L7

1985–present·Los Angeles, CA

LA four-piece, Sparks and Gardner trading vocals, Finch thundering underneath on bass, Plakas absolutely punishing the kit. Sub Pop to Slash to eventually major-label deals, and through all of it the records kept being loud and funny and mean in exactly the right proportions. Smell the Magic and Bricks Are Heavy are untouchable. Scatter the Rats in 2019 proved the reunion could still deliver. Also: threw a used tampon at Reading '92. Culture.

People

Donita Sparks
guitarvocals

L7's co-frontwoman. Responsible for famously throwing a used tampon into the crowd at Reading '92 after mud got thrown at the band, which is the kind of career moment that tends to overshadow the riffs. The riffs are excellent.

Suzi Gardner
guitarvocals

L7's other guitarist and co-vocalist. Her tone and Sparks' tone interlock into something bigger than either one — the two-guitar sound that makes Bricks Are Heavy actually heavy.

Discography

1988

L7

EpitaphLP
Discogs →
1990

Smell the Magic

Sub PopLP
Discogs →
1992

Bricks Are Heavy

SlashLP
Discogs →
1994

Hungry for Stink

SlashLP
Discogs →
1997

The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum

SlashLP
Discogs →
2019

Scatter the Rats

BlackheartLP
Discogs →

Connections