Sleater-Kinney - Sleater-Kinney

Originally released in 1995 on the independent queercore label Chainsaw Records, the self-titled debut from Sleater-Kinney is a blistering, ten-track explosion of punk angst and melodic grit. Recorded in Melbourne, Australia, and produced at the Red House in Olympia, this record introduced the world to the unmistakable interplay between Corin Tucker’s powerhouse vocals and Carrie Brownstein’s jagged, creative guitar lines. With Lora Macfarlane on drums, the album captures a raw, "medium-fi" energy that helped define the Northwest indie rock and riot grrrl scenes.

This newly remastered edition, handled by the legendary Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, breathes fresh life into the band's early lo-fi recordings. Calbi’s process specifically focused on enhancing the "aggressiveness and power" of the dual-guitar attack, providing a deeper, more resonant sound that compensates for the band's famous lack of a bassist. The result is a version of the debut that feels more immediate and muscular than ever before, highlighting the "thrashy" sophistication of songs like "Be Yr Mama" and the biting "A Real Man."

Coinciding with the band's massive 2014 career retrospective, this reissue is an essential document of a band finding its voice. It’s a short, sharp shock of a record—clocking in at just under 23 minutes—that serves as the perfect foundation for the "knockout punch" of their subsequent work. Whether you're a long-time devotee or a new listener, this remastered LP is the definitive way to experience where the Sleater-Kinney legacy began.