| Sleater-Kinney | |
|---|---|
 Sleater-Kinney in 2005. (Photo by Tyler Craft)
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Olympia, Washington |
| Genre(s) | Alternative rock Indie rock Punk rock |
| Years active | 1995–2006 |
| Label(s) | Chainsaw (1995–1996) Kill Rock Stars (1997–2002) Sub Pop (2005) |
| Associated acts |
Cadallaca Excuse 17 Heavens to Betsy ninetynine Quasi |
| Website | www.sleater-kinney.com |
| Former members | |
| Corin Tucker Carrie Brownstein Janet Weiss Lora McFarlane Toni Gogin Misty Farrell |
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Sleater-Kinney was a critically acclaimed, politically charged indie rock band. The group's name is derived from Sleater-Kinney Road, Interstate 5 off ramp #108 in Lacey, Washington, the location of one of their early practice spaces. They formed in and were a vital part of the music scene in Olympia, Washington, although they later moved to Portland, Oregon.
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History
Sleater-Kinney was founded by Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein. Tucker was formerly in the influential riot grrrl band Heavens to Betsy, while Brownstein was formerly in the queercore band Excuse 17. They often played at gigs together and formed Sleater-Kinney as a side-project from their respective bands. When Heavens to Betsy and Excuse 17 disbanded, Sleater-Kinney became their primary focus. Janet Weiss (of Quasi) was the band's primary drummer, though Sleater-Kinney has had other drummers throughout its existence, including Lora Macfarlane, Misty Farrell and Toni Gogin.
Upon Tucker's graduation from Evergreen State College (where Brownstein would remain a student for three more years), she and then-girlfriend Brownstein took a trip to Australia in early 1994. Their last day there, they stayed up all night recording what would become their self-titled debut album.[1] It was released the following spring. They followed this with Call the Doctor (1996) and Dig Me Out (1997), and became critical darlings as a result. Their next few albums pushed the band towards mainstream listeners, culminating in 2002's One Beat. The group opened for Pearl Jam at many North American shows beginning in 2003, and the band cited the experience of playing to large arenas as part of the inspiration and motivation for the music found on their last album, The Woods. The Woods was released in 2005, and was a departure from the sound of their previous albums. In its place, The Woods featured a denser, heavily distorted sound that drew on classic rock as its inspiration. Renowned critics Greil Marcus and Robert Christgau have each praised Sleater-Kinney as one of the essential rock groups of the late 90s/early 00s.
Style
Both Brownstein and Tucker played guitar. Although Sleater-Kinney had no bass player, both Tucker and Brownstein tuned their guitars one and a half steps down ("C# tuning"), and Tucker's tone and style enabled her to fill the same role as a bass guitar.
Hiatus
On June 27, 2006, the band announced an indefinite hiatus, stating there were "no plans for future tours or recordings". The band's last appearance was at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon, on August 12, 2006. No explanation for the hiatus was given, but it is widely believed to be because Tucker wanted to concentrate on raising her child. In a May 2005 interview, Janet Weiss stated, "Corin's hurdles were my biggest hurdles. Her pulling away from the band was the hardest thing for me as far as writing music. She said in a recent interview that she thinks about quitting every week - and that's heavy for me, 'cause this is all I want to do."[2] Tucker had previously hinted in interviews that Sleater-Kinney might become inactive soon. In a 2005 interview with Bust magazine, she was asked how she would handle touring when her young son started school, and she replied that she didn't even know if they would make another record after The Woods.[3]
Collaborations
In 1998, the band recorded "Big Big Lights", the first split single (with Cypher in the Snow) in the series of recordings dealing with women's self-defense entitled Free to Fight, and released on Candy Ass Records. In 2000, all three members of Sleater-Kinney assisted Robert Forster and Grant McLennan of the now-defunct Brisbane indie band The Go-Betweens to record the album The Friends of Rachel Worth. In 2003, the band recorded the song "Angry Inch" with Fred Schneider of The B-52's for the charity tribute album Wig in a Box. Proceeds for the album went to the Harvey Milk School, a school for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Along with performing in Sleater-Kinney, Tucker also was a member of the band Cadallaca with Sarah Dougher and sts (both formerly of The Lookers). In a recent interview, however, she told the public "not to hold [their] breath for a new Cadallaca album." Tucker also featured on Eddie Vedder's (Pearl Jam) solo album Into the Wild, where she performed vocals on the track "Hard Sun" along with Vedder.
Discography
Albums
- Sleater-Kinney (1995) – Chainsaw Records
- Call the Doctor (1996) – Chainsaw Records
- Dig Me Out (1997) – Kill Rock Stars
- The Hot Rock (1999) – Kill Rock Stars
- All Hands on the Bad One (2000) – Kill Rock Stars
- One Beat (2002) – Kill Rock Stars
- The Woods (2005) – Sub Pop Records
Singles
- "You Ain't It/Surf Song" (1994) – Villa Villakula Records
- "One More Hour" (1997) – Matador Records
- "Little Babies" (1997) – Matador Records
- "A Quarter To Three" (1997) – Matador Records
- "Big Big Lights" (1998) - Candy Ass Records
- "Get Up" (1999) – Kill Rock Stars
- "You're No Rock 'n' Roll Fun" (2000) – Kill Rock Stars
- "Entertain" (2005) – Sub Pop
- "Jumpers" (2005) – Sub Pop
Compilation album tracks
- "Ballad of a Ladyman" (live, 2001) – Calling All Kings & Queens on Mr. Lady
- "Off with Your Head" – Rock Against Bush Vol. 2 on Fat Wreck
- "War Not Peace"
"you ain't it",,"write me back fucker", "more than a feeling" from 'Move into Villa Villakula' on villa villakula records.
Music videos
- "Get Up" (1999) Directed by Miranda July
- "You're No Rock 'n' Roll Fun" (2000) Directed by Brett Vapnek
- "Entertain" (2005) Directed by Molly & Mariah
- "Jumpers" (2005) Directed by Matt McCormick
Chart positions
Albums
| Year | Album | US Billboard 200 | Heatseekers (US) | Top Independent Albums (US) | Top Internet Albums (US) | UK Albums |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Hot Rock | 181 | 12 | - | - | - |
| 2000 | All Hands on the Bad One | 177 | 12 | - | - | 156 |
| 2002 | One Beat | 107 | 2 | 5 | - | - |
| 2005 | The Woods | 80 | - | 2 | 80 | - |
Singles
| Year | Title | Album | UK Singles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "One More Hour" | Dig Me Out | 153 |
| 1998 | "Little Babies" | Dig Me Out | 147 |
| 1999 | "A Quarter To Three" | The Hot Rock | 157 |
| 1999 | "Get Up" | The Hot Rock | 111 |
| 2000 | "You're No Rock 'n' Roll Fun" | All Hands on the Bad One | 94 |
| 2005 | "Entertain" | The Woods | - |
| 2005 | "Jumpers" | The Woods | - |
Samples
References in pop culture
- Near the beginning of the 1998 film The Horse Whisperer Scarlett Johansson's character, Grace MacLean, is seen listening to "Little Babies" (from Dig Me Out) through her headphones.
- Sleater-Kinney made a guest appearance in episode 6 of season 3 of the TV series The L Word, which is broadcast on the cable TV channel Showtime, and performed the song "Jumpers" from their album The Woods.
- Sleater-Kinney were referenced in a second season episode of Six Feet Under entitled "Driving Mr. Mossback" in which Nate and Claire visit Seattle. Claire mentions that there is a Sleater-Kinney concert at the Showbox in Seattle the night that they're visiting and Nate mentions that he loves the band and wouldn't mind seeing them. In a separate season 3 episode entitled "Making Love Work", Claire is shown listening to the song "O2" in her bedroom.
- Sleater-Kinney were one of the many bands mentioned at the end of Le Tigre's "Hot Topic" from the self-titled album Le Tigre (album).
- In the 2000 film Bring it On, Eliza Dushku's character has a Sleater-Kinney poster in her bedroom.
External links
- Sleater-Kinney official site
- Kill Rock Stars, Sleater-Kinney's former record label (band page, with sample mp3s)
- Sub Pop Records, the group's current label
- Sleater-Kinney.net Comprehensive fan site & archive
- Tiny Suns Infused With Sour A Sleater-Kinney news blog
- Pitchforkmedia.com: Sleater-Kinney Say Goodbye
- The Village Voice: Sleater-Kinney Break-Up
- Words and Guitar Sleater-Kinney discussion list
- Random Truths about Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein from identitytheory.com
- Sleater-Kinney profile on Punknews.org
- Hear the Band Perform at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club
- Interview from Punk Planet 61 (2004)
References
- ^ http://sleater-kinney.net/index.php?go=library_spin_june05
- ^ http://sleater-kinney.net/index.php?go=library_rock_decade
- ^ http://sleater-kinney.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=32&pos=3
| Sleater-Kinney | |
|---|---|
| Corin Tucker | Carrie Brownstein | Janet Weiss Lora McFarlane | Tori Gogin | Misty Farrell |
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| Discography | |
| Albums: Sleater-Kinney | Call The Doctor | Dig Me Out | The Hot Rock | All Hands on the Bad One | One Beat | The Woods Singles: "You 'Ain't It!/Surf Song" | "One More Hour" | "Little Babies" | "A Quarter To Three" | "Get Up" | "You're No Rock 'n Roll Fun" | "Entertain" | "Jumpers" |
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| Related | |
| Articles: Heavens to Betsy | Excuse 17 | Cadallaca | Quasi | Riot Grrrl | Sub Pop | Kill Rock Stars | Categories: Sleater-Kinney albums | |
