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The Coathangers - Down Down

The Coathangers are an Atlanta trio that has always drawn from a broad range of influences: catchy, brutal ’70s punk, vintage bubblegum pop and movie soundtracks, Motown, garage rock, even confrontational comedy and performance art. That’s all made apparent on Nosebleed Weekend, the band’s fifth album, and one that critic Robert Christgau dubbed a breakthrough. (“Ready to rule American punk,” the Dean wrote of the group in his top-marks review.) “Down Down”, the single from the set, suggests the band has developed a taste for early grunge as well. The Coathangers’ razor wit has always been in place — this is a group that once named a song “Shut The Fuck Up” with less irony than you can imagine — and now their ambition is evident, too. The Coathangers spike “Down Down” with a radical mid-song break in rhythm and groove; it’s audacious and snotty, and it works perfectly.