[
]
1982–1986: Early musical projects
At age nineteen, Bjelland purchased her first guitar, a Rickenbacker 425, from a pawn shop
A pawnbroker is an individual or business (pawnshop or pawn shop) that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral. The items having been ''pawned'' to the broker are themselves called ''pledges'' or ...
for $200. In Woodburn, she joined The Neurotics, and then an all-female band called The Venarays, which Bjelland has described as "rock with a '60s edge". The Neurotics were composed of Bjelland (rhythm guitar); her uncle David Higginbotham (lead guitar); Marty Wyman (vocals); Brian McMillan (drums); and Laura Robertson (bass).[ Commenting on the band, she said: "After The Neurotics I got this band together with my best friends, so it was an all-girl band. We were called The Venarays. The name came from the atinword ''venary'' which means "actively hunting out sex"! We began as a way of having fun with each other." The band, however, was not exclusively female, as drummer Dave Hummel, and later, Jack Rhodes, were men. The band name bears similarity to Vena Ray, a character from the early 1950s program '']Rocky Jones, Space Ranger
''Rocky Jones, Space Ranger'' is an American science fiction television serial originally broadcast in syndication from February to November 1954. The show lasted for only two seasons and, though syndicated sporadically, dropped into obscurity. ...
''.
After quitting The Venarays, Bjelland met Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as t ...
in 1984 at the Satyricon
The ''Satyricon'', ''Satyricon'' ''liber'' (''The Book of Satyrlike Adventures''), or ''Satyrica'', is a Latin work of fiction believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though the manuscript tradition identifies the author as Titus Petro ...
, a Portland nightclub, and the two started a band called Sugar Babydoll
Pagan Babies were a short-lived American rock band formed by Kat Bjelland and Courtney Love in 1985. Love had initially conceived the band in Portland, Oregon with Bjelland under the name Sugar Babydoll, and the group was joined by bassist Jenn ...
. They relocated to San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
in 1985, after which they were joined in the group by drummer Suzanne Ramsey, and bassist Jennifer Finch
Jennifer Finch (born August 5, 1966) is an American musician, designer, and photographer most notable for being the primary bass player of the punk rock band L7. Active in L7 from 1986 to 1996, Finch also wrote music and performed with her band ...
. Bjelland recalled: "We went through a few names, and we only played a couple of shows. It was the smallest thing I've ever done musically." The group was inspired by Frightwig, an all-female band from the San Francisco Bay area. After Finch left the group, they renamed themselves the Pagan Babies and introduced Deirdre Schletter and Janis Tanaka, releasing a four-track demo in December 1985 before disbanding. Love went on to form the band Hole
A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in many fields of en ...
in 1989, while Finch would be part of L7.
1987–2001: Babes in Toyland
Hoping to form a new band, Bjelland relocated from Portland to Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
around 1986, and shortly after met Lori Barbero
Lori Anne Barbero (born November 27, 1961) is an American musician and singer who rose to notoriety as the drummer of the Minneapolis-based punk rock band Babes in Toyland, which she joined in 1987. After the dissolution of Babes in Toyland in ...
, a bartender, at a barbecue. She convinced Barbero to play in her band as a drummer, despite the fact that Barbero had no musical training. Barbero agreed, and the pair joined with bassist Michelle Leon, forming Babes in Toyland. Bjelland has said she intentionally sought out bandmates who had no instrumental experience: "Lori didn't know how to play when I met her. Michelle didn't know how to play. I was self-taught. Hopefully, from being technically inexperienced, you can use your imagination, and play the drums like an instrument instead of just being a beat-keeper. And play the bass like you feel it, from your gut, instead of saying, 'Here's my scales.'"[
]
The band recorded their first extended play, '' To Mother'', in London in 1990, titled in honor of Bjelland's mother, whom she had discovered died of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
on the first day of the recording sessions. After signing to Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels.
Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...
in 1991, Babes in Toyland's debut single, "Dust Cake Boy" b/w "Spit to See the Shine" was well-received. After touring Europe with Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...
, the band recorded their debut album ''Spanking Machine
''Spanking Machine'' is the debut album by American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released in 1990.
Background and production
The working title of the album was ''Swamp Pussy'', which later ended up becoming the opening song on the album. T ...
'', which also was well- received, and was compared to the music of The Birthday Party and New York Dolls
New York Dolls were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved much commercial succe ...
. The group would become misidentified as part of the riot grrrl
Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. Riot grrrl is a subcultur ...
movement, though Bjelland has denied having anything to do with the movement. As she said in a 1992 interview: "I don't feel helpless or anything. I don't feel like I have to be like, "I'm a female and I can do this if I want to", cause, of course I can. I already know that, and I never felt being female hurt anything. If anything, it helped."
In 1991, the band toured in Europe with Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...
, which was documented in the film '' 1991: The Year Punk Broke''. Following this, Babes in Toyland peaked in commercial success when they performed on a portion of the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...
tour in 1993, and released their second album, ''Fontanelle
A fontanelle (or fontanel) (colloquially, soft spot) is an anatomical feature of the infant human skull comprising soft membranous gaps ( sutures) between the cranial bones that make up the calvaria of a fetus or an infant. Fontanelles allow f ...
'' (1992), which sold over 250,000 copies. In 1994, the band was featured on the covers of ''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' and ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
''. At the height of the band's fame, Bjelland and her former bandmate Courtney Love were often pitted against one another as rivals in media, with frequent comparisons between the two's visual appearances. According to Bjelland, the two had a falling out after Bjelland told a reporter: "Only about a quarter of what Courtney says is true. But nobody usually bothers to decipher which are the lies. She's all about image."[ ] Babes in Toyland's original bassist, Leon, claimed the rivalry between Love and Bjelland was "blown totally out of proportion", while Bjelland added in a 2011 interview: "The media did that, and it was really hurtful to me for a long time. They'd say it's some kind of battle. Which it wasn't. We were friends." Bjelland would later refer to Love as her "soul sister", commenting in a 2001 interview: "I haven't spoken to Courtney for years but soul sisters don't need to. There will always be a bond between us, regardless of whether we speak or not."[
In 1993, Bjelland moved to Seattle and began a side project called ]Crunt
Crunt was an alternative rock band, active from 1993 to 1995. Formed when all three members were living in Seattle, the band included Kat Bjelland of Babes in Toyland and Stuart Gray, who were married during the band's career.
Bjelland consi ...
with her then-husband, Australian musician Stuart Gray (also known as Stu Spasm) whom she married in 1992. Bjelland played bass and Gray guitar, while Russell Simins of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion was an American three-piece rock band from New York City, formed in 1991. The group consisted of Judah Bauer on guitar, backing vocals, harmonica and occasional lead vocals, Russell Simins on drums and Jon Spenc ...
was the drummer. In February 1994, the band released a self-titled debut, along with its first single, "Swine". During this time, Bjelland also co-wrote the track "I Think That I Would Die" on Hole's breakthrough album ''Live Through This
''Live Through This'' is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band Hole, released on April 12, 1994, by DGC Records. Recorded in late 1993, it departed from the band's unpolished hardcore aesthetics to more refined melodies ...
'' (1994) with Courtney Love and guitarist Eric Erlandson
Eric Theodore Erlandson (born January 9, 1963) is an American musician, guitarist, and writer, primarily known as founding member, songwriter and lead guitarist of alternative rock band Hole from 1989 to 2002. He has also had several musical si ...
. Bjelland suffered a nervous breakdown
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
after the suicide of Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...
in 1994: " was in Seattle after he diedto hang out with Courtney and support her", she recalled. "In the funeral home, I saw him dead, which was more than disturbing... I had a nervous breakdown right after that." Bjelland had herself been using heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
regularly at the time, though she denied using it regularly while touring. "Let me make this clear: I never really did heroin on tour", she said in 2011. "When I came home and was bored and depressed ndwith money, yeah, that's when I would do it." To kick her habit prior to going on tours, Bjelland would binge drink
Binge drinking, or heavy episodic drinking, is drinking alcoholic beverages with an intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time, but definitions ( see below) vary considerably.
Binge drinking ...
through withdrawal symptoms.
In January 1995, Bjelland and Gray divorced after two years of marriage, and Crunt disbanded. Bjelland turned her focus back to Babes in Toyland, and the group released their third and final full-length album, ''Nemesisters
''Nemesisters'' is the third and final studio album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 9, 1995 by Reprise Records.
Recording
The album was recorded under engineer and producer Tim Mac at AmRep Studios in ...
'' in 1995. After this, she moved to Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York, and contributed to the 1997 album ''Songs of the Witchblade
''Witchblade'' is a comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, which ran from November 1995 to October 2015. The series was created by Top Cow founder and owner Marc Silvestri, editor David Wohl, writers B ...
: A Soundtrack to the Comic Book'', for the Top Cow
Top Cow Productions is an American comics publisher, an imprint of Image Comics founded by Marc Silvestri in 1992.
History
During the early years of Image Comics, which was founded in 1992, co-founder Marc Silvestri shared a studio with Jim Le ...
's comics of the same name. She composed, played and produced most of songs, with many rock and metal artists like Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
or Peter Steele
Petrus Thomas Ratajczyk (January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010), known professionally as Peter Steele, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as the lead vocalist, bassist and composer of the gothic metal band Type O N ...
(Type O Negative
Type O Negative were an American gothic metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums, percussi ...
), and also collaborated with a freeform musical project called Last Frenzy in England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.[ Around 1999, Bjelland gave birth to a son, Henry, with her former husband, drummer Glen Mattson.] Babes in Toyland maintained a loyal following throughout the rest of the decade, and in November 2001, played a farewell show in Minneapolis.
2002–2014: Katastrophy Wife and mental health issues
With Babes in Toyland only performing sporadically in the late 1990s, Bjelland started the band Katastrophy Wife in 1998 as a side project with her then-husband, drummer Glen Mattson. The band toured at venues, such as Ladyfest
Ladyfest is a Community organization, community-based, not-for-profit global music and arts festival for feminist and women artists. Individual Ladyfests differ, but usually feature a combination of band (music), bands, musical groups, performa ...
, worldwide, and released two albums, ''Amusia
Amusia is a musical disorder that appears mainly as a defect in processing pitch but also encompasses musical memory and recognition. Two main classifications of amusia exist: acquired amusia, which occurs as a result of brain damage, and con ...
'' (2001) and ''All Kneel
''All Kneel'' is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Katastrophy Wife. It had favorable reviews and had three singles and videos released from the album. A limited edition blue vinyl reissue was released on Record Store Day ...
'' (2004). Tom Edwards of ''Drowned in Sound
''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums.
History
''D ...
'' gave ''All Kneel'' a favorable review, ranking it among Bjelland's best work.
In 2002, after the dissolution of Babes in Toyland, Bjelland produced and contributed guest vocals on the album ''The Seven Year Itch
''The Seven Year Itch'' is a 1955 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder, from a screenplay he co-wrote with George Axelrod from the 1952 three-act play. The film stars Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, who reprised his stage role. ...
'' for the band Angelica
''Angelica'' is a genus of about 60 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far north as Iceland, Lapland, and Greenland. They grow t ...
. After that band's own dissolution, Bjelland hired the drummer and bassist for an impending European tour.[ The new band was billed as Babes in Toyland, which resulted in Barbero threatening a lawsuit, and Bjelland ultimately scrapping the name.][ Bjelland later claimed that Kurt Pagan-Davies, a manager with whom she was working during this time, had been partly responsible for the decision to tour under the Babes in Toyland name, which he denied.][ She subsequently accused him of stealing money that belonged to her from the publishing of Katastrophy Wife's albums ''Amusia'' and ''All Kneel''.][ ]
In 2006, on the official Katastrophy Wife website, Bjelland wrote that "Katastrophy Wife have had a few incarnations but from here on I will only re-incarnate my self". In April 2007, the band released the single "Heart On", on the Australian record label Rish. The single was intended as a trailer for a forthcoming album, ''Pregnant'', although as of 2020 the album has not been released. Katastrophy Wife's vinyl debut was on an Independent label compilation called ''The Tundra Sessions'', featuring production by Tim Mac.
In 2007, Bjelland revealed she had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder
Schizoaffective disorder (SZA, SZD or SAD) is a mental disorder characterized by abnormal thought processes and an unstable mood. This diagnosis is made when the person has symptoms of both schizophrenia (usually psychosis) and a mood disorder: ...
and had been institutionalized for a period. She commented on the event, saying: "I don't know how I've progressed musically as such but a major influence in my writing was dealing with my whole schizophrenia episode. I actually haven't spoken to anyone much about this. Dealing with multiple personalities
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The di ...
was extremely difficult because some days I didn't know who I was or where I was at. I was very lucky that Adrian (Johnson, her partner and manager) stuck by and helped me through it all. So obviously that was going to affect some of what I wrote about."
2015–2020: Babes in Toyland reunion and breakup
In 2014, Bjelland reunited with former bandmates Maureen Herman
Maureen Herman (born July 25, 1966) is an American writer and a musician known as the bassist for the Minneapolis-based band Babes in Toyland from 1992 until 1996 and from 2014 until August 2015.
Biography 1966–1991: Early life and education
...
and Lori Barbero and began rehearsing to perform live shows. "People would show me on the Internet all these young fans who wanted to see us, and I felt kind of obligated to play", said Bjelland. "You see people with their moms and even grandmothers coming to the shows together. It's super cool. I'm just surprised at how much people still like it."[
In February 2015, the band played their first live show together in fourteen years in ]Joshua Tree, California
Joshua Tree is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 7,414 at the 2010 census. At approximately above sea level, Joshua Tree and its surrounding c ...
, and performed additional shows on an international tour throughout 2015. Bjelland commented that she intended to write new material, but that it would be concerned with "less anger about people. Now it's about things that are going on in the world. I've got a whole plethora of songs ready to go."[
Babes in Toyland later broke up in 2020. They played their last show in 2017.
]
Musical style
Influences
As a child, Bjelland's favorite band was Rush, particularly their fourth album '' 2112''.[ "It was kind of a band that girls didn't like, just guys liked them... I liked them because they had weird, spacey other-land lyrics, and lots of ]break
Break or Breaks or The Break may refer to:
Time off from duties
* Recess (break), time in which a group of people is temporarily dismissed from its duties
* Break (work), time off during a shift/recess
** Coffee break, a short mid-morning res ...
s, and really cool instrumentation", she said.[ As an adolescent, she also listened to popular rock bands such as ]Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
and Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen and ...
.[ She would later credit ]Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrum ...
, The Miracle Workers
The Miracle Workers were a rock and roll band in the 1980s, who began as a garage rock revival band in Portland, Oregon.
Background
The Miracle Workers were formed in January 1982 by Gerry Mohr (vocals), and Joel Barnett (bass guitar). The o ...
, and the Wipers as early influences, and also said she listened to Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...
as a teenager. As an adult, Bjelland named Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...
, Charles Mingus
Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz upright bassist, pianist, composer, bandleader, and author. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and ...
, Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
, Frightwig, Girlschool
Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 yea ...
, Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precu ...
,[ and other '70s bands as important to her.]
Voice and instrumentation
Bjelland has been noted by music critics for her unique screaming vocals,[ which have been likened to those of ]Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
and Diamanda Galás
Diamanda Galás (born August 29, 1955) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, visual artist, and soprano. She has campaigned for AIDS education and the rights of the infected.
Galás's commitment to addressing social issues and her involve ...
. Journalist Richard Cromelin noted in a 1992 ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' profile that "She retches her enraged lyrics, her screams skid across the beat and collide with the blunt riffs. Her voice erupts into laughs and gargles, then croons down low with eerie detachment." She has also incorporated speaking in tongues
Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is a practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid vocalizing of sp ...
in several songs.[
Commenting on her musical aspirations, Bjelland said: "It should sound like nothing that you've heard before. That's my intention... Like my singing, all I try to do is I just push myself into things where I think I can't reach notes and stuff. Sometimes it sounds really ridiculous, but then you just kind of work on it."][ A 2015 concert review described her voice as one so powerful that it "can strip the chrome off a bumper".]
In Babes in Toyland, Bjelland's instrumentation and songwriting has been described as "ugly, crunching post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
" supplemented by "rudimentary" guitar chords.[ She learned to play guitar from her uncle, David Higgenbotham, with whom she played in his band, The Neurotics, prior to forming Babes in Toyland.][ Commenting on her guitar playing, Bjelland said: "I think it's not the quantity but the quality, and I don't think it's the speed you play, it's the soul that comes out."][ In an interview with ]John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
, she revealed that she had never played with an effects pedal
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in ele ...
until 1993: "If you learn how to play without effects, you have to learn how to make your guitar speak instead of the electronics."[
]
Discography
Babes in Toyland
* ''Spanking Machine
''Spanking Machine'' is the debut album by American punk rock band Babes in Toyland, released in 1990.
Background and production
The working title of the album was ''Swamp Pussy'', which later ended up becoming the opening song on the album. T ...
'' (1990)
*''Fontanelle
A fontanelle (or fontanel) (colloquially, soft spot) is an anatomical feature of the infant human skull comprising soft membranous gaps ( sutures) between the cranial bones that make up the calvaria of a fetus or an infant. Fontanelles allow f ...
'' (1992)
*''Nemesisters
''Nemesisters'' is the third and final studio album recorded by Babes in Toyland. It was produced by Tim Mac, and released May 9, 1995 by Reprise Records.
Recording
The album was recorded under engineer and producer Tim Mac at AmRep Studios in ...
'' (1995)
Crunt
* ''Crunt
Crunt was an alternative rock band, active from 1993 to 1995. Formed when all three members were living in Seattle, the band included Kat Bjelland of Babes in Toyland and Stuart Gray, who were married during the band's career.
Bjelland consi ...
'' (1994)
Katastrophy Wife
* ''Amusia
Amusia is a musical disorder that appears mainly as a defect in processing pitch but also encompasses musical memory and recognition. Two main classifications of amusia exist: acquired amusia, which occurs as a result of brain damage, and con ...
'' (2001)
* ''All Kneel
''All Kneel'' is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Katastrophy Wife. It had favorable reviews and had three singles and videos released from the album. A limited edition blue vinyl reissue was released on Record Store Day ...
'' (2004)
References
Sources
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bjelland, Kat
1963 births
Living people
American people of English descent
American people of German descent
American rock songwriters
Women punk rock singers
Women rock singers
Guitarists from Oregon
Musicians from Salem, Oregon
Musicians from Portland, Oregon
People from Woodburn, Oregon
People with schizoaffective disorder
Singers from Oregon
Songwriters from Oregon
20th-century American women guitarists
20th-century American guitarists
21st-century American women guitarists
21st-century American guitarists
University of Oregon alumni
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American women singers
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers