WAH Magazine - Post View

GUITAR HEROINES: SLEATER-KINNEY

These days it seems like I spend most of my time listening to the beats and samples of the last twenty years of hip-hop, feebly muttering along half remembered lyrics and nodding my head (hopefully) along with the rhythm. But I going to admit right now, in the realm of music, hip-hop is not the only music that has occupied my heart. One band, in particular, has been in my life for a long time and will always be on my most played list. This band is Sleater-Kinney.

Named after an intersection in Washington state, Sleater-Kinney are an all girl trio who first appeared in the mid-nineties from the music scene of the pacific northwest of America. This was a scene of disaffected, intelligent, politically engaged young people and one that bore associated movements such as grunge and riot grrrl.

In 1995, Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker got together with then drummer Lora McFarlane in Melbourne and recorded their first album which was self-titled. This was the first Sleater-Kinney album I heard, though I heard it many years later. The album was unapologetically lo-fi and had a sound that combines a raw punk passion with a controlled and melodic structure. I was immediately addicted to the interlocking angular sound of Carrie and Corin's guitars which was quite different to the more grungey guitar sound that was dominating rock at that point. The vocals were shrill and impassioned, the lyrics were confrontational but intelligent, honest and emotional. All the things I loved about this first album the band has carried through throughout their 12 year career in which they released 7 albums.

The release of their second album, 'Call the Doctor' stepped up the game. Their trademark angular guitar style becoming more intricate and their lyrics were more focussed, with the result treating listeners with a slice of smart punk. In 1997 the trio released Dig Me Out with a new drummer Janet Weiss. Weiss is a very accomplished and highly skilled drummer and the addition of her to the group meant that they finally had a drummer who could keep up with the guitar sound Corin and Carrie had been working on. From start to finish, Dig Me Out is a record full of urgency and energy, beginning with the mind-blowing eponymous song 'Dig Me Out' it takes you on a whirlwind trip of punk rock passion and met critical acclaim worldwide. Stand out tracks include, Not What You Want and Little Babies. The track 'Dig Me Out' is rated by Rolling Stone as one of the '100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time' and the album itself is rated by Spin Magazine as one of the top 25 albums made between 1985 and 2005. The album addressed the intricacies of love relationships, as well as the joy of rock and roll and female empowerment, something they would touch on more throughout their career.

Their 1999 Album, The Hot Rock, was a departure both lyrically and musically. Less frenzied and maybe a little less punk, The Hot Rock for me is the best 'break-up' ever made, not that it should ever be dismissed as being simply that. There are some great songs that have nothing do with the end of relationships, it just they have some incredible songs that are. The depth and imagery in the lyrics of this album are astonishing, exemplified with such songs as 'End of You'. The albums that followed in the new millennium signified a new stage in Sleater-Kinney where they became more overtly culturally engaged culminating in the 2002 album, 'One Beat' which addresses issues of feminism, beauty standards, the Iraq war, 9/11 and the concept of celebrity. Their music grew to be more sprawling with a stronger classic rock influence from artists such as Jimi Hendrix and they also began to improvise more on stage. In 2006 they released their last album, 'The Woods', one of their best, most rich albums both lyrically and in terms of music, proving their skill as musicians if as well as song writers.

In the summer of 2006 Sleater-Kinney announced that the band would be going on indefinite hiatus. I am grateful that they left us with such a great back catalog of music that never feels dated. As females they proved that a band could be recognized for the excellence of their music rather than the gender of their musicians and played an important part in raising the bar for female bands in the indie rock scene having managed to gain a reputation one of the most accomplished contemporary rock bands in America. The way the band handled their business also sets a strong example, working with small labels such as Kill Rock Stars and Chainsaw, only signing to slightly larger label Sub Pop for the release of 'The Woods' yet still mananging to get great distribution and press, proving that you can be a big name and be on a small label. What I miss about Sleater-Kinney's departure from the music scene is not just that there will be no new albums from them but the fact that I will never again see their outstanding live performance because when they are onstage they are the most compelling band I have ever locked my eyes on.

Check out my favourite songs of theirs online, then go out and buy some Sleater-Kinney albums.

1. Get Up from 'The Hot Rock'

2. Not What You Want from 'Dig Me Out'

3. Lora's Song from 'Sleater-Kinney'

4. Taste Test from 'Call The Doctor'

5. Entertain from 'The Woods'