Roots of Cheap Perfume

Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group originally consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band pioneered the riot grrrl movement with feminist lyrics and fiery performances. Their music is characteristically abrasive and hardcore-influenced.

Le Tigre is an American art punk and riot grrrl band formed by Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning in 1998 in New York City. Benning left in 2000 and was replaced by JD Samson. They mixed punk's directness and politics with playful samples, eclectic pop, and lo-fi electronics. Like with many bands in and from the riot grrrl movement, many of the lyrics addressed feminist themes and ideas. The group also added multimedia and performance art elements to their live shows, which often featured support from like-minded acts such as the Need.

X-Ray Spex were an English punk rock band formed in 1976 in London. They were led by Poly Styrene, who formed the band after watching the Sex Pistols live. Styrene was one of the most distinctive personalities in the British punk movement, because of her singing style and atypical and unorthodox appearance, taking influences from reggae as well as punk. Her lyrics primarily dealt with anti-consumerism and anti-capitalism, and were an influence on the 1990s riot grrrl movement. The line-up also included saxophone, which was little used by other punk bands.