Search & Destroy: Throwing Muses/Kristen Hersh

D: Hunkpapa is pretty lame (and Hersh seems to be the first to admit this).

1. Hips and Makers
2. The Real Ramona
3. Sunny Border Blue
4. University
5. Red Heaven
6. Throwing Muses (2003)
7. Throwing Muses (1986)
8. Sky Motel
9. Limbo
10. Strange Angels
11. Murder, Misery and then Goodnight
12. The Grotto
13. House Tornado
14. Hunkpapa

Anyway, like I said, approximate. Also, I'm drunk.

Anyone ever hear Kristen Hersh's cover of "When the Levee Breaks" (available on the Strings e.p.)? Its surprisingly not as embarassing as you'd imagine, though she doesn't really have the voice to handle the song's inherent histrionics.

Now they are one of my favorite rock bands, ever: once they sink in, they're a very unique place to be. Few records can come close to the first 1986 album, it's an entire world. Can't even talk about it. The 'Chains Changed' ep close behind. Both of these are on 'In A Doghouse'.

'Real Ramona' is as immediately accessible as 'Hunkpapa', and a better record overall, so it'll probably serve the same introductory purpose if you want to warm up.

The later ones are not the best introduction. 'Red Heaven', 'University', 'Limbo', good but more crafted than immediate. I like their 2003 self-titled album, I don't mind the stripped down non-production because the songwriting is fierce and angular again.

But it's really all about the first record. Once you're into that one, you'll want the others.

I LOVE Kristin Hersh's Strange Angels album, though. Everything on it is real tuneful and pretty, which are two qualities that, in my opinion, Ms. Hersh seems to be trying to avoid on most of the Muses records.

http://nikonizer.yfrog.com/Himg541/scaled.php?tn=0&server=541&filename=5de.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

"Fish" just came up on a genius mix the other day, still amazing.

there's a spine-tingling video for it on the Doghouse CD, the whole band is like 17 and they look like they're in a trance.

I am far from a completist, but I will say that Limbo is my favorite Hersh work that I've heard.

Uh!? Limbo is one o'the 2 Muses (the other's Hunkpapa/ Fat Skier) that I got on CD recently. Together with La Kristin's Grotto and Learn To Sing Like A Star. O man, I love them all.

ARGH! 'Tis House Tornado/ Fat skier of course.
(And suddenly my love of Muse(s) seems less convincing eh?)

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41BceMeMc0L._SS500_.jpg

^this is a book with an album inside apparently, so she is basically issuing two books at the same time

I only know her from early Throwing Muses and 50 Foot Wave, who are just one of my favorite bands. Doing Nirvana better than Nirvana did. Almost like prog-grunge or something.
l think I'm going to take this revive as an excuse to delve into her solo material.

the whole band is like 17 and they look like they're in a trance.

This is EXACTLY my memory of my first time seeing them. Kristin was so scarily possessed I thought her head might do a 360 ala Linda Blair in "The Exorcist." I've never seen this video, but I'm going to go look for it and old performance clips on Youtube.

Saw them many times when they were just starting out and "in a trance" is an apt description. Kristin in particular often looked possessed.

!wow! I'm looking forward to reading her memoir!

Very jealous of anyone who saw them early on. That first album is relentless. Man, David Narcizo was a phenomenal drummer.

Over the years I've watched my appreciation for'em grow.

Have you heard Belly's 2002 comp Sweet Ride? A couple of great b-sides on there ("Spaceman," "Broken") that I'd definitely count among Donelly's best.

Solid top five, for sure. But I think you may be confusing Prince with Hersh on the Vicki entry ;)

What is the best post-Belly Tanya D album? I kinda gave up after King.

first or last, lovesongs and/or the swan song EPs

also I posted this elsewhere but my top 20, which was excruciating to cut down to 20:

"Call Me"
"Soul Soldier"
"Fish"
"Hook in Her Head"
"Pearl"
"Tuesday Night"
"Listerine"
"Bright Yellow Gun"
"Civil Disobedience"
"Around Dusk"
"Krait"
"Morning Birds" (both parts, as one song)
"Flooding" (piano demo)
"Sun Blown"/"Green Screen" (again, this is basically one song)
"Raise the Roses"
"Green"
"Not Too Soon"
"Pretty Deep"
"Acrobat"
"Flying at Night"

xxpost

Lovesongs for Underdogs is as far as I went ("Pretty Deep" deserves to be considered among the decade's very best female alt.rock moments) but I remember really liking this EP track from a few years back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsTjviZlE-A

"Pretty Deep" is marvelous.

Oh, gosh, Fish. Yeah that's top 5. It's a big top 5. All of House Tornado is in there for a start.

A couple of weeks ago I listened to all their albums in order. The first era's best is "House Tornado", though I have the CD that adds "The Fat Skier" EP so I think of them as a single item. "Hunkpapa" definitely earns its weak reputation - it has no energy! After Tanya left, I think "University" is the best with "Limbo" close behind - they're both odd, dark and engaging records.

I adore the Belly debut and Tanya's first solo album - both are top-notch indie rock with lots of hooks and memorable chorus's. I know Belly's "King" has its adherents but I'm not one of them, I felt it paled compared to the debut. Similarly, Tanya's later solo work is nice but not as engaging as "Lovesongs". I stan for Kristin's "Hips And Makers" and "Murder, Misery And Goodnight" but after that she kind of loses me, she could use a good best-of her solo work.

I'm mostly an "early period" fan but I do dig her work even up to those free seasonal EPs from a while back

off the top of my head:

Hate My Way
The Party (essential track on that 1st self-released 7" EP, never reissued afaik)
Call Me
Cry Baby Cry
A Feeling
Your Ghost
The Letter
probably some things from House Tornado, I need to relisten

confession: I am not really a fan of either Belly album. they're... fine. I really like Tanya solo and with Throwing Muses, so I'm not sure why. (I don't think it's the band, either.)

There's tons I haven't heard but "Start" would be on my list, the last 30 seconds are electrifying.

i blew my kid away last week with the live "mania" and "santa claus" b-side on the "dizzy" 12-inch last week. "santa claus" definitely in any top ten i would make.

i only really liked those first solo tanya 4AD 12-inches. i mean liked in a way that i like throwing muses. meaning a lot.

It's about time I reintroduced Muses into my daughters' lives. They were all about Kristin Hersh for about two weeks four years ago when they met her at our local bookstore. Considering their tastes these days I think they might really latch on to Real Ramona/Star era.

can we discuss what a good guitarist she is?

I love both of the Belly albums, but weirdly these days I like King a little better than Star. After seeing them twice contemporaneously touring for each album, then seeing them last year in Chicago, I think the latter is more reflective of what they actually sound like as a band. I'm not entirely sure Glyn Johns was ever the right producer for the project but I do think he captured something about them that Gil Norton missed.

never had heard this band until this week, tbh— bought a tape of Red Heavenon a whim at a sidewalk sale and i like this shit, it’s somehow both more normal and more weird than i expected

wait till you hear the first album

^ otm

Kinda jealous of hearing them for the first time, tbh. That first album and the Chains Changed EP still blow my mind.

When Kristin was on her tour for the Vic Chesnutt book, I stood in line to buy one but she ran out of copies a few people ahead of me. I stuck around long enough to tell her I'd been listening to her since I was 16 and how grateful I was to her. One of the few times I ever really gushed to an artist and she was really nice about it.

First record is absolutely blowing my mind, whew

Just listened to it. Started out kind of annoying, ended brilliantly.