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Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous
The genre wasnt unique then and Carrie has developed quite the ego but i get what she is saying, they weren't specifically trying "to sound" like any bands in particular. Also when we consider that there have been more than twelve bands between these three ladies its safe to say they are singular influence in music. Its not that they invented anything, but they definitely weren't copying other sounds
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I get the singular thing... It's true. Like Nirvana, and REM, and Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney always had a sound that was their own. They had influences (Fugazi..) and they had peers... But they didn't actually sound like their predecessors or peers. Not quite. This is why their fans are so devoted. When bands sound like slight variations on other bands, as is the case with a lot of radio rock, and a lot of one-hitters, then maybe they stumble on one or two songs that grab yr balls, but you're not going to hear them and think "oh my, this is it! This is what I've been wanting to hear! It makes sense now!!"
So yeah, they were singular and they were iconic in their region and era. Before the Internet made it easy to know about everything, S-K was known and loved by many many people. And I don't think calling them a political band is fair. They wrote songs about all kinds of topics, and they didn't drape their music with accompanying liberal imagery. In fact their whole look was pretty innocuous. They looked like people. Their album covers didn't betray their sound, like a lot of the more dime a dozen riot grrl bands from Oly and Portland.
They made percussive staccato punk that you could dance to. Their style was the result of their combined personalities, and that's why nobody really sounds like them. I agree that this is the case.
I also think the Woods was a weird place to end it. They were on the cusp of real celebrity, bigger by far than they had ever been before and they called it quits before they even had a chance to acclimate. So most people who know Sleater-Kinney probably found out about them through that album, which isn't a very good representation of their overall sound. Maybe they leveraged that success to pursue other interests while securing themselves an option for a big comeback.
I don't know. Their first few records killed it. They were incredible and so goddamn fierce and sharp and focused. I am no longer the massive fan I once was. For me, they represented an era that's over. I don't need to see them play again, and I won't be pissing myself with anticipation for the new album, but I will always love their music, and I'm a bit surprised by the polarity of opinions in this thread. I haven't paid attention to what they've done in the last several years, but apparently it's worthy of some rancor.
The car commercial thing doesn't sound cool at all.
But it's Sleater-Kinney! They rocked and I'm happy for them, because I have no reason not to be.
And if anyone surprised at Carrie's ego... Don't be. Ego might as well have its own layer in the biosphere of the Pacific Northwest. Everyone's so goddamn self-satisfied it's disgusting. But I'm sure Austin has that problem too... I'm sure Ann Arbor and Vancouver and Madison and all the mini-metropolitan hot beds of collegiate cool foster their own distinct brand of smugness and superiority. It's the way of the world.