Fabulous Friday: The Slits

Here’s Howard talking about The Slits:

Any survey of British punk and post-punk music would be remiss to omit The Slits. German born singer Ari Up decided to form a band with her friend, Palmolive after meeting Patti Smith in 1976. Their staccato sound was dub-infused and Ari’s quivering yelp was an unmistakable force in a music just forming the future of modern rock. A bit of a nepo baby, Ari’s Mom was a close friend of Jimi Hendrix and married John Lydon (Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols). Their debut LP, The Cut, is a classic collection of snarl and the iconic cover photo of the band topless and covered in mud still turns heads.

Sadly, Ari was diagnosed with cancer years later just as their music found a new audience. She refused chemo, partly because she refused to cut her dreadlocks (for Rastafarians, dreads denote a strong spiritual connection to earth). Her mom and Lydon raised Ari’s three kids after her death. She was a true legend and The Slits’s music still stands strong today.