I'm not sure if I've taken the time to weigh in on any of the recent Bikini Kill reissues, but if I had to sum them up in one word it would be "classy." There are a lot of different directions that they could have gone in with these reissues, but fortunately they've put this incredibly important and powerful music back out there in a way that respects and honors what it is without trying to build it up or transform it into something it isn't. In other words, I could very easily see (and, in fact, have seen) records from this time period being dressed up with fancy repackaging, liner notes that contextualize the band within their time period and tout the influence they've had on modern music, etc. However, that doesn't seem to me like it would be right for Bikini Kill... that would be kow-towing to an industry that Bikini Kill seemed, to me at least, eager to subvert... and indeed much of their power came from that very act of subversion. So, here you get a very humble-looking, self-released demo tape repackaged as a very humble-looking, self-released 12" EP (or is it an LP?), amended with three previously unreleased tracks that aren't even identified as such. If these covers were hand-stamped or screen printed, then holding it would transform you instantly back to the 90s... even though it's digitally printed and shrink-wrapped it's still close. While Bikini Kill would eventually transform into a total rock juggernaut, obviously this is the band's earliest material, and has a scrappiness that their later stuff doesn't. Which version of the band you prefer is, of course, a matter of opinion, but I dare say if you're reading this then it's a good bet you might prefer this raw, formative version of the band. If you haven't heard Bikini Kill... well, listen to them! Like all truly great and legendary bands, they are at the same time totally of their time and completely timeless, and if you're more than the most casual of fans this is a pretty important piece of the puzzle.
