Sleater-Kinney

Sleater-Kinney were an Alternative Rock band heavily associated with the Riot Grrrl scene. They were the longest-lasting band in that scene, forming in 1994 and breaking up going on indefinite hiatus in 2006.

The band was formed in Olympia, Washington, by guitarists/vocalists Corin Tucker (formerly of Heavens to Betsy) and Carrie Brownstein (formerly of Excuse 17). Their drummer for the first two albums was Lora MacFarlane, who was replaced in 1997 by Janet Weiss. This lineup lasted until the end of their career.

While Sleater-Kinney began as a more-or-less typical Riot Grrrl band, they distinguished themselves from the start by lacking a bassist - the role was more or less fulfilled by Tucker's downtuned rhythm guitar. With 1997's Dig Me Out, they started Growing the Beard and experimenting with their style; their new, more melodic and complex sound received much critical acclaim.

Since their hiatus, Corin Tucker now has a solo career going, while Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss are in the Supergroup Wild Flag alongside Mary Timony (formerly of Helium and Team Sleep) and Rebecca Cole. Brownstein has a long career as a writer, dating back to when she was a staff writer for The Believer magazine while still a member of the band. She wrote the popular blog Monitor Mix for NPR for several years and can currently be seen in Portlandia, a sketch comedy show she co-created, co-writes and co-stars in with Fred Armisen.

Discography:

 * Sleater-Kinney (1995)
 * Call the Doctor (1996)
 * Dig Me Out (1997)
 * The Hot Rock (1999)
 * All Hands on the Bad One (2000)
 * One Beat (2002)
 * The Woods (2005)

Sleater-Kinney provide examples of:

 * A Good Name for a Rock Band: They named themselves after the Sleater-Kinney Road in Lacey, Washington, where their first practice space was.
 * Creator Couple: Carrie and Corin, for a while, and Janet was in one with her now ex-husband Sam Coombes in Quasi and Elliot Smith's backing band.
 * Epic Rocking: "Let's Call It Love" from The Woods.
 * Loudness War: The Woods.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Carrie and Corin's contrasting vocals are a musical equivalent. Carrie is the Blue Oni to Corin's Red.
 * Three Chords and the Truth: Their first two albums.