We have another thread dedicated to their break-up ("hiatus") lying around but if I remember correctly, it's probably been dormant for almost three years now.

I've been listening to them a lot and have been enthralled with their sounds for quite a while now. Forget the whole "grrrl riot" label, these were some punk rocking chicks. Their albums were chock-full of riffs and licks and their singing style was terrific.

Every single one of their albums is a superb piece of music so it's hard to choose. But if you can, feel free to vote. Although it may be a fashionable choice, The Woods is an AMAZING album, so it's OK if you pick it. Personally, I have been loving Call the Doctor lately.

This is a thread for the great Sleater-Kinney, one of the best bands of the past fifteen years.

Question:
So what's your favorite album by Sleater-Kinney?

Choices:
Sleater-Kinney
Call the Doctor
Dig Me Out
The Hot Rock
All Hands on the Bad One
One Beat
The Woods

 

I voted for Dig Me Out. It was the first S-K album I bought, and I really don't think there's a bad track on it.

I'll bite on the fashionable choice.

The Woods was the first of their albums that I heard. While I own several others that I like, I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed that those didn't absolutely destroy in the way that their swan song did.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
Forget the whole "grrrl riot" label

You mean riot grrrl?

I'd say The Woods is my favorite album by the girls. I love the bigness of that album, the intensity. And it kind of breaks away from the typical S-K formula that they developed on their previous albums (a good formula, but still a formula).

Oh, but props to All Hands On the Bad One as well. From front to back I think that's their best "pop" album.

Any fans of S-K that haven't already should check out Corin Tucker's first band Heavens To Betsy. I actually prefer Calculated to anything from S-K, even the fabulous The Woods.

Oh, and as a little side note I was at Arthurfest in Los Angeles in 2005 where Sleater-Kinney was playing. It just so happened that they were playing opposite Merzbow on a different stage but same time. I chose Merzbow of course because I figured the opportunity to see him was so rare, while S-K would play many more shows on many more tours. Who would have suspected that very shortly after that the band would break up and I would miss my one shot at seeing them live.

Dig Me Out...

it's classic S-K, great songs, hard to beat.

But...The Woods is soooooo close. That's one of my top 10 of the decade for sure.

"One Beat" for sure. That song about 9-11 is powerful [the name is escaping me right now]. I think it's one of the best reactionary songs to the Bush-era in that 8 year period.

Though "The Woods" and "Dig Me Out" are both very good. Hell "Jumpers" alone almost made me go with "The Woods." Has there been a more deppressing yet bizarrely uplifting song about suicide written in the last ten years?

quote:

Originally posted by CleverName84:
"One Beat" for sure. That song about 9-11 is powerful [the name is escaping me right now]. I think it's one of the best reactionary songs to the Bush-era in that 8 year period.

"Combat Rock"

that song's amazing.

Band made a lot of incredible albums.

Had to vote for the album that got me into SK, Dig Me Out, a hands down classic.

I feel like they aren't well enough appreciated by the people I know, does anybody else feel that way?

I would certainly go so far as to call them one of the most underrated bands.

quote:

Originally posted by CleverName84:
"One Beat" for sure.

Same here. I like all the others I've heard (everything but their first two), but One Beat is in a league of its own. Killer song after killer song.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:

quote:

Originally posted by CleverName84:
"One Beat" for sure.

Same here. I like all the others I've heard (everything but their first two), but One Beat is in a league of its own. Killer song after killer song.

You need to hear Call the Doctor ASAP as possible, because a convincing argument could be made that it's their best.

I'd rank them thusly, but they're one of my favorite bands so it's all relative:

1. All Hands on the Bad One
2. Call the Doctor
3. The Hot Rock
4. The Woods
5. One Beat
6. Dig Me Out
7. Sleater-Kinney

This thread inspired me to listen to a few of their albums for the first time in a while and, damn, I'll tell you what. Their S/T debut ain't no slouch.

I can't believe people like The Woods so much. What a big disappointment after the stellar 2002 album. If you want to know why, just read the review that gave it a 50 ish score... my sentiments exactly. The lead single is great, as was a couple other songs, but the rest is just an annoying mess.

"One Beat" on the other hand - nearly every song is a classic.

One Beat is actually one of my least favorites. Still good, I mean I love "Light Rail Coyote", but it kind of lags on the second half of the album for me. "Prisstina", "Funeral Song", "Hollywood Ending"...eh, they're decent songs, but not the band's best stretch.

I'm not a big fan of One Beat either. It kicks off with the awesome titular track, but the rest isn't that great, IMO.

I'd probably rank their albums like this:

1. Dig Me Out
2. Call The Doctor
3. The Woods
4. The Hot Rock
5. All Hands on the Bad One
6. One Beat
7. Sleater-Kinney

quote:

Originally posted by EricG75:
I'm not a big fan of One Beat either. It kicks off with the awesome titular track, but the rest isn't that great, IMO.

Ha, the title track is the only song I'm not crazy about.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:


Ha, the title track is the only song I'm not crazy about.

That's how we know it's the best. ;-)

quote:

Originally posted by Cyrone:
I can't believe people like The Woods so much. What a big disappointment after the stellar 2002 album. If you want to know why, just read the review that gave it a 50 ish score... my sentiments exactly. The lead single is great, as was a couple other songs, but the rest is just an annoying mess.

"One Beat" on the other hand - nearly every song is a classic.

I felt the same way as you do on my first listens to it, as it's a pretty shocking departure for the S-K old hands. But it grew on me, and while I don't think it's one of their best it has a lot to offer on its own merits.

quote:

Originally posted by Portable Joystick:
it kind of lags on the second half of the album for me. "Prisstina", "Funeral Song", "Hollywood Ending"...eh, they're decent songs, but not the band's best stretch.

True, "Dig Me Out" has "One Beat" beat in that sense, in terms of the last stretch. But that's the only thing I'd put over it.

Can someone explain to me why everyone here loves Dig Me Out so much? It's rather thin and repetitive compared to, well, everything else they've done, and the lyrics are totally bleh after the first two LPs. Sure it's catchy, but the others aren't any less so.