleen Hanna
Kathi Wilcox
Tobi Vail
Billy Karren
Websitewww.tigerbomb.net
killrockstars.com/bikinikill

Bikini Kill was a punk 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 were 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 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 oodles of 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, electronic music (with similar feminist lyrical themes) on her solo debut, Julie Ruin. She is currently a member of the political dance-pop outfit Le Tigre, which has seen Hanna become far more comfortable with major record labels and the press.

Trivia

  • Pop-punk band NOFX has a song titled "Kill Rock Stars" on their album So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes criticizing the perceived exclusionary feminist philosophies of the band and the stardom of Kathleen Hanna. [3]
  • Tobi Vail had a relationship with Kurt Cobain of Nirvana (who wrote several hit songs such as "Aneurysm" and "Drain You" about their relationship), Kathleen Hanna is married to Ad-Rock from the Beastie Boys, and Kathi Wilcox has a child with Guy Picciotto of Fugazi.
  • Bikini Kill are recognized as influences by major label band The Donnas (who Neuman of the Frumpies/Bratmobile manages) and the indie rock band The Gossip.
  • New York City-based rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs named themselves after the Bikini Kill half of the joint Huggy Bear/Bikini Kill recording Our Troubled Youth/Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Compilations

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