One of the most distinctive records of the early alternative movement and an enduring cult classic, Violent Femmes weds the geeky, child-man persona of Jonathan Richman and the tense, jittery, hyperactive feel of new wave in an unlikely context: raw, amateurish acoustic folk-rock. The music also owes something to the Modern Lovers' minimalism, but powered by Brian Ritchie's busy acoustic bass riffing and the urgency and wild abandon of punk rock, the Femmes forged a sound all their own. Still   [ read more ]

CD $7.58

VINYL FORMAT. The Milwaukee trio's landmark 1983 self-titled debut (featuring "Blister In The Sun", "Add It Up", and "Gone Daddy Gone"), re-mastered by Ron McMaster at Capitol, pressed on 180-gram heavy vinyl, and including original packaging. This is the only record in history to be certified Platinum without ever breaking the Billboard Top 200, and it continues to be a fave on college campuses, in sports arenas, and on the radio.

LP $17.99

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After the surprise success of their landmark debut, Violent Femmes could have just released another collection of teen-rage punk songs disguised as folk, and coasted into the modern rock spotlight alongside contemporaries like the Modern Lovers and Talking Heads. Instead they made Hallowed Ground, a hellfire-and-brimstone-beaten exorcism that both enraged and enthralled critics and fans alike. Like Roger Waters purging himself of the memories of his father's death through The Wall   [ read more ]

CD $7.58

For their deluxe, two-disc reissue of the Violent Femmes' classic first album, Rhino pulled out all the stops, not only remastering the album and offering extensive liner notes, but adding a full 26 bonus tracks. Of these, 22 are previously unreleased -- the ones that have appeared before are demos and rare U.K. singles, plus a song previously released as a flexidisc in Alternative Press. The rest is a cornucopia of rarities: three songs that never were recorded in the studio ({&"How Do You    [ read more ]

CD $18.01

CD $8.51

A more mainstream effort courtesy of producer Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads). Gordon Gano returns to his troubled teen persona and the Violent Femmes rock harder than on their previous two releases. A nice cover of the T. Rex classic "Children of the Revolution" and the yearning "I Held Her in My Arms," complete with a horn section, are highlights. ~ Chris Woodstra, All Music Guide

CD $8.51

This quirky release shows the Violent Femmes casting far afield stylistically after the comparatively consistent (and excellent) platter Why Do Birds Sing? Only the catchy "4 Seasons" and the guitar-vocal-only "I'm Nothing" are in the jittery busking style of their previous album. There are a modest number of harder-rocking selections here, such as "Key of 2," "Don't Start Me on the Liquor," and the title track. The rest of the songs are highly eccentric, showing wide stylistic variation.    [ read more ]

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Add It Up is not quite the definitive Violent Femmes compilation one might hope for, even if it does feature 23 tracks and adds essential later items missing from their first comp, Debacle: The First Decade. There are several charming rarities to hook dedicated fans, who will likely find several favorites missing (perhaps another song or two could have been substituted for the between-song bits). The group's self-titled debut does a better job of encapsulating why they were important, and remains t   [ read more ]

CD $14.23

CD $14.23

The Violent Femmes' first album of new material to be released in the U.S. since 1994's muddled New Times (not counting the 1995 Australian release Rock!!!!!, reissued stateside in 1998), Freak Magnet is a pleasant surprise in its focus and consistency, marking yet another return to the group's folk-punk roots -- the punk side of the equation in particular. Gordon Gano plays electric guitar for much (though not all) of the record, turning in a series of concise, catchy pop nuggets   [ read more ]

CD $7.59

Two years after the release of their stripped-down and mellowed-out album 3, the Violent Femmes return with a disjointed and choppy but enjoyable album, Why Do Birds Sing?. This record is probably most famous for its cover of Culture Club's "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?." The acoustic sound they pioneered (way back before {#MTV Unplugged} was even thought of) is still here...for the most part. Many songs seem to be written as a foil to the depressing sound on 3, forsaking cohesiveness an   [ read more ]

CD $8.51

Add It Up is not quite the definitive Violent Femmes compilation one might hope for, even if it does feature 23 tracks and adds essential later items missing from their first comp, Debacle: The First Decade. There are several charming rarities to hook dedicated fans, who will likely find several favorites missing (perhaps another song or two could have been substituted for the between-song bits). The group's self-titled debut does a better job of encapsulating why they were important, and remains t   [ read more ]

CD $18.03