Slutbox

Slutbox formed in Seattle in the late 1990s, with vocalist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha and guitarist Michelle Mae at the core. They played a raw mix of punk and noise, with lyrics that felt personal and confrontational. Their song 'A Bedtime Story' became something of an anthem, a haunting ballad about surviving abuse.

They released a limited EP in 1999 and a self-titled debut album in 2001. Other records followed, like 'We Are the Gatekeepers' in 2003 and 'Love and the Plague' in 2006. The band had a rotating lineup that sometimes included bassist Emily White and drummer Tina Luu, and they collaborated with artists like Calvin Johnson and Mirah.

But they kept working, putting out 'Help Yourself' in 2012. Songs like 'Basehead,' 'Dead and Walking,' and 'Red Skies At Mourning' carried that same unflinching, visceral quality.