After meeting immediate acclaim from their first album, a unique mix of alt-rock & folk, The Violent Femmes continued to succeed for years later releasing 8 albums and having sold over 9 million records.
Originally formed in 1981 by the rhythm duo of Brian Richie on bass and Victor DeLorenzo on drums, they selected the name originally as a joke but by the time Gordon Gano joined to round out the line-up, it had stuck and the band was in place. They started out gigging at cafes and busking on street corners. On one such street gig they impressed members of The Pretenders who asked the band to open for them at their set that evening.
Their 1983 self-titled debut album slowly but surely became something of a cult classic, with songs like ‘Blister in the sun’ and ‘Kiss Off’ helping it to turn gold long after its initial release. The albums unique sound resonated with audiences and is now considered one of the best alternative albums of the decade.
They followed this with 1984’s ‘Hallowed Ground’ which saw the band head towards a more country driven sound, led by Gano’s religious lyricism. This was followed by the more mainstream leaning ‘The Blind Leading the Naked’ which saw the band enter the charts for the first time and even spawned a minor hit in their cover of T-rex’s ‘Children of the Revolution’.
From this point on, they had many break ups and reformations but the band always managed to release new music and continue playing shows worldwide.
Elle King
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