Rainer Maria
Genres; Rock
Madison, WI emo trio Rainer Maria emerged in 1995 from the ashes of another poetically-inclined local combo, Ezra Pound, reuniting singer/guitarist Kyle Fischer and drummer William Kuehn; enlisting singer/bassist Caithlin De Marrais, within six weeks the group recorded their first demo cassette, quickly selling out all 350 copies. Following a handful of compilation appearances, Rainer Maria resurfaced in 1996 with a self-titled EP on Polyvinyl; the single "New York: 1955" appeared in early 1997, heralding a shift towards the more subtle melodicism of the full-length Past Worn Searching. Absent throughout 1998, a year later Rainer Maria returned with both the full-length Look Now Look Again and the EP Atlantic. A Better Version Of Me arrived in early 2001. Within the next two years, the band would tally nearly 80,000 records sold worldwide. Rainer Maria's sweet indie-rock was contagious and their fanbase was never short of stopping. Long Knives Drawn, which appeared in January 2003, marked Rainer Maria's slickest effort yet and a sure challenge to their rock & roll peers. <From Spinner.com>

Le Tigre
Genres; Rock
Originally conceived as the live backing band for her Julie Ruin solo project, Bikini Kill founder and quintessential riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna formed Le Tigre, another bold, feminist-oriented trio, with filmmaker Sadie Benning and zine creator Johanna Fateman in 1998. Borrowing a page from Hanna's Julie Ruin output, Le Tigre mixed punk's directness and politics with playful samples, eclectic pop, and lo-fi electronics. The group also added multimedia and performance art elements to their live shows, which often featured support from like-minded acts such as the Need. Le Tigre arrived in late 1999 on Mr. Lady, followed by the From the Desk of Mr. Lady EP in 2001. Benning left the group to pursue her filmmaking career before the recording of Le Tigre's second album, Feminist Sweepstakes, and was replaced by J.D. Samson. Feminist Sweepstakes, which featured a more sophisticated sound and more overtly political lyrics, arrived later in 2001. Remixes followed in summer 2002. <From Spinner.com>

EXTRA TRACKS: From Autumn to Ashes "Downslide"

 

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