As someone who’s never really been a dedicated listener of either Bikini Kill or Kathleen Hanna’s more danceable follow-up, Le Tigre, it’s surprising how much the new single from her revitalized Julie Ruin project makes me nostalgic all over the place, given the vocalized consent of my partner. Hanna’s presence reigns distinct, but there’s something about the background repetition of “Oh come on” that recalls something either generally Riot grrrl, or how my sister and I used to break out in harmonic chants whenever we had identical complaints or requests for my parents. “Friday night! Blockbuster night!” x 10. Yeah, so it’s probably more the former, and for some reason, it’s making me grin like an idiot. This requires further exploration.
As previously mentioned, The Julie Ruin is a project revitalized, a mere 15 years after Hanna, without a creative accomplice, presided over the release of the self-titled album. Well, technically, the project’s been revitalized since about 2010, when the band premiered its new multi-member lineup, but this year is when things become even more revitalizederer, as September 3 will mark the release of the (debut, I guess?) LP Run Fast, courtesy of TJR Records and distributed by Dischord.
True Bikini Kill enthusiasts might be excited to learn, if they hadn’t preempted this article by reading the news elsewhere, that Kathi Wilcox is featured on bass. Additionally, there’s Kenny Mellman on keys, Carmine Covelli on drums, and Sara Landeau on guitar, who, according to a press release, met Kathleen at Rock Camp for Girls. Things don’t seem as lo-fi as they were more than a decade ago, but judge for yourself. Here’s the album opener, “Oh Come On”:
Dates:
09.03.13 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *
09.05.13 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer *
09.07.13 - Washington, DC - Black Cat *
09.12.13 - Portland, OR - TBA Festival
09.15.13 - Seattle, WA - Neumo’s &
09.17.13 - San Francisco, CA - Slims &
09.19.13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo &
0922.13 - San Diego, CA - Irenic &
11.08.13 - Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Fest
* Swearin’
& La Sera
• The Julie Ruin: http://www.thejulieruinband.com
• Dischord: http://www.dischord.com
More about: Kathleen Hanna, The Julie Ruin
