Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out (Kill Rock Stars)
These three women are the bright shining hope of the legacy of, I don’t know, Riot Grrl, the future of women in punk rock? For all the hype they’ve received (and I’m sure have been properly uncomfortable about it), I’d expected to be blown away live. I expected them to be witty, biting, powerful, fast and frightening. I expected them to be ALL THAT. I was surprised when they came onstage. They’re just babies! Girls just barely out of their teens. They put on a good show, but nothing to write home about. But there is definitely something there, a spirit, that hints at what they could be. This is more readily heard on their third album. By taking a step back, looking at their heritage in new wave and punk bands like the Au Pairs, X-Ray Spex and the Avengers, they take two steps forward, away from their provincial home scene, towards immortality. These are heartbreakingly passionate songs, that, whether they were written from girl to boy or from girl to girl, anyone should appreciate its honesty.
