Sleater-Kinney: Discography 1995 - 2000

 

Alternative rock band from the American Pacific Northwest. Formed in Olympia, Washington (USA) in 1994, then moved to Portland, Oregon. Went on "indefinite hiatus" in 2006. Reformed in

2014. Arguably the most important punk band of the 1990s and 2000s, with feminist songwriting matched by taut melodicism and jaw-dropping sonic complexity. Like many a great band, Sleater-Kinney inhabit their time so thoroughly it took an extended hiatus to realize the extent of their legacy. In many respects, they are the defining American indie rock band of the second half of the 1990s, the group that harnessed all the upheaval of the alt-rock explosion of the first part of the decade and channeled it into a vigorous mission statement.
                         

Sleater-Kinney (the name is taken from a local road name in Lacey, WA ) were in the middle of the Riot

Grrrl scene in the 1990s, and they were one of the few to survive the inevitable backlash (along with Allison Wolfe and Kathleen Hanna). Originally, the band was Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein's side-project. The Australian-born Laura Macfarlane became the band's first permanent drummer in late 1994. In 1997, Janet Weiss became their new drummer.
                           

After a few albums recorded with John Goodmanson, they went into an unfamiliar studio with Dave

Fridmann in late 2004, to record their first album for Sub Pop. In the summer of 2006, they announced an "indefinite hiatus", and they played their final U.S. gigs in August. They were in other bands before, during, and after Sleater-Kinney's 11 year run: Corin has been in both Heavens To Betsy  and Cadallaca, Carrie in Excuse 17 and The Spells, Laura in Ninetynine, and Janet in Quasi.
                                

It was not incidental that Sleater-Kinney were an all-female band -- prior to S-K, co-leaders Corin Tucker

and Carrie Brownstein both started playing music in Northern Pacific riot grrrl bands, and their feminism and queercore roots were deeply embedded in their rock & roll -- but calling them the best female rock band of their generation is too confining. By every measure, Sleater-Kinney were one of the best bands of their time, capturing the tenor of their era and then expanding at a rapid clip, delivering record after record that redefined their music without abandoning their punk rock (or political) ideals. 
                           

In 2019 Weiss announced her departure from the band, which is now in its core a duo:

Carrie Brownstein - guitar, vocals
Corin Tucker - guitar, vocals 
                           

01. SLEATER - KINNEY - SLEATER - KINNEY 1995

                          

Sleater-Kinney's debut record is a medium-fi blast of thrashy riot grrrl rock. Some tracks are reminiscent

of '90s Sonic Youth ("Be Yr Mama"), while others are just blasts of punk angst ("A Real Man"). The group suffers from excessively monotone melody lines, but succeeds with their overall confidence and an understanding of dynamics that is promising. This is a good first record, and a showcase for talent that would later blossom on The Hot Rock. 
                              

Sleater-Kinney – Sleater-Kinney
Label: Chainsaw – chsw12
Format: CD, Album
Country:US
Released:Jun 25, 1995
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk, Indie Rock

TRAXS

                         

01. Don't Think You Wanna    1:53
02. The Day I Went Away    3:05
03. A Real Man    1:04
04. Her Again    2:20
05. How To Play Dead    2:07
06. Be Yr Mama    2:53
07. Sold Out    1:16
08. Slow Song    2:00
09. Lora's Song   2:30
Vocals – Lora MacFarlane    
10. The Last Song    3:37

LINE - UP

                             

Vocals, Guitar – Corin Tucker/Carrie Kinney (tracks: 2, 5, 10)
Drums – Lora MacFarlane
Guitar – Carrie Kinney

Flac Size: 165 MB

02. SLEATER - KINNEY - CALL THE DOCTOR 1996

                             

Sleater-Kinney's masterful sophomore effort Call the Doctor fulfills all the promise of the group's debut

and more, forging taut melodicism and jaw-dropping sonic complexity out of barbed-wire emotional potency.  Forget the riot grrrl implications inherent in the trio's music -- Call the Doctor is pure, undiluted punk, and it's brilliant. 
                  

Sleater-Kinney – Call The Doctor
Label: Chainsaw – CHSW 13
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: Apr 29, 1996
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk, Indie Rock

TRAXS

                        

01. Call The Doctor    2:30
02. Hubcap    2:25
03. Little Mouth    1:44
04. Anonymous    2:29
05. Stay Where You Are    2:24
06. Good Things    3:10
07. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone    2:37
08. Taking Me Home    2:34
09. Taste Test    3:00
10. My Stuff    2:33
11. I'm Not Waiting    2:21
12. Heart Attack    2:12
Drums – Corin Tucker
Guitar – Lora Macfarlane

LINE - UP

                     

Vocals – Carrie Kinney (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 12), Corin Tucker, Lora Macfarlane (tracks: 2, 5, 8)
Drums – Lora Macfarlane
Guitar – Carrie Kinney, Corin Tucker

Flac Size: 215 MB

03. SLEATER - KINNEY - DIG ME OUT 1997

                          

Having reinvented the girl-punk wheel with Call the Doctor, Sleater-Kinney continues to expand the

boundaries of the form with the stunning Dig Me Out. Leaner and more intricate than its predecessor, the record is remarkably confident and mature; instead of succumbing to the pressures of "next big thing" status, the trio finds vindication in all of their critical adulation -- the vocals are even more ferocious, the melodies are even more infectious, and the ideals are even more passionate. 
                              

Sleater-Kinney – Dig Me Out
Label: Kill Rock Stars – KRS 279
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: Apr 8, 1997
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk, Indie Rock

TRAXS

                      

01. Dig Me Out    2:40
02. One More Hour    3:19
03. Turn It On    2:47
04. The Drama You've Been Craving    2:08
05. Heart Factory    3:54
06. Words And Guitar    2:21
07. It's Enough  1:46 
Saxophone – Jessica Lurie
08. Little Babies    2:22
09. Not What You Want    3:17
10. Buy Her Candy    2:02
11. Things You Say    2:56
12. Dance Song '97    2:49
13. Jenny    4:03

LINE - UP

                                        

Vocals, Guitar – Corin Tucker
Drums, Percussion – Janet Weiss
Guitar, Vocals – Carrie Brownstein

Flac Size: 255 MB

04. SLEATER - KINNEY - THE HOT ROCK 1999

                         

Expectations for Sleater-Kinney's fourth album were stratospheric, with the raging, tuneful feminist catharsis of Call the Doctor and Dig Me Out having garnered near-universal critical raves and

outlandish media hype. Afraid of falling into a predictable rut, though, the band bravely pushed its range of expression into more personal, subdued, and cerebral territory on The Hot Rock. The Hot Rock can invite comparisons to a less jam-oriented Television or a minimalist version of indie compatriots Helium (not to mention the obvious Kim Gordon homage on "Get Up"), but in the end, it stands on its own as Sleater-Kinney's most progressive and experimental work, as well as their darkest. 
                           

Sleater-Kinney – The Hot Rock
Label: Kill Rock Stars – KRS 321
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: Feb 23, 1999
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock

TRAXS

                           

01. Start Together    2:38
02. Hot Rock    3:17
03. The End Of You    3:20
04. Burn, Don't Freeze    3:19
05. God Is A Number    3:44
06. Banned From The End Of The World    2:09
07. Don't Talk Like    3:34
08. Get Up    3:46
09. One Song For You    2:49
10. The Size Of Our Love   3:12
Violin, Viola – Seth Warren
11. Living In Exile    2:31
12. Memorize Your Lines   3:10
Violin, Viola – Seth Warren
13. A Quarter To Three   4:03
Slide Guitar – Roger Moutenot

LINE - UP

                       

Vocals, Guitar – Corin Tucker
Drums, Percussion – Janet Weiss
Guitar, Vocals – Carrie Brownstein

Flac Size: 297 MB

05. SLEATER - KINNEY - ALL HANDS ON THE BAD ONE 2002

                                     

Sleater-Kinney switched gears on their follow-up to the challenging, introspective The Hot Rock,

delivering their brightest, most accessible album to date with All Hands on the Bad One. That's partly due to a renewed assurance in craft -- the arrangements here are the most refined of the group's career, and their performances the most polished. Not only is All Hands on the Bad One Sleater-Kinney's most consistent overall set of songs since Call the Doctor, it's also evidence that the band has taken that philosophy to heart.
                           

Sleater-Kinney – All Hands On The Bad One
Label: Kill Rock Stars – KRS 360
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: May 2, 2000
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk, Alternative Rock, Indie Rock

TRAXS

                                     

01. The Ballad Of A Ladyman    3:10
02. Ironclad    2:34
03. All Hands On The Bad One   2:57
Organ – Sarah Dougher    
04. Youth Decay    2:30
05. You're No Rock N' Roll Fun    2:37
06. #1 Must Have    3:03
07. The Professional    1:31
08. Was It A Lie?    3:15
09. Male Model    2:32
10. Leave You Behind    3:27
11. Milkshake N' Honey   2:54
Mellotron – Sam Coomes    
12. Pompeii    2:43
13. The Swimmer   3:47
Organ – Sarah Dougher
    

LINE - UP

                                  

Vocals, Guitar – Corin Tucker
Drums, Percussion – Janet Weiss
Guitar, Vocals – Carrie Brownstein

Flac Size: 272 MB