History Music / ThrowingMuses

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly

In any case, it was in the wake of Hersh's accident that her songwriting in particular began to present themes of disassociation, mental breakdown and panic using eccentric song structures and intricately worked arrangements that mixed up JanglePop with PostPunk, CountryMusic and FolkMusic, all dolloped with healthy amounts of lyrical {{Angst}}. In view of Donelly's later success with her somewhat LighterAndSofter band {{Belly}}, commentators sometimes remark on how relatively conventional her songs were compared to Hersh's, but on the early recordings at any rate, the difference was in the subject matter rather than in feel; Donelly's tortured, boiling songs were usually about love ('Green', 'Reel') whereas Hersh's tortured, boiling songs were usually about free-floating self-hatred ('Call Me', 'Hate My Way').

In any case, it was in the wake of Hersh's accident that her songwriting in particular began to present themes of disassociation, mental breakdown and panic using eccentric song structures and intricately worked arrangements that mixed up JanglePop with PostPunk, CountryMusic, FolkMusic, all dolloped with healthy amounts of lyrical {{Angst}}. In view of Donelly's later success with her somewhat LighterAndSofter band {{Belly}}, commentators sometimes remark on how relatively conventional her songs were compared to Hersh's, but on the early recordings at any rate, the difference was in the subject matter rather than in feel; Donelly's tortured, boiling songs were usually about love ('Green', 'Reel') whereas Hersh's tortured, boiling songs were usually about free-floating self-hatred ('Call Me', 'Hate My Way').

In any case, it was in the wake of Hersh's accident that her songwriting in particular began to present themes of disassociation, mental breakdown and panic using eccentric song structures and intricately worked arrangements that mixed up JanglePop with {{Punk}} and healthy amounts of {{Angst}}. In view of Donelly's later success with her somewhat LighterAndSofter band {{Belly}}, commentators sometimes remark on how relatively conventional her songs were compared to Hersh's, but on the early recordings at any rate, the difference was in the subject matter rather than in feel; Donelly's tortured, boiling songs were usually about love ('Green', 'Reel') whereas Hersh's tortured, boiling songs were usually about free-floating self-hatred ('Call Me', 'Hate My Way').

Not long after the band formed, the teenage Hersh was seriously injured in a car accident, and after that began to present symptoms which were initially diagnosed as schizophrenia but later rediagnosed as bipolar disorder. Later in life, after she was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, she turned out also to have dissociative disorder: she had a split personality, and the other one was the one that did the music. (For 31 years, she had no memory of writing or performing any of her own songs.[[note]]The post-traumatic stress disorder had nothing to do with Hersh's accident, but came about after her eldest son was abducted by his father -- long story.[[/note]] The treatment for PTSD also seems to have dealt with her dissociative disorder.)

Not long after the band formed, the teenage Hersh was seriously injured in a car accident, and after that began to present symptoms which were initially diagnosed as schizophrenia but later rediagnosed as bipolar disorder. Later in life, after she was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, she turned out also to have dissociative disorder: she had a split personality, and the other one was the one that did the music. (For 31 years, she had no memory of writing or performing any of her own songs.[[note]]The post-traumatic stress disorder had nothing to do with Hersh's accident, but came about after her eldest son was abducted by his father -- long story.[[/note]] It now appears to have cleared up.) In any case, it was in the wake of Hersh's accident that her songwriting in particular began to present themes of disassociation, mental breakdown and panic using eccentric song structures and intricately worked arrangements that mixed up JanglePop with {{Punk}} and healthy amounts of {{Angst}}. In view of Donelly's later success with her somewhat LighterAndSofter band {{Belly}}, commentators sometimes remark on how relatively conventional her songs were compared to Hersh's, but on the early recordings at any rate, the difference was in the subject matter rather than in feel; Donelly's tortured, boiling songs were usually about love ('Green', 'Reel') whereas Hersh's tortured, boiling songs were usually about free-floating self-hatred ('Call Me', 'Hate My Way').

Not long after the band formed, the teenage Hersh was seriously injured in a car accident, and after that began to present symptoms which were initially diagnosed as schizophrenia but later rediagnosed as bipolar disorder. Later in life, after she was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, her actual problem turned out to be dissociative disorder: she had a split personality, and the other one was the one that did the music. (For 31 years, she had no memory of writing or performing any of her own songs. It now appears to have cleared up.) In any case, it was in the wake of Hersh's accident that her songwriting in particular began to present themes of disassociation, mental breakdown and panic using eccentric song structures and intricately worked arrangements that mixed up JanglePop with {{Punk}} and healthy amounts of {{Angst}}. In view of Donelly's later success with her somewhat LighterAndSofter band {{Belly}}, commentators sometimes remark on how relatively conventional her songs were compared to Hersh's, but on the early recordings at any rate, the difference was in the subject matter rather than in feel; Donelly's tortured, boiling songs were usually about love ('Green', 'Reel') whereas Hersh's tortured, boiling songs were usually about free-floating self-hatred ('Call Me', 'Hate My Way').

In 2003, the Muses got back together with a second [[SelfTitledAlbum]] (featuring the return of Donelly, but only on backing vocals.) In 2004 Hersh formed hardcore trio 50 Foot Wave, which has been described as 'Throwing Muses, if they were faster, meaner and also swore a lot'; the band pioneered the now-commonplace pay-what-you-can scheme for its recordings. In 2013 another Muses album appeared, ''Purgatory / Paradise'', to glowing reviews (but minus Donelly). Since then, the reformed band has toured the USA and Europe with Donelly as support.

The two guitarists formed a VocalTagTeam, and the band's constant touring and self-recorded demo cassette got them to the attention of College Radio when they were still in their teens. In her 2010 memoir ''Rat Girl'' (published in the UK as ''Paradoxical Undressing''), Hersh noted that the Muses in their early days were too young to drink in the venues that they played, and if they happened to go for a stroll before a gig, they got used to club doormen refusing them entry to their own shows on account of their age.

* BrownNote: Subverted in that Hersh has claimed that her own songs are these for her. When an idea for one comes along, if she doesn't knock it into shape and put it out there, 'I get sick.'

* LongRunningLineup: Type 1, until Leslie Langston quit Type 2.

* CarefulWithThatAxe: Often combined with MundaneMadeAwesome to terrifying effect: 'Vicky's Box' features 'WELCOME HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!!!!'

Throwing Muses are an AlternativeRock band, formed in Newport, Rhode Island in 1980 by step-sisters Kristin Hersh (vocals, guitar) and Tanya Donelly (vocals, guitar) while they were still in school. The original lineup solidified with the addition of Leslie Langston (bass) and David Narcizo (drums); Narcizo, who had classical training in the snare drum but had never played a full kit before, inherited a cymbal-less drumkit from the band's previous drummer and just went with that.

In the late 80s and early 90s, the Muses released a series of albums which helped codify AlternativeRock, even if (as they today concede) they sometimes succumbed to ExecutiveMeddling -- Hersh refuses to play 'Dizzy', the main single from ''Hunkpapa'', on the grounds that she didn't like it then and doesn't like it now. In spite of this, as the decade went on they did better and better: 1995's ''University'' got to No 10 on the UK Albums Chart.

Hersh kept the Muses going as a three-piece with new bassist Bernard Georges, but in 1993 her debut solo album ''Hips and Makers'' marked the beginning of her solo career, with a minor UK hit single in 'Your Ghost', featuring the then-king of moody alternative JanglePop, [[Music/{{REM}} Michael Stipe]]. Throwing Muses went on hiatus in 1997 and Hersh pursued a solo career.

Between 1985 and 1986, the period covered by Hersh's book, the band signed a deal with UK label [[FourADRecords 4AD]]; Hersh was hospitalised following a suicide attempt; the Muses recorded their first album, and Hersh got pregnant (and, in an entirely unrelated development, formed an improbable friendship with Hollywood actress Betty Hutton, but that's another story.) Their first album earned them critical respect but not exactly massive sales. In the US, the band signed with Sire, but over time they realised that the label had signed them in order to attract other alternative bands that it was more interested in.

In 2003, the Muses got back together with a second self-titled album (featuring the return of Donelly, but only on backing vocals.) In 2004 Hersh formed hardcore trio 50 Foot Wave, which has been described as 'Throwing Muses, if they were faster, meaner and also swore a lot'; the band pioneered the now-commonplace pay-what-you-can scheme for its recordings. In 2013 another Muses album appeared, ''Purgatory / Paradise'', to glowing reviews (but minus Donelly). Since then, the reformed band has toured the USA and Europe with Donelly as support.

Hersh kept the Muses going as a three-piece with new bassist Bernard Georges, but in 1993 her debut solo album Hips and Makers marked the beginning of her solo career, with a minor UK hit single in 'Your Ghost', featuring the then-king of moody alternative JanglePop, Michael Stipe. Throwing Muses went on hiatus in 1997 and Hersh pursued a solo career.

The two guitarists formed a VocalTagTeam, and the band's constant touring and self-recorded demo cassette got them to the attention of College Radio when they were still in their teens. In her 2010 memoir Rat Girl (published in the UK as Paradoxical Undressing), Hersh noted that the Muses in their early days were too young to drink in the venues that they played, and if they happened to go for a stroll before a gig, they got used to club doormen refusing them entry to their own shows on account of their age.

* RapidFireNo:

->'Break your arm, it ain't your face\\
Wear shoes, jealous, fuck you, stand up.'

->'No more backs\\

Nonononononononononononononono'

Hersh is one of the pioneers of direct distribution of music over the internet, forming CASH Music in 2008 with Donita Sparks of Music/L7 as a way of bypassing the mainstream music industry.

The band is now entirely audience-funded, operating under Hersh's Strange Angels patron scheme, whereby a quarterly subscription entitles members to new CDs in advance of the release date, downloads, namechecks in liner notes, spots on the guest list for gigs, etc.

A 1988 joint UK tour with [[ThePixies the Pixies]] in support of their second album ''House Tornado'' made them darlings of the UK independent music scene, which was charmed by the dissonance between their friendly and self-deprecating offstage demeanour and their intense, even frightening stage presence: a Pitchfork writer once asked 'Does Kristin Hersh have the most terrifying voice in rock?'

Hersh is one of the pioneers of direct distribution of music over the internet, forming CASH Music in 2008 with Donita Sparks of L7 as a way of bypassing the mainstream music industry.

Langston left in 1990. In 1991, Donelly left amicably to be bass player in The Breeders and then formed her own band, Belly, which went on to have chart success: 'Feed the Tree' got to No 1 on the US Modern Rock Track chart.

Not long after the band formed, the teenage Hersh was seriously injured in a car accident, and after that began to present symptoms which were initially diagnosed as schizophrenia but later rediagnosed as bipolar disorder. Later in life, after she was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, her actual problem turned out to be dissociative disorder: she had a split personality, and the other one was the one that did the music. (For 31 years, she had no memory of writing or performing any of her own songs. It now appears to have cleared up.) In any case, it was in the wake of Hersh's accident that her songwriting in particular began to present themes of disassociation, mental breakdown and panic using eccentric song structures and intricately worked arrangements that mixed up JanglePop with healthy amounts of {{Angst}}. The two guitarists formed a VocalTagTeam, and the band's constant touring and self-recorded demo cassette got them to the attention of College Radio when they were still in their teens. In her 2010 memoir Rat Girl (published in the UK as Paradoxical Undressing), Hersh noted that the Muses in their early days were too young to drink in the venues that they played, and if they happened to go for a stroll before a gig, they got used to club doormen refusing them entry to their own shows on account of their age.

Langston left in 1990 and in 1991, Donelly left amicably to be bass player in The Breeders and then formed her own band, Belly, which went on to have chart success: 'Feed the Tree' got to No 1 on the US Modern Rock Track chart.

* SlasherSmile: Hersh tends to sing with one, when she's not giving the audience a KubrickStare. Early in the Muses' career, a friend filmed them and when Hersh and Narcizo watched the footage, they were horrified to see what they actually looked like while performing.

* {{Wangst}}: For a band with such dark subject matter and a main songwriter with a history of various diagnoses as to her mental condition, notably averted: Hersh insists that her songs aren't self-expression and could be about anyone.

* Wangst: For a band with such dark subject matter and a main songwriter with a history of various diagnoses as to her mental condition, notably averted: Hersh insists that her songs aren't self-expression and could be about anyone.

A 1988 joint UK tour with the Pixies in support of their second album House Tornado, made them darlings of the UK independent music scene, which was charmed by the dissonance between their friendly and self-deprecating offstage demeanour and their intense, even frightening stage presence: a Pitchfork writer once asked 'Does Kristin Hersh have the most terrifying voice in rock?'

In the late 80s and early 90s, the Muses released a series of albums which helped codify AlternativeRock, even if (as they today concede) they sometimes succumbed to ExecutiveMeddling -- Hersh refuses to play 'Dizzy', the main single from Hunkpapa, on the grounds that she didn't like it then and doesn't like it now. In spite of this, as the decade went on they did better and better: 1995's University got to No 10 on the UK Albums Chart.

In 2003, the Muses got back together with a second self-titled album (featuring the return of Donelly, but only on backing vocals.) In 2004 Hersh formed hardcore trio 50 Foot Wave, which has been described as 'Throwing Muses, if they were faster, meaner and also swore a lot'; the band pioneered the now-commonplace pay-what-you-can scheme for its recordings. In 2013 another Muses album appeared, Purgatory / Paradise, to glowing reviews (but minus Donelly). Since then, the reformed band has toured the USA and Europe with Donelly as support.

Hersh is one of the pioneers of direct distribution of music over the internet, forming CASH Music in 2008 with Donita Sparks of L7 as a way of bypassing the mainstream music industry. She

Between 1985 and 1986, the period covered by Hersh's book, the band signed a deal with UK label 4AD; Hersh was hospitalised following a suicide attempt; the Muses recorded their first album, and Hersh got pregnant (and, in an entirely unrelated development, formed an improbable friendship with Hollywood actress Betty Hutton, but that's another story.) Their first album earned them critical respect but not exactly massive sales. In the US, the band signed with Sire, but over time they realised that the label had signed them in order to attract other alternative bands that it was more interested in.