The Coathangers are newcomers to Atlanta's vibrant punk, pop and experimental music scene, but the group has risen quickly through the ranks to become one of the city's most talked about acts. Since July of 2006 Julia Kugel (guitar/vocals), Stephanie Luke (drums/vocals), Candice Jones (keyboard/vocals) and Meredith Franco (bass/vocals) have hammered out a bat cave crunk-punk dirge that explodes with energy and creativity. Don't be fooled by playful early song titles, like “Nestle In My Boobies” and “Don't Touch My Shit.” These women are real deal feminists, armed with a brash and irreverent sense of humor. They're more likely to be caught cracking jokes with Andrew W.K. than sharing tea and vegan cookies with Kathleen Hannah's crew. Simply put the Coathangers get the party started. They say what they want to say, do what they want to do, and they write songs because they want to have fun.

Imagine if you will a marriage of the Beastie Boys circa Some Old Bullshit and the Slits when they were still a punk band and you're in the right ballpark. The group's manic pep rally chants in “Wreckless Boy” morph into the sneering caterwauls of “Tonya Harding” over simple and powerful rhythmic plods. “Bloody Shirt” transcends the power of three-chord tension with the sounds of ratchets and a sparkling piano slurring to the tune of heartbreak and revelation. And an accordion has never channeled so much punk melancholy as it does in “The Missing Letter.”

Raucous live shows as well as the group's early CDR demos, packaged in hand-stitched and decorated sleeves and a definitive 7-inch released by the Black Lips' Die Slaughterhaus Records have rallied an army of loyal fans. The group has shared stages with like-minded locals the Carbonas, the Selmanaires and Deerhunter, as well as nationally touring acts, the Gore Gore Girls and Casper & the Cookies. They even played a SXSW after party in Austin, TX — the now infamous party featured in The New York Times' video expose on 'the hardest working band at SXSW,' the Black Lips.' They were chosen by Chunklet Magazine to be one of four Atlanta bands to appear on a limited edition 7-inch / Whirly Ball ticket, and have received lip service by everyone from Pitchfork to CMJ. The group was also recently interviewed by Vice Magazine Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. They toured the east coast and Midwest this past July, October and November in support of their self-titled CD/LP.