Finishing off the year with a lighter read is The Raincoats by Jenn Pelly. This book is part of 33 ⅓, a series that deep dives into beloved albums. I found this copy while on an annual west coast trip and I took a routine pilgrimage to the SeaTac SubPop store. Among the collection of cassettes, LP’s, and other merch, there was a collection of bite size books, each boasting classic titles. I scanned for something I could share with SoundGirls and a magenta spine stood out.
I am a self-declared riot grrrl fan, and therefore Fairytale in the Supermarket and Lola are on regular rotation. Their sound is rough and full of energy. Even though their sound matches the 90’s feminist grunge movement, they predate them by over a decade. I was not aware of that fact before this book. And, for those not familiar with their self-titled album, it sports a painting from Chinese propaganda of school children singing a song, I was not even aware of what the members even looked like.
Bordered by magenta and black, this petite book sports the The Raincoats self-titled album cover. Inside is a perfect travel read while listening to the album in question. Author Jenn Pelly writes reviews for Pitchfork and other large publications. Her hand is deft at demystifying the mythos around the Raincoats.
The Raincoats are a band that, while adjacent to British punk of the 70’s, are not cemented to any time or place. The members have ties to The Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Slits, Patti Smith, and X-Ray Spex. They hailed from Spain, Portugal, and England, but made their home in the squats of London. This book introduces us to the band, their background, their ethos. We are on a journey of song creation. After the band introductions we are led through the track list, with the starting with the post-release addendum of Fairytale in the Supermarket. Pelly shows us that this is a band not afraid of changes, of learning, and of discussions. We get the whole picture through interviews and Polaroids.
Reading about The Raincoats reminded me of the crew of The Maiden, the yacht that made the first all-female crew to place in the Whitbred Round the World Race chronicled in the 2018 documentary Maiden. Both groups had their own power, and did things their own way. They also took the initiative to document their journey. As if they knew their voices would be important to others, but also because it was important to themselves. This is zine culture, creating a record of your history, because who else is going to tell it? The boys are all looking away, but you know you are creating something of value. Jenn Pelly adds to that narrative. She includes quips from those who were influenced by The Raincoats, lyrics woven through narratives, handmade flyers, and tour diaries. This is The Raincoats in their own words, and we are The Raincoats. We can write about ourselves, we won’t get lost in ‘The Void.’