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Sleater-Kinney

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Sleater-Kinney is an American rock band from Olympia, Washington, founded in 1994 by Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein. The name comes from Sleater Kinney Road in Lacey, where the sign for exit 108 stands on the motorway, close to one of their first rehearsal spaces. Tucker had previously been in the riot grrrl band Heavens to Betsy. The debut album, Sleater-Kinney, was released in the spring of 1995, after they had recorded it in Australia in a single night. The drummer Janet Weiss later made the group a trio. She left in 2019.

Music and breakthrough

The breakthrough came with Call the Doctor in 1996 and above all Dig Me Out from 1997, produced by John Goodmanson in Seattle and influenced by classic rock 'n' roll. The Hot Rock, All Hands on the Bad One and One Beat followed. From 2003 the band played as the opening act for Pearl Jam in large venues, which contributed to the dense, heavily distorted sound of The Woods from 2005. In 2006 they split up, and after a break, during which Brownstein made Portlandia among other things, they returned in 2014 with No Cities to Love. The Center Won't Hold, Path of Wellness and Little Rope followed.

Influence

The music is raw and melodic, with two interlocking guitars and the powerful, shouting vocals of Tucker and Brownstein, who alternate. The lyrics are feminist and political. Critics such as Greil Marcus called them the best rock band in America, and so the group became a cornerstone of American indie rock.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Dig Me Out and notice the two guitars, which alternate sharply, and the two voices that shout over one another. Hear how tightly the drums hold it all together.

Discography

Studio albums

See also

Categories: ArtistsRiot grrrl