Le Tigre: Hold That Tiger!
In the considerable "why the hell did it take me so long to write about this" category, I now turn my attention to Le Tigre.
I can't remember where or when I first heard of this three-member act, but a couple of years ago there was so much buzz about them in L.A., that I would have sworn that they were a local band. In fact, they are based out of NYC, although two of the members had been involved in earlier projects in Portland, OR.
My first impression of Le Tigre was hearing some of the upbeat Pop-Punk tracks from their album Feminist Sweepstakes being played on local radio station Indie 103.1. It wasn't until later, after hearing an interview with the band on that same station, that I found out that Le Tigre is as much an activist group as they are a music group. And it wasn't until later still, when I read an album review somewhere, that I found out that Le Tigre co-founder and vocalist Kathleen was in fact Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill (*sigh* -- sometimes I have my finger on the pulse, and sometimes I have it somewhere else). Yes, Bikini Kill, as in the loud Punk band that was part of the genesis of the entire Riot Grrrl movement, and therefore an inspiration to a great many of the artists played on Estrogenius.
Feminist Sweepstakes was sold out at Amazon every time I checked there, for about six months; so I finally gave up and went to Amoeba Music, where I found Le Tigre's more recent album This Island. That's the album that has "TKO", a song that I already loved, so I had to get it. I was not disappointed.
Johanna, JD and Kathleen of Le Tigre
I knew that "TKO" was a Pop-Rock song in the best tradition of The Go-Go's, but I had no idea what to expect from the rest of the album. I was expecting a noisy Punk sound, what with Kathleen Hanna's previous project and all, and indeed the first few tracks on This Island meet that description. But Le Tigre is not Bikini Kill, and it was a mistake for me to have expected as much. The members describe their sound as "Feminist Punk Electronic music", and they are right, of course; but there are some tracks on This Island that are nothing less than expertly-crafted Pop. The album is assertive, but not agressive (or at least, not needlessly so); it has a serious mission, but is relentlessly upbeat; and it is, in short, hella fun. I'd especially like to single-out the kickass anti-war track, "New Kicks", which fits every one of the adjectives I used in the previous sentence. THIS is how activism should be.
It's always funny to me how conservatives characterize feminists: Typically, feminists are portrayed (villified) as a group of shrill, strident dykes who simply want to expand their rights at the expense of men's rights, and who generally take things way too seriously (I could make my own characterization of said conservatives as being a bunch of ignorant, bile-spewing troglodytes, but I won't). The reason it's funny is that it serves as proof that conservatives don't even know what feminism is. OK, maybe it's not "funny" so much as "fucking sad", but you get the point.
Visit Le Tigre's website at www.letigreworld.com, read some of the posts from members Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman, and JD Samson, and you will see the true spririt of feminism. They are all passionate, motivated and fun-loving people, not the hirsute harridans that conservatives wish they were. Well, except for JD, who actually is hirsute. I say that with a smile; JD is a very cute butch lesbian, and she comes across on the website as an incredibly sweet and interesting person. She's done rather well for someone who started off as Le Tigre's tour projectionist.
See what I mean about JD?
Photo: Cass Bird (Please don't sue me, guys)
It's people like the members of Le Tigre who will take the cause to the clubs, the streets, the airwaves, and wherever it's necessary. They will use art to shock and awe, and they will kill 'em with charm. And someday, they will win.
I can't remember where or when I first heard of this three-member act, but a couple of years ago there was so much buzz about them in L.A., that I would have sworn that they were a local band. In fact, they are based out of NYC, although two of the members had been involved in earlier projects in Portland, OR.
My first impression of Le Tigre was hearing some of the upbeat Pop-Punk tracks from their album Feminist Sweepstakes being played on local radio station Indie 103.1. It wasn't until later, after hearing an interview with the band on that same station, that I found out that Le Tigre is as much an activist group as they are a music group. And it wasn't until later still, when I read an album review somewhere, that I found out that Le Tigre co-founder and vocalist Kathleen was in fact Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill (*sigh* -- sometimes I have my finger on the pulse, and sometimes I have it somewhere else). Yes, Bikini Kill, as in the loud Punk band that was part of the genesis of the entire Riot Grrrl movement, and therefore an inspiration to a great many of the artists played on Estrogenius.
Feminist Sweepstakes was sold out at Amazon every time I checked there, for about six months; so I finally gave up and went to Amoeba Music, where I found Le Tigre's more recent album This Island. That's the album that has "TKO", a song that I already loved, so I had to get it. I was not disappointed.
Johanna, JD and Kathleen of Le Tigre
I knew that "TKO" was a Pop-Rock song in the best tradition of The Go-Go's, but I had no idea what to expect from the rest of the album. I was expecting a noisy Punk sound, what with Kathleen Hanna's previous project and all, and indeed the first few tracks on This Island meet that description. But Le Tigre is not Bikini Kill, and it was a mistake for me to have expected as much. The members describe their sound as "Feminist Punk Electronic music", and they are right, of course; but there are some tracks on This Island that are nothing less than expertly-crafted Pop. The album is assertive, but not agressive (or at least, not needlessly so); it has a serious mission, but is relentlessly upbeat; and it is, in short, hella fun. I'd especially like to single-out the kickass anti-war track, "New Kicks", which fits every one of the adjectives I used in the previous sentence. THIS is how activism should be.
It's always funny to me how conservatives characterize feminists: Typically, feminists are portrayed (villified) as a group of shrill, strident dykes who simply want to expand their rights at the expense of men's rights, and who generally take things way too seriously (I could make my own characterization of said conservatives as being a bunch of ignorant, bile-spewing troglodytes, but I won't). The reason it's funny is that it serves as proof that conservatives don't even know what feminism is. OK, maybe it's not "funny" so much as "fucking sad", but you get the point.
Visit Le Tigre's website at www.letigreworld.com, read some of the posts from members Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman, and JD Samson, and you will see the true spririt of feminism. They are all passionate, motivated and fun-loving people, not the hirsute harridans that conservatives wish they were. Well, except for JD, who actually is hirsute. I say that with a smile; JD is a very cute butch lesbian, and she comes across on the website as an incredibly sweet and interesting person. She's done rather well for someone who started off as Le Tigre's tour projectionist.
See what I mean about JD?
Photo: Cass Bird (Please don't sue me, guys)
It's people like the members of Le Tigre who will take the cause to the clubs, the streets, the airwaves, and wherever it's necessary. They will use art to shock and awe, and they will kill 'em with charm. And someday, they will win.
posted by Arhythmius at
11:26 AM
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