SLEATER-KINNEY – NO CITIES TO LOVE

“We sound possessed on these songs,” says guitarist/vocalist Carrie Brownstein about Sleater-Kinneys eighth studio album, No Cities to Love. “Willing it all-the entire weight of the band and what it means to us-back into existence.” The new record is the first in 10 years from the acclaimed trio-Brownstein, vocalist/guitarist Corin Tucker, and drummer Janet Weiss-who came crashing out of the 90s Pacific Northwest riot grrrl scene, setting a new bar for punks political insight and emotional impact. Formed in Olympia, WA in 1994, Sleater-Kinney were hailed as “Americas best rock band” by Greil Marcus in Time Magazine, and put out seven searing albums in 10 years before going on indefinite hiatus in 2006. But the new album isnt about reminiscing, its about reinvention-the ignition of an unparalleled chemistry to create new sounds and tell new stories. “I always considered Corin and Carrie to be musical soulmates in the tradition of the greats,” says Weiss, whose drums fuel the fire of Tucker and Brownsteins vocal and guitar interplay. “Something about taking a break brought them closer, desperate to reach together again for their true expression.” The result is a record that grapples with love, power and redemption without restraint. “The three of us want the same thing,” says Weiss. “We want the songs to be daunting.” Produced by long-time Sleater-Kinney collaborator John Goodmanson, who helmed many of the bands earlier albums including 1997 breakout set Dig Me Out, No Cities to Love is indeed formidable from the first beat. Lead track “Price Tag” is a pounding anthem about greed and the human cost of capitalism, establishing both the albums melodic drive and its themes of power and powerlessness-giving voice, as Tucker says, to those who “struggle to be heard against the dominant culture or status quo.”