History Music / ThrowingMuses

* ''The Real Ramona'' (1990): Praised by ''Rolling Stone'' as their most successful attempt to make a pop record. Less murky-sounding than previous releases; the first post-Langston album. A good place to start; by turns goofy and harrowing.

* ''University'' (1993)
* ''Limbo'' (1996)

* ''Red Heaven'' (1992): First post-Donelly album, and first with the current Hersh/Georges/Narcizo lineup. Blistering rock fury, including a duet with [[HuskerDu Bob Mould]].

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, FunkRock, 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").

Langston left in 1990. In 1991, Donelly left amicably to be bass player in Music/TheBreeders 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. Donelly also sang the duet, "You And Your Sister" with Kim Deal (Music/ThePixies) on the album ''Music/{{Blood}}'' (1991) by Music/ThisMortalCoil.

Langston left in 1990. In 1991, Donelly left amicably to be bass player in Music/TheBreeders 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.

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 [[SelfTitledAlbum first album]], and Hersh got pregnant. ''Throwing Muses'' earned them critical respect but not exactly massive sales. In the US, the band signed with Sire, but over time they realised that their US label, unlike their UK one, had signed them in order to attract other alternative bands that it was more interested in.

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 [[http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8046-throwing-muses/ once asked]] 'Does Kristin Hersh have the most terrifying voice in rock?'

* SopranoAndGravel: When Tanya Donelly was in the band they were a rare two-female version of this, with Hersh as the gravel, at least some of the time (see PerishingAltRockVoice, above.)

* ''Purgatory / Paradise'' (2013): Released as a book and CD, with 32 tracks and much downloadable extra material.

* ''Throwing Muses'' (2003): Known to fans as the "Uses" album because that's the bit of their name you can see on the front. Hailed by Pitchfork as 'triumphant' return after seven-year hiatus; much ass-kicking rock.

* ''House Tornado'' (1988): Very much in the same vein as its predecessor. The UK version has an interesting arty cover; the US version has an alternate cover chosen by Sire, with a photo of the band suggesting that Sire wanted to market them as a more wacky version of the Bangles.

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, FunkRock, 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 the late 80s and early 90s, the Muses released a series of albums which helped codify AlternativeRock, even if (as they today concede) they very briefly succumbed to ExecutiveMeddling in an attempt to make their music more radio-friendly -- 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. Their self-belief was justified in that once they stopped trying to make their music more accessible, they did better and better commercially: 1995's ''University'' got to No 10 on the UK Albums Chart.

Langston left in 1990. In 1991, Donelly left amicably to be bass player in Music/TheBreeders 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.

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; Hersh said that they simply ran out of money. She pursued a solo career, which has yielded nine solo albums from ''Hips and Makers'' to 2010's ''Crooked'', possibly the first album ever to be issued as a book.

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, minus Donelly, who was re-starting her own musical career after spending several years focusing on her other career as a doula. ''Purgatory / Paradise'' got glowing reviews. Since then, the reformed band has toured the USA and Europe with Donelly as support.

* MinisculeRocking: Purgatory / Paradise is all about this, with 32 songs, some of them only a minute and a half long.

The two guitarists formed a VocalTagTeam, and the band's constant touring and self-recorded demo cassette got them to the attention of CollegeRadio when they were still in their teens. In her 2010 memoir ''Paradoxical Undressing'' (published in the US as ''Rat Girl'', because according to Hersh her US publishers felt that the original title had too many syllables), 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.

* 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.

* ''Throwing Muses'' (1986): Debut album, produced by Gil Norton. Every song is a winner; in the opinion of many fans, one of their finest albums.

* ''Hunkpapa'' (1989): ExecutiveMeddling kicks in on some tracks, but also features classic songs such as the terrifying 'Mania'.

* LyricalDissonance: The lyrics of 'Sunray Venus' are about a day at the beach. The song sounds like it's a day at the beach IN HELL.

The two guitarists formed a VocalTagTeam, and the band's constant touring and self-recorded demo cassette got them to the attention of CollegeRadio 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.

* SopranoAndGravel: When Tanya Donelly was in the band they were a rare two-female version of this, with Hersh as the gravel, at least some of the time (see PershingAltRockVoice, above.)

* IAmTheBand: Hersh, although she tries hard to avert it, never missing an opportunity to heap praise on the other members.

* 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.

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 commercially: 1995's ''University'' got to No 10 on the UK Albums Chart.

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.

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 [[CombatPragmatist decided to go with that\\. Hersh was the main songwriter and is now the only one; Donelly also wrote songs, and was lead singer on her own material until her departure in 1991.

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. Hersh was the main songwriter and is now the only one; Donelly also wrote songs, and was lead singer on her own material until her departure in 1991.

** It should be noted that this is a fan transcription. The original inner sleeve of the album had this:

-->Break your arm, it ain't your face\\

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Hersh and Narcizo, who've been friends since childhood; also Hersh and Donelly, who were schoolfriends that became step-sisters when their respective parents all got divorced and one of their parents married one of the other one's parents.

* ''Hunkpapa'' (1989): ExecutiveMeddling kicks in on some tracks, but also features classic songs such as the terrifying ''Mania''.

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 [[SelfTitledAlbum 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.) ''Throwing Muses'' earned them critical respect but not exactly massive sales. In the US, the band signed with Sire, but over time they realised that their US label, unlike their UK one, had signed them in order to attract other alternative bands that it was more interested in.

* MoodDissonance: One of Throwing Muses' fundamental tropes. Only Kirstin Hersh can sing a chorus like 'Open your mouth, you're blessed for the moment / Kisses all around' and make it sound like a threat.