September 22 & 23rd, 1989 Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD. As a 17-year-old high school senior out seeing R.E.M. play two nights in a row on the Green tour I was as close to heaven as my adolescent life had brought me up to then. While R.E.M. was clearly the focus of my nights I remember being intrigued by the openers both nights, Throwing Muses.
The next year they would release Hunkpapa which would garner some Mtv 120 Minutes attention, but it was 1991's The Real Ramona that had me hooked. "Counting Backwards" is still one of my favorite songs with it's intertwining guitars. The mid-1990's saw Kristin Hersh try her hand at solo work while her half-sister Tanya Donnelly went on to form the highly successful if not short-lived band, Belly.
Over the last 10 years, we've seen Kristin move from her more personal solo work to band oriented material with Throwing Muses (minus Tanya who continues to work as a solo artist) to hardcore influenced postpunk with her band, 50 Foot Wave. All of her work tied together by her distinctive voice and thoughtful lyrics.
Late January saw the release of Kristin's Learning to Sing Like a Star on Yep Roc Records. Moving between her intimate work (like on 2003's The Grotto) and her most rocking Throwing Muses work, Learning to Sing Like a Star has something for everyone.
Almost 6 years to the day of those first shows, I took by then girlfriend, now wife, to see Throwing Muses at the old 9:30 Club in DC. The show was amazing - how does such a little woman make her guitar roar like that? Kristin has, in many ways, remained OUR artist as she has always offered something for both of us. Check out "In Shock" (mp3) and "Ice" (mp3).
From 2003's The Grotto - Snake Oil (mp3)
From 2003's Throwing Muses - Speed and Sleep (mp3)
From 50 Foot Wave - Hot Pink, Distorted (mp3)
2 comments:
I just picked up LTSLaS and love it. The 'Muses always kicked serious ass too, (and I got to shine my Newport Pride during their heyday). My favorite album of theirs is The Real Ramona -- especially Tanya Donnelly's contributions to it (she was to me the secret weapon in the Breeders too; and I actually saw the Breeders when Tanya was still with them, pre-Belly).
Tanya Donnelly's new album (This Hungry Life) is terrific with a terrific story behind it -- former Fort Apache studio head (Come On Pilgrim / Surfer Rosa) buys hotel/restaurant in Vermont and converts it to a studio; album recorded live before an audience in the hottest part of August.
Tanya's website has more info on the album and she recently dumped a ton of Belly demos there too, which are wild to hear.
Yes! Yes! All of the above it too true. Kristin is amazing. I first heard them with House Tornado so that's sort of imprinted on me as the "best". 'Course, the records are all great.
Here's a video if Kristin playing acoustic for anyone wanting to hear more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HBrEdximJA
:)
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