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Subject: Typical Girls: Women in Punk/Post-Punk/Underground Music (Circa 1975-1980s)

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  • From: WWWhatsup <joly AT dti.net>
  • To: Typical Girls <typicalgirls AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [TypicalGirls] Jason's review
  • Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2006 12:07:14 -0500

http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0645,gross,74935,22.html

The Sound of the City
Typical Girls Aloud
The reunited Slits retain their sexy, wobbly mystery
by Jason Gross
November 6th, 2006 2:33 PM


While most of the original U.K. girl-punk bands only reappear on
reissues, it's no surprise the Slits mounted a reunion tour. Singer
Ari Up has been playing in Gotham tirelessly, still approaching
reggae like a wacky kid—the same way the Beastie Boys approached
rap. Re-teaming with original bassist Tessa Pollitt, she's
solidified the use of the group's brand name even though guitarist
Viv Albertine and drummer Palmolive declined. But a half-Slits is
still legit: Up is the group's brains and brawn, while Pollitt
supplies the soul, her nimble dub lines driving the songs at this
sold-out CMJ showcase. While Up—dressed in a Day-Glo shirt, short
shorts, and multicolored socks—tirelessly bounced around like the
14-year-old kid she was when she started out, Pollitt innocuously
stood by her side, booming away. Though the rest of the almost all-
femme new members (including Pistols drummer Paul Cook's daughter)
hadn't been born when the original Slits started in '76, they could
still re-create the sexy, mysterious skanking vibe from long ago.

As on other recent reunion gigs, the group was haunted by sound
gremlins disrupting the mix. But Up overcame such problems with her
good cheer, play-fighting with her bandmates, toasting dancehall-
style, twirling her mile-long dreads like a lasso, applying her
wobbly howl, and eliciting bird sounds from the crowd. And while
oldies like the creepy "Man Next Door," the defiant "Shoplifting,"
the ready-made anthem "Typical Girls," and the joyously snotty
"Vindictive" got the most cheers, newer material like punky
anthems-in-the-making "Hated by Many" ("Loved by a few") and
"Grown-Ups" (turns out they're s o corrupt) slotted into the set
well. "This is the sound of the Slits: reggae mixed with punk," Up
announced. And while they still lean more toward Kingston calm than
U.K. anarchy, Up and Pollitt can still channel their inner brats.


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WWWhatsup NYC
http://pinstand.com - http://punkcast.com
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  • [TypicalGirls] Jason's review, WWWhatsup, 11/07/2006

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