Le Tigre - This Island

Genre rock Publisher Strummer/Universal External Links Le Tigre

The title refers to their beloved Manhattan, but also to their private island of bohemia, now lowering its drawbridges to the mainstream with the dropping of their first major label record. You can tell they've spent the three years since the transitional Feminist Sweepstakes preparing for this: stronger synth and drum programming, better band dynamics, and tighter production, resulting in an unparalleled punk-disco fusion that Gang of Four only dreamed about on Songs of the Free.

But if you think they've sacrificed an ounce of their political integrity for the sake of hitting the big time, forget it. Since Kathleen Hanna was always at full wattage even when Clinton was in the oval office, it should come as no surprise that Sex Pistols-inspired "Seconds" is the most vicious, relentless, and wholly just anti-Bush broadside ever recorded. But she also takes time out for some sex jams -- the sweaty Blondie homage "After Dark," as well as the last version of "I'm So Excited" you'll ever need to hear. Best of all, Johanna Bateman and J.D. Samson prove they're not just backing players on Bateman's hilarious tour diary "Punker Plus" and Samson's brilliant genderfuck dialectic "Viz," among others.

The best track doesn't even feature any of them, not explicitly. "New Kicks" sets an anti-Iraq War demonstration to music, with chants and speeches lifted to righteous militance by flawlessly timed guitar and beats, perfect for blasting out your window on November third. "This is what democracy sounds like!" yell hundreds of New Yorkers at the top of their collective lungs. In this context, their slogan now no longer refers merely to their protest, but also this raised fist of a record.