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Biography
for|this band's EP of the same name|Bikini Kill (EP)Infobox musical artist| name = Bikini Kill| image =| background = group_or_band| origin = Olympia, Washington | genre = Punk rock , riot grrrl | years_active = 1990–1998| label = Kill Rock Stars | associated_acts = The Frumpies , Julie Ruin , Le Tigre , Star Sign Scorpio , Suture (band)|Suture | website = URL| http://www.tigerbomb.net| current_members =| past_members = Kathleen Hanna Kathi Wilcox Tobi Vail Billy Karren Bikini Kill was an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington in October 1990. The group consisted of vocalist and songwriter Kathleen Hanna , guitarist Billy Karren , bassist Kathi Wilcox , and drummer Tobi Vail . The band is widely considered to be the pioneer of the riot grrrl movement, and was notorious for its radical feminist lyrics and fiery performances. Their music is characteristically abrasive and hardcore punk|hardcore -influenced. After two full-length albums, several EPs and two compilations, they disbanded in 1998.
While occasionally collaborating with high-profile acts such as Nirvana (band)|Nirvana and Joan Jett , Bikini Kill was well known for shunning major labels and the mainstream rock press.
Biography
The band formed in Olympia, Washington , in October 1990, by Kathleen Hanna (vocals), Billy Karren (guitar), Kathi Wilcox (bass), and Tobi Vail (drums). They began working together on a fanzine called Bikini Kill and, with the addition of former The Go Team|Go Team guitarist Billy Karren, formed a band of the same name. The band wrote songs together and encouraged a female-centric environment at their shows, urging women 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)|Bikini Kill EP on the indie label Kill Rock Stars . Record producer|Produced by Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat and Fugazi , the album began to establish the band's audience. The band's debut album, Pussy Whipped , was released in September 1993. Bikini Kill toured in London , England to begin working with Huggy Bear (band)|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. . Upon their return to the United States, the band 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.
By the following year, Riot Grrrl was receiving constant attention in the media, and Bikini Kill were increasingly referred to as pioneers of the movement. Hanna called for a " media blackout " amongst Riot Grrrls, as they felt the band and the movement were being misrepresented by the media.citation needed|date=March 2012 The band's final album was Reject All American (1996). Shortly before breaking up in 1998, a collection of singles were released only on vinyl between 1995 to 1996, titled Bikini Kill: The Singles .
Post-breakup
During the summer of 1992, the band The Frumpies was formed by Karren, Wilcox, Vail, and Molly Neuman of Bratmobile , and toured as late as the early 2000s along with a similar Italian punk rock band Dada Swing. http://www.killrockstars.com/bands/frumpies/index.html "Frumpies News of April 2000". Retrieved on August 17, 2009.cite web|url= http://www.inkoma.com/pages/frumpies.html |title=The Frumpies in italy_ komakino'zine |publisher=Inkoma.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-30
Vail, notorious for her numerous side project s and being in several bands at a time, later resurfaced in a band called Spider and the Webs , and she is now when|date=February 2012 playing with the Old Haunts. Kathi Wilcox plays in the Casual Dots and Bill Karren is in GHOST MOM . Hanna first contributed to an LPwhich? |date=February 2012as a member of The Fakes, and then turned to more dance-based New Wave music (with similar feminist lyrical themes) on her solo debut, Julie Ruin . She then became a member of the political New Wave music|New Wave outfit Le Tigre .cite web|last=Johnson |first=Martin |url= http://www.salon.com/entertainment/music/review/1999/11/11/tigre |title=Sharps & Flats - Music |publisher=Salon.com |date= |accessdate=2011-10-30
Influence
Bikini Kill is recognized as an influence by Sleater-Kinney , The Gossip , Jack Off Jill , Mika Miko , and many others. Mike Park (of Skankin' Pickle , The Chinkees , The Bruce LeeBand , and founder of Asian Man Records ) has a song about the band titled "Tobi Vail 4 President" on the album Beans & Toast from his acoustic solo project. J Church (band)|J Church 's album Prophylaxis features a song called "Why I Liked Bikini Kill", a response to criticisms of the band and their message. Music journalist Steve Palopoli has described the song as addressing an "unspecified critic of Kathleen Hanna".
NOFX has a song titled "Kill Rock Stars" on their album So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes, written as a response to Kathleen Hanna labeling the band as misogynists.cite web|url= http://radiofreepuma.wordpress.com/tag/bikini-kill/ |title=Bikini Kill « Radio Free Puma |publisher=Radiofreepuma.wordpress.com |date=2009-06-01 |accessdate=2011-10-30
Anal Cunt , who were known for their intentionally offensive lyrics, mentions Bikini Kill in their song "I Sent a Thank You Card to the Guy Who Raped You" on their album It Just Gets Worse .
Bikini Kill's song " Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah|Rebel Girl " is number 445 in Blender (magazine)|Blender 's The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born.
Discography
Albums
Revolution Girl Style Now! self released cassette (1991)
Bikini Kill (EP)|Bikini Kill EP on Kill Rock Stars (1991)
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah split LP with Huggy Bear (band)|Huggy Bear on Catcall Records in the UK, Kill Rock Stars in the US (1993)
http://www.tigerbomb.net Tigerbomb.net - a Bikini Kill archive site
http://bikinikillarchive.wordpress.com/ Kathleen Hanna's Bikini Kill Archive at Wordpress.com
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/bikini-kill Bikini Kill at Rolling Stone
Bikini Kill DEFAULTSORT:Bikini Kill Category:Kill Rock Stars Category:American punk rock groups Category:Musical groups from Olympia, Washington Category:Riot grrrl Category:Third-wave feminism Category:Musical groups established in 1990 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1998 Category:Musical quartets
