Julia Cafritz
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Musician: guitarist, vocalist,
Bands: Pussy Galore, STP, Velvet Monkeys, Action Swingers, Free Kitten,
Genres: Noise Music, Alternative Rock,Punk Rock
History
A bored college drop-out, she joined fellow rich kid and Brown University student Jon Spencer (Blues Explosion), to form seminal NYC noise band Pussy Galore in 1985. The band started in DC with original drummer John Hammil and guitarist Neil Hagerty(RTX) but moved to New York in 1986 with their tails between their legs after they were blackballed by the ever righteous Dischord Records scene. Hammill stayed behind and Bob Bert of Sonic Youth replaced him. The band put out several terrific albums including a very limited edition and truly wretched Exile on Main St. cassette only release that must be heard to be believed. The band fizzled out when the briliant and talented Ms. Cafritz left. She went on to form the too short-lived but brilliant all-girl outfit STP and the awful ill-advised Action Swingers with a bunch of losers from the CBGB'c Record Canteen and briefly Bob Bert. Later, Cafritz and best friend Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth) started indie supergroup Free Kitten with bassist Mark Ibold (Pavement) and Yoshimi drummer for the Japanese noise band the Boredoms. They released three albums in the 1990s and then disbanded when Cafritz left to get a degree in teaching. She is one of the members of a experimental band called Gravy.
Currently
Cafritz is married with kids and living in Western, MA.
There's a rumor that Free Kitten just finished a new album for the first time in nine years.
