Riot Grrrl

The Riot Grrrl movement of the 1990s melded Punk music with confrontational feminist lyrics and themes. Largely spawned from the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. (Olympia, Washington in particular), the most influential and best-known of the original Riot Grrrl bands -- Bikini Kill and Bratmobile -- set their radically feminist agendas to scathing Punk-influenced music. The music never quite reached mainstream ears, but has nonetheless made serious inroads into the fabric of the '90s Indie Rock and Punk scenes, most notably in the critically lauded second generation Riot Grrrl trio Sleater-Kinney. Veteran rock 'n' roller Joan Jett has been widely cited as being the original Riot Grrrl, although many have incorrectly placed Hole's Courtney Love and P.J. Harvey in the milieu.