Huggy Bear Basic Strategies for Going Out 10″
With their self-described ethics of “left-field feminism, queer politics, and situationism,” HUGGY BEAR pushed the limits of the British music scene during their brief existence from ’91–’94. Based out of Brighton/London, they were friends and co-conspirators with BIKINI KILL—touring the US with them, releasing a split album together on Kill Rock Stars, and essentially bringing the riot grrrl scene to the UK—but they were their own entity, circulating in their own orbit with a uniquely oppositional sound and style. While the historical influence of the SLITS and RAINCOATS is here, their sound was unregretfully and intentionally scabrous, while maintaining a playful and experimental style that defined their resistance against the British indie scene that was curated by the mainstream, male-dominated media. In addition to the BIKINI KILL split and a handful of 7” singles, HUGGY BEAR only released one full-length album and doesn’t have a streaming presence in these digital days, which appropriately fits with their historical avoidance of mainstream avenues. Fortunately, due to John Peel being able to bypass BBC regulations by recording his own versions of a band’s material, HUGGY BEAR’s two Peel Sessions from 1992 and 1993 are now streaming and available on vinyl with two previously unreleased songs. These eight tracks, remastered by Fred Thomas of SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME, give an insight to the energy and ethos of the band. The opener “Nu Song” oscillates between angular guitar riffs and spoken/screaming vocals, which sets the tempo for Side A of the album. The third track is the song “Her Jazz,” which they performed for their infamously controversial appearance on the British television program The Word. The B-side, recorded a year later in 1993, has its own unique sound, with sonic nods to the Olympia scene and the halcyon days of K Records. These recordings are both an excellent introduction to and an essential preservation of this unneglectable band.