Babes in Toyland were an American grunge and punk rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. Between 1989 and 1995 the band recorded three studio albums, and were associated with grunge music. Though never a part of the riot grrrl scene, media quickly mislabeled their music (and that of other aggressive female-fronted bands) as such. Members included Kat Bjelland (lead vocals and guitar), Lori Barbero (drums) and Michelle Leon (bass), wh...
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Babes in Toyland were an American grunge and punk rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1987. Between 1989 and 1995 the band recorded three studio albums, and were associated with grunge music. Though never a part of the riot grrrl scene, media quickly mislabeled their music (and that of other aggressive female-fronted bands) as such. Members included Kat Bjelland (lead vocals and guitar), Lori Barbero (drums) and Michelle Leon (bass), who was replaced by Maureen Herman in 1992.
The band achieved notoriety through Bjelland's "baby doll" image—sometimes referred to as the kinderwhore look—which contrasted dramatically with the raw power of her singing voice and her aggressive lyrics. They have had many members including Courtney Love as a bassist. Babes in Toyland released their first album, Spanking Machine in 1990 and toured Europe with Sonic Youth that fall.
The band's first major label album, Fontanelle, sold around 200,000 copies. The lead song on the album, "Bruise Violet...
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