Finally, Life As It Should Have Been

Throwing Muses are back! Back!! BACK!!! with Summer Of Love, for those of us at least on t'other side of the Atlantic Ocean, released in the middle of dark, icy winter. But then, hasn't Kristin Hersh always been a contrary soul?

Since 1st January, I've been taking part in a music challenge called #23DaysOf4AD over on Bluesky, the idea being that you post two 4AD artists/songs per day between 1st and 22nd January. 

The 45th and final selection will be on 23rd January, which is apparently 4AD's 45th anniversary.

A little over a third of the way in and Throwing Muses (or Kristin Hersh solo) have yet to appear, but they inevitably will. 

It's been over twenty years since Throwing Muses last, self-titled album for 4AD, and nearly as long since Learn To Sing Like A Star, Kristin's final solo album for the label, and I've admittedly only sporadically dipped into the latter's subsequent releases.

Throwing Muses returned a decade later as a 3-piece of Kristin, Bernard Georges and David Narcizo and upcoming album Moonlight Concessions is their third, following Purgatory / Paradise (2013) and Sun Racket (2020). 

In the meantime, Kristin has also found time to release Black Pearl (2022) as 50 Foot Wave (Kristin, Bernard Georges and Rob Ahlers) and Clear Pond Road (2023), her eleventh solo album. So, the creative juices are still flowing freely.

And what of Summer Of Love? At the forefront is an urgently strummed acoustic guitar, Kristin's voice, with other elements - Bernard's electric guitar, baroque bows, occasional synths - underpinned by David's shuffling, shaking percussion. Drugstore Drastic, the other album preview dropped last November, follows a similar pattern to great effect.

 
Moonlight Concessions is out on 14th March, with a vinyl companion Moonlight Confessions, released separately and exclusively via Rough Trade. 

Moonlight Confessions is described by Hersh as "how the record sounded before we slowed ourselves down and cleaned ourselves up [...] and while both records have teeth, Confessions are probably spit through pointier teeth."

Either (or both) albums are an attractive proposition. And Throwing Muses are touring Europe in May and June, including a stop at The Fleece in Bristol. 

Time to throw myself back in?

Life Is Written In You

Having been listening to Kristin Hersh, it was perhaps inevitable that I would also be drawn to the music of Tanya Donnelly, born a few weeks earlier on 14th July 1966. Belated happy birthday, Tanya!

Tanya and Kristin first met and became friends in the 1970s, around age 8. They became step-sisters in the 1980s, when Tanya's father married Kristin's mother. 

Another significant milestone was 1981, when Tanya and Kristin formed Throwing Muses. Tanya's gone on to have a remarkable career since, with The Breeders, Belly, and a impressive run of solo albums and EPs.

Mirroring yesterday's post, here's a short selection of Tanya's solo releases, although 'official videos' are much harder to find, beyond her first couple of albums on 4AD. I've omitted The Breeders as none featured Tanya on lead vocals, but I have included a couple of classics from Belly and Throwing Muses. 

 

Oh, and Tanya also had new music out in April this year, a new song called Golden Cut, written and recorded with Gabi Lima. It's a cracker.

 

I'd also highly recommend exploring Tanya's Bandcamp page, as you will find tonnes of music, including the entire Swan Song Series of EPs and 'lockdown' cover versions of Bob Marley & The Wailers, Yazoo and Pixies as name your price/free downloads.

The Bright Light (1997)

Keeping You (2001)

Mass Ave (Pandora Whiteboard Sessions) (2013)*

Three Little Birds (Cover of Bob): Tanya Donnelly ft. Grace Bee Fisher & Harriet Pearl Fisher (2020) **

Big Love Bends Time (Live @ The Town & City Festival, Lowell, Massachusetts): Tanya Donnelly & Friends (2022)

Gepetto: Belly (1992)

Not Too Soon: Throwing Muses (1990)

Golden Cut: Tanya Donnelly & Gabi LIma (2024)

An incredible and treasured talent.

 

* I found what appears to be an official video for Mass Ave on YouTube but the channel itself ("Brian") is unavailable, so I'm not sure if this link will work.  

** Grace and Harriet are Tanya's daughters, born 1999 and 2006 respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In My Dream

Happy birthday to Kristin Hersh, born 7th August 1966.

It was only when I had the thought of compiling a Dubhed selection for this singular talent that I realised that I haven't digitised my Kristen Hersh and Throwing Muses CDs (and I don't as yet have any albums by her other band, 50 Foot Wave). 

So instead here's a short selection of 'official videos' mostly covering her solo releases but throwing in a couple of band efforts towards the end. Oh, and in April Kristin released an EP of sessions from her 2023 album Clear Pond Road, so I've included the closing song (and Bandcamp llink) to that as well.

Your Ghost (ft. Michael Stipe) (1993)

A Loon (Strings Version) (1994)

Echo (1999)

In Shock (2007)

Ms Haha (2023)

Counting Backwards: Throwing Muses (1991)

Staring Into The Sun: 50 Foot Wave (2022)

Palmetto (Clear Pond Session) (2024)

Have a great one, Kristin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Junk Garage Clear Out

Side 1 of a cassette compilation recorded by my friend Stuart in late August 1991.

 

This was the closing paragraph when I posted Side 2 in January 2022:

 

Junk Collage (do you see what I did there?) by me, ripped from various magazines and adverts. I can easily spot Buddy Holly and Christian Slater in there. I think the main picture was a toilet wall backdrop to a photo of a music artist, but I've forgotten who.

Some of the typeface has worn away, but you get a sneak preview of what will eventually pop up when I post Side 1. The reason I didn't go with that one today is that the tape opens with an expletive-ridden intro, but one which segues perfectly into a Neil Young & Crazy Horse track. I'm debating whether it stays, goes or is edited in some way before posting. Watch this space...it might be a while.

 

A glance below and a few seconds into today's selection and you'll see and hear that I decided to keep Dumpy's Rusty Nuts in. It's now so ingrained after three decades of listening to this mixtape that it's almost impossible for me to hear Over & Over by Neil Young & Crazy Horse without it.

Many years later, I repaid the 'favour' by including the Dumpy's Rusty Nuts intro on a birthday CD that I compiled for Stuart. One for a future post.

I'd returned to Bristol after a year travelling, so this cassette served as a kind of 'this is what you missed whilst you were away' round up of music in 1991. In addition to a tremendous comeback albums from Julian Cope and Throwing Muses, Teenage Fanclub released the Star Sign EP, a precursor to the mighty Bandwagonesque album later that year.

 

The Fat Lady Sings made two appearances on this compilation, having blown Stuart away when we saw them supporting The Psychedelic Furs in 1990. They didn't - and have never - quite had the same impact on me but I like the B-side featured here, a good example of the quality and quantity of their music at the time.

Stuart had also been delving into some rock classics, this tape probably being my first introduction to Horses by Patti Smith and Exile On Main Street by The Rolling Stones. I'd taken the Neil Young & Crazy Horse and Mazzy Star albums with me on my travels, so these were already classics, in my opinion.

 

It's another much-loved and much-played cassette, containing songs that have stayed with me over the last thirty-odd years and sound every bit as good now as they did then. 

 

1) Intro / Over & Over (Album Version): Dumpy's Rusty Nuts vs. Neil Young & Crazy Horse (1990)

2) Fall On Me (Album Version): R.E.M. (1986)

3) Free Money: Patti Smith (1975)

4) To Reach Me: The Go-Betweens (1986)

5) Be My Angel: Mazzy Star (1990)

6) Happy: The Rolling Stones (1972)

7) Safesurfer (Album Version): Julian Cope (1991)

8) Momento Mori: The Fat Lady Sings (1991)

9) Counting Backwards: Throwing Muses (1991)

10) Like A Virgin (Cover of Madonna): Teenage Fanclub (1991)

1972: Exile On Main Street: 6

1975: Horses: 3

1986: Liberty Belle And The Black Diamond Express: 4 

1986: Life's Rich Pageant: 2

1990: bootleg live cassette / Ragged Glory: 1

1990: She Hangs Brightly: 5

1991: Arclight EP: 8

1991: Counting Backwards EP: 9

1991: Peggy Suicide: 7

1991: Star Sign EP: 10

 

Side One (45:07) (Box) (Mega)

Side Two here