Your essential guide to Sleater-Kinney
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The riot grrrl movement which began in Olympia, Washington and spread globally was a flame that burned bright in the early to mid '90s, leaving an indelible mark on punk and indie rock. Sadly, however, most of the bands that spearheaded the movement burned out before the end of the decade.
Sleater-Kinney, however, were the exception. Unconventional even within a nonconformist genre, their music continues to evolve and change without ever losing the rough edges of their punk beginnings.
On either side of a decade-long hiatus, they have released a thrilling body of work that illustrates why Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein managed to survive the burnout. Here's our guide to their catalogue, ranked worst to best.
11. Path of Wellness (2021)
Path of Wellness represents a new beginning for Sleater-Kinney. It was the first album after longtime drummer Janet Weiss’ departure and the first that they produced completely independently. The high vocals and stripped-down guitar lines of High In The Grass hold onto some of that classic Sleater-Kinney charm, but, perhaps understandably under the circumstances, it’s one of their few albums that feels unsure of itself.
Path of Wellness’ primary downfall is perhaps its position between two much more memorable records.The nimble hooks are still present in Worry With You and Down The Line, but the more introspective-leaning lyrics lack the bold statements that we know Sleater-Kinney are capable of. Complex Female Characters come close to the feminist themes they cut their teeth on as a young band, only without the bite that we’re used to.
10. Sleater-Kinney (1995)
Sleater-Kinney’s self-titled debut is a tricky one to rate. On one hand, the rough-edged delivery that differentiated them from their contemporaries hadn’t quite settled in yet, and it's almost, albeit not entirely, unrecognisable from the mature, fine-tuned records that were to come.
On the other hand, with songs like A Real Man, one minute of pure riot grrrl rage, it's a short, sharp and sweet explosion of unpolished, unsophisticated punk rock, with catchy hooks like The Day I Went Away’s “So far, so good” helping it stand it out from the crowd. Despite the title, it doesn’t feel like a 'proper' Sleater-Kinney album, but it’s still a valuable piece of the punk canon.
9. The Center Won’t Hold (2019)
Under the watchful eye of producer St. Vincent, The Center Won’t Hold took Sleater-Kinney in a darker, more intense direction. The title track contains some of their heaviest guitar work and introduces new industrial elements. Reach Out and RUINS look outward, observing life in a hyper-connected society and the problems that accompany it. Later, LOVE is more contemplative as it reflects on their career so far, dropping easter eggs in the lyrics to earlier work.
The main criticism of the trio's tenth album comes from fans who don’t see it as a Sleater-Kinney album. There’s some truth to this; St Vincent is a powerful presence, often stepping out from behind the curtain with bursts of energy that could have come straight from MASSEDUCTION. But at the same time, this detour arguably paved the way for the creative triumph of Little Rope.
The change in direction came at a cost, though. Somewhat ironically, given the album title, one month before release, long-time drummer Janet Weiss announced that she would be leaving the group, stating that she felt she was no longer an equal partner with creative influence within the band.
8. The Hot Rock (1999)
The Hot Rock marked a period of transition for Sleater-Kinney. By 1999, the original generation of riot grrrl bands had all but disappeared, leaving Sleater-Kinney among the few who would see the new millennium. Survival called for evolution, and you can hear a shift in style on The Hot Rock as the trio moves into their more indie-tinged era.
Burn, Don’t Freeze! and God Is A Number sit somewhere between their more raucous days and the more subdued, accessible indie-rock that they were heading towards. The Hot Rock feels like a stepping stone record, somewhat unsure of itself, but the petulant punk of Banned From The End of the World and the spoken-word post-punk of Get Up are charming and engaging.
7. All Hands on the Bad One (2000)
Created in what the band described as a “spontaneous” recording process, All Hands On The Bad One feels like a more natural, organic outing for Sleater-Kinney. Where The Hot Rock felt uncertain, All Hands On The Bad One feels more thought-out and authentic.
Ballad of a Ladyman chronicles their experience as women in a rock band, with lines that could have been sung by The Runaways 25 years prior (“I could be demure like girls who are soft/ For boys who are fearful of getting an earful/ But I gotta rock!). There jarringly candid observations on eating disorders in Youth Decay, while #1 Must Have is a cutting takedown of how the media’s commodification of riot grrrl in the mid-90s did nothing to keep women safe (“And will there always be concerts where women are raped?). With such bold statements, All Hands On The Bad One feels like Sleater-Kinney coming into their own again.
6. No Cities To Love (2015)
The band's first album following a ten-year hiatus, No Cities To Love could very easily have been one of those albums that doesn't know quite where it stands. Instead, it displays the brazen confidence of a band that knows exactly who they are. Price Tag’s simple yet quintessentially Sleater-Kinney riff is the bold opener that reminds us exactly why we fell in love with this band in the first place.
There’s a sense of urgency on No Cities To Love, a half-hour record that announces a triumphant comeback with no room for missteps. There is also an exciting progression in their artistry; the chaos and noise of Gimme Love are countered nicely with immaculate vocal harmonies on A New Wave. The guitar heroics of Surface Envy and No Cities To Love are a thrilling reintroduction of the tight, electric riffs that underpin the insistence of Tucker’s lead vocals. Sleater-Kinney were back, and they were as strong as ever.
5. One Beat (2002)
One Beat is perhaps Sleater-Kinney’s most outright political record. That wasn’t their original intention, but dark clouds filtered through the music as they wrote and recorded the album in the aftermath of 9/11. The military-style drums of Far Away are sinister and hypnotic as Tucker cries out, “And the president hides/ While working men rush in and give their lives”. They remain critical of blind patriotism throughout the album, as evidenced by the brash, sarky punk declaration, “Hey look, it’s time to pledge allegiance/I love my dirty Uncle Sam” on the Bad Religion-esque Combat Rock.
But while these statements are what makes One Beat such a strong album, Sleater-Kinney don’t stick to a single note, exploring more personal stories on Oh and Hollywood Ending. The personal and the political are beautifully interwoven, and One Beat remains one of the boldest moments of Sleater-Kinney’s discography.
4. Little Rope (2024)
For their most recent album, Sleater-Kinney took the darkness that they ventured into on The Center Won’t Hold, and this time, they made it completely their own. Opener Hell is gloomy to the point of coldness, and the whole album creates a stifling atmosphere that carries you deep into the dark, grieving state of mind that fuelled the album’s creation. It’s simultaneously a mature and polished outing that never loses the spiky punk attitude of their early works.
After a few shaky albums that didn’t impress die-hard fans, the band returned with aggressively frank observations of the modern world as they urge the listener to “Get up girl and dress yourself / In clothes you love for a world you hate” on Dress Yourself. Little Rope is a distinctly unapologetic and straight-to-the-point album in which Sleater-Kinney shrug off any degree of uncertainty, still evolving and innovating 11 albums in.
3. The Woods (2005)
In another world, The Woods could have been Sleater-Kinney’s final album. If it were, well, what a way to go out. It’s a puzzle of a record, more refined than their previous work in some areas, more feral and unrestrained in others. In many ways, The Woods feels like the soundtrack to a dark and twisted fairy tale as Tucker lets loose a deranged cry of ‘Land Ho’ in the fable-esque opener The Fox.
Modern Girl is easily one of Sleater-Kinney’s best songs. In isolation, it’s sweet and simple, the kind of song to play on one of the sunny days it talks about. But the lyrics drip with irony and in the context of The Woods, you get the sense that something darker lurks beneath the surface. A sedated version of the band sees them buy into capitalism and consumerism before the illusion shatters in the third verse.
The album’s ambition culminates with a 15-minute epic in the combined forces of Let’s Call It Love and Night Light. Often descending into feedback-laden chaos, The Woods never tries to be an accessible album. Instead, it fully embraces Sleater-Kinney’s more grandiose musical ideas.
2. Call The Doctor (1996)
Call The Doctor is the real birth of Sleater-Kinney. This is the point where their songs become more raw, stripped-down, and eccentric. The opposing vocals of Tucker and Brownstein clash in the most beautiful way, setting them apart from punk bands of the time. Call The Doctor was written in three weeks and recorded in just four days, carrying forward that sense of urgency and spontaneity from their debut.
It marks the beginning of what would become their trademark “meta-songwriting” in which they sing about their experiences of being in a band. I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone is a perfect punk anthem, injected with a sarcastic take on the stereotypes as Corin Tucker brazenly declares herself queen of rock and roll. They close off the album with the slow anxiety of Heart Attack, an introduction to the emotional destruction they are capable of wreaking.
Call The Doctor retains the rebellious riot-grrrl spirit of their debut with more elevated and poignant explorations of gender. Breakups, darkness, rage, and feminism, this is the archetypal Sleater-Kinney album.
1. Dig Me Out (1997)
It’s a tight race for the best Sleater-Kinney album, but in the end, Dig Me Out is the natural choice. From the very opening riff, Sleater-Kinney have the makings of a classic album on their hands. The titular opening track is Corin Tucker at her vocal best, striking a flawless balance between the unrestrained, almost feral vocals in the chorus with softer moments.
There are many highlights on Sleater-Kinney’s third album. The desperation and yearning in Buy Her Candy, the rage of The Drama You’ve Been Craving, and the sarcasm-tinged feminism of Little Babies are some of the key moments that come to mind. But there is one song that stands out.
One More Hour is the perfect breakup song, made even more poignant by the fact that Tucker is singing about her break-up with Brownstein. The song is split completely in two – between contrasting guitar lines and vocals, the harmony of the two voices at odds with the devastation of their situation. There’s a cutting depth in Tucker's bridge as she pleads “Don’t say another word about the other girl”. Her desperate wails of “I needed it” do battle with Brownstein’s patient, almost detached “I know, I know, I know / It’s so hard for you to let it go”. With Dig Me Out, Sleater-Kinney not only proved themselves to be the very best of riot grrrl but also showed the world that they could exist beyond its confines.
