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Sleater-Kinney
All-woman trio Sleater-Kinney, formed of vocalist/guitarist Carrie Brownstein, vocalist/guitarist Corin Tucker, and drummer Janet Weiss, make ferocious, political, and intelligent rock music. The one-two punch of Brownstein's sultry swagger and Tucker's nearly banshee-like yelp combined with Weiss' machine gun assault intersect perfectly with complex pop hooks and memorable lyrics that just happen to be eminently repeatable slogans. Still going strong after over a decade, S-K excel at guitar fueled catharsis coupled with smart, engaging lyrics tackling everything from consumerism, feminism, and the music industry.
Every time Sleater-Kinney release new material, critics fawn, fans swoon, and we ask ourselves if this is their peak moment, their shining glory in the rock pantheon, and we should be grateful to have witnessed the climax of a band that challenges expectations. Yet, over the course of several albums, their sound has moved away from the tense riot grrrl-inspired aesthetic to straight-laced rock'n'roll to, dare I say it, classic rock. Their intense live performances depend less on teenage punk fury nowadays, and more on strong, womanly rage.
Whether it's the enveloping anthems like "Step Aside," "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone," or "Words and Guitar," or the bluesy stomp of "Sympathy" or even the glittering sparke in "You're No Rock 'n' Roll Fun," Sleater-Kinney time and time again demonstrate agility, inventiveness, and brilliance, culminating a band that's consistently upped the ante for all bands in the independent music scene. (Plus, these talented ladies sure know how to bring the rock; not that they haven't always rocked pretty damn hard, but the tightness of the band has only increased triplefold over the last few years.)
I caught them at the cramped, sweaty Mercury Lounge in New York last week, one of two sold-out shows where they were testing out material from their upcoming album The Woods. The new material kills, but in an entirely different way than, say Call the Doctor or The Hot Rock. For Sleater-Kinney appear to have added the occasional hammer of bass (for a band that has gone bass-less for so long it's shocking, I know) and turned it up to eleven, thanks to the the lovely noise from distortion pedals and guitar solos, as Brownstein finally indulges her inner guitar goddess. The sound is all encompassing in its fullness and the songwriting is as strong as ever.
Sleater-Kinney - Sympathy
Sleater-Kinney - Entertain
Sleater-Kinney - Rollercoaster
Sleater-Kinney - You're No Rock 'n' Roll Fun
Sleater-Kinney - I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone
Sleater-Kinney - Words and Guitar
Official Sleater-Kinney site. The Woods comes out on May 24 on Subpop Records. In the meantime, buy One Beat from Kill Rock Stars, Amazon, iTunes Music Store.
Posted by Queen of the Front Row at 03.06.05 at 3:03 AM
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