Kathleen Hanna is
an icon in underground music, art, film and politics. Born in Portland, Oregon,
on November 12, 1968, Hanna first became interested in feminism around the age
of nine, after her mother took her to a Solidarity Day rally in Washington D.C.
where feminist author Gloria Steinem
spoke. Hanna became a musician, feminist activist and punk zine writer. Hanna founded
the brief but influential Riot Grrrl movement, as chronicled in the 2006
documentary Don't Need You: The Herstory
of Riot Grrrl. She became the lead singer of Bikini Kill in the early- to mid-1990s, released a solo album under
the pseudonym Julie Ruin in 1998, and
fronted Le Tigre in the late 1990s
and early 2000s. As seen in the documentary film The Punk Singer, Hanna learned she was infected with Lyme Disease, and
the recovery process forced her to take a nine-year break from music. She is
back with a band called the Julie Ruin
and a debut album, Run Fast, which
was released today. The Julie Ruin is comprised of Hanna on vocals, Sara Landeau on guitar, Kenny Mellman on keyboards, Kathi Wilcox on bass and Carmine Covelli on drums.
At the Bowery
Ballroom tonight, Hanna showed that the Julie Ruin is a new beginning for her,
in that the band sounds unlike her previous works. The foundations of the compositions
were often propelled by the rhythm sections’ funk and rock chops, similar to Har Mar Superstar (who applauded from the
audience). The songs were danceable yet sometimes as quirky as Devo. The ensemble arrangements were
usually sparse until Wilcox stepped forward with her wall-of-sound surf-guitar
leads, then giving the band a Bush Tetras
flavor. The top and most prominent layer was Hanna’s snarly and squeaky vocals,
reminiscent of the B-52’s. The Julie
Ruin introduced an innovative platform for today’s indie market.
The Julie Ruin will be performing at the Music Hall of Williamsburg
in Brooklyn on October 25. In the meantime, visit the Julie Ruin (and get a free
download) at http://www.thejulieruinband.com
