Violent Femmes - eponymous

This morning I woke up with "Good Feeling" in my head. I don't really think of the Violent Femmes as music I necessarily want to start my day with, but it was kind of nice to sing those lyrics as I puttered around making breakfast. Since this album was pretty close to the front of my next drawer of cds, I decided it was meant to be. I grabbed the cd and headed for the grocery store. By the time I pulled into the parking lot, I was banging my hands on the steering wheel and singing/screaming along. Really satisfying.

This album is a total classic. I can't imagine too many arguments to the contrary. I'd love to be able to figure out the number of people who know all the words to these songs. I think it would be on the high end of that sort of statistic, especially among 30 - 45 years olds who went to high school in the U.S. I would also guess that most of us have some pretty vivid memories attached to these songs. On this album, the Violent Femmes achieved their own unique (and pretty-near-perfect) expression of teenage longing, anxiety and frustration. Those are emotions that burn images deep into your psyche. For some reason I always visualize my 9th grade World History room when I listen to this album. I also remember sitting on some random drunk guy's shoulders at the Lake Fairfax Festival while we all yelled the lyrics right back at the Violent Femmes. I was sixteen, terrified and excited, and I thought I might have even achieved being pretty cool for that moment.

I hadn't thought too much about who the Violent Femmes actually were before today. Turns out they are still going. This album was released in 1982. For the next twenty years they put out a ton of material, and they're still touring. I do remember them being amazing live. I loved that all three of them stood in a row at the front of the stage. I especially loved that the drummer was standing while he banged on a snare drum and a cymbal. What I didn't know then was that these guys came from Milwaukee. Who comes from Milwaukee??? I think that's cool. Apparently they got discovered by The Pretenders, who heard them playing on the streets.

In terms of the other albums by the Violent Femmes, I've never listened to them, and I don't feel the need. (Though if I should, please let me know!) I feel totally satisfied with this one nearly perfect album. The new cd version adds two extra tracks onto the end, which I think was a bad move. I think that "Good Feelings" is the best closing song you could ask for. But if you ignore that, "Violent Femmes" the album is so good from beginning to end. Most people know the first two tracks, "Blister in the Sun" and "Kiss Off" best. They're definite crowd pleasers. Personally, I've come to love the last two tracks the most. "Gone Daddy Gone" features a marimba, and it rocks. That's impressive.

I don't know how I would describe the Violent Femmes' music to someone who hasn't heard it. (But if you haven't, definitely jump on the chance to get this cd.) The cd sleeve describes it as a combination of "rock, folk, rockabilly, and original lyricism." On their website, they describe themselves in many different ways, starting with "the originators of folk punk." I just like that they have a sound that I've never heard replicated - though they've certainly influenced many bands - and that they made this one classic album that will always be really really fun to sing/scream along to, tapping into that teenage frustration with life.