Bikini Kill to Reissue Debut EP, Archival Campaign Planned

Here’s something to add to the growing pile of ’90s reissue nostalgia: riot-grrl rock act Bikini Kill, who announced earlier this year the acquisition of their own back catalogue, is prepping the first physical reissue from that discography: a 20th anniversary edition of their debut EP.

From 1990 to 1997, Bikini Kill were at the forefront of a punk movement that saw empowered women expressing their views through good old-fashioned rock and roll. Singer/songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox and drummer Tobi Vail were abrasive and in your face, and critics championed not only their unique voices, but others that rang out alongside them, from Sleater-Kinney and L7 to Bratmobile and Jack Off Jill.

Late last summer, well in advance of the group’s 25th anniversary, the band announced the creation of Bikini Kill Records, a label designed to sell the band’s catalogue, as well as side projects Casual Dots (spearheaded by Wilcox) and The Frumpies (the Bikini Kill lineup with Karren swapped out for Bratmobile guitarist Molly Neuman). While the band’s discography is available digitally through the Bikini Kill website, iTunes and eMusic, it looks like the forthcoming vinyl and CD reissue of the band’s 1992 self-titled EP – the first standalone release of the EP on the latter format – will be the first of a few physical reissues.

Produced by Minor Threat and Fugazi frontman Ian McKaye and released on the Olympia, Washington record label Kill Rock Stars (from where the band originated), the Bikini Kill EP will not feature any extra audio content, but it will feature an expanded package, including a poster and a fanzine consisting of archival photos, excerpts from original Bikini Kill fanzines, interview excerpts with McKaye and new liner notes by Layla Gibbon of fellow riot-grrl act Skinned Teen.

The reissue is due out November 20; keep it here for order links when they’re available on October 20, according to the band’s Twitter feed.

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Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he was a teenager. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, having written at and worked for all three major catalogue music labels and contributing to Allmusic, Billboard, Discogs, City Pages and Ultimate Classic Rock. He's penned liner notes for Verve, Chess, Mondo and Soul Music Records.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife, a cat named Ravioli, twin daughters and a large yet tasteful collection of music.