Witch and Hare

The riot-grrl revolution, launched in 1992, motivated scores of teenage girls to create their own bands. But with Sleater-Kinney defunct and Bikini Kill's Kathleen Hanna now playing electro-funk, no survivors of that scene remain tethered to its garage-riff-and-screams roots. Kansas City's Witch and Hare carries that long-dormant gene, though — with a few advantageous mutations. The group's songs fuse shards of blues, ragtime and rock, with singer Amy Hastings' jagged delivery ensuring that the edges stay sharp. Unlike its frill-free forebears, Witch and Hare spices up its live shows with spectacle. For a recent gig, Hastings explains, "Our guitarist built a shack, we dressed as filthy hillbillies and we performed on the deck with a feral child [her own] in a coonskin cap." Hastings' daughter is already part of the act, but Witch and Hare is the type of group that will inspire other young women to take the stage.