Best Record of 2001: Day 31
Good morning!
Today we’re taking a look at Le Tigre’s Feminist Sweepstakes as it takes on New Problems by k.
Note: As many of you saw, I recently wrote about a Best Record of 2001 challengeand noted that I’d be writing some of these up.
The plan is to do quick hits on each first-round matchup and post them directly to the page. Some will be longer, some won’t, and some might just be a handful of sentences. There’ll probably be a few typos. We’ll also have a few guest posts along the way, so make sure to stay tuned for those!
Check ’em out and let me know your thoughts! Chin wags & hot takes welcome! Sharing and restacks always appreciated.
KA—
Feminist Sweepstakes, Le Tigre’s sophomore album following their self-titled debut, takes the raw DIY ethos of the riot grrrl movement and gives it a bit of a glow-up. On paper, Le Tigre is the trio of Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman, and JD Samson. In reality, this is all Hanna. Her singular vision/message remains unmistakable. I’ve gotta say that Bikini Kill never really landed with me; I was always much more interested in the message than the medium they used to convey it. Le Tigre reimagines that same urgency through a glossy electro lens.
But I still sometimes have a hard time coming around to Hanna- or rather the scream/wail combo she tends to default to. I don’t expect her to sound waif-like or coo, but I can only deal with so much megaphone. I will say she uses her “regular” voice quite a bit here. It didn’t go unnoticed. It’s also hard to miss that she hasn’t let up a bit. She’s pissed, and we’re all gonna hear about it. No one’s immune.
But it isn’t all yelling and screaming. “Fake French” is a chic bit of electro-pop with a fuzzy groove. To my ear, “Much Finer” sounds like the first rough draft of what would eventually become “Deceptacon.” Ditto “My Art.”
“Well Well Well” would be right at home on the backside of a Luscious Jackson record (100% not derogatory).
And it feels good to have her in your corner. Got a bad boss? How about “TGIF”?
You know, all my friends are fucking bitches
Best known for burning bridges
Do you need a character witness
I said I’m proud to be associated with you
At this point (in 2001), Hanna had been hammering this same point home for a while, and looking back, I wonder if people weren’t just sick of being made to feel bad about themselves (or catching strays). The truth is her message was as timely as ever.
Like she says in the Fugazi-esque closer, “Keep on Livin’”
Those are your arms, that is your heart and
No, no, they can’t tear you apart
They can’t take it away now
This is your time, this is your life and…
…and I’d love to say to be able to one day describe her as anachronistic. We’re not there yet…
Bottom Line: New Problems was fun and quirky. It’s subdued and introspective. Feminist Sweepstakes is…whatever the opposite of all that is. It’s not always an easy lesson, but then I think Hanna never intended for it to be. Bracket pick and vote will go to Le Tigre.
Any thoughts on either of these records? Agree/disagree with my takes? Which one of these would you vote for? Sound off in the comments!
Kevin Sent 