Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes in concert.
Background information
Origin	Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative rock College rock Post-punk Folk punk
Years active	1980 - present
Label(s)	Slash, Reprise, Elektra, Mushroom, Beyond
Website	Official website
Members
Victor DeLorenzo Brian Ritchie Gordon Gano Guy Hoffman

The Violent Femmes, formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1980, is a three-piece American alternative rock band, noted for laying the groundwork for folk punk. The band has had four members: singer, guitarist and songwriter Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie, and two drummers, Victor DeLorenzo and Guy Hoffman. Violent Femmes released their eponymous debut album, Violent Femmes, in 1982. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (864x576, 111 KB) This is a copyrighted image that has been released by a company or organization to promote their work or product in the media, such as advertising material or a promotional photo in a press kit. ... For other places with the same name, see Milwaukee (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... College rock was a term used in the USA to describe 1980s alternative rock before the term alternative came into common usage. ... Post punk generally refers to the particularly fertile and creative period following the initial punk rock explosion. During the first wave of punk, roughly spanning 1976-1983, bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones and The Damned began to challenge the current styles and conventions of rock... The Anarchy Heart, a symbol popular in the young radical community, particularly with Folk Punks and Anarchists. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Slash Records is a record label. ... Reprise Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, operated through Warner Bros. ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... For the Mushroom Records company from Canada, see Mushroom Records (Canada), for the company that used to be Mushrooms operations in the United Kingdom see A&E Records Mushroom Records was an Australian record company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in 1972. ... Victor De Lorenzo was born on October 25, 1954. ... At Day on the Meadow on July 2nd, 2006 in San Jose, CA Brian Ritchie (born 21 November 1960) is the bass guitarist for the folk/punk/rock band Violent Femmes. ... Gano in concert with the Violent Femmes, 2006. ... Guy Hoffman (born May 20, 1954) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a drummer and vocalist, formerly of such bands as Oil Tasters, BoDeans, Violent Femmes and Absinthe. ... For other places with the same name, see Milwaukee (disambiguation). ... Alternative music redirects here. ... The Anarchy Heart, a symbol popular in the young radical community, particularly with Folk Punks and Anarchists. ... Gano in concert with the Violent Femmes, 2006. ... At Day on the Meadow on July 2nd, 2006 in San Jose, CA Brian Ritchie (born 21 November 1960) is the bass guitarist for the folk/punk/rock band Violent Femmes. ... Victor De Lorenzo was born on October 25, 1954. ... Guy Hoffman (born May 20, 1954) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a drummer and vocalist, formerly of such bands as Oil Tasters, BoDeans, Violent Femmes and Absinthe. ...

History

Violent Femmes was founded by bassist Brian Ritchie and percussionist Victor DeLorenzo. They became a full-fledged band upon the arrival of Gordon Gano, lead vocalist and guitarist. In its early days, the band frequently played coffee houses and street corners. They were discovered by James Honeyman-Scott (of The Pretenders) on August 23, 1981, when the band was busking on a street corner in front of the Oriental Theatre, the Milwaukee venue that The Pretenders would be playing later that night. Chrissie Hynde invited them to play a brief acoustic set after the opening act.^[1] The band signed to Slash Records and released a self-titled album that they had recorded in July 1982. The music was an innovative combination of American folk music and Punk rock, and commonly referred to as "folk-punk". The lyrics were the common themes of yearning for love, sex and affection. The group quickly gained following that never veered into mainstream commercialism. A few songs that gained recognition include "Add It Up," "Blister in the Sun," "Gone Daddy Gone," "Kiss Off," and "Please Do Not Go." The debut album went platinum 10 years after its release. At Day on the Meadow on July 2nd, 2006 in San Jose, CA Brian Ritchie (born 21 November 1960) is the bass guitarist for the folk/punk/rock band Violent Femmes. ... Victor De Lorenzo was born on October 25, 1954. ... Gano in concert with the Violent Femmes, 2006. ... James Honeyman-Scott (November 4, 1956 - June 16 1982) was a British rock guitarist who died of a drug overdose. ... The Pretenders are an Anglo-American rock band. ... Busking is the practice of doing live performances in public places to entertain people, usually to solicit donations and tips. ... The Oriental Theatre is located in the East Side neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin It was built and opened in 1927 as a movie palace. ... Chrissie Hynde (born Christine Ellen Hynde, 7 September 1951, Akron, Ohio) is an American rock musician, best known as the leader of the band The Pretenders. ... Slash Records is a record label. ... Violent Femmes released their eponymous debut album, Violent Femmes, in 1982. ... Folk song redirects here. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... The Anarchy Heart, a symbol popular in the young radical community, particularly with Folk Punks and Anarchists. ... Add It Up is a song by American rock band Violent Femmes, released on their 1982 debut album Violent Femmes. ... Blister in the Sun is a song by American rock band the Violent Femmes, released on their 1982 debut The Violent Femmes. ... Gone Daddy Gone is a song originally written by the Violent Femmes from their 1982 eponymous debut album. ...

After their debut album, Violent Femmes released Hallowed Ground, which moved the group towards a country music sound and introduced spiritual themes. Their third album, The Blind Leading the Naked, produced by fellow Milwaukee native Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads, was more mainstream and pop-oriented, resulting in a minor hit with "Children of the Revolution," originally by T. Rex. The group disbanded, with Gano releasing an album in 1987, the result of a gospel side project Mercy Seat. Ritchie also released several solo LPs. The group came back together in late 1988, releasing 3, a return to the band's earlier, stripped-down sound. Why Do Birds Sing? was released in 1991 after the band signed to Reprise and featured another minor hit, "American Music," which became a concert staple. Hallowed Ground is the second album by the Violent Femmes. ... Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. ... The Blind Leading The Naked is the third album by the Violent Femmes. ... Jerry Harrison (born February 21, 1949) was the keyboardist and guitarist for the influential New Wave group Talking Heads. ... The Talking Heads was an American rock band formed in 1974 in New York City and active until 1991. ... Children of the Revolution was a #2 hit single in September 1972 for the British rock band T. Rex. ... T. Rex (originally known as Tyrannosaurus Rex, also occasionally spelled T Rex or T-Rex), were an English rock band fronted by Marc Bolan. ... Gospel music is a musical genre characterized by dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) referencing lyrics of a religious nature, particularly Christian. ... For other uses, see mercy seat (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not prove its loyalty to William Smith in its references or sources. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Reprise Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group, operated through Warner Bros. ...

In 1993, DeLorenzo departed the group to act and make solo records. Guy Hoffman, formerly of the Oil Tasters and BoDeans, was brought in to tour what was to become one of their biggest-selling records, the Add It Up (1981-1993) collection. Over the next nine years, the Femmes, with Hoffman, recorded five full-length CDs and a handful of one-offs for motion picture soundtracks, such as "I Swear It" from the South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut soundtrack, and other compilation projects. The first full studio album with Hoffman on drums, New Times (Elektra Records), was released in 1994. The record featured some of Gano's best songwriting, and the band scored another minor hit with the song "Breaking Up." Rock!!!!! (Mushroom Records) was released in 1995 in Australia only, though it has since become available in the United States. Guy Hoffman (born May 20, 1954) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a drummer and vocalist, formerly of such bands as Oil Tasters, BoDeans, Violent Femmes and Absinthe. ... Oil Tasters was a Milwaukee, Wisconsins based early 80s post-punk band. ... The BoDeans are a rock and roll band, originally forming in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1983. ... Add It Up (1981-1993) is a compilation released by Violent Femmes in 1993. ... South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 motion picture based on the cartoon television series of South Park. ... For the chain of alternative weekly newspapers, see New Times Media. ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... Rock!!!!! is an album released by Violent Femmes Track Listing Living a Lie (2:23) Tonight (1:55) Bad Dream (3:31) I Danced (2:12) Thanksgiving (No Way Out) (3:37) Dahmer Is Dead (0:38) Life Is an Adventure (2:53) She Went to Germany (2:23) I... For the Mushroom Records company from Canada, see Mushroom Records (Canada), for the company that used to be Mushrooms operations in the United Kingdom see A&E Records Mushroom Records was an Australian record company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in 1972. ...

Viva Wisconsin, a live album, was released in the United States in 1999 on the independent label Beyond, and was followed by Freak Magnet in 2000. Something's Wrong (2001), an album of unreleased studio tracks, covers, demos, and acoustic live performances was released as an MP3-only album through eMusic. In 2002, Rhino Records repackaged the Femmes' debut 1983 album along with demos and live tracks to coincide with a 20th anniversary reissue. DeLorenzo asked to rejoin for what was to be a farewell tour, thus reinstating the original lineup. Viva Wisconsin is a live album released by Violent Femmes in 1999. ... Freak Magnet is the eighth and final studio album released by the Violent Femmes. ... Somethings Wrong is a compilation album of studio recordings and unreleased live tracks by Violent Femmes in 2001. ... For other uses, see MP3 (disambiguation). ... EMusic is an online music store that operates by subscription. ... For other uses, see demo. ...

2005 saw the release of two collections of past work – a CD called Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes on Slash/Rhino and a DVD, Permanent Record - Live & Otherwise from Rhino, which showcases a concert performance from 1991, along with many of the group's videos. The CD is the first record that recognizes all four musicians and their contributions on the same disc. Slash Records is a record label. ... Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label. ... A live concert at the Boat House in Norfolk, VA on July 21, 1991, plus seven music videos and a bonus street performance of Kiss Off. ... Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ...

After touring in promotion of Freak Magnet, primary songwriter Gano decided that they would no longer make new music, but the band would continue to play shows when booked. On New Year's Eve of 2005, and for one show in January of 2006, all four Violent Femmes members played together. Freak Magnet is the eighth and final studio album released by the Violent Femmes. ...

In 2007, Gano surprised many long-time fans by selling advertising rights for the classic "Blister in the Sun" to Wendy's Hamburgers. Blister in the Sun is a song by American rock band the Violent Femmes, released on their 1982 debut The Violent Femmes. ...

Ritchie responded to the use of the song in the commercial by saying:

"For the fans who rightfully are complaining about the Wendy's burger advertisement featuring Blister in the Sun, Gordon Gano is the publisher of the song and Warners is the record company. When they agree to use it there's nothing the rest of the band can do about it, because we don't own the song or the recording. That's showbiz. Therefore when you see dubious or in this case disgusting uses of our music you can thank the greed, insensitivity and poor taste of Gordon Gano, it is his karma that he lost his songwriting ability many years ago, probably due to his own lack of self-respect as his willingness to prostitute our songs demonstrates. Neither Gordon (vegetarian) nor me (gourmet) eat garbage like Wendy's burgers. I can't endorse them because I disagree with corporate food on culinary, political, health, economic and environmental grounds. However I see my life's work trivialized at the hands of my business partner over and over again, although I have raised my objections numerous times. As disgusted as you are I am moreso."^[2]

Ritchie filed a lawsuit against Gano in August 2007, seeking half ownership of the Femmes' music and access to royalty accounting. Since the band finished playing all the shows that had been booked prior to the dustup between Gano and Ritchie in late 2007, there have been no new dates announced, and no updates to the band's official site, leading many to speculate that the band has broken up for good. However, there has been no formal announcement of any break-up.

Horns of Dilemma

In their shows, the Femmes employ a horn section called the Horns of Dilemma. For many years, it consisted of Peter Balestrieri and Steve MacKay, from the Stooges, on saxophones, with Sigmund Snopek III on keyboards and various instruments. It was augmented by whatever musicians the band invited to play with them on a particular night. The band also employs local acquaintances, famous or otherwise, friends, relatives, or associates of the band. Instrumentation varies widely and includes saxophones, trumpets, trombones, sousaphone, flute, clarinet, antique hunting horn, kazoo, and percussion. When the band plays "Black Girls" or "Confessions," the only instructions given to the players are to play as freely and wildly as possible. The group doesn't back up the band in the way that a traditional horn section would; rather, they provide a free-form noise jam. Famous members have included John Zorn, Dick Parry, Blaise Garza and The Dresden Dolls. Longtime band associates and employees who have played with the Horns include soundman and Oil Tasters' saxophonist Caleb Alexander and manager Darren Brown. Additional Horns of Dilemma include John Sparrow, who plays cajón box, and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Hamilton on guitar, bass, mandolin, bass trumpet and harmonica. Various bassists stand in for Ritchie during "Gone Daddy Gone," when he plays xylophone. In a symphony orchestra the horn section is the group of musicians who play the horn (sometimes referred to as the French horn). ... Black Girl may refer to: A female Black person American R&B group BlackGirl The English title of Ousmane Sembènes 1966 Senegalese film La Noire de. ... John Zorn (born September 2, 1953 in Queens, New York) is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. ... Dick Parry is a saxophonist born in 1944. ... Blaise Garrett Garza (born February 10, 1989 in Tampa Bay, Florida) is an American actor and musician. ... The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. ... A cajón (Spanish for crate, drawer, or box, pronounced ka. ...

Pop culture

• They have been featured as themselves in one episode of the TV Show Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: Libby was infatuated with Gordon Gano, and concocted a scheme, a sort of love spell, to win his affections.
• In 1991, author Audrey Niffenegger attended a Violent Femmes concert at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. She later incorporated this concert into an episode in her novel, The Time Traveler's Wife. It was at this concert that the ballroom floor collapsed during the Femmes' performance.
• In Juliana Hatfield's 1993 hit song "My Sister", the lyrics included a line sung by the song's protagonist that his/her sister was "the one who would have taken me to my first all-ages show/It was the Violent Femmes and the The Del Fuegos..." Shows of this nature were not uncommon in Boston clubs in the mid-1980s, so it is possible that Hatfield (who would have been in her mid-to-late teens at that time, and who lived in the Boston suburbs) in fact attended such a show.
• In the 1994 TV show My So-Called Life Blister In The Sun was used for Angela's freedom dance in the 17th episode Betrayal.
• In 1996 the band made a guest appearance on the Elliott Murphy album Selling The Gold. Murphy wrote the liner notes for Add It Up (1981-1993).
• The song "Good Feeling" is referred to on the TV show How I Met Your Mother as the "song" of Marshall and Lily. In the episode "Best Prom Ever", the group travels to a high school prom to watch The 88 perform "Good Feeling" after hiring them as the wedding band.
• The songs "Blister in the Sun" and "Blister 2000" were featured in the 1997 John Cusack movie Grosse Pointe Blank as well as Volume 1 of the soundtrack. "Blister 2000" was recorded specifically for the soundtrack.
• The song "Add It Up" was covered by Ethan Hawke 1994 film Reality Bites.
• On May 2, 2005, "Blister in the Sun" became the first English-language song ever played on the Irish-language RnaG radio station.
• In the 2007 film Rocket Science, several Violent Femmes songs were played by a couple, on piano and cello.
• In the video game "Tony Hawk Underground 2" the song "Add It Up" is on the track list.

For the comic book series, see Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. ... Audrey Niffenegger (born June 13, 1963 in South Haven, Michigan) is a writer and artist. ... The Aragon Ballroom is the name of two historic ballrooms. ... For the upcoming film based on the novel starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams, see The Time Travelers Wife (film). ... Juliana Hatfield (born July 27, 1967 in Wiscasset, Maine, United States), is an American guitarist/singer-songwriter from the Boston area, formerly of the indie rock band Blake Babies. ... A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. ... The Del Fuegos were a moderately successful pop band in the eighties, with a sort of garage style. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... For other uses, see My So-Called Life (disambiguation). ... Elliott James Murphy (born March 16, 1949 in New York, Long Island, New York) is an American rock singer-songwriter, novelist, producer and journalist living in Paris. ... Add It Up (1981-1993) is a compilation released by Violent Femmes in 1993. ... How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) is a CBS sitcom that premiered on September 19, 2005. ... The 88 is a four-piece rock/pop band based in Los Angeles, California. ... This article is about the actor. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated American actor, writer and film director. ... Reality Bites is a 1994 film written by Helen Childress and featuring the directorial debut of Ben Stiller. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta (RnaG; Irish for Gaeltacht Radio) is the Irish-language radio service of Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ) in Ireland, and is available on 92-94FM in Ireland and via the Internet. ...

Discography

See main article Violent Femmes discography // Violent Femmes (November 30, 1982) Hallowed Ground (June 1984) The Blind Leading the Naked (1986) 3 (1989) Why Do Birds Sing? (April 30, 1991) New Times (May 17, 1994) Rock!!!!! (1995) Freak Magnet (March 7, 2000) Debacle: The First Decade (1990) Add It Up (1981-1993) (September 14, 1993) Something...

Studio albums

• Violent Femmes (1982)
• Hallowed Ground (1984)
• The Blind Leading the Naked (1986)
• 3 (1988)
• Why Do Birds Sing? (1991)
• New Times (1994)
• Rock!!!!! (1995)
• Freak Magnet (2000)

Violent Femmes released their eponymous debut album, Violent Femmes, in 1982. ... Hallowed Ground is the second album by the Violent Femmes. ... The Blind Leading The Naked is the third album by the Violent Femmes. ... This article or section does not prove its loyalty to William Smith in its references or sources. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... For the chain of alternative weekly newspapers, see New Times Media. ... Rock!!!!! is an album released by Violent Femmes Track Listing Living a Lie (2:23) Tonight (1:55) Bad Dream (3:31) I Danced (2:12) Thanksgiving (No Way Out) (3:37) Dahmer Is Dead (0:38) Life Is an Adventure (2:53) She Went to Germany (2:23) I... Freak Magnet is the eighth and final studio album released by the Violent Femmes. ...

Singles (Charting)

The Modern Rock Tracks chart is a music chart that has appeared in Billboard magazine since the early 1980s. ... See also: 1983 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1983 Record labels established in 1983 // Michael Jacksons Thriller, the most successful album not only of 1983, but of all time, was released in 1982 and began its epic domination of the music charts the following year, 1983. ... Rough Trade Records, now a member of the RIAA[1], began as an independent record label, based in London, England. ... See also: 1983 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1983 Record labels established in 1983 // Michael Jacksons Thriller, the most successful album not only of 1983, but of all time, was released in 1982 and began its epic domination of the music charts the following year, 1983. ... See also: 1989 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1989 Record labels established in 1989 // January 7 - Genesis 88 and Sunrise/Back to the Future stage large-scale illegal Acid House party in London January 14 - Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in Russia. ... See also: 1991 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1991 Record labels established in 1991 // 1991 was the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. ... See also: 1994 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1994 Record labels established in 1994 // January 29 - The Supremes Mary Wilson is injured when her jeep hits a freeway median and flips over just outside of Los Angeles, California. ...

Compilations

• Debacle: The First Decade (1990)
• Add It Up (1981-1993) (1993)
• Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes (2005)

Add It Up (1981-1993) is a compilation released by Violent Femmes in 1993. ...

DVDs

• Live at the Hacienda (2007) - Cherry Red Films
• Permanent Record - Live & Otherwise (2005)
• No, Let's Start Over (2006)

A live concert at the Boat House in Norfolk, VA on July 21, 1991, plus seven music videos and a bonus street performance of Kiss Off. ...

Notable Cover Versions

• 2007 Paddy Milner, 'Blister In The Sun' on the album Based On A True Story
• 2006 Gnarls Barkley, 'Gone Daddy Gone' on the album St. Elsewhere
• 2004 Guster, MTV2 Album Covers: Violent Femmes (selected tracks from 2003 concert where Guster cover the first Violent Femmes album. Tracks include "Careful", "Blister In The Sun", "Kiss Off", "Gone Daddy Gone", and "Add It Up". Released on iTunes in 2004.)

Paddy Milner (b. ... Blister in the Sun is a song by American rock band the Violent Femmes, released on their 1982 debut The Violent Femmes. ... Gnarls Barkley is an American musical collaboration between multi-instrumentalist and producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) from New York, and rapper/vocalist Cee-Lo Green (Thomas Callaway), from Atlanta. ... Gone Daddy Gone is a song originally written by the Violent Femmes from their 1982 eponymous debut album. ... St. ... Guster is an alternative rock band that is known for its live performances, unique sound, humor, and cult following formed by Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcelin 1991 while attending Tufts University in Boston. ... This article is about the iTunes application. ...

References

is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

Interviews

Radio

• Radio Interview. Nov 2006 - 3SYN 90.7FM Melbourne, Australia

SYN (pronounced sin) stands for Student Youth Network. ...

External links

• Violent Femmes official website
• Brian Ritchie's website
• Profile at About.com
• Guy Hoffman's homepage
• Add it Up - an interview with the elder statesmen of disaffected youth, the Violent Femmes
• Violent Femmes at The Dwarf
• Violent Femmes at Rolling Stone