Le Tigre

As front woman of Bikini Kill, Kathleen Hanna's ferocious attitude, DIY punk spirit and political activism made her one of the stars of the US alternative scene in the 1990s and the ultimate Riot Grrrl. After their split in 1997, she reappeared with Johanna Fateman and JD Samson as Le Tigre - an electro-pop trio using synths, guitar riffs and lo-fi electronic beats to create strutting, disco, party rousers. Describing themselves as "underground electro-feminist performance artists", debut album Le Tigre (1999) was full of playful new wave robotics and screechy 1980s pop and positioned the band alongside the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Peaches and Chicks On Speed, as a gang of artists who were mixing punk with dance floor fun. Follow-up Feminist Sweepstakes (2001) was more overtly political, with songs championing gay and female rights, while third album The Island (2004) included the cracking single TKO and a cover of The Pointer Sisters hit I'm So Excited. They went on to feature on Christina Aguilera's album Bionic (2010) and inspired the likes of Gossip, LaRoux and Lady Gaga.