Calling all rebel girls: there’s a lost Bikini Kill track currently making the rounds, and it deserves—sorry, commands—your full attention. Premiered by Rookie Mag after over a decade, “Girl Soldier” is a hypnotic backwards march that lands squarely in a time when riot grrrl was more than a brand. With the anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death fresh in everyone’s minds, and flannel continuing to make a serious comeback, it’s easy to remember why these evocative, early alternative sounds still resonate so much today.
As a band, Bikini Kill have been defunct since 1997, but Kathleen Hanna and Co. have recently formed a new label on which they plan to re-release their entire discography. The band’s seminal 1993 album Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah will be first to receive the re-issue treatment, featuring classic tunes (“Rebel Girl,” “Resist Psychic Death”) alongside previously unheard material. The sparse, dangerous echoes of “Girl Soldier” are included in the mix, with a release set for April 15. You can stream “Girl Soldier” at Rookie Mag now.
