- Cut · 1979
- Cut · 1975
- Cut · 1979
- Cut · 1979
- Cut · 1979
- Cut · 1979
- Cut · 1979
- Cut · 1979
- Cut · 1979
- Cut · 1979
- Cut · 1979
- Cut · 1979
- Cut (Deluxe Edition) · 1979
Essential Albums
- The Slits only recorded two studio albums in their (original) short career and their debut, Cut, remains their critical apogee: it’s a must-have for fans of any level. Recorded back in the exciting dark ages of punk for an adventurous Island Records, it’s not quite as primitive sounding as the artwork suggests, but it is raw, nervy and honest. It’s also melodic, sensual, and oddly beautiful. Blending elements of reggae and dub with an art-punk sensibility, Slits relied on stripped-down rhythmic elements: warm, wood-block beats, shimmers of cymbals, and stark shards of simple guitar. Vocalist Ari Up coaxed different sounds from her throat with ease, sometimes singing in an alluring coo, or shrieking spookily, or using a chiding, singsong style. Those with a passing knowledge of the band may know their signature “Typical Girls” or their cover of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine," but there are plenty of other tracks worth adulation, such as chirpy opener “Instant Hit,” the exuberant “FM,” and the bouncy “Love und Romance” along with its dub version, “Liebe and Romanze.”
Albums
- 1997
- 1979
Music Videos
- 1981
Artist Playlists
- Spend some quality time with the post-punk pioneers.
Singles & EPs
Live Albums
More To Hear
- Annie selects music for a woman working in the video game world.
- Mike D picks the 5 Best Songs on Apple Music.
About The Slits
Although their career was brief and their output minimal, the Slits' impact on rock and, particularly, women in punk is incalculable. With teenage firecracker Ari-Up fronting the band as lead singer, the Slits rose to prominence as the opening act on the Clash's 1977 U.K. tour. As the first all-female punk band, the Slits played a primitive, boisterous mash-up of funk, reggae, dance music, and jittery guitar rock that offered a wonderfully confrontational counterpoint to the boys' club that was the English punk scene. They released only two proper albums before parting ways in 1981; however, Ari Up and Tessa Pollitt reformed the band in earnest in early 2006, touring the world and recording new material.
- ORIGIN
- London, England
- FORMED
- 1976
- GENRE
- Rock