Minneapolis‘ riot grunge grrrls BABES IN TOYLAND (1987–2001, 2014–2020) were punk pussyKats you’d better not mess around with. Their barbed wire in-your-face bravado could split atoms and Kat Bjelland‘s intimidating vox was clamorously ace.
Remember their stupendous single BRUISE VIOLVET and its utterly cool
babes-rock video clip from their amazeballs 1992 album Fontanelle?
Band: BABES IN TOYLAND Who: Beloved female punk trio
from Minneapolis, Minnesota Active: 1987–2001, 2014–2020 / 3 LPs
Anniversary album: FONTANELLE Released: 11 August 1992 – 30 years ago today
AllMusic wrote: “Babes in Toyland’s most focused and powerful statement, Fontanelle was vaguely associated with grunge upon its release, and tossed in with the Pacific Northwest-centered riot grrrl movement after the fact. In truth, it lies somewhere in between, its raw punkish fury and metallic grind making it the spiritual kin of L7. Fontanelle isn’t necessarily explicitly feminist, since the glorious noise of rock & roll is viewed as the ultimate empowerment… Measured by any standard, Fontanelle is a frighteningly primal record, one whose sheer ferocity Babes in Toyland never quite captured this convincingly anywhere else.” Score: 4/5.
Turn Up The Volume: This was/still is a maddening motherfucker of
a riot grunge grrrl beast. Kate Bjelland‘s primal screams are totally crude. YEAH!
Singles/clips: Handsome and Gretel / Bruise Violet
Band: BABES IN TOYLAND Who: Beloved female punk trio
from Minneapolis, Minnesota Active: 1987–2001, 2014–2020
Artwork: Cover of their second LP FONTANELLE, released 30 years ago this year (Augustus 1992). The cover photo — an image of a naked doll held up in front of
a mirror — was taken for the album by photographer Cindy Sherman.
