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So You Wanna Be a Rock Star?
By Phil | April 4, 2008
Consider, for a moment, Kristin Hersh and the band she formed in the eighties, Throwing Muses.
Two things happened recently that made me think of Kristin and her aforementioned band. One was the release of the Breeders latest album, and the other was a conversation I had with a co-worker regarding Throwing Muses, my borderline obsession with their music, and a band from the mid 90’s, Belly.
While I haven’t heard the Breeders latest album in its entirety, I was lucky enough to see them on their latest tour, pimping said album. Sounded good to me. The Breeders first album was released in 1990. The band was formed by Kim Deal of the Pixies, and Tanya Donnelly, formerly of… Throwing Muses. While Tanya left after one album and one EP, the Breeders went on to have one of the biggest alternative hits of the ’90’s in “Cannonball”– even people who weren’t into that scene back then know that one. Try it, just hum the bass line to your Average Joe (”dum dummdummdummdumm dum dummdummdummdumm“) and they will instantly recognize it. Kim Deal, through her affiliation with the Pixies will forever have her place cemented amongst the pantheon of rock gods.
Belly had a huge hit in the 90’s called “Feed the Tree“– you know that one, too. And so did my co-worker.
So, who is this Throwing Muses you are always on about?
“Well, remember Belly? They had that song ‘Feed the Tree’?”
“Oh, yeah!”
“Ok, well, the woman that formed that band, Tanya Donnelly, used to be in Throwing Muses”.
Which brings us to Kristin Hersh, her career, and the music industry in general. There isn’t a single song that Throwing Muses did that I can point to and say “those guys”. This is a band that can claim REM and the Pixies as peers. Think about that for a minute. The Pixies inspired, by Cobain’s admission, Nirvana. They remain one of the most influential bands of our time. As for REM– well, Jesus, do I have to spell it out for you?
Should Throwing Muses have had some monster hit? Maybe “Mexican Women” or “Counting Backwards”? I don’t know. Perhaps the poppy “Dizzy”, or “Not Too Soon”? Would that have altered their following albums? Would I be able to sit here, writing this nonsense about some (relatively) obscure band, stroking my chin and sneering down my nose at the uninitiated? Or is it maybe just the luck of the draw?
I’ve been saying for years that Kristin Hersh is one of The Most Underrated Musicians On The Planet. Given her work with the Muses (Eight albums, a few EPs), her albums as a solo artist (her first solo album, “Hips and Makers” included a duet with REM’s Michael Stipe), and what she has done recently with her new band, 50 Foot Wave (whose only claim to fame is choosing that name right before the 2004 Tsunami), Hersh remains one of the most prolific artists of the modern era. And yet she toils away, giving music away for free on the internet, bounced from her label (the venerable 4AD), playing shows in the US to sparse audiences (she’s bigger in the UK), blogging about her latest bus breakdown or shitbag motel her tour had to settle for this week.
And yet, this is her career. This is the only life her kids know, schlepped around from city to city while mom and dad hope, maybe, just maybe, someone notices. Yeah, that describes thousands of unknown artists who will never know what it’s like to be U2– but listen to Throwing Muses’ “The Real Ramona”, or Kristin’s solo album “Sunny Border Blue”, and tell me that there isn’t some fickle injustice at work here.
April 5th, 2008 at 10:41 am
This is what real musicians have to do nowadays. The sorry state of the music industry makes it so that the only musicians that get airplay are those who’ve appeared on some overrated talent show like ‘American Idol.’
It’s not about the actual music at all anymore. The mass public doesn’t give a shit about whether or not a performer can write a song, or have any substance in the music. It’s all about what they’re wearing and what they look like. The entire music industry is nothing more than an overblown fashion show.
But, you’ve convinced me to give Kristin Hersh a try. I’ve not listened to “Throwing Muses” or any of her solo work. I’ll let you know what I think.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
If I may, aside from the aforementioned “The Real Ramona”, you might also want to give “University” a listen. Generally hailed as genius, you can find it in your local used record bin for $3, or, naturally, for free in the nether regions of the interweb.