Rhapsody App for Rhapsody International, Inc. The Raincoats
For a band that touted its amateurism, the Raincoats managed to
attract the attention of many an established musician. Ex-Slits
drummer Palmolive nailed down rhythms that otherwise leak
wherever you look. Producer Mayo Thompson of Red Krayola fame
must have done his own share of bailing to keep the songs on
their 1979 debut afloat, and ex-X-Ray Spex sax molester Lora
Logic even lent a hand for a song or two. For all of that, the
first thing that strikes you about the Raincoats is the
crudeness of their music. Their songs were cut with pinking
shears from the same fabric as the Velvet Underground and sewn
together with a crooked, shaky stitch; nonetheless, the results
are elegant. Songs like "Off Duty Trip," "You're a Million" and
"No Looking" hurt and bleed no matter how often you listen to
them. Their emotional directness is simply amplified by the
damaged violin saws, crude sonic edges and choppy, halting vocal
delivery. Either The Raincoats is a