Dickless
{{Short description|American grunge band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Dickless
| image = Dickless band.jpg
| caption = Left to Right: Jana McCall, Kerry Green, Kelly Canary, Lisa Smith.
Photo by Charles Peterson, 1991
| years_active = {{Start date|1989}}-1998
| origin = Seattle, Washington, United States
| genre = Grunge, punk rock, funk rock, riot grrrl
| label = Sub Pop Records
| associated_acts = Jana McCall, Teen Angels
| website =
| past_members = Kelly Canary{{cite book
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z-44p7V2TrUC&q=Dickless&pg=PA99
|author=Mark Yarm
|title=Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge
|publisher=Three Rivers Press
|pages=187,99,185
|isbn=9780307464446
|date=13 March 2012
}} (vocals)
Jennie Trower (bass)
Jana McCall (bass)
Lisa Smith (drums)
Lisa Buckner{{cite web
|url=http://www.myspace.com/dicklessseattle/photos/1879269#{%22ImageId%22%3A39117712}
|work=myspace.com
|accessdate=12 May 2013
|title=Dickless myspace page
|type=photo
}} (drums)
}}
Dickless was a Seattle-based grunge band{{cite book
|title=Nirvana: The Biography
|author=Everett True
|author-link=Everett True
|publisher=Da Capo Press
|isbn=978-0786733903
|pages=278
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fUV1mgkEmMQC&q=Dickless&pg=PA278
|year=2009
|url = http://lamestainnorthwest.blogspot.com/2006/12/miniskirt-mob-dickless.html
|title = Miniskirt mob: Dickless
|author = Wm
|work = Lamestain HQ blog
|publisher = blogspot.com
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20131024170855/http://lamestainnorthwest.blogspot.com/2006/12/miniskirt-mob-dickless.html
|archivedate = 24 October 2013
|quote = It used to strike us as silly to see the term "grunge" applied to slick, carefully marketed, radio-ready bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Blind Melon, because Dickless embodied grunge better than perhaps any other band from that era, and nobody would consider them slick or ready for radio.
|url-status = dead
}} signed to Sub Pop records in 1990.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} Dickless is notable for their unique raspy/screamy vocal style.{{cite web
|url = http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/1996-01-19/530478/
|author = Phil West
|title = music Recviews: TEEN ANGELS Daddy (SubPop)
|date = 19 January 1996
|accessdate = 14 May 2013
|publisher = Austin Chronicle Corp.
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130515020907/http://www.austinchronicle.com/music/1996-01-19/530478/
|archivedate = 15 May 2013
|url-status = dead
|url=http://www.myspace.com/dicklessseattle/blog/149250985
|work=myspace.com
|accessdate=12 May 2013
|title=Dickless myspace blog: Lisa's Dickless trivia
|date=27 July 2006
|type=blog
}}
During their first few years, their loud and abrasive sound was new and unusual for an all-female music group. Simultaneously, their short discography included song titles and a song cover, "I'm a Man" by Bo Diddley, that were blatantly ironic given their abrasive sound and female members.{{cite web
|url=http://madamepickwickartblog.com/2011/06/perfect-dickless-world/
|author=Art Chantry
|author-link=Art Chantry
|title=perfect: dickless world
|work=madamepickwickartblog.com
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517143752/http://madamepickwickartblog.com/2011/06/perfect-dickless-world/
|archivedate=17 May 2012
}} The band name itself is meant to be satire.{{cite web
|url = http://grungebook.tumblr.com/post/3525142871/i-was-at-this-bar-or-coffee-shop-in-san-francisco
|title = excerpt from interview with Kelly Canary
|author = Mark Yarm
|date = 26 February 2011
|publisher = tumblr.com
|work = grungebook.tumblr.com
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063519/http://grungebook.tumblr.com/post/3525142871/i-was-at-this-bar-or-coffee-shop-in-san-francisco
|archivedate = 4 March 2016
|url-status = dead
}}
The group's period of activity coincided with the emerging "Riot grrrl" music culture.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-zqSn0jMJAQC&q=Dickless&pg=PA42|author=Marisa Meltzer|page=42|title=Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution in Music|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=9781429933285|date=2010-02-15}}
History
The original lineup consisted of Lisa Buckner (drums), Kelly Canary (vocals), Jana McCall (bass), Kerry Green (guitar). Lisa Buckner was soon replaced by Lisa Smith from Atomic 61 on drums.{{cite web
|url=http://www.mudhoney.net/sideprj/epp/
|author=Craig Joyce
|title=Mr Epp and the Calculations "Probably the worst band in the world"
|accessdate=14 May 2013
|work=mudhoney.net
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515072857/http://www.mudhoney.net/sideprj/epp/
|archivedate=15 May 2013
}}
After a few years, Kelly Canary quit to form the Teen Angels.{{cite web
|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Teen+Angels
|title=Teen Angels
|publisher=Discogs
|accessdate=12 May 2013
|work=discogs.com
}} Lisa Smith would also join Teen Angels later. Sub Pop employee Megan Jasper became the new vocalist after Kelly Canary's last show.{{cite book
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H89kHhJR4-AC&q=Dickless
|pages=Notes 4
|title=Nirvana: True Story
|author=Everett True
|author-link=Everett True
|publisher=Music Sales Group
|isbn=978-1844496402
|year=2006
}} Jennie Trower eventually replaced Jana McCall on bass.
Discography
The group had a relatively short discography during their sporadic nine-year existence. Their entire discography was seven short songs (most songs were between 1:00 to 2:00 minutes) spread across seven different releases (not counting the planned, but never released Anthology album).
Their release as Thee Dickless All Stars included Mark Arm of Mudhoney on vocals and Duane Bodenheimer of Derelicts on guitar.{{cite web
|url=http://www.myspace.com/dicklessseattle/photos/1879269#{%22ImageId%22%3A6258046}
|work=myspace.com
|accessdate=12 May 2013
|title=Dickless myspace page
|type=press release
}} Their song Lumber Jack again included Mark Arm of Mudhoney on vocals.
= Singles =
- Saddle Tramp / I'm A Man 7" record from Sub Pop Records, SP59 (1990){{cite web
|url=http://www.subpop.com/releases/dickless/singles/saddle_tramp_im_a_man
|title=Dickless / Saddle Tramp / Im A Man - SP059
|accessdate=7 May 2013
|work=subpop.com
|publisher=Sub Pop Records
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121145713/http://www.subpop.com/releases/dickless/singles/saddle_tramp_im_a_man
|archivedate=21 January 2013
|url=http://www.pettediscographies.com/subpop/sp59.asp
|work=Petite Discographies
|title=Dickless I'm A Man
}}
- Saddle Tramp / I'm A Man / Miniskirt Mob Maxi record from Tupelo Recording Company (1990){{cite web
|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dickless
|publisher=Discogs
|work=www.discogs.com
|title=Dickless
}}
- Sex God Tad 7" record (listed as artist Thee Dickless All-Stars) from Sub Pop Records, SP100 (1991){{cite web
|url=http://www.subpop.com/releases/dickless_all_stars/singles/sex_god_tad_3
|accessdate=7 May 2013
|work=subpop.com
|publisher=Sub Pop Records
|title=Dickless All-Stars / Sex God Tad+ 3 - SP100
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121125546/http://www.subpop.com/releases/dickless_all_stars/singles/sex_god_tad_3
|archivedate=21 January 2013
}}
- Lumber Jack / C-Word 7" record from Sub Pop Records, SP441 (1998)
{{cite web
|url=http://www.subpop.com/releases/dickless/singles/c_word_lumber_jack
|publisher=Subpop
|work=www.subpop.com
|title=Dickless / C-Word / Lumber Jack - SP441
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404053809/http://www.subpop.com/releases/dickless/singles/c_word_lumber_jack
|archivedate=4 April 2013
}}
= Compilation appearances =
- Saddle Tramp (live version) from Sub Pop Records Compilation The Grunge Years, SP112 (1991){{cite web
|url=http://www.subpop.com/releases/various_artists/full_lengths/the_grunge_years
|accessdate=7 May 2013
|work=subpop.com
|publisher=Sub Pop Records
|title=Various Artists / The Grunge Years - SP112
|archive-date=25 January 2013
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130125044341/http://www.subpop.com/releases/various_artists/full_lengths/the_grunge_years
|url-status=dead
}}
- Sweet Teeth from C/Z Records Compilation album Teriyaki Asthma, Vols. I-V (1991){{cite web
|url=http://musicbrainz.org/release/2a1fd126-e1ce-4f15-b427-882d99ca28fb
|work=musicbrainz.org
|title=Teriyaki Asthma, Vols. I-V
}}
- C-Word from Up Records Compilation album Up Next, UP60 (1998)
{{cite web
|title=UP #060 , Up Next compilation
|url=http://www.uprecords.com/discography/060/
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040804073844/http://www.uprecords.com/discography/060/
|archivedate=4 August 2004
|work=www.uprecords.com
}}
= Compilation albums =
- Dickless Anthology from Sub Pop Records (1998)
{{cite web
|url=http://www.subpop.com/releases/dickless/full_lengths/anthology
|publisher=Subpop
|work=www.subpop.com
|title=Dickless / Anthology - SBL-80059
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430112110/http://www.subpop.com/releases/dickless/full_lengths/anthology
|archivedate=30 April 2008
}}
(not released)