I don’t like reviews of bands being squeezed into “riot grrrl” box. You may ask me why and I shall tell you: because those write ups are lazy. If a band consists of all females or queer folks, then name drop Bratmobile, sprinkle with L7, cross reference with Hole and voila, you are a critic! If the act you are reviewing consists of mixed genders, then don`t panic, just bring up Veruca Salt and you will be as good as gold. Gold tooth maybe – such wacky journalism is old, tired and as needed as outdated dentistry. Not to mention, equally painful. Please consider staying in your current day job if that`s how you write your articles.
EP front cover
Not every all-female band is riot grrrl, even if they play punk rock and voice adoration for the Olympia music scene of the 1990s. And anyway, there is more to that genre than Bikini Kill or Bratmobile (and I love both). I`m trying to find a good example. Just imagine if everyone was reducing the rich and long musical history of Sheffield to Candida Doyle and Human League. Half of the UK would be up in arms and rightly so. Why do we then dump all female punk acts into a tight corset of riot grrrl and seem so content with ourselves?
Riot Girrrl was a political movement, not just a music scene in the Pacific Northwest. We can even call it a twin sister to Pudget sound (aka grunge – we all hated the term I will want you to remember). But it is a harmful cliche to state that “grunge” was dominated by males while Olympia was women`s world. Men had equal participation in riot grrrl (Billy Karren, Kurt Cobain, Eric Erlandson). In the same manner, women were crucial to the Seattle scene (Susan Silver, Xana La Fuente, Tina Bell to name a few). Both worlds existed side by side and influenced each other greatly. When Seattle lost Mia Zapata, Olympia responded by creating Home Alive – an organisation that taught self defence across Washington state in her memory.
I think it is incredibly important to remember such details. Once you do, you cannot fall into the fallacy trap of looking at every outspoken and politically active female act as one dimensional.
Take a look at Skint Knees, a four piece that calls both Manchester and Sheffield a home. Loud, engaged and unafraid to tackle every topic from patriarchy to social inequality. Their music is fast and furious, with chaotic choruses and youthful charisma. Jinx (guitar/vox), Bella (guitar /vox), Skunk (bass/vox) and Rachel (drums) exploded onto the South Yorkshire music circuit circa 2021 and have been carving themselves a place. Their first release came two years ago (“Catcall” EP) and earned them a reputation of a riotous live act on par with All Girls Arson Club. But while AGAC downsized to a duo and then stopped completely, Skint Knees have been building themselves up.
This year the quartet dropped two records in the span of just five months: “Bite Back” was released on April 6th, while analogue three track “Grrrl Germs” debuted on 9th of August. I am going to focus on the EP in this review, but do give the extended single a listen as it shows how versatile Skint Knees truly are.
Skint Knees by Jade Pogson
“Bite Back” has five songs and lasts just eleven minutes. It is a very classic punk record – undiluted and straight to the point. The band is not gonna be playing with sounds and fillers for the art`s sake. They come with a message and you either get it or go home.
Opening track “Modern Prometheus” is more of a riot chant than a proper song (but it is a format that have been proven to be very effective in the past vide “Elizabeth My Dear” or “Velocity Girl”) and I have a feeling that next anti MET march comes along it will be used by the crowd to deliver some truths home.
The follow up “Cheerleader” is more ironic and optimistic and shows that girls can stand up for themselves. I like the idea of a countdown as a put down, an old trick of every cheerleading squad since a pigskin was invented. The song however betrays the band a bit. It lifts the curtain on the whole just a punk rock facade and shows how varied and extensive Skint Knees` musical inspirations are: from the pop giantess Gwen Stefani (“Hollaback Girl”) to bubble punk heroine Toni Basil (“Micky”), even Faith No More (“Be Aggressive”). I mean that is an impressive taste if you ask me.
So I went and checked what other acts members of Skint Knees would quote as influences. They cite Nirvana, Green Day, Black Stone Cherry and My Chemical Romance. A strange and compelling mix of California punk scene, Pacific Northwest rock and Mid-Atlantic college alternative circuit.
The deeper you go into the “Bite Back” EP, the more you realize that there is nothing simple about Skint Knees. “Over and Over” sounds like Seattle`s own Bam Bam or to be more contemporary, The Black Ends. “Tough Love” could have been Green River or Mark Arm`s composition. This is the old school way of doing things in the Emerald City and I am here for gems like this.
“Shut Up” that closes the release has a strong early NYC hardcore scene feel and reminds me of Life of Agony and NY Loose. Forget where`s me jumper. Where did I put my pair of Doc Martens and my Madball hoodie? I feel like it’s 1993 again and Mina Caputo just dropped her immortal vocals on “River Runs Red” and showed us that women could do heavy music way better than anyone else.
I feel sad listening to Skint Knees. I am thinking of all those incredible women (Mia Zapata, Tina Bell) who would love to see new generations of powerful, talented musicians rise to the challenge of the music business, but violence against women took them away from us. Skint Knees could easily go on a long tour with The Gits or Bam Bam and I`m sure it would have been a sold out affair. I am thinking of all the women who were outspoken in their art and at best enjoy a cult status and small dedicated audiences (Karyn Crisis, Tairrie B) while they should have been elevated to the same success as Offspring or Soundgarden.
I look at the four incredible musicians in Skint Knees and I wish I could give them a better future than this industry can provide, than this society can offer. A fair record deal, a sustainable career, safety and encouragement from peers, same opportunities that male musicians get.
Band picture by Jade Pogson
As I said it is so easy to just throw riot grrrl name around, much harder to notice that hardly any female band from the movement is still active, successful and appreciated by a wider audience. Even proverbial Kathleen Hannah had her name dragged through the mud, not to mention what has been done to Courtney Love.
I don’t want to sound defeated in this review. “Bite Back” is a breath of fresh air. It is quite a significant release really – not everyday you get to discover a band with such potential and drive and taste. I want the best for Skint Knees. I want the world to see them as something else than girls having a hobby while at the university. And I am sorry to say, this is still how most female artists are seen in this bloody country – as mere hobbyists, who play in a band before they get married and go to work in a dead end job.
You know fuck that. Skint Knees should be bigger than Bikini Kill. They should have number ones on Billboard. They should tour internationally. At least that’s how this old Seattleite sees things. And if there is any justice in the world, they will.
You can follow the band on socials:
https://www.facebook.com/SkintKneesBand
https://x.com/_SkintKnees_
https://www.instagram.com/skint.knees/
https://www.tiktok.com/@skint.knees
https://skintknees.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1DiTW0FLDbCSqhlSZGwrwr?si=vNHMHiwWSJKEVBTkvrPmqA
Additional resources, both podcasts and articles if you fancy more about the band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAJI0vXuxfw (interview and a live performance)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwEGIF7z8tA (podcast interview)
https://www.exposedmagazine.co.uk/music/it-makes-you-want-to-speed-down-the-road-and-scream-out-the-window-skint-knees-on-their-new-ep-and-unapologetic-riot-grrrl-sound/
https://loudwomen.org/2024/05/06/skint-knees-bite-back-with-their-second-ep/
Malicia Dabrowicz
Indieterria 