Bitch
Issue #30
Make This/Break This (Kill Rock Stars)
By Callye Morrissey
Published: December 1st, 2006 | 12:00am
Never before has a classically trained violinist made such bold statements. Bitch, formerly of the feminist punk duo Bitch and Animal, has brought her talent to the forefront on her debut album, Make This/Break This. Equipped with her electric violin, ukulele, bass guitar, and an army of percussion instruments, Bitch isn’t afraid to spew powerful, often political messages to her audience.
While the majority of Make This/Break This is Ani DiFranco–folkish, some of the most mesmerizing tracks are simply Bitch and a solo accompanying instrument. “Train Station/Beograd” features Bitch and her ukulele taking stabs, with lyrics like “There’s a lot of lies in the war.” On “Aileen Wuornos,” Bitch pays homage to the former prostitute who was given the death sentence for killing her Johns: “They all raped you didn’t they? / In their own systematic way.” “Rise” features some of the album’s most provocative lyrics, accompanied by Bitch on bass: “Baghdad lit up a green gold / Beat up by bullies …/ George Bush is as evil as Saddam / It takes one to know one.”
After releasing three albums with Bitch and Animal, Bitch is finally getting some of the recognition she deserves. Many of the tracks on Make This/Break This are featured in the current season of Showtime’s lesbian drama The L Word and Bitch can be seen performing in John Cameron Mitchell’s film Shortbus. With hope, her talent will continue to push her career forward.
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