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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yes, Women Really Can Rock, May 13, 2000
One of the strangest things about the Lilith Fair, which advertised itself as "A Celebration of Women in Rock", was that there was no real rock represented. Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls? What's missing from that equation? Rock. The fact that it was so hyped is just as troubling because it reinforces the uneducated mainstream opinion there is no real rock music being made by women today. That conclusion would be grossly inacurate. Some of the best rock of the 90s was made by PJ Harvey, The Breeders, Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, Hole (until that "Celebrity Skin" fiasco) and Babes in Toyland.Babes in Toyland is one of the best of the groups I just mentioned and "Fontanelle", their first full length album shows them in all their power. The three piece musical arrangements are decidedly primitive that's one of the things that makes Babes in Toyland so compelling, especially when combined with Kat Bjelland's ferocious vocals. No one, man or woman, can do the things vocally that Kat Bjelland can. She has the remarkable ability to scream at the listener non-stop over the near-forty minutes of this album, but in such a way that is undeniably pleasurable to listen to. There is one chilling moment on "Mother" the thirteenth song on the album when she goes from a full throated growl to a sharp, sustained scream in a single breath. That is what I call singing. The lyrics are easy to miss here, thanks to Kat's vocal style and the grittiness of the music but they hold up well against the rest of the albums principle components. They are bitter, angry and intense, if not terribly poetic. They justify the sonic brutality of the album and make perfect sense. The rage here is real and believable. Babes in Toyland rock like no other women on the planet.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buy this CD and to hell with the rest!, August 7, 2004
I don't give away 5 stars lightly so you'll have to trust me when I recommend this album. If you are a fan of Hole, punk rock, female rock or if you're desperate to find music that is top shelf quality, then this is your album. Every song on here is excellent, and you simply don't get that kind of quality anymore, with a few exceptions, like maybe Interpol. Babes in Toyland were CHICKS WITH BALLS! Excellent for bitter mornings, rage filled evenings or upbeat afternoons, "Fontanelle" makes you want to go out and dye your hair blue or something. After listening to this record, you'll want to smack Ashlee Simpson and Hillary Duff across the face and force feed them canned beans. I want to shout it from the rooftops this album is so amazing.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bruise violet, May 6, 2004
Back in the early, Minneapolis was home to some of the best post-punk bands such as Husker Du, The Replacements, Soul Asylum (before they sold out), and my personal favorite Babes in Toyland. Back in the early '90s when I was still in high school, I was searching for my niche in live. I needed something that had meaning and that I could belong to. I discovered punk music. Everyone else in high school were either into heavy metal or hip hop/r&b music. Neither was my cup of tea. One of the first punk bands I discovered was Babes in Toyland. I bought "Fontanelle" one day and was completely blown away by the intense lyrics and vocals by Kat Bjelland and the powerful drumming of Lori Barbero (best drummer hands down). Wanna know where Courtney Love got her babydoll look from? She ripped it off from Kat Bjelland. Courtney merely introduced that look to the mainstream masses when "Live Through This" came out. Throughout my sophomore year in high school I lived on bands such as Babes in Toyland, The Rollins Band, L7, Social Distortion, 7 Year B***h, and The Gits. Their music challenged me with their ferocious vocals and angst-filled lyrics. I heard and felt the alienation that Kat sang through her music especially through songs such as "Bruise Violet" (an ode to Kat's former bandmate Courtney) and "Hansome & Gretel". Lori Barbero is truly one of the best drummers I had ever heard, man or woman. You can hear her sheer power throughout "Fontanelle". Lori even gets the opportunity to sing on "Magick Flute". I hadn't heard "Fontanelle" in years until now. Listening to it again brings back the memories of my love for modern rock (before it was co-opted by Clear Channel). I wish music today was as exciting it was a decade ago.
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