riot grrrl

“Joan Jett doesn’t play rock ’n’ roll,” I wrote two years back, reviewing her SXSW showcase for The Austin Chronicle. “She is rock ’n’ roll.” It’s true. The individual born Joan Marie Larkin in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, embodies the music and spirit better than anyone this side of Keith Richards. As Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong […]

The riot grrrl underground feminist punk movement began in the early ’90s in the Pacific Northwest before expanding to the rest of the world. Credited by some for kick-starting third-wave feminism, riot grrrl was a scene where women could express themselves through music.  Many bands were influenced and started because of riot grrrl, with the […]

It’s a bit sad that feminism and music go so perfectly hand in hand. The movement shouldn’t have to be twisted into a countercultural phenomenon driven by defiance. After all, in any reasonable world, the equality and representation of women and marginalized groups should be inherent. As it stands, though, feminism depends on rationally minded […]

Amy Poehler’s Moxie is an impeccable homage to the riot grrrls of the ’90s and features numerous Easter eggs that highlight the importance of the women-led feminist punk movement. From Bikini Kill to Tacocat, the film is filled with iconic tracks, images and merch that defined an era of revolution. Moxie follows Vivian (Hadley Robinson) […]

The ’90s were chock-full of absolute icons, and no, we’re not referring to the Princess Diana Beanie Baby or JNCO jeans when we say that. From Nirvana to *NSYNC, pop and grunge ruled the airwaves. However, it seems like some women-fronted acts don’t get nearly enough credit for all of their contributions to the music […]

Despite being heralded as a widely inclusive space, the pop-punk scene has been historically male-dominated. It’s an uncomfortable reality for many, but as iconic artists such as Hayley Williams drag it, kicking and screaming, into the forefront of discussion, we maintain hope that marginalized artists might one day not be regarded as anomalies. In honor […]

The mood of 1992: “We won!” Nirvana’s Nevermind sold by the truckload hourly. All anyone could talk about was alternative rock and grunge. Record biz execs walked around that spring’s SXSW convention in Austin in floppy, artfully unwashed hair, just-purchased flannel shirts and ripped jeans. You’d pass a line of them in the parking lot […]

February marks Black History Month, and while every day is the perfect day to celebrate artists of all genres, backgrounds and upbringings, we want to spotlight Black artists who you may not know well, but certainly will soon. Throughout 2020, some of our favorite rising acts, including Nova Twins, Meet Me @ The Altar, THEHXLIDAY […]

Welcome to Alternative Press’ pick of the 15 best punk albums of 1991. It was a momentous year, one in which underground culture burst into the mainstream, taking punk and all its offshoots with it. Blame it on one album: Nirvana’s Nevermind.  Many punkier-than-thou types will moan when seeing this album’s inclusion. They’d be denying […]

Everybody’s favorite genre to have opinions about, nü metal shortly peaked as an object of global obsession. Not unlike the finale of Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer, the scene got ravaged by the collective madness of its own stans. Which fairly contributed to the creation of negative biases toward nü metal we’ve grown to […]

Welcome to Alternative Press’ pick of the 15 best punk guitarists of the ’90s. One notable difference between this list and the other two we’ve compiled is the inclusion of several women. Punk did much to democratize rock ’n’ roll in the ’70s, with many pioneering all-female (the Runaways, the Slits) or mixed-gender lineups (X-Ray […]

Throughout the 2000s, women started to dominate the alternative music scene with their powerful stage presence and otherworldly talent. Following in the footsteps of riot grrrls, they proudly represented the fact that women rock just as hard, if not harder, than men. Despite the “boys’ club” of emo, punk and pop-punk communities, the women on […]

Being in a band is like being in a relationship, and many times, that means messy breakups and unsatisfying endings. But on some occasions (usually after a few years), some acts are able to put aside their differences and get back together, either for an epic one-off show or a full-blown reunion. We’ve decided to […]

Since the inception of the alternative music scene, men have been at the forefront. Historically, they have determined who can participate and are allowed in their spaces, creating a “by men, for men” mentality. As a result, the “boys’ club” of the indie, punk and the alternative underground emerged. Since then, women have had to […]

While many people believe that the riot grrrl movement has come and passed, self-proclaimed “ugly-pop” band Skating Polly are keeping the spirit of absolute badassery alive. Starting as children, frontwomen Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse grew up among Babes In Toyland, X and Starcrawler. Since adding drummer Kurtis Mayo, the band are well on their […]

Photo: Hannah Verbeuren If provided only a photo of Barb Wire Dolls frontwoman Isis Queen and locked in a room with their music at speaker-shattering levels, you might just think you'd traveled back to the late '70s and landed straight in one of those classic, CBGB gigs we young punks can only fantasize (and salivate) about […]

Chiodos frontman Craig Owens has taken on Bikini Kill's Riot Grrrl classic “Rebel Girl” in support of organizations Equal Rights Advocates and Girls Rock Camp Alliance, which strive for female equality and empowerment. 100 percent of the profits from the purchase of  the cover from Owens' bandcamp page will go to the aforementioned organizations. Of his passion for the cause, Owens says: “I have always had […]