The Artist: The Raincoats
Formed in London by Gina Birch and Ana da Silva, The Raincoats weren’t trained musicians. That was the point. Inspired by punk but uninterested in mimicry, they tore up expectations - musically, politically and aesthetically.
They emerged from the same scene as The Slits and Kleenex, blending raw post-punk energy with a DIY ethos that prized honesty over precision. A glorious clash of noise and beauty. It was feminist, artful, anarchic.
Kurt Cobain famously adored them, writing liner notes for a 1993 reissue and calling them 'wonderfully classic.' But The Raincoats weren't looking for approval. They were too focused on making music that sounded like no one else.
The Record: The Raincoats (1979)
This is punk turned inside out.
Fairytale in the Supermarket opens with a violin that sounds like it’s running late, tumbling into a chaotic anthem of supermarket existentialism. It’s jagged, brilliant, totally infectious.
No Side to Fall In is all loose threads and beautiful wrongness.
Adventures Close to Home buzzes with tension and detuned charm. Whilst their cover of The Kinks’ Lola strips the song of swagger, reimagining it as something awkward and brilliant - a gender-questioning rework before such things were spoken of.
Throughout, the record feels like it’s learning how to walk and dance at the same time.
It’s funny, fierce, fragile.
It crackles with imperfection - and that’s the point.
Play Now:
🔊 Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
Start With:
- Fairytale in the Supermarket - offbeat anthem
- No Side to Fall In - tender, trembling, defiant
- Lola - reimagined rock classic
