“Did you know that before Nirvana, before Alice in Chains, before Stone Temple Pilots, a Black woman fronted (what is likely) the first grunge band? If not, the reason you wouldn’t know that is in no way your fault; the story has been kept off the record and out of print.

Turns out, in the ‘80s, Bam Bam performed at big Seattle fests, shared bills with popular bands, created videos that made it to TV, and were twice-honored as Best NW Band by listeners of KCMU/KEXP.   

Toying with off-kilter timings and slow, sludgy rhythms nearly ten years before the Seattle sound hit the mainstream, Bam Bam not only provided reference material for the movement, they were the first Seattle band to lay down tracks at Reciprocal Recording– the location of Nirvana’s famous demo session for songs featured on Bleach and Incesticide. 

Evidently, the “right people” had heard them, enjoyed them, and even recorded them! The Melvins even opened for them when Kurt Cobain went on tour as their roadie! The band’s recordings are solid, they’re attractive and talented, with a bombshell lead singer, so, why wasn’t Bam Bam included on Deep Six, the 1986 C/Z Records Seattle showcase compilation that featured Reciprocals’ early grunge recordings?!?!?

Sadly Tina, who fronted Bam Bam until 1990, died in 2012. So, although she isn’t here to share her memories or feelings, people close to her continue to fight for visibility of her legacy.”

Read the full piece here and 

WATCH THIS VIDEO!

April 4, 2021

People in St Louis jail revolt against the inhumane and horrific conditions inside, which have only gotten worse since the start of covid. This prison has been the site of protests since 2017 because of its uncleanliness, brutal working conditions, and violent and inept guards. Hundreds of people have been waiting to receive their court dates for two, three, or even five years now, in a state of indefinite imprisonment, which is being extended further under the justification of covid. This is the third uprising since December 2020. The inmates’ demands for proper medical care, court dates, and fair treatment from correctional officers have still not been met. Covid protocols are not being followed at all and inmates are often refused medical attention and exposed to disease by correctional officers and arbitrarily punished.

“What’s with the blood-red eyeshadow?”

“I don’t want to look kind-hearted.”

Tattooed women from Bosnia (near Bihać), 1920s.