Little did anyone know at the dawn of the 1980s that
a new cult band would soon be born, one that would speak
to distraught, confused, and emotion driven teens in
the United States and beyond with their angst-ridden
lyrics. What’s more, the Violent Femmes spoke
not only to teens, but their lyrics were often poignant
to anyone who has survived the teen years.
The Violent Femmes – a trio comprised of Gordon
Gano, Brian Ritchie and Victor DeLorenzo – came
together in the early part of the decade in the blustery
mid-western town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, taking their
name, in part, from popular area slang. (In, Milwaukee,
femme means a wimp.) The trio was first noticed by the
Pretenders’ James Honeyman-Scott, who was thoroughly
impressed with what he heard.
The band signed with Slash Records in 1983, and quickly
began recording their debut album, “The Violent
Femmes,” which featured the songs “Kiss
Off,” “Add It Up,” and “Blister
in the Sun.” While the album and its singles never
made a dent on the charts, it became a huge hit with
teens, and the album, dubbed by critics as a rite of
passage for teens, went platinum a decade after its
release.
The following year the Femmes released “Hallowed
Ground,” and fans quickly noticed the band’s
unique blend of country and folk sound. Still, the Violent
Femmes hadn’t yet found their sound, as is evident
in their mainstream 1986 album “The Blind Leading
the Naked,” which featured the oft-played single
“Children of the Revolution,” making Violent
Femme concert tickets a hot commodity.
“The Blind Leading the Naked” was followed
by the group parting ways to pursue their own projects,
and they would remain apart until 1989 when the Violent
Femmes recorded “3,” which they would follow
up with “Why Do Birds Sing” in 1991.
Still, despite their continued recording, drummer DeLorenzo
opted out of the Femmes to concentrate on a solo career
in 1993. The Violent Femmes, now with Guy Hoffman on
drums, entered the recording studio again in 1994, laying
tracks for their next album, “New Times.”
The Violent Femmes went on to release several more
albums, including “Rock!!!!” in 1995, “Beyond”
in 1999, and “Freak Magnet” in 2001. It
was also in 2001 that the band released “Something
More,” an album available to fans only through
MP3. “Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent
Femmes” was the band’s last release in 2005.
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