Review Text
When The Coathangers started up in 2006, their aspirations were humble. "I think allbands in their early twenties start for fun," says guitarist/vocalist Julia Kugel when talkingabout their early years of cheeky no-wave and irreverent garage rock. But Julia and herbandmates Meredith Franco (bass/vocals) and Stephanie Luke (drums/vocals) wereserious about their craft, and that combination of modest outside expectations andabsolute dedication to their music made for exhilarating live shows and contagiousrecords. Ten years later, The Coathangers are still going strong, and while their palettehas expanded over the years to touch upon hip-shakin' classic rock, soulful countryballads, and golden oldies pop, their primary attack strategy still relies heavily on thejagged hooks and boisterous choruses of their formative years. Their fifth albumNosebleed Weekend retains all the devil-may-care magnetism and serratedinstrumentation of their debut, but it flourishes with a decade's worth of songwritingdiscipline and chemistry.Nosebleed Weekend kicks off with "Perfume", a song that marries sultry pop vocals withtoothy guitar riffs in a manner that would make Ann and Nancy Wilson proud. It's hardto imagine The Coathangers writing a song this accessible in their early years, but in2016 it fits perfectly into their canon. From there the band launches into "Dumb Baby",which harkens back to the gritty neo-garage rock of Murder City Devils. Longtime fanswho still clamor for their brash post-punk angle will be immediately satiated by "SqueekiTiki". And after hearing the noisy loud-quiet-loud bombast of "Excuse Me?" it's nowonder that Kim Gordon has become an outspoken fan of the band. It's an eclectic albuminspired by life on the road, lost loved ones, and Kugel's recent move to SouthernCalifornia. "We always say that each record is a snapshot of our life at the time," Kugelsays. "As far as style... it's just what came out of us at that point." So whether it's theforeboding garage rock of the title track, the post-punk groove of "Burn Me", thestripped-down pop of "I Don't Think So", or the dynamic grunge of "Down Down", TheCoathangers command their songs with passion and authority.
