Le Tigre: Le Tigre : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Even more than most punk rockers, Bikini Kill sounded committed to making the world's biggest noise right now, and later for tomorrow. But lead singer Kathleen Hanna's new band, Le Tigre, mines the frivolity and ferocity of rock & roll tradition, continuing the trash-pop archivism that Bikini Kill were just starting to perfect on their 1996 swan song, Reject All American. Hanna and her band of arty dilettantes, including zine writer Johanna Fateman and indie filmmaker Sadie Benning, form a Handsome Tomboy Modeling School, building a surprisingly vivrant groove of New Order guitar riffs, B-52's synth shrieks, Motown bass, drum machines, Valley Girl vocals and what sure sounds like a Three Dog Night sample. Funny and touching lyrics about the passing of youth get swept up in the booming hooks of "Deceptacon," "Friendship Station" and "Hot Topic." Like fellow grrrl-punk luminaries Sleater-Kinney, whose side projects include Corin Tucker's girl-group pastiche Cadallaca and Carrie Brownstein's Who homage the Spells (they do the greatest "I Can't Explain" cover ever), Le Tigre muscle up their righteous rebel-girl aggression with the rhythmic power of the rock & roll verities. (RS 837)

ROB SHEFFIELD