Reject All American

In 1996, riot grrrl was winding down, its bright but brief arc divided by co-option and derisive media coverage; Reject All-American, the final proper album by the movement's tugboat band Bikini Kill, rings like its death knell. Their righteous, electrified punk had dissipated in lieu of slower, almost wistful pop melodies, many of which feature vocals by drummer Tobi Vail and bassist Kathi Wilcox. A tangible sense of melancholy manifests itself on songs like "False Start," "For Only" and "R.I.P.," which eulogizes "another boy genius/who's f***ing gone." Shreds of Bikini Kill's former punch eke out from under "No Backrub" and "Bloody Ice Cream" — the most feminist song on a record by a band that built its whole existence on angry screeds — and singer Kathleen Hanna's exasperation peaks on "Jetski," in which she protests, "I ain't got no candy for you… I'm not your footnote, freakshow or your latest cause." By the time "Finale" rolls around and Hanna sings the anthemic chorus, "Time to go," you know she's right.