It is difficult to believe that Atlanta’s The Coat Hangers formed within the last few years – this girl band exudes the politically motivated vulgarity and riot grrrl energy of prior decades, allowing them to fit perfectly in a genre with Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna and Bratmobile’s Allison Wolfe. The band’s name itself is a testament to their attempt at a girly form of crudeness, with the word “coathanger” acting as a reference to abortion, despite the fact that the group’s members are all pro-choice and extremely liberal. The band imitates the gritty, shrieking vocals of Mika Miko in ‘Gettin’ Mad and Pumpin’ Iron,’ but is fluidly able to switch to cute, ‘50s-era pop in ‘Sonic You’ and ‘Dreamboat.’ The Coathangers are barely comparable to any modern groups – they could have much more easily performed on stage with Delta 5, The Slits, and The Raincoats than today’s underground artists, and it is easy to imagine their name and photograph plastered within the pages of 90’s zines, exuding radical change and DIY cassette tapes.
-JANE