Kathleen Hanna is a Portland-born, Los Angeles-based punk singer, artist, writer, and the front-woman of iconic bands like Bikini Kill & Le Tigre. In the early 90s, she pioneered the Riot Grrrl feminist movement by using the power of punk music, visual art, zines, and a DIY ethos, to speak on shared frustrations and counteract sexism in the music scene. In addition to being a trailblazing musician, Hanna is also an ambassador for Peace Sisters, a non-profit organization that supports education for girls in Togo, West Africa. Kathleen’s memoir, Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk, is out May 14, 2024 (pre-order) and the book tour kicks off with an in-conversation event with Molly Ringwald (PI #422) on May 14th at Kings Theatre in NYC. You can also catch Bikini Kill live, internationally now or throughout the US at the end of this summer. Lucky for us, Kathleen’s here to tell us what she’s been into.
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This ten song record from 2023 is already an underground classic. Is it surfy new wave punk? Punky Disco? Whatever it is IT’S FUCKING GREAT. Lira Mondal is the vocalist I want to hear everyday singing every song. The obvious musical comparison might be Pylon, but there’s also a poppy Romeo Void vibe that I’m fully addicted to. The best record of this year and it came out last year! hahaha!
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I just started reading this collection of essays and am absolutely hooked. LaPointe’s writing is so incredibly fresh and relatable whether she’s talking about international politics or bad TV. When her Father says “ There are no Native Americans on America’s Next Top Model” and she responds “Just moments before I had been angry about the male gaze, about objectification. I stood silent, jaw agape as he continued, They don’t think to include us because they don’t remember us, They don’t even know we exist.” Heartbreak and humor exists on almost every page I’ve read so far and I wake up everyday excited to read more.
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I would say this is super listenable Political Punk, but I hate the idea that great bands with normal ideas like equality for everyone are “political” when really it’s everyone else who is being boring as hell while upholding the status quo. Lambrini Girls are way too musically wild and way too fun to be tied down to all these words anyways. Even better lyrics than Idles and I really like Idles. I know it’s not a competition but if it was….Take a deep dive into their interviews on YOUTUBE. You will not regret it.
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This book says “A Memoir in Verse” on its cover but it DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU DON’T “GET” POETRY OR HATE IT EVEN. This book will change your mind. This is the funniest most fucked up book you will ever be lucky enough to read. Seriously do yourself a favor and get it because I can’t describe seeing a sunset while having an orgasm anymore than I can describe this book.
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This band is Lydia Lunch style groundbreaking. Post Punk brought to the next level. Some of the best lyrics I’ve ever heard. It feels like they planted a beautiful bomb inside me. I want to make more art. I want to write more songs. What if Wire wasn’t an older band everyone references? This is giving me fucking feminist art fire fire fire. I LOVE.
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Like a great musical compilation that features a ton of different styles. From fiction by Honeychild Coleman and Hanif Abdurraqib to several great Roundtable Discussions called “No Whites on the Mic” that cover topics like how to start a DIY collective, what’s happening in the punk scene NOW and self care. I came for the great writing and the bands but came back again to fully enjoy the amazing comics and photos. This is one of those must have books like ‘Banned in DC’ and ‘Shotgun Seamstress; The Complete Zine Collection’.
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I’m a sucker for complicated yet repetitive percussion, single note guitar riffs and great singing so this is kinda like the perfect storm for me. There’s a track called “singing” where Fabi Reyna talks about how she didn’t want to sing because she thought it would take away from her as a guitarist. I AM SO GLAD SHE GOT OVER THAT!!! Her voice is gorgeous, smooth in a Sade kinda way but even more intimate. Like you’re sitting on the couch while she’s singing in the same room! I’m absolutely desperate to hear these songs live.
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