365 – New Music Daily

The self-titled Violent Femmes record begins with by far their most famous song that perhaps all 7 of my readers know (there actually may be more than 7… who knows… a magician never reveals his tricks (sub-parenthesis, does that work here? probably not)), that being Blister in the Sun, which actually sets the tone for this album very well, unlike many intros.

I feel like this band’s sound can be summarized very quickly, and in turn your feelings about them can be determined quickly, which is typically something that I advise against (see; Radiohead on this blog), however this one I think is pretty fair. The rock is pretty light and groovy, ala Strokes and Sex Pistols, the latter a segue into the vocalization of the Femmes lead singer – it is sooo Sex Pistols in the half singing half talking half like Sinatra crooning, I don’t have the eloquence to describe it well but when you hear it, you know it (btw, Sex Pistols review soon!).

If you can’t get down with that, you will know immediately and you should not stick this one out. However, I do mess with it – though the sound and vocalization (more the latter) certainly loses me here and there – and if you do too, the full record is worth a spin.

Favorite songs: Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off, Add it Up, Prove My Love, Gone Daddy Gone