The Dow Is Up!

Since I heard that Sleater-Kinney broke up, I’ve been taking stock of them as a band. I like to think of Sleater-Kinney as a small band that nobody knows about. This makes them much more appealing to my snobbish music tastes. But to my surprise, the news of their break-up is all over the internet. Apparently, this is big news. I knew it was big news to me, but I didn’t think it would make the front page of Yahoo. Clearly, I underestimated just how popular Sleater-Kinney was.

I decided to give their albums another listening, from their first self-titled release to their last album, The Woods. What’s cool about that is watching (well, hearing, really) them grow as a band. When they started out, they were full of piss and vinegar. (“I’ll join. I’m full of piss and vinegar. At first, I was just filled with vinegar.” – Abe Simpson. And yes, I used that phrase just so I could get in one of my favorite Simpsons quotes.)

As Sleater-Kinney aged, they’ve mellowed out, but they’ve managed to retain their edge. Perhaps that’s what happens when you’re a girl-band in a male-dominated world of rock and roll. Or maybe it’s a result of being an independent band, where your life depends on solely on how good your last album sold. (Warning: pro-indie rant beginning. Major label bands are given advances, allowing them to live fat, regardless of their album performance. Which is why so many indie bands flame out as soon as they sign major label deals. Of course, the problem could also be that the labels want the bands to reach a large audience, so the producer purposely dulls their edges to make them palatable to the idiot masses. Either way, major labels generally suck. End of indie rant.)

Anyway, as an homage to Sleater-Kinney, I figured I’d walk through their albums. I figure this will bore about 95% of you out there. But one or two of you might find it interesting. (I know. The math doesn’t really work out. I only have 3 readers.)

Sleater-Kinney (1995, Ranking: 8 out of 10) Sleater-Kinney released their self-titled album in 1995. It’s a very “raw” album. It sounds like it was recorded in a tin box, but the songs are great. There’s a lot of anger in it, but the talent is obvious. The songs are more sparse than later compositions, probably because it’s hard to mix a band that has two guitars and no bass. By itself, this album isn’t all that great unless you’re a college lesbian pissed off at male-dominated society. But as part of Sleater-Kinney’s full catalog, it’s a great way to start off. I also find it interesting to see how they channel their anger in this album versus how they did it in later albums. On Sleater-Kinney, it’s mostly just screaming. As you get to, say, One Beat, they paint a clear and vivid picture of what’s angering them. The screaming is almost unnecessary and non-existent.

One of the best parts of the album, though, is the closing song, creatively titled, “The Last Song.” It’s one of the best break-up songs of all time. (You know, a song you listen to over and over again right after a break-up.) Sample lyrics:

I need you out of me before
I turn into you
I can't stand to look at you
Until you remember everything
I can't be
What you are
What you think
What you do

You can just feel the anger and hatred seething out of the song. Every time I hear it, I think, “Thank God I never dated a chick like this.” Instead, my ex-girlfriends were actually really glad we broke up. In fact, their break-up songs were more along the lines of U2’s “Beautiful Day.”

Call the Doctor (1996, Ranking: 9 out of 10) Sleater-Kinney’s second album kicks off with the title track, one of their best songs ever. It actually would have fit well on their last album. There’s anger and screaming, but there’s also better production. More importantly, they learned to build up to the anger. It’s one of those songs that you listen to in the car and just crank it up. Then it ends and you look around to find all the people in their cars staring at you as you sheepishly turn your stereo back down.

Overall, the album rips through 12 songs in a quick 30 minutes. They learned how to slow the songs down a little (“Hubcap”), but more importantly they learned how to harmonize. One of the things I love about Sleater-Kinney is the dual female singers. They have very unique, but complementary, voices. This is exhibited on “Stay Where You Are,” which is sung mostly by lead singer Corrin Tucker. But Carrie Brownstein takes over the chorus (with Tucker harmonizing in the background). It’s such a departure from their earlier work and it just elevates the entire album.

There are two song gimmicks that I absolutely love. The Pixies used one masterfully (which was later lifted by Nirvana). They used the loud-soft-loud gimmick. It works just like it sounds. You play something really loud, then you quiet down and build tension. Then you come right back and blast it out with the loud stuff. Well, Sleater-Kinney does that too. But they also do my favorite gimmick, which is starting slow and building to something faster. It’s very simple. You play one chord (or riff) slowly. Then you gradually speed it up (and make it louder). After a minute or two, you’re just on edge, waiting for the crescendo. Anyway, Sleater-Kinney first started doing that on Call the Doctor with “Good Things.” Then they follow that song with the loud-soft-loud “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone.” No wonder I love them so much.

Sleater-Kinney finishes Call the Doctor with another great song, “Heart Attack.” It’s a song about loss that also employs the loud-soft-loud gimmick. But they really slow it down and it just fades away, leaving you wanting more. This one song causes me to restart the album about half the time. It just makes me miss them and since the first song of the album is one of their best, it’s almost a no-brainer to just press play again.

Dig Me Out (1997, Ranking: 9 out of 10) This was actually the first Sleater-Kinney album I bought. It was hard to get into because of Corrin Tucker’s unique voice. It’s almost screechy. But their riffs were so good that I couldn’t stop listening to them. In fact, I distinctly remember the first listen, on my commute to work, which was about 15-20 minutes. I got all the way to track #6, “Words and Guitar,” before I had to run inside. At the time, I thought they weren’t anything special. But all day, I was singing “Words and Guitar.” By 5:00, I was anxious to get back in the car and crank up the song. I was hooked from that moment on.

Anyway, this album is more polished than their previous two albums. There’s more of a punk/rock feel to it. “Dig Me Out,” the first track is just a flat-out rockin’ song that hooks you in. Then they slow it down and show off their lyrical and musical chops on “One More Hour.” The next couple of songs are nothing that special. Then Sleater-Kinney decides to show how a song should be done with “Heart Factory.” They employ the loud-soft-loud gimmick again, but they do it very well. In fact, it almost sounds like Sleater-Kinney is trying to be commercial with “Heart Factory.” It’s just a well-written song, but it’s still a bit too edgy for commercial radio. Most of their songs are.

Another standout song is “Little Babies,” which I love because it’s so different than all their other songs. It’s got a pop-music chorus that the Spice Girls could have used. But then it’s interrupted by Corrin Tucker’s signature screams. Just a wonderfully composed and executed song.

Late on, Sleater-Kinney slows it down with “Buy Her Candy.” Generally, I don’t like it when punk/rock bands slow it down. But this song is just perfectly done. It’s basically just Corrin Tucker with a guitar strumming in the background. It’s simple and perfect. Just like Sleater-Kinney. God, I’m pissed they broke up.

Anyway, Sleater-Kinney ends the album with another wonderful song. Albums for me are made on the strength of the last song. (That might be why I loved Soundgarden so much. But that’s a story for another time.) In “Jenny,” Sleater-Kinney use the slow-fast gimmick very well. They build to a wonderful crescendo, fully complemented by Corrin Tucker’s wailing. Then the slow it down again at the end, leaving you with a very “complete” feeling, like you’re almost happy the album’s over because you just couldn’t handle anything after that. Like post-orgasmic foreplay. It’s just not worth it.

The Hot Rock (1999, Rating: 7 out of 10) This album causes me much consternation. (And yes, I really like using the word “consternation.”) Mostly, I think the album sucks because Sleater-Kinney slowed it down too much. But this album has some of their best songs ever. So I don’t know how to treat it.

The album starts off on a high note, with “Start Together.” (I love how they’ve used “The Last Song” as the last song of an album and now they’re using this song to start the album. I just find it funny. Like how my ex-roommate and long-time friend used to put The Front’s album in the front of his cassette tape holder. I’m stupid that way.) This song stresses Corrin Tucker’s voice a lot, allowing her to “sing” (instead of “screeching”) more than usual.

After that, they just slow it down with “The Hot Rock.” Blech! But then Sleater-Kinney follows that up with one of their best songs ever, “The End of You.” What’s great about this song is that I feel like they started the song in the middle. They don’t waste any time getting up to full-speed. Plus, they do both the loud-soft-loud and slow-fast gimmicks. They also use both singers and both guitars very well. In fact, the two guitars build the song to such a great crescendo that you almost can’t help but nod your head when Corrin Tucker comes back to start singing. And when they end the song with both of them singing, “The End of You,” you just want to shout along. Fantastic song!

And then they follow it with another slow-ish song. Or so it seems. “Burn, Don’t Freeze” starts out as a miserably slow and boring song, but the chorus really saves the song. It’s fast and uses both singers very well. This song, like the whole album, gives me mixed feelings. It’s both great and terrible. Like a date with me. Most of it’s terrible, but there are some great moments too. Like when I leave.

Anyway, I’m not going to go into much detail on this album. “God Is a Number” is another rock-solid song. As is “Living in Exile.” The rest of the album is so-so. Oddly enough, though, this is the album I would recommend to The Wife. She generally has no taste in music (and admits as much). She likes country music, which speaks volumes. But, really, music is just background noise to her. And that’s what this album is. It’s background noise. But it’s also good enough to make you want to listen to more of Sleater-Kinney. And that’s where they get you. It’s like drug dealers giving out “free samples” of crack. They know you’ll be hooked and keep coming back. So, let’s call The Hot Rock the “Sleater-Kinney’s free sample of crack.” It’s much catchier, don’t ya think?

All Hands on the Bad One (2000, Rating: 8.5 out of 10) When All Hands on the Bad One came out, I instantly had a new favorite album. I couldn’t believe it when I heard it. It was so much more polished than their earlier work. It was almost “commercial.” The first song, “Ballad of a Ladyman,” sounded like an actual radio single. It seemed like Sleater-Kinney had grown up. I was shocked. I mean, you can actually hear them clapping to the beat in the background. Huh? It’s just a sign of how far Sleater-Kinney had come. Their song-writing is so much better that they don’t feel the need to overpower you with their guitars, and even better, with Corrin Tucker’s voice.

The rest of the songs are very similar. They’re poppy and punky at the same time. The girls are singing together very well. And just when you think they sold out, they play something like “Youth Decay.” What I love about this song is that it starts with the lyrics and guitars all at once. Again, it seems like they jumped into this song in the middle. The anger is obvious, but the screaming thankfully isn’t there. It’s like when you’ve pissed your mom off so much that she just stops yelling and “calmly” tells you how much you’ve disappointed her. That can be so much more forceful than screaming.

And what’s great is that Sleater-Kinney’s anger is present throughout the whole album. It just manifests itself mostly through the lyrics. There aren’t as many stand-out songs on this album as there are on others, but front-to-back, it’s an incredibly solid album. Moreover, it’s a portent of what’s to come from Sleater-Kinney. In fact, if it were for the next two albums, All Hands on the Bad One would be one of my all-time favorites. It was just overshadowed by the greatness of the next two albums.

One Beat (2002, Rating: 10 out of 10) This is just one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. It’s easily one of my 10 favorites. Written in the aftermath of 9/11 and the resulting invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, it seethes with anger. It’s very politically charged, but not like a Bob Dylan album. (In other words, it doesn’t suck. Am I the only one who just doesn’t “get” Bob Dylan? If he’s so talented, why are all his songs more famous because OTHER people sing them? Basically, he’s Bernie Taupin with a harmonica and an acoustic guitar.)

One Beat starts with the title track, which isn’t a great song, but it’s a great way to start an album. (The Archers of Loaf are infamous for this. The difference here is that “One Beat” is actually good by itself. The Archers’ lead songs tend to be unlistenable unless they’re immediately followed by Track #2.)

The second song on One Beat, “Faraway,” is a great song about 9/11. Corrin Tucker wrote it about how she felt as she was nursing her newborn child and turned on the TV to find the twin towers collapsing. The song is laced with fear and hatred, energy and frustration. I can’t hear this song without getting pumped up, and I frequently can’t listen without getting goosebumps. Fantastic!

Sleater-Kinney follows the heaviness of “Faraway” with a light, poppy “Oh!” It’s an odd song in that it sounds like 2 songs mushed together. The verses are all poppy and lighthearted (sung by Carrie Brownstein). Then the chorus is a up-tempo and more serious (and sung by Corrin Tucker). It’s a very upbeat, happy, and sexy song. It’s odd that it follows “Faraway,” but it works so well. It puts you back into a good mood. Of all their songs, I think “Oh!” is the most commercial song. I’m surprised it was never turned into a single.

Another standout on the album is “Step Aside,” which reminds me a bit of a Rolling Stones song. I think the only reason is that they actually use horns throughout the song. More importantly, the horns add something to the song. It’s not like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, where the horns are ever-present and mildly annoying.

And yet again, Sleater-Kinney knocks down a solid final song, a five-star effort. “Sympathy” starts out sparse, but with enough of a build that you anticipate the eventual guitar entrance. Try not to head-bop when it comes in. In breaking from tradition, Corrin Tucker sings the verses and Carrie Brownstein sings the chorus (with Tucker providing background vocals). Their voices are very complementary, despite both being a little off-center, so to speak. But I like that they let Brownstein take on more singing duties. It just makes Tucker’s voice seem even more powerful by contrast. This song is just a great coda to a great album.

The Woods (2005, Rating: 9.5 out of 10) Sleater-Kinney’s final album represents a giant leap forward in terms of maturity. It’s sort of like what happened to me after I had a kid. I went from unemployed, drunken, lazy, student to unemployed, drunken, lazy, student-father. Whoa.

Most of the songs on this album sound “deeper,” almost as if they finally added a bass guitar. At the same time, it sounds more “raw,” like it was recorded in someone’s basement. It makes me wonder how much they had to pay to make it sound like they didn’t pay enough money to have it produced. It’s an adventurous step for Sleater-Kinney, and I wonder (in retrospect) if they were trying to branch out a little because they were bored with their old music.

Anyway, the songs are all top-notch, but most of them don’t stick out as being their best works ever. For one thing, they’re all a little longer than is usual for Sleater-Kinney. Whereas One Beat songs averaged about 3:30, the songs on The Woods are closer to 5:00. And one of them includes a “jam” that stretches the song out to 11 minutes. That one song alone knocked the rating down.

The album starts with “The Fox,” which exemplifies the “heaviness” of the album. I remember hearing this song live on their last tour. It’s the song they started the set with. I remember being wowed by it, like I was being thrust backwards by the sound coming out of the amps. In fact, I started to wonder if they were using more amps than they had on the prior tour. It was like they took Phil Spector’s “wall of sound” idea and took it to the next level. They busted out their Spinal Tap guitars and turned them all up to 11. It was just amazing, and a great way to kick off an album and a concert.

My favorite song on the album is “Modern Girl,” which is much simpler than the prior ones. It’s sung by Carrie Brownstein, and it’s very nice love song. She sings with a guitar strumming in the background. Eventually the drums and harmonica (yes, harmonica!) kick in. Maybe the reason I love this song so much is because of how great they performed it live. It was awesome seeing the drummer (Janet Weiss) knocking the skins and blowing the harp at the same time.

“Modern Girl” is followed by a much more up-tempo, angry song, “Entertain.” It reminds me of older Sleater-Kinney, only more slickly produced. Definitely a stand-out song. That’s followed by “Rollercoaster,” which I love because the song style is actually like a rollercoaster. It builds up momentum and rocks out before coming to a screeching halt. Then it takes off again. I can almost picture a rollercoaster going up, coming down and going back up again. It’s quite creative.

I think The Woods is a step down from One Beat in terms of overall album quality, but it’s an interesting album because of how the band progressed over the prior 10 years. If you listened to Sleater-Kinney and The Woods back-to -back, you probably wouldn’t even think they were the same band. The Woods clearly shows Sleater-Kinney at their most polished, yet they make every effort to appear the opposite. It’s like the smart kid in class purposely answering questions wrong so that people will stop beating him up. Not that I would know.

I’m sorry that Sleater-Kinney has decided to break up, but I’m glad they gave me such a great catalog of songs to listen to for the rest of my life. Their seven albums will no doubt always be in heavy rotation on my turntable. And I hope that after you read my reviews (Did anyone actually read all of them? What’s the matter with you?), they might make it onto yours.