The Fakes

The Fakes

The Fakes is a group associated with riot grrrl, punk, indie and shoegaze. The name has been used by more than one act, including a Prague DJ crew and a 1970s post-punk band from Stirling, but the best-documented lineup in the available details is the project featuring Kathleen Hanna, Rachel Carns, Tim Green and Tae Won Yu.

Line-up and work

This version of The Fakes includes Kathleen Hanna and Rachel Carns, with Tim Green and Tae Won Yu also listed as members. It is described as a project Hanna worked on before starting Julie Ruin. The recordings are noted for loud, intense material, with songs dealing with sexual abuse. Some tracks on Real Fiction are spoken word pieces set to music.

Style and related artists

The group is linked to riot grrrl and punk, while the broader tag set also places it within indie and shoegaze. The sound is described in relation to Mazzy Star and Ride, pointing to a shoegaze influence.

Other acts using the name

A separate act called The Fakes operates in Prague as a DJ crew. That group is formed by Simon Safranek, a writer and filmmaker, and Pavel Kucera, a TV presenter and music journalist. It has been active on the local club scene since 2005, hosted the resident night CLASH! at Chapeau Rouge, and played alongside acts including The Gossip, Ladytron, Digitalism, The Whip, Robots In Disguise, IAMX and Warren Suicide. It also appears at festivals including Planet Festival, Creamfields Central Europe and Electronic Beats, and has played in Berlin at Berlin Insane V and Villa club.

Another earlier The Fakes is a post-punk and new wave band from Stirling, Scotland, with Johnny McGuire, Jamesy McDonald, Brian Kemp and Mairi Ross. That group releases the single “Production” in 1979 on Deep Cuts Record Label and ends after Brian Kemp dies in a motorcycle accident later that year.