Music of Olympia, Washington

Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney in Olympia, between 1994 and 2001

The port city of Olympia, Washington, has been a center of post-hardcore, anti-folk, indie rock and other youth-oriented musical genres since the late 1970s. ^[1] Before this period, Olympia's The Fleetwoods had several Billboard chart successes between 1959 and 1963. Olympia saw a rise in feminism in the music industry, where artists commonly addressed rape, domestic abuse, sexuality, racism, patriarchy, classism, anarchism, and female empowerment in their songs. ^[2] It was a center for the riot grrrl movement of the early 1990s, which featured Bikini Kill and Bratmobile. ^[3]

Olympia's downtown Capitol Theater hosted the punk and indie-rock International Pop Underground Convention in 1991 and the Yoyo-A-Go-Go festival in 1994, 1997, 1999 and 2001. ^[4] The city has several record labels and companies, including K Records and Kill Rock Stars; Kill Rock Stars has signed Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, Unwound and Elliott Smith. ^[5]

Notable musicians and groups

• Bangs, part of the riot grrrl movement, formed in 1997 and were active until 2010. Kill Rock Stars signed the band.
• Beat Happening, which formed in 1983, played lo-fi music. ^[6]
• Bikini Kill, which formed in 1990 as pioneers of the riot grrrl movement, released several EPs and two albums.
• The Blow, founded in 2001, deliver Olympia-influenced monologues.
• Bratmobile played punk and early riot grrrl music from 1991 to 2003.
• Cool Rays, formed by Evergreen State College students, active 1980-1981.
• Lois Maffeo was most active during the early 1990s.
• Dub Narcotic Sound System, formed in 1995, was signed to K Records.
• Earth, 1989–1997, 2003–present.
• Excuse 17 recorded from 1993 to 1995.
• Fitz of Depression punk band formed in 1989, active until 2019. Released work on K and Kill Rock Stars.
• The Fleetwoods, a vocal pop group, recorded "Come Softly to Me" (their debut single and biggest hit) in 1959. ^[7]
• The Frumpies, a lo-fi punk rock band, formed in 1992 and split in 2000.
• G.L.O.S.S. was a trans-feminist hardcore punk band which formed in 2014 and split in 2016.
• godheadSilo, a noise rock duo which first formed in 1991 and reformed in 2015, focusing on stoner rock and sludge metal. ^[8]
• The Go Team was a duo which was active from 1985 to 1989.
• Gossip was active from 1999 to 2016, and participated in Olympia's 2000 Ladyfest.
• Heavens to Betsy was a punk duo which formed during the early 1990s.
• Lync was a post-hardcore band active from 1992 to 1994. ^[9]
• Milk Music was a four-member band founded in 2008.
• The Microphones was a project fronted by Phil Elverum that lasted from 1996 to 2003. ^[10]
• The Need, a queercore band formed in the mid-1990s, was signed to the Kill Rock Stars label and was active until 2001.
• The Old Haunts, formed in 2001, was also signed to the Kill Rock Stars label.
• Sleater-Kinney, originally part of the riot grrrl movement, have been active since 1994. ^[11]
• Team Dresch, a queercore/punk band formed in 1993. ^[12]
• Trans FX, a rock band formed in 2011. ^[13]
• Wynne Greenwood performed electropop music as Tracy + the Plastics during the early 2000s via video projection.
• Unwound, a post-hardcore band, was active from 1991 to 2002. They have since reunited in 2022. ^[14]

Radio stations

• KAOS Olympia Community Radio 89.3 FM
• KXXO

Record labels

• K Records (founded 1982)
• Kill Rock Stars (founded 1991) ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Music festivals and events

• Yoyo A Go Go (1994–2001)
• Ladyfest (2000)
• The International Pop Underground Convention (1991)
• Girls to the Front (1991). ^[18]

References

1. "Olympia Music History Project". www.olympiamusichistory.org. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
2. Lowndes, Sarah (2016). "Rebel Girl You Are My World: Riot GRRRL in Olympia, Washington, after 1991". Rebel Girl You Are my World: Riot Grrl in Olympia Washington after 1991. Routledge. pp. 252–260. doi:10.4324/9781315732664-22. ISBN   978-1-315-73266-4.
3. Schilt, K (2004). "Riot Grrrl is…': Contestation over meaning in a music scene. Music scenes: Local, translocal, and virtual" (PDF). Bennett Peterson Music.
4. van Horn, Teri (June 25, 2001). "Bratmobile, Need, Gossip Playing Yoyo A Gogo Festival". Mtv.com. MTV. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
5. "The Almost Complete History of Kill Rock Stars". www.kexp.org. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
6. Bugel, Safi (2022-11-14). "Beat Happening: 'It was about having this adventure with your friends'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2025-01-08.
7. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Fleetwoods". Allmusic. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
8. "Compared to a Phantom godheadSilo Hasn't Left the Noise Behind … Yet". High Plains Reader, Fargo ND. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
9. Sherburne, Philip. "Lync: These Are Not Fall Colors". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
10. "After the mic drop: Phil Elverum reckons with his musical past – The Bowdoin Orient". bowdoinorient.com. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
11. "Sleater-Kinney share new single, This Time, from Little Rope Deluxe…". Kerrang!. 2024-10-04. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
12. "Shows of the Week: Team Dresch Reassembles for 30th Anniversary Shows". Willamette Week. 2025-01-07. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
13. Lefebvre, Sam (November 4, 2016). "Peace is Elusive in Trans FX's LP and Film, The Clearing". CLRVYNT. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
14. Minsker, Evan (2022-07-12). "Unwound Reunite After 20 Years, Announce 2023 Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
15. Rose, Cynthia (July 5, 1996). "The Return Of Vinyl Frenzy – Seven-Inch Singles Are The Hot New Item For Rock's Underground". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
16. Lord, Mary Lou (2011). "About Mary Lou Lord". Kill Rock Stars. Archived from the original on November 14, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
17. "Sisters Outsiders: The Oral History of the 'Bikini Kill' EP". Spin: 3. November 15, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
18. Hunt, El (27 August 2019). "A brief history of Riot Grrrl the space-reclaiming 90s punk movement". NME.