Sophie's Floorboard: September 2026

Friday, 11 September 2026

Heavens To Betsy

Heavens To Betsy were a two-piece punk band from Olympia, Washington that were active between 1991 and 1994. They were part of the emerging riot grrrl scene including Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, and Excuse 17, with albums released by both K Records and Kill Rock Stars. While certainly a remarkable band in their own right, they are partially remembered as being one half of the prototype for Sleater-Kinney, which guitarist/vocalist Corin Tucker of Heavens To Betsy formed with Carrie Brownstein, the guitarist/vocalist of Excuse 17 as a side-project before Sleater-Kinney became their main focus (and a band that they're still active as today). But to get back to this band, Heavens To Betsy packed raw power into sparse instrumentation, using only Tracy Sawyer's pounding drums, Tucker's often down-tuned guitar, and her soaring, fierce vocal delivery with lyrics that touch on feminism and patriarchal injustice. It's beautifully unrefined passionate catharsis that paved the way for the more technically locked-in Sleater-Kinney while still holding its own as an integral band from their respective scene. If you've never heard this band do yourself a favour and listen to Calculated, and maybe one day I'll do a full Sleater-Kinney history and album-by-album retrospective, if that's something any one would be interested in.

Demo (1992)

1. Good Food

2. Factory

3. Seek And Hide

4. Stay Dead

5. My Red Self

6. Ain't Never Goin' Back

7. Baby's Gone

8. My Secret

Heavens To Betsy/Bratmobile (1992)

1. Heavens To Betsy - My Secret

2. Bratmobile - Cool Schmool

These Monsters Are Real (1993)

1. Me & Her

2. Monsters

3. Playground

4. Firefly

Calculated (1994)

1. Nothing Can Stop Me

2. Decide

3. Stay Away

4. Calculated

5. Waitress Hell

6. Intermission 24/7

7. axemen

8. Donating My Body To Science

9. Terrorist

10. Complicated

11. White Girl

12. Paralyzed

Direction (1995)

1. Direction

2. Get Out Of My Head

3. The Ones

4. Driving Song

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Excuse 17

Excuse 17 were a three-piece punk band from Olympia, Washington that were around from 1993 to 1995. They released a split with the excellent Lync (which I don't have the individual release for) and two full-lengths albums, the second of which was released via Kill Rock Stars. Influenced by the emerging riot grrrl movement spearheaded by bands like Bikini Kill, Bratmobile, and Heavens To Betsy, featuring prominent members of it including Becca Albee (guitar/vocals), Carrie Brownstein (guitar/vocals), and C.J. Phillips (drummer). Though a commendable band in their own right (Such Friends Are Dangerous is a fantastic album, seriously listen to "Watchmaker"), part of their legacy is as a partial prototype for Sleater-Kinney, which Brownstein formed along with Heavens To Betsy's guitarist/vocalist Corin Tucker initially as a side project, which then shortly thereafter became their main focus following the dissolution of their respective bands. You can hear the DNA in both bands, with Brownstein's sharp, energetic, and winding guitar chops present here and Tucker's soaring, gut-wrenching vocals and punchy playing style there, which is now making me realize I should just do both bands at once, because they're both solid, integral parts of the riot grrrl scene in their own right, regardless of their later affiliation with the undeniably monumental Sleater-Kinney. Enjoy.

Periscope: Another Yoyo Compilation (1994)

3. Excuse 17 - Sevenwhaterteen

Note: Excuse 17 track only

Excuse Seventeen (1994)

1. Vanishing Act

2. Two Faced

3. Cut And Dry

4. Hope You Feel Bad

5. Despise

6. Carson

7. Code Red

8. We're The Seniors (And We Rule The School)

9. Imaginary Friend

10. Groundhog's Day

11. Break And Enter

Such Friends Are Dangerous (1995)

1. 5 Acres

2. Forever Fired

3. Watchmaker

4. I'd Rather Eat Glass

5. Decatur H. S.

6. This Is Not Your Wedding Song

7. The Drop Dead Look

8. Designated Shotgun

9. Getoff

10. Nervousness Never Fades

11. Special Guest, Me

12. Framed

13. She Wants 3-D

Bandcamp

Spotify

The Evens

Filing this under “posts I just assumed were done years ago but I overlooked”. The Evens are a two-piece band formed by Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina, both of whom are known for their extensive involvement in the DC music scene. MacKaye of course is one of the founders of Dischord Records and was in a litany of bands, the most notable of which were Minor Threat, Embrace, and of course Fugazi, while Farina was in The Warmers alongside Alec MacKaye. This project is a lot more subdued than their previous work, with MacKaye and Farina sharing vocal duties (often harmoniously with pointed political lyricism). Farina's drums and MacKaye's clean baritone guitar form this rhythmic interlock that's textured and intricate yet simple in its deliberate minimalism; it's a unique sound for sure, like jazzy folk that doesn't quite fit into either of those genres. If you've never heard them and want to hear something that sounds like post-Fugazi, The Evens are your best bet. Try their first self-titled LP first if you're new to them and go from there. Enjoy.