The Frumpies were an American
lo-fi
Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...
punk rock band formed in 1992 in
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region.
Europea ...
, United States. The original line-up consisted of singers/guitarists
Tobi Vail
Tobi Celeste Vail (born July 20, 1969) is an American independent musician, music critic and feminist activist from Olympia, Washington. She was a central figure in the riot grrl scene—she coined the spelling of "grrl"—and she started th ...
,
Kathi Wilcox
Kathi Lynn Wilcox (born November 19, 1969) is an American musician. She is the bass player in the Julie Ruin and has been in bands such as Bikini Kill, the Casual Dots, and the Frumpies.
Music
Wilcox attended The Evergreen State College wher ...
, and
Billy Karren
William Francis Karren is an American musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the punk/riot grrrl band Bikini Kill, formed by Kathleen Hanna, with Karren, Tobi Vail and Kathi Wilcox. He was also active in many other music projects, inclu ...
(all of whom were also a part of the legendary
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 sub ...
band
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band pioneered ...
), and
Bratmobile drummer
Molly Neuman.
Their debut was the 7-inch single ''Alien Summer Nights'' on the
Chainsaw Records label. ''Babies and Bunnies'' was recorded in 1993, with future
Make-Up
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protec ...
and
Weird War
Weird War, briefly known as Scene Creamers, is an indie rock band based out of Washington, D.C. The current lineup consists of Ian Svenonius on vocals, Michelle Mae on bass guitar, Alex Minoff on guitar, and Sebastian Thomson on drums.
Weird W ...
bassist
Michelle Mae signing on long enough to record "Tommy Slich."
After a two-year hiatus, the Frumpies reunited in 1996, releasing the EP ''Eunuch Nights''. The CD collection ''Frumpie One Piece'' assembled all of the band's previous singles.
The group's last release was the 2000 EP "Frumpies Forever."
Discography
*''Alien Summer Nights'' (7" EP) CHSW 6, released 1993.
*''Babies & Bunnies'' (7" EP) KRS213, released 1993-08.
*''Tommy Slich'' (7", EP) Lookout 091, released 1993.
*''Safety First'' (7", EP) WIJ31V, released 1994.
*''Eunuch Nights'' (7" EP) KRS322, released: 1998-09-23.
*''Frumpie One-Piece'' (CD) KRS335, released: 1998-10-23.
*''Frumpies Forever'' (7" EP) KRS366, released: 2000-08-01.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frumpies, The
Punk rock groups from Washington (state)
Musical groups from Olympia, Washington
Riot grrrl bands
Garage punk groups