Bratmobile

riot grrrl

Bratmobile était un groupe punk américain. Ayant grandit dans le milieu underground du Nord-Est des Etats-Unis et influencé aussi bien par l'indie pop américain que par la Britpop, girl groups, le grunge, et le punk rock, Bratmobile était un groupe de la 1ère génération Riot Grrrl. Formé à l'Université de l'Oregon par les étudiants Allison Wolfe et Molly Neuman qui collaboraient au fanzine féministe, Girl Germs, Bratmobile à joué pour la première fois au Olympia's North Shore Surf Club le 14 Fev 1991 avec Molly et Allison. Durant les vacances de printemps 1991, Allison and Molly allèrent à Washington, DC pour suivre Beat Happening et Nation Of Ulysses en tournée et essayer de travailler sur une nouvelle version de Bratmobile. Beat Happening's Calvin Johnson had previously introduced Molly to nascent guitarist Erin Smith from Bethesda, Maryland during the Christmas holiday in December, 1990 at a Nation Of Ulysses show in Washington, DC. Smith was co-author, with her brother, of the much-revered TV pop culture fanzine Teenage Gang Debs when Allison and Molly asked her to jam with them. It clicked, and in July 1991 the trio played their first show as a 3-piece with Molly Neuman on drums, Erin Smith on guitar, and Allison Wolfe on vocals. While in D.C. the band was briefly joined by Christina Billotte ( of Autoclave and Slant 6) and Jen Smith ( of The Quails). This line -up released a very limited-issue cassette called Bratmobile D.C., but Jen and Christina stayed behind when the group returned to Olympia. They were just in time to play at the historic International Pop Underground Convention in Olympia, Washington, becoming the only band to appear twice. From their first shows, Bratmobile was considered an exciting and important addition to the fertile early '90s NorthWest scene. From 1991 to 1994 Bratmobile released a classic album, Pottymouth, and an EP, The Real Janelle, on Kill Rock Stars, as well as The Peel Session recording before the intense media scrutiny and inner pressures of the Riot Grrl movement hastened the band's breakup (on stage, no less) in 1994. For five years, the Brats honed their skills in other bands and developed their lives with other pursuits. Neuman moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and began working at East Bay punk record label Lookout! Records, for which she now acts as general manager and co-owns. She also played in The PeeChees and The Frumpies and continued to perfect her stylish, powerful drummin...