Ari Up: RIP

It has been reported that Ari Up of The Slits died at age 48 today. "Typical Girls," when I saw the video on Much Music in the 1980's, was a bit of an eye-opener, with the band members appearing naked and smeared in mud at the end - since it didn't seem in slightest sexual or exploitive; the lyrics were reassuring, too, that there were some pretty atypical girls out there (tho' always too few for my tastes). Both Cut and Return Of The Giant Slits are essential listening, as is their very unique cover of "Heard It Through the Grapevine." Haven't followed Ari's later career that closely but its clear the world has lost an original spirit.