Pages tagged “violent femmes”

In a recent interview with Billboard.com, Violent Femmes lead singer Gordon Gano spoke optimistically about his band's current situation. "We just played a really, really good tour," he said. "Since the early '80s, everything's really good. We're playing better than ever." You know what that means? It's time to do what every other aging band does - make a reunion album!

Then again, maybe not.

Turns out, Gano was actually responding to a lawsuit recently filed by Femmes bassist Brian Ritchie. The suit seeks allegedly unpaid royalties and also comes as a response to the use of the band's signature hit, "Blister in the Sun," in a Wendy's commercial. "My ears perked up. Then my jaw dropped. Then my heart sank," Ritchie says in the suit, describing his reaction to hearing the commercial.

Despite the tension, Violent Femmes still have a pair of October tour dates planned at a casino in Conneticut.

Related links:
VFemmes.com
KNATE: All Transportation, All The Time, Vol. 3
Add It Up - A Violent Femmes Fan Site

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Viva Wisonsin - 3.5 Stars
Freak Magnet - 2 Stars

A second look at alternative music’s hillbilly pioneers

Waaaay back in the ’80s, the Violent Femmes made being a hillbilly seem cool. Their folk-punk approach provided a musical outlet for fans of both R.E.M. and Black Flag, creating an unlikely strip of common ground. Fast-forward a decade and you find the trio soldiering on, recording a series of circa-1998 shows for what would become Viva Wisconsin, a live “greatest hits” album, then entering the studio two years later, to cut Freak Magnet.

On the live album, the Femmes sound ragged but oh-so-right, pounding their way through “Country Death Song,” “Hallowed Ground” and “Kiss Off” in perfect old-school alternative style. A few tracks—“Old Mother Reagan” and “Dahmer Is Dead”—lack pertinence with the passage of time, but overall, Viva Wisconsin serves as a true guilty pleasure. With sarcastic, solid originals like “Happiness Is” and “Hollywood Is High,” the boys try to achieve former glory on Freak Magnet, falling just short of success.