The Coathangers

As a side effect of being a band with women in it, the Coathangers often fall under the blanket category of "all-girl." In their new video for "Follow Me," the Atlanta-based trio addresses this head-on by asking their dude friends and practice-space mates in Mastodon to wear wigs and dresses — the premise being that the men in the metal band are playing the Coathangers. Whether it was an ingenius response to irrelevant gender-cataloging or just a joke, the musicians tapped into their bigger appeal — their sense of humor. But forget the politics and the humor: The band's just-released Suck My Shirt is a sort of rowdy answer to 2011's more grown-up Larceny & Old Lace. It also marks the departure of longtime keyboardist Candice Jones (aka Bebe Coathanger), though not much has gone missing sonically as a consequence of the loss, and the trio is punchier than ever. That Coathangers sound is still carried by drummer Stephanie Luke's (aka Rusty Coathanger) raspy belly wail, and the band's brand of Southern no-wave remains strikingly minimal. Guitarist Julia Kugel (Crook Kid Coathanger) and bassist Meredith Franco (Minnie Coathanger) sing, too, bringing sorrowful and charming vocal elements into the mix. Live, the Coathangers emphasize both the sarcasm and the raw power that drive their records.