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Musicheads Essential Artist: Sleater-Kinney

Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney onstage at First Avenue in 2015.
Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney onstage at First Avenue in 2015.Steven Cohen for The Current
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March 15, 2021

Sleater-Kinney have had one of the most undeniable runs of amazing records in modern rock history.

From the start, they wrote and recorded songs with an urgency and clarity that immediately connected them with the burgeoning riot grrrl scene in the Pacific Northwest.

What brought them to greater commercial success than many of their counterparts was Sleater-Kinney's mastery of songcraft and their ability to turn singular edgy guitar riffs into fully realized songs.

After releasing their best sounding record, The Woods, in 2005 and playing a high-profile gig at Lollapalooza, Sleater-Kinney announced an open-ended hiatus.

The hiatus was a head-scratcher, but nearly a decade later, Sleater-Kinney came back on the scene without missing a beat. No Cities To Love, the 2015 release, immediately brought Sleater-Kinney back into the conversation as the best working rock band in the United States.