Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution by Sara Marcus

Music fans might remember Nirvana and Pearl Jam becoming hugely popular in the early nineties when they led a number of bands out of the underground to heavy play on MTV. While there were bands from this period with a female member, such as Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth, the scene tended to be male dominated.

Sara Marcus’ Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution tells the story of some lesser known all, or nearly all, female bands such as Bikini Kill and Bratmobile as well as other female writers and activists across the United States and England who came together to start a feminist movement called Riot Grrrl. This movement encouraged young women to work together to fight problems such as sexual harassment and to express themselves through music and writing.

Marcus’ book covers well known members of the movement such as Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna and lesser known activists, such as a riot grrrl group that was formed in Omaha, Nebraska. This is a great read for anyone interested in the history of punk rock or the feminist movement.

John