BIKINI KILL - PUSSY WHIPPED

Though peers such as Hole's Courtney Love and Babes in Toyland's Kat Bjelland became more famous, no riot grrrl screamed with as much emotional force as Kathleen Hanna. Though it's frequently difficult to hear what she's saying, especially above the glorious din of Billy Karren's fierce guitar, Hanna declares herself a "self-fulfilling porno queen" on Sugar, and threatens to "scratch out your eyes" with her "long red nails" in Lil Red. The quartet's relentless hardcore is straight from the Dead Kennedys school, which means it's tough to take in large doses when you're in a reflective mood, but 1993's Pussy Whipped is one of the great punk albums of the '90s. - Steve Knopper

Tracklisting:

1. Blood One
2. Alien She
3. Magnet
4. Speed Heart
5. Lil Red
6. Tell Me So
7. Sugar
8. Star Bellied Boy
9. Hamster Baby
10. Rebel Girl
11. Star Fish
12. For Tammy Rea