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Baker's Dozen

As Simple As Fun: Beth Ditto's Baker's Dozen
Louise Brown , June 14th, 2017 07:20

As she releases new solo album Fake Sugar, Beth Ditto swears & enthuses about 13 favourite records to Louise Brown, taking in the filth of Lil' Kim to David Bowie and the queer punk of Buzzcocks via Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hill

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Huggy Bear – Taking The Rough With The Smooch
I know everyone expected Bikini Kill. It was on my list, but I wanted to put Huggy Bear, because it was wacky. Nathan [Paine, Gossip guitarist] got me into them. It was pre-internet, pre-everything but I wanna say probably Nirvana helped too. They brought so many great things, like The Raincoats and Bikini Kill to the conversation. I think that was how we knew about them, but Nathan, he had all those 7”.. He would spend his lunch money on records and in fact when we moved to Olympia, when we went into Kill Rock Stars as we were going to be on their label, they told me a story that when Nathan moved there, and he came in, they all went 'You're Nathan'! Because he ordered so many records, they knew who he was. I thought that was so sweet. Also Bikini Kill was never on television, there was no The Word so to be able to see Huggy Bear in mainstream media, on television, that was so cool. See I didn't listen to L7, it wasn't melodic enough for me. Or Babes In Toyland either. It wasn't my 90s. It wasn't silly enough. One of my favourite things is this 90s resurgence because I get to wear all the clothes I wore as a kid. In Utero was gonna be on the list, but I took it off. And if I really wanna get down to the nitty gritty, I woulda put The Wipers, but let's be honest, I heard Nirvana first.