Throwing Muses: 4 Great Albums 1986 - 2003

 

Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originally fronted by two stepsisters, Kristin Hersh and Tanya

Donelly, who both wrote the group's songs. Throwing Muses are known for performing music with shifting tempos, creative chord progressions, unorthodox song structures, and surreal lyrics. The group was set apart from other contemporary acts by Hersh's stark, candid writing style; Donelly's pop stylings and vocal harmonies; and David Narcizo's unusual drumming techniques eschewing use of cymbals.
                         

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Throwing Muses were the first American act to sign to 4AD,

pioneering a singular form of 'alternative rock' years before the term existed. The band was formed in 1983 by step-sisters Kristin Hersh (vocals/guitar) and Tanya Donelly (guitar/vocals), who were both at high school at the time. Initially called Kristin Hersh And The Muses, the line-up was completed by bassist Elaine Adamedes and drummer Becca Blumen, who eventually gave way to Leslie Langston and David Narcizo respectively.
                          

Having cut a series of demo tapes, notably The Doghouse Cassette, the quartet impressed Gary Smith of local studio Fort Apache, who pointed them in the direction of 4AD. Produced by Gil Norton, the Muses' eponymous label debut arrived in September 1986. It conmprised nine Hersh originals and the

beautifully surreal love song ‘Green’, penned by Tanya. Arresting, unsettling and sometimes downright scary, Kristin's work was like nothing in the rock canon to that point, the result of a much-misunderstood bi-polar disorder which caused songs to 'force' themselves upon her. The young band's playing was extraordinary, joining the dots between elliptical post-punk, harmonious folk jangle and rockabilly thunder without ever settling into standard genre patterns. Throwing Muses won instant acclaim in the UK, their originality confirmed by two EPs, Chains Changed and The Fat Skier, in 1987.
                            

The following March saw the release of second album House Tornado, another breathtaking tapestry of mercurial Hersh music, this time produced by Gary Smith and featuring two Donelly numbers. The record was accompanied by a memorable UK tour which saw the Muses supported by fellow Bostonians the Pixies. 1990's Hunkpapa was issued in two different coloured sleeves and found Kristin

experimenting with more conventional melodic structures, notably in the single ‘Dizzy’. Throwing Muses' various styles meshed to thrilling effect on fourth album The Real Ramona, which was released in March 1991 and saw Fred Abong succeeding Leslie on bass. Tanya left the band a a year later, helping Kim Deal launch The Breeders before finding stardom with her own group Belly, who also briefly featured Fred. Throwing Muses continued as a three-piece, Kristin and David being temporarily rejoined by Leslie for 1992's Red Heaven, which included a duet (‘Dio’) with Hüsker Dü/Sugar frontman Bob Mould.
                      

Throwing Muses returned in January '95 with their sixth album University and new bassist Bernard

Georges, who also played on the following year's Limbo. Both records were execellent, but critical acclaim was not matched by sales and the trio reluctantly disbanded in 1997, Kristin stating that her beloved group was no longer financially viable. The following year saw the release of two solo records, Strange Angels and the limited edition, mail-order release Murder, Misery And Then Goodnight.
                              

                        
In August '98 came the two-disc In A Doghouse compilation, which brought together the band's debut album, the Chains Changed EP, The Doghouse Cassette demos and five brand new re-recordings of

previously unheard, pre-4AD material. Kristin surprised her devoted fanbase in the new millenium by creating the 'Gut Pageant', a special event where the audience would travel to a venue to see the band play, as well as see a couple of Kristin's solo sets. This led to new Muses material and a thrillingly raucous self-titled album, issued in March 2003 in tandem with Kristin's sixth, wholly acoustic solo set The Grotto. Never one to rest on her laurels, she also formed the blistering power-trio 50 Foot Wave, with Bernard and drummer Rob Ahlers.

THROWING MUSES - THROWING MUSES 1986

                           

Throwing Muses is the 1986 debut album of the band Throwing Muses, released on British independent label 4AD. Throwing Muses' self-titled 1986 debut is still a startling collision of punk energy, folky

melodicism, and Kristin Hersh's mercurial voice and lyrics. The violent, vibrant mood swings on songs like "Call Me" are a testament not only to Hersh's unique talent, but the elasticity of Tanya Donelly, David Narcizo, and Leslie Langston's playing. Even if the volatile moods on songs like "Hate My Way" aren't easily understood, they're easily felt; the twists and turns "Vicky's Box" and "Rabbits Dying" take are guided purely by the intense emotions they carry.
                       

Throwing Muses is almost as varied musically as it is emotionally, ranging from the scary punkabilly of "America (She Can't Say No)" to "Stand Up"'s angular, acoustic post-punk to the cathartic thrill of

"Delicate Cutters"'s unsettling folk. Donelly contributes the surreal, ethereal love song "Green"; even at this early point in the Muses' career, it's clear that she is a more accessible, straightforward songwriter, despite the care taken to make the song sound more like the rest of the album. A powerful debut, Throwing Muses puts the work of most self-consciously "tortured" artists to shame; its fluid, effortless emotional shifts may not make for the most accessible music, but they're unquestionably genuine.
(Heather Phares)

Throwing Muses – Throwing Muses
Label: 4AD – CAD 607 CD
Format:    CD, Album
Country: Europe   
Released: 1986
Genre: Rock, Pop
Style: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock

TRACKS

                            

01. Call Me    3:58
02. Green    3:04
03. Hate My Way    4:05
04. Vicky's Box    5:08
05. Rabbits Dying    3:48
06. America (She Can't Say No)    2:46
07. Fear    2:44
08. Stand Up    2:56
09. Soul Soldier    5:10
10. Delicate Cutters    3:52

LINE - UP

Kristin Hersh – guitars, vocals, synthesizer
Tanya Donelly – guitars, vocals, percussion
Leslie Langston – bass
David Narcizo – drums, percussion
Dave Knowles – keyboards
Ronald Stone – additional guitar

MP3 @ 320 Size: 94 MB
Flac  Size: 225 MB

THROWING MUSES - THE REAL RAMONA 1991

                                

The Real Ramona is the fourth studio album by Throwing Muses, released in 1991. It peaked at number

26 on the UK Albums Chart. The Real Ramona marked the perfect balance of Throwing Muses' angular songwriting and latent pop tendencies. Where Hunkpapa tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to mix these elements, this album succeeds with surreal pop songs like "Counting Backwards" and "Red Shoes." They're catchy and riveting, clearly linked to the band's early material yet more focused and accessible.
                   

"Graffiti" and "Two-Step" are two of Kristin Hersh's most appealing pop snippets, but dark, uncompromising tracks like "Say Goodbye," "Ellen West," and "Hook in Her Head" reaffirm that she

can still write troubling, fascinating songs like nobody else. And just before she left the Muses to form Belly, Tanya Donelly finally arrived as a full-fledged songwriter with the giddy, gleeful "Not Too Soon" and "Honeychain," proving that she could be a charming foil to Hersh's more challenging style. Their final album as a quartet, The Real Ramona highlights the best points of the group's sound, making it a great starting point for new Throwing Muses fans.

Throwing Muses – The Real Ramona
Label: 4AD – cad 1002 cd
Format: CD, Album
Country: UK
Released: Feb 18, 1991
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock

TRACKS

                                

01. Counting Backwards    3:15
02. Him Dancing    1:11
03. Red Shoes   3:32
Remix – Paul Kolderie, Throwing Muses
04. Graffiti    2:37
05. Golden Thing    2:25
06. Ellen West    2:49
07. Dylan    1:41
08. Hook In Her Head    6:32
09. Not Too Soon   3:10
Remix – Csaba Petocz
Written-By – Tanya Donelly
10. Honeychain   4:23
Written-By – Tanya Donelly
11. Say Goodbye    3:54
12. Two Step   4:34
Written-By – David Narcizo, Fred Abong, Kristin Hersh, Tanya Donelly

LINE - UP

Kristin Hersh – guitars, vocals
Tanya Donelly – guitars, vocals
Fred Abong – bass guitar
David Narcizo – drums

MP3 @ 320 Size:99  MB
Flac  Size: 246 MB

THROWING MUSES - UNIVERSTY 1995

                            

University is the sixth studio album by the American alternative rock band Throwing Muses, released in 1995. It contains the single "Bright Yellow Gun", the band's first national hit. Possibly their finest

album, Throwing Muses' fifth album, University, blends the rock power of Red Heaven, their first effort as a trio, with the shiny, surreal pop of The Real Ramona. The result is a collection of songs, like the album opener, "Bright Yellow Gun," that are as ferociously kinetic as they are insinuatingly melodic. At first, Tanya Donelly's departure from the group might have been seen as a liability, but on this dreamy yet direct album, it's an asset: it gives Kristin Hersh room for her most wide-ranging collection of songs yet.
                           

"Start," "Hazing," "Shimmer," and "Teller" are some of her most immediate, deceptively sweet punk-pop confections, rivalling previous Muses classics like "Counting Backwards" in their hooky intensity.
Yet the delicate "Crabtown" and "Fever Few" reaffirm Hersh's finesse with brooding, folky melodies.

"That's All You Wanted" and "Snakeface" remain two of the Muses' catchiest songs, and the driven "No Way in Hell" and "Flood" show that Hersh hasn't lost any of her edge. University's smooth, streamlined production adds a bit of sheen to Hersh's jagged, elliptical guitar lines and keening vocals, but doesn't rob either of its impact; if anything, the album's polish just heightens its flowing yet diverse sound. The album the Muses had been trying to make since Hunkpapa, University is as hypnotic as it is accessible.

Throwing Muses – University
Label: Sire – 9 45796-2, Sire – 2-45796, Reprise Records – 9 45796-2,
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1995
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock

TRACKS

                        

01. Bright Yellow Gun    3:43
02. Start    2:47
03. Hazing    3:14
04. Shimmer    3:14
05. Calm Down, Come Down    1:48
06. Crabtown    4:20
07. No Way In Hell    4:44
08. Surf Cowboy    2:45
09. That's All You Wanted    3:26
10. Teller    2:52
11. University   2:12
Vocals – Dylan Hersh Going, Lenny Kaye, Ryder James O'Donnell
12. Snakeface   3:29
Backing Vocals – Trina Shoemaker
13. Flood    3:14
14. Fever Few    6:44

NOTES

The band's former roadie, Bernard Georges, played bass on the album.

MP3 @ 320 Size: 121 MB
Flac  Size: 337 MB

THROWING MUSES - THROWING MUSES 2003

                              

Throwing Muses is the eighth studio album by the alternative rock band Throwing Muses. It was

recorded over three weekends and released simultaneously with Kristin Hersh's solo record The Grotto on 17 March 2003. The album features Bernard Georges on bass and David Narcizo on drums as well as original bandmate Tanya Donelly on backing vocals. Throwing Muses were anomalous long before they came back to 4AD to record their second self-titled album.
                           

By 1996's Limbo, they were a rare band that had continued to make vibrant and vital music well after a

decade of existence. And now they're even more of a rare case; several years after that last album, they have returned with their loudest, noisiest, most immediate album yet -- and it's one of their best. It only proves how much the band was missed, despite several fine Kristin Hersh albums in the interim (including another released the same day as this record). Saying the trio hasn't lost a step is an understatement, because this could pass as an album that was recorded during off-days on the Limbo tour.
                      

               
The unexpected shifts of tempo, created by the extremely undervalued and unique rhythm section of bassist Bernard Georges and drummer David Narcizo, combined with Hersh's sorcerer-like control over

her guitar -- serpentine twists, rush-inducing gusts of noise, straightforward riff shards -- whip through these songs with an alarming degree of urgency. Hearing Hersh, with her mouth like a trucker and voice like a siren, belt over the din (backed by Tanya Donelly on several occasions) remains a fantastic charge, especially when she's dishing out lines like: "I'm so sorry I'm cardiac baggage" and "Here's a big fat aspirin/Maybe you'll choke/That's not funny.
                   

" Even though all these songs sound honed, as if they were fleshed out long before they were recorded,

some have so much quickened force behind them that they come off as if the band was working against the clock. Despite this possibility, the clearest notion beyond the album's excellence is that time hasn't actually done anything to diminish the power of this band. Reunions are normally lost causes. Not in this case.  
                        

Throwing Muses – Throwing Muses
Label: 4AD – CAD 2301 CD
Format: CD, Album
Country: UK
Released: Mar 17, 2003
Genre: Rock
Style: Alternative Rock

TRACKS

                             

01. Mercury    4:13
02. Pretty Or Not    3:30
03. Civil Disobedience    3:13
04. Pandora's Box    5:20
05. Status Quo    4:19
06. Speed And Sleep    5:10
07. Portia    3:38
08. SolarDip    3:33
09. Epiphany    3:16
10. Los Flamingos    3:06
11. Half Blast    6:14
12. Flying    5:49

LINE - UP

Kristin Hersh – vocals and guitars
Bernard Georges – bass
David Narcizo – drums and percussion
Tanya Donelly – backing vocals on 1, 4, 9, 11 & 12

MP3 @ 320 Size: 127 MB
Flac  Size: 350 MB