Babes in Toyland was one of the most influential and underrated bands of the 1990s. They rode the wave of the Minneapolis grunge scene crafting a unique sound composed of self-taught instrumentation and unabashed banshee raging vocals. Their stage presence was enigmatic, their lyrics vitriolic, and their Kinderwhore fashion ironic and easy to emulate. But what made them most inspiring was their ethos and a unique brand of sisterhood that inspired fans to create Riot Grrl and form legendary bands such as 7 year Bitch, Bikini Kill, and Hole. Despite the media's politicization of them as an "all-female" band, the Babes insisted their music wasn't a political statement but about personal expression. They would dismiss labeling their act as feminist, but their actions sent a positive message of what a female space within music could look like. Now, almost 30 years after their most seminal record, Fontanelle, was released, the legend of the band is being resurrected and re-spun to reclaim their proper space and context in the history of music and women in rock.

Puts Babes in Toyland in the context of women's music, ranging from Sappho through Neo-Riot Grrl, with the goal of providing a more universal and inclusive narrative for all rock history.

About the Author
Selena Chambers is author of the feminist horror story collection Calls for Submission (2017) and co-author (as S. J. Chambers) of the critically-acclaimed The Steampunk Bible (2011). Her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Colorado Book Award, Best of the Net, as well as the Hugo Award and World Fantasy award (twice). You can find her online at SelenaChambers.com or on Twitter @BasBleuZombie.

Reviews
Passionately and research-intensively ... tells the story of this album and interweaves this with feminism and various pop culture discourses ... Great reading for music maniacs who like music literature with a complex reference to reality. * Ox-Fanzine: Magazine for Rock'n'Roll (translated) *
An insightful and necessary exploration of an underrated band and album. * Largehearted Boy *
If [your local bookstore] doesn't have [Babes in Toyland's Fontanelle], do your town a favor and have them order it. * Zoetic Press *



Book Information
ISBN 9781501377556
Author Selena Chambers
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic USA
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc