Coathangers
(Suicide Squeeze)
Atlanta's Coathangers channel a late 1970s, DIY post-punk vibe, all squawks and bleats and detuned thrift store instruments. The four members bonded during a long drive to a Bush protest three years ago, and out of boredom, started trying out band names. The Coathangers, a veiled reference to pro-choice politics, made the cut, as did all four passengers: Julia Kugel (guitar/vocals), Stephanie Luke (drums/vocals), Candice Jones (keyboard/vocals), and Meredith Franco (bass/vocals).
Scramble is the band's second album, following a 2007 self-titled release featuring songs like "Nestled in My Boobies" and "Don't Touch My Shit." The new CD is raw but self-assured, its finger-in-the-socket electricity channeled through rambunctious melodies. Surely Delta 5 lurks somewhere in the skitter-rhythmed "Stop Stomp Stompin" and ESG beckons from within "Pussywillow"'s butt-shifting bassline. Still, the dour post-punk of London and Leeds gets a sunny, funny face-lift here, a la fellow Georgians like Pylon and the B-52s. "Toomerhead," the piano splattered opener, has the urgency of Pylon's "Cool" and the hoarse hiccup of Cyndi Lauper just trying to have fun. "Killdozer", later on, bristles with heavy guitar like the garage bands - Carbonas, Black Lips, etc. - the Coathangers tour with. Scramble is full of dizzy yelps and fritzed-out cheerleader chants and, just to prove they can do it, a couple of sweet, girl-group ballads ("Dreamboat" and "Sonic You"). Fun stuff.
Standout Tracks: "Stop Stomp Stompin'", "Toomerhead", "Pussywillow" JENNIFER KELLY
