Biography
Babes in Toyland delivered some of the most abrasive rock sounds around, with guitarist Kat Bjelland unleashing screams while pummeling her instrument against the punishing rhythms laid down by bassist Maureen Herman and drummer Lori Barbero. Across a pair of albums and two EPs, the all-female trio maintained an intensely female-focused approach to rock that stopped short of embracing feminism outright.
Kat Bjelland launched Babes in Toyland in Minneapolis during 1987, following several years of performing in San Francisco alongside musicians that included L7’s Jennifer Finch and Hole’s Courtney Love at different points. The group first gained notice after issuing a single through Sub Pop’s singles club, which prompted Sonic Youth to invite them on a European tour. They cut their raw debut album Spanking Machine under Jack Endino’s production, followed by one additional independent EP prior to inking a deal with Reprise; in the interim between imprints, founding bassist Michelle Leon departed.
Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth oversaw their follow-up, Fontanelle, an effort that reflected zero compromise despite the major-label affiliation. The band dissolved briefly for several days in early 1993, only to regroup and lay down the Painkillers EP before joining the Lollapalooza 1993 lineup.
Although the festival raised their profile considerably, the members opted against immediate exploitation of that momentum, waiting nearly two years to deliver Nemesisters in 1995. During a subsequent hiatus, Bjelland formed Katastrophy Wife alongside her husband Glen Mattson. Reprise put out the Babes compilation Lived in spring 2000. The group persisted unevenly for several more years while floating the possibility of a fourth album, yet frequent cycles of dissolution and reunion continually interrupted progress. Their final official concert took place in November 2001, later documented on the live release Minneapolism.
Babes in Toyland reconvened in 2014 with plans for fresh recordings and additional performances. As had often been the case, the reunion proved turbulent, resulting in the dismissal of bassist Maureen Herman in 2015. Fresh material never materialized, but the self-curated career retrospective Redeux appeared in 2016.
Kat Bjelland launched Babes in Toyland in Minneapolis during 1987, following several years of performing in San Francisco alongside musicians that included L7’s Jennifer Finch and Hole’s Courtney Love at different points. The group first gained notice after issuing a single through Sub Pop’s singles club, which prompted Sonic Youth to invite them on a European tour. They cut their raw debut album Spanking Machine under Jack Endino’s production, followed by one additional independent EP prior to inking a deal with Reprise; in the interim between imprints, founding bassist Michelle Leon departed.
Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth oversaw their follow-up, Fontanelle, an effort that reflected zero compromise despite the major-label affiliation. The band dissolved briefly for several days in early 1993, only to regroup and lay down the Painkillers EP before joining the Lollapalooza 1993 lineup.
Although the festival raised their profile considerably, the members opted against immediate exploitation of that momentum, waiting nearly two years to deliver Nemesisters in 1995. During a subsequent hiatus, Bjelland formed Katastrophy Wife alongside her husband Glen Mattson. Reprise put out the Babes compilation Lived in spring 2000. The group persisted unevenly for several more years while floating the possibility of a fourth album, yet frequent cycles of dissolution and reunion continually interrupted progress. Their final official concert took place in November 2001, later documented on the live release Minneapolism.
Babes in Toyland reconvened in 2014 with plans for fresh recordings and additional performances. As had often been the case, the reunion proved turbulent, resulting in the dismissal of bassist Maureen Herman in 2015. Fresh material never materialized, but the self-curated career retrospective Redeux appeared in 2016.
Albums
Live
