Thundera

When I think of riot grrrl music from the early and mid 1990s – not the movement as a whole, just the music that came from it – I have a pretty clear idea of what a lot of it sounds like. It’s stripped down and raw – full of passion and explosive energy, and it’s grounded in the core fundamentals of punk rock music. I think of bands like Huggy Bear, who were making intense and direct punk music without flash, and were singing about things that were deeply important to them in a confrontational and to the point kind of way. That music is still great to listen to today.

That is the first thing I recall when I hear Thundera. Their music embodies these same qualities that made early riot grrrl so good. And I’m not trying to pigeonhole the ladies in Thundera; there is a lot of baggage associated with the term 'riot grrrl' and I do not know if they call themselves a riot grrrl band or not - that is their call, because riot grrrl is more than just a musical genre. But the passion in Thundera’s songs is clear; the raw and gritty kind of punk that they’re playing incorporates some of the very best elements of the music of the early riot grrrl scene. Thundera’s music is strong, extremely danceable, and very exciting to hear.

But don’t take them as a band that simply sounds like a riot grrrl band. They are bringing more than that. I would say that given their sound, songwriting, and Rissa’s vocal style, Thundera are what it would sound like if, in 1993, Tim Armstrong were playing in a supergroup with members of Huggy Bear, Sleater Kinney, and Bikini Kill. To me, that is a really, really winning combination, and yes, Thundera are that good.

And my excitement about this band is definitely (mostly) not my 90’s punk nostalgia rearing it’s head – Thundera’s music is interesting and new, even as it is clearly reminiscent of a sound from the 90's. It’s not just punk traditions and sounds that these ladies are pulling in. There are some overtones of blues and classic rock that I can hear in some of their songs. There’re even some jazzy and swingy guitar lines thrown in once in a while. It’s bouncy, interesting, fun, hard hitting, powerful punk rock music.

I highly encourage you to check this band out. If you’re in NYC, get out to one of their shows – maybe 8/17 at Branded Saloon in Brooklyn. In ten years when everybody knows who Thundera is and there’s been another feminist punk rock revolution, you’ll be able to say nonchalantly “Oh, Thundera, I’ve listened to them since they were on that comp from that tiny label Manual Transmission records or whatever it was called. Thundera rules!” and you’ll get wicked props for it. They have a bunch of songs available on Reverb Nation. Go and get them stuck in your head.

- Kelly Riel - Stickshift Recordings