babes in toyland

This star-studded pro-choice album remains unreleased, but is more relevant than ever

In the 1990s, a pro-choice benefit album Choice: The Freedom Remix was set to feature an all-star cast. Years later, the album still hasn’t been fully released, but is as relevant as ever.

A history of riot grrrl, from “Rebel Girl” to “Racist, Sexist Boy”

In 1991, Anita Hill testified before a Senate Judiciary Committee about being the target of sexual harassment from African-American judge Clarence Thomas at his Supreme Court confirmation hearing. The hearings were televised, and Hill’s lurid testimony sent bolts of shock and disgust across an America yet to become completely tabloidized. When this all-white, all-male committee […]

How Minneapolis’ punk scene foreshadowed alt-rock, grunge and pop punk

Minneapolis: The state of Minnesota’s most densely populated city. It sits back to back with the state capital, St. Paul, forming what’s known as the Twin Cities. It also gets really freakin’ cold up there. So it naturally produced a huge crop of punk bands at one time, all seemingly falling out of clapped-out Ford […]

10 legendary bands who built the foundation of the grunge genre

Despite the grousings of certain members of punk’s first generation, grunge most certainly earned its place on rock’s historical timeline, the perfect antidote to the cliche-ridden joke hardcore became fairly quickly: Everyone attempting to run the 100-yard dash in two seconds? Why not take a nice, leisurely stroll, instead? Most know that meat turns out […]

18 emerging pop-punk artists backed by Pinkshift’s Ashrita Kumar

Back in February, Alternative Press hailed Pinkshift as one of 100 Artists You Need To Know. Now, vocalist Ashrita Kumar is expanding that list with 18 of her favorite emerging pop-punk-adjacent bands. It might not surprise you to learn that the Baltimore-based outfit’s influences are just as eclectic as their sound. In fact, Kumar is quick to note […]

20 bands keeping the riot grrrl spirit alive in their own unique way

The riot grrrl underground feminist punk movement began in the early ’90s in the Pacific Northwest before expanding to the rest of the world. Credited by some for kick-starting third-wave feminism, riot grrrl was a scene where women could express themselves through music.  Many bands were influenced and started because of riot grrrl, with the […]

10 essential alternative '90s bands fronted by women you should know

The ’90s were chock-full of absolute icons, and no, we’re not referring to the Princess Diana Beanie Baby or JNCO jeans when we say that. From Nirvana to *NSYNC, pop and grunge ruled the airwaves. However, it seems like some women-fronted acts don’t get nearly enough credit for all of their contributions to the music […]