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Skinned Teen
OriginLondon, England
GenresRiot grrrl
Years active1993–1994
LabelsSoul Static Sound
Lookout Records
Past membersLayla Gibbon
Flossy White
Esme Young

Skinned Teen was a riot grrrl band from London, England, active in the early 1990s. They have been cited as an inspiration by Beth Ditto,[1] Kathleen Hanna,[2] Gina Birch[3] and Josephine Olausson of Love Is All.[4]

History

[edit]

Skinned Teen was formed by teenagers Layla Gibbon, Flossy White and Esme Young in London in 1992. Inspired by US Riot Grrrl, Huggy Bear and The Shaggs, the band were offered their first gig after approaching Kathleen Hanna following a Huggy Bear/Bikini Kill all-girl show on their 1993 UK tour.[5][6] They recorded and released their debut Karate Hairdresser EP later in 1993 on Soul Static Sound, and recorded a Peel Session in December of that year. Their early sound has been described as 'reminiscent of both The Slits and Kleenex'.[7] Layla Gibbon also contributed to an EP by The Element Of Crime (featuring members of Huggy Bear and Linus)[8] and produced riot grrrl zines including Drop Babies.[9]

Following appearances on joint/compilation releases with contemporaries such as Comet Gain and Yummy Fur, Skinned Teen's debut album Bazooka Smooth! (a split with Raooul) was released on Lookout Records in 1994, showcasing a more experimental range of musical styles.[7]

Despite their short lifespan and relative obscurity, Skinned Teen can be acclaimed as the first pure UK riot grrrl band, as the other UK bands initially associated with the genre (e.g. Huggy Bear, Voodoo Queens, Mambo Taxi, Linus) had previous experience in the indie scene.[7] Their youth and DIY spirit remain an inspiration to musicians and fans of the genre[10] and echoes of their sound can be heard in bands to the present day.[11][12] According to Sam Knee,[13] Skinned Teen was "a rare UK adopter of the primitive punk assault of the DC/Olympia scenes" and together with Huggy Bear "represented a brief return to true DIY youth culture during the early '90s."

Following the dissolution of the band and a move to Brighton, Gibbon produced Chimps zine and released an eponymous EP on Slampt records as Petty Crime, a trio which included Peter Rojas on drums. Later based in San Francisco, Gibbon formed Shady Ladies with the Yao sisters from Emily's Sassy Lime,[14] and Modern Reveries with Miya Osaki (The Chinkees) and Vice Cooler. Modern Reveries released an EP on Bristol's Local Kid records.[15] Gibbon went on to edit Maximumrocknroll magazine and as of 2017 was playing in and recording with girlSperm (a.k.a. gSp) with Tobi Vail and Marissa Magic.[16][17][18][19][20]

Skinned Teen made an appearance in It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill In The U.K.,[21] a documentary produced by Lucy Thane in 1993.

Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth chose a Skinned Teen song ("Pillowcase Kisser") for the retrospective compilation album Rough Trade 30 in 2006,[22] which was later used on the soundtrack of a Skins episode[23] in 2009.

Discography

[edit]
  • Karate Hairdresser EP (1993), Soul Static Sound
  • Some Hearts Paid To Lie EP (1993), Wiiija [split with Comet Gain, Pussycat Trash, Linus]
  • Bazooka Smooth! LP/CD (1994), Lookout Records [split with Raooul]
  • Total Tiger Beat Cassette (1995), Spazoom
  • Skinned Teen (2020), Vague Absolutes [peel session recordings]

Compilation appearances

[edit]
  • Elastic Jet Mission LP (1994), Slampt (also inc. Yummy Fur, Lungleg, Golden Starlet, Milky Wimpshake, Kenickie)
  • Battle of the Bands 7" (1998), Super 8 (also inc. The Rondelles)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Essential Selection: An Interview with Beth Ditto". PopMatters.com. 29 July 2007. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Skinned Teen". 19 March 2010.
  3. ^ Raphael, Amy (1995) Never Mind The Bollocks: Women Rewrite Rock, Virago, ISBN 1-85381-887-9, p112
  4. ^ "Love Is All: Josephine Olausson". Soundsxp.com. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Welcome to Rough Trade Shops". Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  6. ^ McDonnell, Evelyn; Vincentelli, Elisabeth (6 May 2019). "Riot Grrrl United Feminism and Punk. Here's an Essential Listening Guide". New York Times. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Monem, Nadine (ed.)(2007) Riot Grrrl: Revolution Girl Style Now!, Black Dog Publishing, ISBN 978-1-906155-01-8
  8. ^ "Andy's 1993". Linusland.co.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  9. ^ ""You Are Her" - Layla Gibbon, part 1 - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Ladyfest ten week: A chat with la la vasquez « wears the trousers magazine :: A women in music compendium". wearsthetrousers.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Song of the day – 231: Tunabunny". Collapse Board. Archived from the original on 30 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Song of the day – 342: Skinny Girl Diet (Free download)". Archived from the original on 20 August 2011.
  13. ^ Knee, Sam (2017) Untypical Girls, Cicada Books, ISBN 978-1-908714-45-9, p159
  14. ^ "The Shady Ladies". Discogs.
  15. ^ "Modern Reveries – Empty Museums (Vinyl)". Discogs. 16 September 2020.
  16. ^ Sheffield, Rob (27 March 2020). "Riot Grrrl Album Guide: Essential LPs from Nineties rock's feminist revolution". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Tobi Vail is 1/3 of girlSperm aka gSp (listen to their 12")". BrooklynVegan.com. 3 January 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  18. ^ "Priests". Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  19. ^ "The Media". Fvckthemedia.com. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  20. ^ "GSP Bring Chaotic, Spontaneous Joy to Feminist Punk". 29 September 2017.
  21. ^ Thane, Lucy (14 May 2010). "Bikini Kill in the U.K. 1993". Vimeo.com. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  22. ^ "Jarvis, Bjork pick tracks for new compilation | News | NME.COM". www.nme.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Categories - All 4". E4.com. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
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