Skunk Anansie

Led by the fiery vocalist Skin, Skunk Anansie were one of the premier Britrock bands of the ’90s, mixing hard-edged guitars with funk-tinged grooves, confrontational lyrics, and the occasional tender moment. Formed in 1994 in London, Skunk Anansie released their first music the following year; their churning anti-religion broadside “Selling Jesus” was featured in the 1995 techno-thriller Strange Days, garnering them international notoriety. Their debut album, Paranoid & Sunburnt, which featured “Selling Jesus” and the neo-power ballad “Weak,” also came out that year, propelling them further into the spotlight. Stoosh followed in 1996, showcasing Skin’s impressive vocal range on tracks like the seething “Brazen (Weep)” and the charging “Twisted (Everyday Hurts).” They refined their sound further on 1999’s Post Orgasmic Chill, then went on hiatus in 2001. Skunk Anansie reformed in 2009 and released three albums in the 2010s that affirmed how their spiky yet vulnerable music had remained vital during the hard-rock explosion of the early 21st century.