Girls to the Front Audiobook By Sara Marcus cover art

Girls to the Front

The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution

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Girls to the Front

By: Sara Marcus
Narrated by: Julie McKay
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Girls to the Front is the epic, definitive history of the Riot Grrrl movement - the radical feminist punk uprising that exploded into the public eye in the 1990s, altering America's gender landscape forever. Author Sara Marcus, a music and politics writer for Time Out New York, Slate.com, Pos, and Heeb magazine, interweaves research, interviews, and her own memories as a Riot Grrrl front-liner. Her passionate, sophisticated narrative brilliantly conveys the story of punk bands like Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, and Heavens to Betsy - as well as successors like Sleater-Kinney, Partyline, and Kathleen Hanna's Le Tigre - and their effect on today's culture.

©2010 Sara Marcus (P)2017 Tantor Music Women Gender Studies Social Sciences

Critic reviews

"[A] compelling history...Marcus has done a commendable job of telling the little-known history of an important social and cultural movement." ( Booklist, starred review)

Featured Article: Why Riot Grrrl Still Matters


In the early 1990s in the hazy fog of the Pacific Northwest, a movement was brewing. A gathering of women convened in Olympia, the capital of Washington State, to discuss the pitfalls that plagued their local punk scene—an environment rocked by sexism that was, at best, uncomfortable and, at worst, openly hostile to fans and artists who didn't mirror lineups dominated by straight white men. Whether Bikini Kill holds a prime spot on your playlist or you've yet to hear the drumbeat born from a woman oppressed, these listens offer a fully-fledged history of the riot grrrl revolution.

Featured Article Why Riot Grrrl Still Matters
All stars
Most relevant
This book is journalism made personal. It touches so many important points in feminism, riot grrrl, and the culture at large.

Effective, honest, and raw

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This book was extremely engaging to listen to. The author did a great job of weaving stories together, making interesting connections, and helping the reader take away important lessons for their own life. The author clearly has a lot of respect for these girls and women, which I appreciated.

I learned a lot not only about the Riot Grrl movement but also about activism and myself as a woman.

I normally don’t like any history books as I find them too dry and bogged down with unnecessary details, so I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable and fun this book was.

Engaging and fascinating history

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I learned so much listening to this book. I’m glad it was written. I’m not sure there is another full story about the Riot Grrrl movement out there & I appreciate all the information contained in this book.

On another note, the audiobook skipped pretty bad for me quite a few times. I’m not sure if it’s the recording or a problem with the app. Hopefully it’s not in the recording & audible will fix this soon

Great Story!

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I struggle to capture exactly what what Riot Grrrl meant to me. This book is a wonderful testament to moments in time which couldn't last forever and weren't perfect, but which meant so much to so many. Excellently researched and written. I highly recommend. Buy it for yourself, give it to all of your girlfriends. 💕

An important book

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