Julia Cafritz

Julia Cafritz (born May 5, 1965) is an American musician and guitarist[1] who was a member of Pussy Galore and Free Kitten. She is regarded as a cult figure from the New York City noise music scene of the 1990s.[2][3]

Julia Cafritz
Born (1965-05-05) May 5, 1965
OriginWashington, D.C., United States
GenresNoise Music
Alternative rock
Punk rock
Years active1985–present

Early life

Cafritz was born in Washington, DC, the daughter of Jennifer (née Stats) and Conrad Cafritz, a real estate developer with a personal fortune of over $100 million.[4][5][6][7] She has a younger sister named Daisy von Furth, and two brothers, Eric and Matthew Cafritz.[7][8] Her grandfather was the multimillionaire real estate developer and philanthropist Morris Cafritz.[4]

Cafritz has a B.A. and M.A. from New York University,[9] having dropped out of Brown University after forming Pussy Galore.[4]

Pussy Galore

In 1985, guitarist Julia Cafritz and fellow Brown University classmate, Jon Spencer on vocals and guitar, and John Hammill on drums, formed the punk noise band Pussy Galore. In May 1986 they moved to New York City.

Free Kitten with Kim Gordon, Julie Cafritz, Yoshimi P-We & Mark Ibold

STP

In 1989, Cafritz left Pussy Galore and formed the short-lived all-girl group STP. STP released one single and toured with Nirvana and Sonic Youth. Cafritz joined fellow CBGBs Record Canteen clerk Ned Hayden's group, the Action Swingers.

Free Kitten

In 1992, she formed Free Kitten, a musical collaboration with Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, drummer Yoshimi from the Boredoms and Pavement bassist, Mark Ibold.[10] They released records and toured on and off through 1997.[11]

In 2008, Cafritz, Gordon and Yoshimi recorded and released Inherit on Ecstatic Peace Records after a ten-year hiatus.

Free Kitten discography

Albums:

EPs

Singles

Solo work

In 2012, Cafritz released a track called "dash dash dash" on a Thick Syrup Records Comp Called '78 LTD.

Julie Cafritz solo discography

Personal life

Cafritz is married to Bob Lawton[12][13] of Labor Board and Twin Towers Touring,[14] who was a booking agent to bands like Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo and Superchunk, among others.[15] In 2000, Cafritz and Lawton relocated to Florence, Massachusetts, where they ran a furniture store called Artifacts 20th Century.[16] They have two children, daughter Alice and son Ollie.[16][17][18]

While still playing music, Cafritz has taught English at Holyoke Community College.[17][19][20]

See also

Notes and references
  1. Schoemer, Karen (January 31, 1992). "Sounds Around Town". New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2014. Kitten is the side project of the Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon and the guitarist Julia Cafritz from the band Pussy Galore.
  2. Critcheloe, Cody (April 2, 2009). "Julia Cafritz, She Ain't No Bitch". Vice. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  3. "Julia Cafritz, Free Kitten". NPR. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  4. Marjorie Williams (1990-02-25). "CAFRITZ V. CAFRITZ". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
  5. Anderson, Susan Heller (December 1, 1988). "Gwendolyn Cafritz, 78, Washington Hostess". The New York Times.
  6. "Executive Team: Conrad Cafritz, Chairman". Cafritz Interests. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  7. Bernstein, Adam (January 26, 2010). "CIA officer and art museum chairman Laughlin Phillips, 85, dies". Washington Post. Retrieved 1 March 2014. four stepchildren, Julia Cafritz and Daisy von Furth, both of Northampton, Mass., Eric Cafritz of Paris and Matthew Cafritz of the District
  8. Browne, David (2009). Goodbye 20th century : a biography of Sonic Youth (1st pbk. ed.). [New York]: Da Capo. ISBN 9780306816031.
  9. "College Catalog 2011-2012" (PDF). Holyoke Community College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  10. "Free Kitten". Kill Rock Stars. Archived from the original on October 25, 2006. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  11. Gordon, Kim and Julia Cafritz (May 29, 2008). "Guest Lists: Free Kitten". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media LLC. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  12. Peters, Bill (January 31, 2008). "Saving Pleasant Street". MassLive. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  13. "Listed: Cornershop + Widowspeak". Dusted Magazine. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  14. LeBlanc, Larry. "In the Hot Seat with Larry LeBlanc: Tom Windish, owner of The Windish Agency". Celebrity Access: In the Hot Seat with Larry LeBlanc. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  15. "win CBGB Festival passes; check out the updated schedule (films, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. & more added)". Brooklyn Vegan. June 21, 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2014. The Labor Pool . . . include Superchunk/Yo La Tengo booking agent Bob Lawton as a member.
  16. McDermott, Brian (Fall 2010). "Rock The House: A former music-industry insider gets domesticated". Boston Magazine. Metrocorp, Inc. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  17. Ayers, Michael (September 2, 2008). "Interview: Julia Cafritz of Free Kitten". Village Voice. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. Brownstein, Carrie and Julie Cafritz (November 19, 2009). "This Is England: An Essay In Song Form". NPR (Monitor Mix series). Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  19. "DCE/MCCC Adjunct Seniority/Reappointment List" (PDF). Massachusetts Community College Council. August 15, 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  20. "Faculty & Staff | Holyoke Community College". www.hcc.edu. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
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