Kitchen Tapes

The Raincoats were one of the most experimental bands that immediately followed the initial burst of punk rock in the late '70s. With their minimalistic approach to guitar-driven folk-rock, the band developed a distinctive, jagged sound, punctuated by a shrill violin. The Raincoats were also one of the first all-female post-punk bands, which wasn't common in the late '70s and early '80s. The band gained only a small cult following in their native England and an even smaller audience in America, and they broke up in 1984. "Kitchen Tapes" is rough, loose-limbed, warm, exciting, and everything you'd expect from the Raincoats onstage. Bolstered by the heavy percussion of Richard Dudanski and Derek Godard, this recording pulsates, while the band dances around the beat tossing in shards of guitar, vocals, and violin. Excellent liner essay by Greil Marcus.