Throwing Muses are an American

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band formed in 1981 in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originally fronted by two stepsisters,

Kristin Hersh Kristin may refer to: * Kristin (name), a Scandinavian form of Christine * ''Kristin'' (TV series), a 2001 American sitcom * Kristin Peak, Antarctica * Kristin School, a school in New Zealand See also * Kristen (disambiguation) Kristen may re ...

and

Tanya Donelly Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966) is an American Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter and guitarist based in New England who co-founded Throwing Muses with her step-sister Kristin Hersh. Donelly went on to co-form the alternative rock band ...

, who both wrote the group's songs. Throwing Muses are known for performing music with shifting tempos, creative chord progressions, unorthodox song structures, and surreal lyrics. The group was set apart from other contemporary acts by Hersh's stark, candid writing style; Donelly's pop stylings and vocal harmonies; and

David Narcizo David John Narcizo (born May 6, 1966, in Newport, Rhode Island) is an American musician and graphic designer, primarily known for his work as the longtime drummer for Throwing Muses. Career Narcizo played drums on Tanya Donelly's ''Lovesongs ...

's unusual drumming techniques eschewing use of cymbals.

History

1983–1986: Formation, first EP and ''The Doghouse Cassette'', debut album

Throwing Muses were formed in 1983 by

and her stepsister

, who were both attending Rogers High School. They initially called themselves "Kristin Hersh and the Muses", in which band they were accompanied by bass player Elaine Adamedes and drummer Becca Blumen who were later replaced by Leslie Langston and David Narcizo, respectively. Narcizo did not originally know how to play the drums but when Hersh told him that Becca Blumen had left the band and he could join, Narcizo said on the subject "I had never played a drum kit before – all I'd played was marching drums and concert drums. We found somebody whose kit we could borrow, but it arrived without cymbals. I learned to play on it without cymbals which then became my trademark early on." Throwing Muses released their debut self-titled EP in 1984 on their own Blowing Fuses label. In 1985, they released a set of demos, later known as ''The Doghouse Cassette'', garnering a number-one

college radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...

hit, "Sinkhole" and extensive coverage in the local music press. Demo producer Gary Smith of

Fort Apache Studios Fort Apache Studios is a New England recording studio focusing on alternative rock sessions produced there since 1986. History The studio was initially built by a collective begun in 1985 by musician/producer Joe Harvard and members of a band ...

led them to sign with 4AD, where they became the label's first American band. Kristin recalls, "I signed with them because

wner WNER (1410 AM broadcasting, AM) is a sports radio station in Watertown (city), New York, Watertown, New York, United States. The station is owned by Stephens Media Group (broadcasting), Stephens Media Group. It broadcasts the national programming ...

Ivo atts-Russellwas funny and goofy, and that was about it." In 1986, they released their self-titled debut album produced by

Gil Norton Gil Norton (born in Liverpool) is an English record producer known for his work with alternative rock bands such as Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Tribe, Jimmy Eat World, Dashboard Confessional, Feeder, The Distillers, Maxïmo Par ...

. Hersh has written the memoir ''

Rat Girl ''Rat Girl'' is a memoir published in 2010 by Penguin Books and written by Kristin Hersh, a guitarist, songwriter, and singer who has performed as a solo artist, and as guitarist/lead singer of the alternative rock band Throwing Muses. In the U.K., ...

'' about the year the band moved to Boston, was signed, and recorded their first album.

1987–1991: further EPs, ''House Tornado'', ''Hunkpapa'' and ''The Real Ramona''

In 1987, Throwing Muses released two

EPs EPS, EPs or Eps may refer to: Commerce and finance * Earnings per share * Electronic Payment Services, in Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen, China * Express Payment System, in the Philippines Education * Edmonton Public Schools, in Edmonton, Al ...

, ''Chains Changed'' and ''The Fat Skier'', released July 6. These were followed in 1988 by their second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, ''

House Tornado ''House Tornado'' is an album by the alternative rock band Throwing Muses. Produced by Gary Smith and engineered by Paul Q. Kolderie, it was recorded at Fort Apache Studios in Cambridge, MA. The album was released in 1988 internationally on ...

'', produced by Gary Smith and engineered by

Paul Kolderie Paul Q. Kolderie is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with Pixies, Radiohead, Orangutang, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, Wax, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Morphine, the Mighty Mighty Bosston ...

; it was recorded at

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

. The album was released internationally on the 4AD label, except in the United States, where it was released by

Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer ...

. Sire used a different album cover for its release, as the label was putting a strong promotional push behind the band, and label executives favored a picture of the band over the collage featured on the 4AD release. Both ''House Tornado'' and ''the Fat Skier'' were combined on a single CD in a later release. The band embarked on a tour of the UK, supported by the

Pixies A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas arou ...

, to support ''House Tornado''. In 1989, the band released their third album, ''

Hunkpapa The Hunkpapa (Lakota: ) are a Native American group, one of the seven council fires of the Lakota tribe. The name ' is a Lakota word, meaning "Head of the Circle" (at one time, the tribe's name was represented in European-American records as ...

'', which was produced by Gary Smith and engineered by Steve Haigler. The album saw Hersh experimenting with more conventional melodic structures, although the fractious lyrics remained. The song “Dizzy” was released as a single. In 1990, bassist Leslie Langston left and was replaced by Fred Abong. Throwing Muses recorded their fourth album, ''

The Real Ramona ''The Real Ramona'' is a studio album by Throwing Muses, released in 1991. It peaked at number 26 on the UK Albums Chart. Reception ''NME'' named ''The Real Ramona'' the 35th best album of 1991. In a retrospective review, Andrzej Lukowski of BBC ...

'' during the same year. ''The Real Ramona'' is considered to have a more poppy sound than their previous records. The song "Counting Backwards" from the album was released as a single. Shortly after the album's release in 1991, Tanya Donelly left the Muses to form

Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, cent ...

, taking Abong with her.

1992–2002: Work as trio – ''Red Heaven'', ''University'', ''Limbo'' and disbandment

With Donnelly not being replaced, Throwing Muses opted to continue as a trio, with

Bernard Georges Bernard Georges (born March 29, 1965) is best known for his bass guitar work in Throwing Muses and 50 Foot Wave. Beginning in 1992, he played bass for Throwing Muses on their album releases and in their concert appearances, having previously worke ...

replacing Abong on bass. In 1992, the band made a fresh start recording their fifth album ''

Red Heaven ''Red Heaven'' is a studio album by Throwing Muses, released in 1992. It peaked at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart. ''NME'' named it the 38th best album of 1992. Track listing Personnel Credits adapted from liner notes. Throwing Muses * Kri ...

'' at The Power Station and

. The album was produced by Throwing Muses and Steve Boyer, and also featured guest appearances by Leslie Langston and by

Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist/vocalist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notabili ...

frontman

Bob Mould Robert Arthur Mould (born October 16, 1960) is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s. Early years Born in Malone, ...

(the latter duetting with Hersh on the song "Dio"). In 1993, they recorded their sixth album, ''

University A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

''. Hersh recorded her debut album, ''

Hips and Makers ''Hips and Makers'' is the debut solo album by Kristin Hersh, best known as the primary singer and songwriter of the band Throwing Muses. The album was released by 4AD in the UK on January 24, 1994, and by Sire Records in the US on February 1, 19 ...

'', immediately after recording finished on ''University''. ''Hips and Makers'' was released first, in 1994, which delayed the release of ''University'' until 1995. ''University'' gave the band their first national U.S. hit, " Bright Yellow Gun". The album was favorably reviewed. Throwing Muses released their seventh album, ''

Limbo In Catholic theology, Limbo (Latin '' limbus'', edge or boundary, referring to the edge of Hell) is the afterlife condition of those who die in original sin without being assigned to the Hell of the Damned. Medieval theologians of Western Euro ...

'', which was followed by a tour. However, the band disbanded in 1997 as

went on to continue her solo career.

2002–present: Reformation – ''Throwing Muses'', ''Purgatory'', etc.

In March 2003, Throwing Muses came back with their eighth album, ''

Throwing Muses Throwing Muses are an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, United States, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originall ...

'', which also saw the return of Tanya Donelly who provided backing vocals on the album. A greatest hits compilation titled ''Anthology'' was released in 2011. The band's ninth album, '' Purgatory / Paradise'' was released on October 29, 2013 in the UK and November 11 in the US. In early 2014, the band toured a few U.S. cities, with Donelly opening for the East Coast dates. The first single from their new album '' Sun Racket'', titled "Dark Blue", was released in February 2020. The album was released on Fire Records on September 4, 2020.

Personnel

Long-term core lineup *

: vocals, guitar (1981–present) *

: drums (1983–present) *

: bass (1992–present) Other members * Fred Abong: bass (1990–91) * Elaine Adamedes: bass, vocals (1981–83) * Becca Blumen: drums, vocals (1981–83) *

: vocals, guitar (1981–91, guest in concerts and recording 2001, 2003 and 2014) * Leslie Langston: bass (1984–90, recording briefly 1992)

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (1986) * ''

'' (1988) * ''

'' (1989) (#59,

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

) * ''

'' (1991) (#26, UK Albums Chart) * ''

'' (1992) (#13, UK Albums Chart) * ''

'' (1995) (#10, UK Albums Chart; #10, US Billboard Heatseekers Album Chart) * ''

'' (1996) (#36, UK Albums Chart; #34, US Billboard Heatseekers Album Chart) * ''

'' (2003) (#75, UK Albums Chart; #26, US Billboard Top Indie Albums Chart) * '' Purgatory / Paradise'' (2013) * '' Sun Racket'' (2020)

Live albums

* ''The Curse – Live Album'' (1992) – Official UK Albums Chart: #74 * ''Live In Providence'' (2001)

Chart singles

References

{{Authority control 1981 establishments in Rhode Island Alternative rock groups from Rhode Island Musical groups from Rhode Island 4AD artists Sire Records artists Female-fronted musical groups Musical groups disestablished in 1991 Musical groups reestablished in 1992 Musical groups disestablished in 1997 Musical groups reestablished in 2003 Musical groups established in 1981 Musical quartets American musical trios Warner Records artists American post-punk music groups Remote Control Records artists