Revolution grrrl style now!

I'm sure you'll hear me say this a lot throughout our blog, but honestly, I'm a 90's girl at heart. Now I know what you're thinking, "Valerie, you were a 1 year old during 1990", and you're right. But I wish I was the age I am now during 1990, so I could have fully appreciated all that the 90's had to offer; like the music. In my opinion, the 90's were one of the best decades for music, especially women in music. You turned on the radio and had Alanis Morissette, L7, Veruca Salt, The Breeders, 4 Non Blondes, and many more ladies screaming back at you. Women during the 90's were fierce, and they were all over the alternative music scene, from punk, to indie, to grunge.

But you can't talk about women in music during the 90's without talking about riot grrrls. "Riot grrrl was an underground feminist punk movement that started in the early 1990s, and it is often associated with third-wave feminism. Riot grrrl bands often address issues such as rape, domestic abuse, sexuality, and female empowerment." One of the leading bands in the riot grrrl movement was Bikini Kill. Bikini Kill consisted of Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox, Tobi Vail, and Billy Karren.

To tell it point-blank, Bikini Kill changed my life. Now I know that must sound overly sentimental, but it's true. Hearing their album 'Pussywhipped' for the first time was what sparked my interest in feminism and punk music in general. They made it known that girls could play just as big of a part in the punk music scene as their male counterparts, and they had just as much, if not more, to be angry about. I wish I was old enough during that time to have had the opportunity to see them perform live. But even now, just listening to their albums or covering one of their songs gives me a huge rush. Listening to Bikini Kill makes you feel confident in being a women and making choices for yourself. Every teenage girl should listen to this band.

Did Bikini Kill change your life too? Well Kathleen Hanna herself has just started a blog called 'The Bikini Kill Archives', were fans can submit their stories. You should definitely check it out and share your story if you have one- http://bikinikillarchive.wordpress.com/.

If you are interested in learning more about the riot grrrl movement of the 90's, this is a great documentary to start you off- Don't Need You: The Herstory of Riot GRRRL.