MOG Editorial Review

On their 1993 debut full-length, P**sy Whipped, Bikini Kill roared out of the gates with hardcore punk riffs that were fierce enough to influence an entire generation of riot grrrls, not to mention the many female-led bands that would follow in later years. Of course, having a front woman who screams as abrasively as Kathleen Hanna also helps. “Star Bellied Boy” ends in a fever pitch with Hanna nearly losing her voice in between breathless verses. The wailing continues on “Rebel Girl,” the unofficial anthem of the riot grrrl movement, as Hanna sings, “Rebel girl you are the queen of my neighborhood!” Powered by speedy drumming and intimidating bass lines, Bikini Kill didn’t rewrite the punk song but they did something far more important - took it out of the boys’ club and made it their own.