Le Tigre

Le Tigre
Le Tigre performing in 2004
Background information
Origin	New York City, New York, United States
Genres	Electroclash, electronic rock, dance-punk, post-punk revival
Years active	1998–2011, 2016
Labels	Mr. Lady, Strummer, Universal
Associated acts	Bikini Kill, Julie Ruin, MEN
Website	www.letigreworld.com
Members	Kathleen Hanna Johanna Fateman JD Samson
Past members	Sadie Benning

Le Tigre (pronunciation: /ləˈtiːɡrə/) is an American electroclash band from the United States, formed by Kathleen Hanna (formerly of Bikini Kill) and Johanna Fateman in 1998 in New York City. It also featured Sadie Benning from 1998 until 2001 and JD Samson for the rest of the group's run. Le Tigre is known for its left-wing sociopolitical lyrics, dealing with issues of feminism and the LGBT community.

Initially envisioned as a live backup band for Hanna's solo project Julie Ruin, Le Tigre mixed the politics and feminism of riot grrrl with electronic samples and lo-fi beats. Other members included Fateman and Samson. Samson joined Le Tigre as a full member when co-founder Benning left the band before touring the first album and Samson filled in for her on the tour and eventually joined the band full-time. Samson had previously worked with the band as a roadie and the operator of the band's slide show during the few live performances the band did in support of their first record before Benning's departure. The self-proclaimed "underground electro-feminist performance artists" combined visuals, music and dance in their performances. Samson is a gay rights activist, and the excerpts in "New Kicks" are from an actual protest that Samson recorded herself. Hanna is a public speaker, artist, and now plays with the band The Julie Ruin. Fateman is an accomplished writer and painter.

The song "Hot Topic" on Le Tigre's self-titled debut pays tribute to dozens of female visual artists, musicians, writers, feminists and others who have inspired them. Among those mentioned are: Yoko Ono, Cibo Matto, Aretha Franklin, Vaginal Davis, Yayoi Kusama, Angela Davis, Sleater-Kinney, The Slits, Gretchen Phillips, Billy Tipton, Mab Segrest, Leslie Feinberg, Faith Ringgold, Juliana Luecking, Laura Cottingham, James Baldwin, Marlon Riggs, David Wojnarowicz, Justin Bond and Hanna's close friend, Tammy Rae Carland. In a similar fashion the song "FYR" off the album Feminist Sweepstakes is a tribute to the chapter and ideals put forth in Shulamith Firestone's Fifty Years of Ridicule in her 1970 feminist work The Dialectic of Sex. Their debut album contains a sample of an essay written by Mark Rothko in response to a negative review in 1942 where he debuted the style he would become famous for.