Album Of The Day

Hadn't heard before. Very nice.

There are hundreds of bands that sound like this. Why is this special?

Punk-Rock aus den 80ern. Wild, aber noch melodisch. Kann man sich anhören. 3/5

How are there two albums of Throwing Muses, Throwing Muses in completely different decades?

This feels like stepping into someone’s restless, brilliant subconscious. Kristin Hersh’s voice is the real hook here – tense, elastic, and emotionally jagged in a way that keeps you leaning in even when the songs themselves don’t fully lodge in your memory. The songwriting is quirky and off‑kilter enough to stay interesting, but nothing truly leaps out as a standout moment. It’s one of those albums where the vibe and the vocal delivery hit harder than any individual track. A solid, intriguing listen, even if it doesn’t quite leave a lasting mark.

Energetic female indierock? Post punk? Middle of the road. Don't remember anything from it after the weekend

I listened without the benefit of lyrics and, from what I subsequently read, that’ll have meant I missed the emotional heft of these songs. As piece of music, it’s intense, quite punky in places, and with its guitar driven tempo shifts either formed part of the early development of grunge or anticipated it (not sure of the timelines). For me, in fact, the most satisfying bit of this musically is the guitar sound when it’s providing the pre-explosion texture in the songs: it has a kind of unfiltered, unpolished quality that makes it sound really cool.

Wasn't super into this at first. Some tracks are more spirited than others, and I will admit that Kristin Hersh is a pretty unique vocalist. This isn't as abrasive as some would expect with an early post-punk record, in fact it's pretty melodic. Grew on me a little bit as things went along.

Kinda grew on me, but given the era. I’m surprised I didn’t enjoy it more.

This was pretty good, I knew of the band before now but had never really listened to them. I probably won't throw this into rotation on my own but wouldn't mind if it came on the "radio".

Liked it. Strong vocal performance. Band was good enough. 3/5 Might listen again

I kinda want to drone on about how great the Rhode Island scene was back in the day, but I don't want to be that boring old guy.

This was okay, I have to give it another listen. I feel kike there was another album of theirs that I liked marginally better but even then it was a couple standout tracks. I might just not be a super fan but I like the overall sound

3.5 (37:36, 10 tracks, debut, 1986) Post-punk, alternative rock (American on British label) Not to be confused with Throwing Muses (2003 album). I like this album, listened to it many times. I like both Belly and The Breeders. I ended up giving it a 3 as I don't see me revisiting much but in retrospect in 1986 this was a hell of an album. Sort of an early Hole album. Singles from Throwing Muses "Soul Soldier" Throwing Muses is the 1986 debut album of the band Throwing Muses, released on British independent label 4AD. This was the first album by an American band to be released on 4AD, which had concentrated primarily on British-based acts up to this point. The release marked a shift in the label's direction; a year later 4AD would sign Pixies based in part on the band's connection to Throwing Muses, and by the mid-1990s much of the label's roster was made up of American bands. Rhode Island band relocated to Boston. All the songs on the album were written by Kristin Hersh, with the exception of "Green", written by Tanya Donelly. Tanya and Kristin are step sisters, Kristin’s parents divorced and her mom ended up marring her best friend Tanya’s dad. They formed “The Muses” when they were 14. Tanya went on to form The Breeders (w/ Kim Deal of The Pixies) and went on to form her own band Belly. Kristin formed 50FootWave. The album was produced by Gil Norton, who went on to produce albums for Pixies. The band considers the album to be untitled, with Throwing Muses the name they give to another album released in 2003. Around the early 1990s, the album went out of print, as plans were made by the band's American label, Sire Records to issue the album for the first time in the US, along with 1987's Chains Changed EP, which had also never seen American release. After Throwing Muses were dropped by Sire following the disappointing sales for 1995's critical favorite University, plans for the re-issue were dropped. The band later resurrected the re-issue project, issuing the 2-CD compilation In a Doghouse in 1998 on 4AD (DAD607CD) in the UK, and on Rykodisc in the USA. This compilation not only contained the debut LP and EP as originally planned, but also (on the second CD) the demo tape that convinced 4AD president Ivo Watts-Russell to sign the band; newly recorded versions of songs originally written in the band's early years; and the band's award-winning 1987 video for the song "Fish". AllMusic a "powerful debut" whose "startling collision of punk energy, folky melodicism, and Kristin Hersh's mercurial voice and lyrics...puts the work of most self-consciously 'tortured' artists to shame." "fluid, effortless emotional shifts"—also described as "violent, vibrant mood swings". Spin called it, "a record of dense textures, guitar splatter and belljar lyrics. The fragmented sound of Throwing Muses, a college girl's dining hall conversation set to antagonistic electric screeching, was painful, self-loathing, man-love-hating, ". 1) "Call Me" The band's primary songwriter, Kristin Hersh, often writes surreal and fragmented lyrics, the song is generally interpreted as a reflection of her experience with mental health struggles—specifically the dissociative disorder she was navigating at the time. The central demand of "Call me" is often seen as a desperate plea for attention or a tether to reality. In the context of Hersh’s memoir Rat Girl, it can represent the internal dialogue between her conscious self and the musical persona (which she called "Rat Girl") that seemed to take over during periods of intense creativity and dissociation. One of the most specific lyrical moments describes a character named Peter calling the narrator "Moonshine." The narrator responds with, "I just said, 'You let him call you that? This is your name!'"—suggesting a conflict over identity and how others perceive or label her versus who she actually is. The lyrics explore themes of being "dug five feet deep" and feeling as though others are looking in a mirror but seeing the narrator instead of themselves, highlighting a sense of isolation and misperception. The song’s meaning is also conveyed through its erratic structure. It begins with a tense, abrasive post-punk throb and "yelpy" vocals, but unexpectedly shifts into a "pretty waltz-time" section with sleigh bells. Critics and Hersh herself have described her early performances as sounding "psychotic" or like an "exorcism," reflecting the chaos of her mental state as she used music to process internal trauma and noise. In essence, "Call Me" serves as an introduction to the "exquisitely human struggle" of Kristin Hersh—a raw, visceral attempt to communicate through the "circus" in her head. 2) “Green" written and sung by Tanya Donelly, the song is often interpreted as a haunting exploration of childhood innocence, loss, and the surreal nature of memory. The recurring line, "There's one boy / In one house / In one place / At all times / And green eyes," anchors the song in a specific, fixed memory. The "green eyes" serve as a striking visual focal point, representing a person or a moment that remains unchanging and "haunting" in the narrator's mind. Unlike the more aggressive and abrasive tracks on the album written by Kristin Hersh, Donelly's "Green" is described as ethereal and haunting. It deals with themes of displacement and vulnerability, using imagery like a "phoenix burning my bed" and "kneeling in my ashes". The lyrics ask repeated, fragmented questions—"Who are you for? What is this?"—suggesting a search for identity or a struggle to understand a relationship that has become unrecognizable or "burned inside out". Because only about 2% of the global population has green eyes, they are frequently associated with creativity, intelligence, and an enigmatic personality in popular psychology. 3) "Hate My Way" is one of the most prominent tracks, while it is often felt as a raw anthem of teenage angst and frustration, Kristin Hersh has explained that the lyrics are a "conglomeration of ideas" rather than a singular personal confession. The opening lines—"I could be a smack freak / And hate society / I could hate God / And blame Dad"—are not autobiographical. Hersh revealed in her memoir, Rat Girl, that they paraphrase a conversation she had with a student on campus who was handing out pamphlets about "killing God" and rising above the church. The song was also influenced by a 1984 shooting at a McDonald's in San Diego. This adds to the song's darker themes of "encroaching awareness of evil" and societal violence. Like much of the band's early work, the song was written during a period when Hersh was experiencing undiagnosed dissociative disorder. She has described these early songs as "screaming themselves" at her, often feeling like they were written by another personality she called "Rat Girl". The title phrase, "I hate my way," suggests a rejection of one's own current state or path. Critics interpret it as a struggle with the "horror" and trauma of youth, expressed through erratic shifts in tempo and Hersh's "sugar-and-vinegar" vocal delivery. The song is filled with surreal and unsettling imagery that reinforces a sense of being trapped. References to a "screaming" kitchen, pillow, and shoes suggest that the narrator's distress is pervasive and inescapable. Phrases like "a gun in my head" and "I'm invisible" highlight the psychological weight and isolation Hersh felt while navigating mental health challenges. Mr. Huberty (James Huberty) was the 41-year-old perpetrator who entered a McDonald's in San Diego and killed 21 people before being stopped by a police sniper. The lyric "Mr. Huberty had a gun in his head" refers to his mental state and his eventual death by a single shot to the head or chest from a SWAT marksman. Gerry Ann (Gerry Ann Gallegos) was one of the victims of the massacre. In the song, the line "Gerry Ann was confused" likely reflects the sudden, senseless chaos of the attack where patrons were ordered to the floor before being indiscriminately shot. The "boy tangled in his bike forever" (referring to 11-year-old Joshua Coleman or his friends who were shot while riding their bikes in the parking lot). 4) "Vicky's Box" is a powerful, dissonant track from their 1986 self-titled debut album. Like many of Kristin Hersh’s early songs, its meaning is layered between literal objects and intense emotional states. Despite various fan theories, Kristin Hersh has stated that the title refers to an actual physical box she received as a gift. The "Vicky" in the title is Victoria Cessna, an artist and friend of Hersh's (and wife of musician Slim Cessna). When the band's A&R representative at the time tried to probe for "spicy confessionals" or specific meanings regarding the song's "homosexuality references," Hersh famously told him, "Please stop listening to the lyrics". Critics often describe the song as a "tale of domestic hell" or a "cage". It explores themes of entrapment and imprisonment, using the "box" as a metaphor for a home or a body that feels like a confined space. The lyrics contain oblique imagery—such as "carnival wigs" and "two shiners"—that alludes to identity questioning and a sense of "soul-freezing" power. The repeated cry of "welcome home" in the song is described by The Guardian as being as "appetizing as a cockroach infestation," subverting the idea of home as a place of comfort and instead presenting it as a source of rage and horror. The song’s structure reflects this internal turmoil, beginning with a "hard groove" and "shimmering riffs" before descending into a "one-chord noise fest" and "demented psychobilly". Overall, the song is viewed as an experiential piece rather than a traditional narrative, designed to make the listener feel the raw "aggression and mental chaos" Hersh was navigating at the time. 5) "Rabbits Dying" Like much of the album, the song’s meaning is elusive, but Kristin Hersh and fans have offered several layers of interpretation: In an interview on Eyesore.no, Hersh described the song as being about "not being too safe... not living in danger". She has also characterized the song as exploring how "danger and rain keep you safe and dry," using the imagery of a lean-to (a simple shelter) to represent a fragile sense of protection. The lyrics describe a character who is "crawling on the trail" with legs "giving out" while running in the rain. This suggests a state of exhaustion, collapse, or a desperate attempt to reach "home." Some listeners interpret the title as a reference to the historical "rabbit test" for pregnancy, where a positive result was colloquially called "the rabbit died". One prominent interpretation suggests the song is about a homeless runaway facing an unplanned pregnancy; when presented with this theory, Hersh confirmed. Written during Hersh's period of undiagnosed dissociative disorder, the song's fragmented structure and "glassy-eyed" vocal delivery reflect the mental chaos and "shifting personalities" she experienced at the time. "Stay in, stay in / It rains" reinforces a theme of seeking refuge from an overwhelming or "evil" external world, a sentiment echoed in other songs on the album like "Hate My Way" 6) "America (She Can't Say No)" the song is a visceral, fragmented expression of internal trauma, fear, and dissociation rather than a traditional political or social commentary. The lyrics—"America can't say no / Stand up / She can't stand up"—depict a state of total vulnerability and inability to resist or move. This reflects the "barking fear" and psychosexual dread that characterizes the album's atmosphere. Written when Hersh was 18 and experiencing undiagnosed dissociative disorder, the "She" in the song often represents a fractured part of her own identity. Hersh has described her lyrics from this era as a "puking over the music," where her subconscious spoke through "bones and muscles" rather than planned self-expression. The song includes haunting lines like "It was a funeral / Mine," suggesting a loss of self or a symbolic death occurring within the narrator's mind. Similar to "Hate My Way," this track is part of Hersh's exploration of an "encroaching awareness of evil". The lyrics use disjointed commands ("Follow the road / Swallow a snake") to convey a sense of being controlled or manipulated by internal "demons". The song is noted for its unorthodox structure and "mercurial" vocal delivery, shifting between a "carnal cry" and a terrified whisper. Critics highlight it as one of the tracks that established Hersh's reputation for writing "belljar lyrics"—intensely private and claustrophobic observations that feel like a "dining hall conversation set to antagonistic electric screeching". Bell jar I guess just means lyrics that are covered by glass. A bell jar is a glass jar, shaped like a bell, used in laboratories to create a vacuumThe Metaphor: In literature (most famously Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar), it symbolizes entrapment and isolation. A person under a bell jar can see the world but is cut off from it, breathing their own "stale air." In Music: Labeling Hersh's lyrics as "belljar" suggests they are intensely private, claustrophobic, and reflect a mind trapped within its own trauma or distorted perception. 7) “Fear" refers to both a specific early song and a recurring atmospheric theme in their work. "Fear" is an early track that appeared on the band's 1985 Doghouse demo tape (also known as The Doghouse Cassette). The song is noted for its high level of experimentalism, featuring sampled vocals and noise to create a disorienting, claustrophobic effect. It is often cited as a prime example of the band's ability to sing about panic and despair as if they were everyday occurrences, making the listener feel the "bloody realism" of mental distress. Broadly, fear is the "keynote" of the band's 1986 self-titled debut album. Kristin Hersh’s early lyrics are frequently described as fighting off "night fears" and a general sense of "unidentified psychosexual dread". The "Encouraching Awareness of Evil": Many critics point to "Hate My Way" as the centerpiece of this theme—a song that induces fear by exploring the encroaching awareness of societal and internal evil. 8 “Stand Up" is less a song of empowerment and more a frantic, rhythmic exploration of paralysis and identity. Following the track "America (She Can't Say No)," where the narrator repeatedly laments "She can't stand up," this song acts as the urgent, almost violent response. It represents a desperate attempt to regain control over a body and mind that feel frozen or "stuck" in a dissociative state. The lyric "I'm your mirror / You're my mirror" suggests a terrifying lack of boundaries. For Kristin Hersh, who was experiencing undiagnosed bipolar disorder and hallucinations at the time, this reflected the feeling that she didn't exist as a solid person, but only as a reflection of the "noise" or personalities (like the "Rat Girl") inside her. The song includes the line "I'm a mother / You're a mother / She's a mother / She's evil," which twists the traditional concept of maternal safety into something dark and threatening. This mirrors the album's broader theme of domestic horror and the subversion of "home" and "family" as safe spaces. The song is built on a nervous, jittery guitar riff and a driving beat that feels like a racing heartbeat. It’s meant to sound uncomfortable—capturing the physical anxiety of trying to "stand up" when your brain is telling you that you are falling apart. In her memoir Rat Girl, Hersh describes these songs as "liquid," flowing out of her as a way to survive the "hallucinatory weather" in her head. "Stand Up" is the sound of that survival instinct in real-time. 9) "Soul Soldier" characterized by its shifting tempos and vivid, battlefield-inspired imagery. Like many songs on the album, it was born during a turbulent period in Kristin Hersh's life, which she describes as the "Doghouse" era—a time of intense creative "possession" and undiagnosed mental health challenges. The song uses war metaphors to describe a fractured or intense relationship. Lyrics like "He crawls along the battlefield / The sky spitting shells" and "Fate spits in his face" suggest a character struggling through a hostile environment, possibly representing the narrator's partner or an internal facet of herself. The refrain "She needs her soul, soul soldier" implies a search for a protector or a grounding force amidst chaos. It reflects the album's recurring theme of needing a "tether" to reality or emotional safety. The line "That cut / That kills the knife" is a classic Hersh paradox, suggesting an action or emotion so intense it destroys the very thing causing the pain, reflecting the theme of "forces a heartbreak". In the song, Hersh repeatedly calls out "Danu, Danu". Danu is a complex figure, appearing as an Irish mother goddess (associated with fertility and the earth) and a Hindu water goddess. Her presence adds a mythic, timeless layer to the song’s exploration of suffering and need. In later live performances, Hersh altered the lyrics to include the line "An apple run to heaven, damn you, damn you, goddamn you," heightening the song's sense of spiritual frustration and raw intensity. The song is famous for its two-part structure: It begins with a "grumbly, growling Afrobeat riff" that creates a tense, driving energy. It then pivots into a "stretch of backwoods raga," showcasing the band’s signature "mercurial" mood swings and unconventional song shapes. In Hersh's memoir, Rat Girl, she describes these early songs as "ugly tattoos" that wrote themselves onto her skin—inescapable and permanent documents of her struggle with trauma and identity. 10) "Delicate Cutters" is the haunting final track, widely considered one of Kristin Hersh’s most "chilling" accounts of a mind losing its balance, often compared to the literature of Sylvia Plath (The Bell Jar) or Charlotte Perkins Gilman (The Yellow Wallpaper). The term "delicate cutters" was a label used at the time to describe mentally ill young people who engaged in self-harm by giving themselves shallow cuts. The lyrics describe a room full of these individuals—"All sitting down, the room has many doors / All but one of them are closed"—symbolizing a state of shared but isolated suffering. The central imagery of throwing one's hands or head through a window ("I throw my hands through the window, crash / Like poetry") represents a violent, desperate attempt to break through the "glass wall" of dissociation or mental illness. The "Last Step" for Kristin Hersh, this song serves as a deliberate conclusion to the "most obscure chapter" of her life. It was written during the period she calls the "Doghouse" era, when she was 18–19 years old, pregnant, and experiencing undiagnosed dissociative disorder and hallucinations. Closing the Door: Hersh has described the song as a "purgatory" that she needed to get through before giving birth to her son, Dylan. It marks the end of her "psychotic" debut album, clearing the way for her to enter the "physical plane" of motherhood. Musical Structure The song is famous for its extreme tension. The Vocal "Tightrope": Hersh moves from a "telluric" accuracy in describing her hallucinations to a vocal performance that critics describe as "doing a tightrope on her vocal chords"—shifting from terrifying whispers to erratic intensity. By the end of the track, the "room full of delicate cutters" is transformed as a figure goes around "opening the doors," suggesting a potential for escape or a different ending Her 2010 memoir Rat Girl (published in the UK as Paradoxical Undressing) is based on a diary she wrote when she was 18, touring with Throwing Muses, diagnosed with bipolar disorder and pregnant with her first child. Rob Sheffield in The New York Times called it an "uncommonly touching punk memoir," and named it No. 8 in Rolling Stone's "25 Greatest Rock Memoirs of All Time." Her 2015 book Don't Suck, Don't Die: Giving Up Vic Chesnutt, is a rumination on her friendship with the singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt. She cites him as being one of her songwriting influences with his "fluid timing and the grace of a melody that breaks the rules of meter." Hersh was married to her former manager Billy O'Connell for 25 years and they divorced in 2013. They have four sons. As of 2020, she is engaged to former Throwing Muses bassist Fred Abong. Hersh has talked openly about her bouts with mental illness and its role in her musical process. When she was 16, she was struck by a car while riding her bicycle, suffering a double concussion that affected the way she hears sounds. She described it as hearing ambient sounds continuously and "the sounds would alter their sonic vocabulary until I was hearing syllables, and drums... then all these words would come". She has said that hearing "pieces of songs" in her mind compelled her to take the pieces apart and craft songs from them. She claims that she doesn't remember writing her early songs—that "they wrote her". Hersh has synesthesia; she sees musical chords in colors. She has had more than one diagnosis (and misdiagnoses) for her condition including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and most recently post-traumatic and dissociative disorders, which she says have been successfully treated with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. All songs written by Kristin Hersh except "Green", written by Tanya Donelly. Favorite Tracks: Green and Vicky’s Box, Soul Soldier is good. 1. "Call Me" 3:59 2. "Green" 3:04 3. "Hate My Way" 4:06 4. "Vicky's Box" 5:09 5. "Rabbits Dying" 3:49 6. "America (She Can't Say No)" – 2:47 7. "Fear" 2:45 8. "Stand Up" 2:56 9. "Soul Soldier" 5:10 10. "Delicate Cutters" 3:53 Throwing Muses is Kristin Hersh – guitars, vocals, synthesizer Tanya Donelly – guitars, vocals, percussion Leslie Langston – bass David Narcizo – drums, percussion Dave Knowles – keyboards Ronald Stone – additional guitar Gil Norton – production

5/10

I like this, but, do you know what else I like? Albums that I can actually check out without the need of a Frankenstein playlist!

It was ok. Sounds a bit more early 90s than 80s, I think.

Groupe connu par le morceau 'Fish', présent dans la compilation 'Lonely is an Eyesore' de 4AD. C'est la première fois que j'écoute un album entier. Les premiers morceaux sont vraiment originaux (structure non standard, changements de rythme, harmonies), mais il s’essouffle un peu vers la fin. Je l'écouterais de nouveau avec plaisir, mais il ne rejoindra donc pas ma collection. Par contre il m'a vraiment donné envie de découvrir d'autres albums du groupe. =>3/5

Theres an energy and a tempo to this which is fun but the songs ultimately run together for me and I barely realised it had started again. Very 3pm at a music festival or 9pm at the pub. RYM: N Saved a song: N

L’ho ascoltato troppo poco per valutarlo, ciò nonostante gli do un 3

It was ok, fell a little bit into the background but when I remembered what I was listening to, I quite liked the sound.

The gothic tangle of spikes, Siouxie-esque lament, diatribe and gargoyle is boldly unpretty, but its turbulence doesn’t exhilarate me. I admire it, and hear its kinship to subsequent records by I love - Fugazi, Come and Shannon Wright pick up some of the same threads - but it hasn’t taken off today.

Écoute très hachée entre le fait que ça durait 1h40, puis que ça n'était pas le bon album Mais les propositions sont sympa, la voix est bonne et donne une identité à l'album Par contre je n'aime pas du tout la guitare qui est stridente sur certains morceaux et qui entache l'album

Good solid rock. Above average even, but it's still not above 3 stars. This came out in the 2000s and the average stream count on Spotify for a song is about 50k. Not exactly in high demand. Good, but not great.

Intresting

They buried their best songs at the end of the album! Half blast is my favourite on the album, and it’s second last! Overall a fun album, I enjoyed it. Incredibly 90s.

There it is and there it goes.

Some nice guitar work and quite like her voice too, but nothing is particularly memorable.

Never heard of this group before, but their overall sound wasn't unpleasant, can't pick out any particular favourite tracks.

A name I know but not music that I'm familiar with. This wasn't on Spotify but I found it on YouTube. I'm glad I did, I enjoyed this. I liked the first half of this album is a bit strong than the second half. Still enjoyed it throughout, though

It was alright. Struggled to finis.

Did I know anything about Throwing Muses when i saw this album come up? No. Did I listen to the wrong album on spotify until I finally dug up a working link on YouTube (https://youtu.be/E1Xd2jY3zWQ?si=qRGWAvb1b2HpUJ6r)? Yes. Did I like this? It was good. Maybe a bit repetitive but you can hear why they meshed so well with The Pixies on 4AD.

It had potential, but for whatever reason, didn’t fully land with me. It’s punk-ish (or post-punk?) with a female vocalist, which I should love; there was just never quite anything gripping about it. Maybe worth revisiting. 3.5

Pretty good? I won't come back but was a pretty smooth listen.

PJ Harvey esc

I didn't know a lot about Throwing Muses and I'd kind of lumped them in with the 90s Riot Grrrl movement. Listening to their 80s debut, I realised they were a bit more interesting than that, but the album still didn't really do it for me. A high three.

The name is throwing muses but the name on the cover is in a doghouse, since idk which is the right one, the mark is given to in a doghouse.

This is the first time I come across this band and I was pleasantly surprised. The songs flow nicely into one another. The raw female vocals alongside the frequent tempo changes and the playful guitar riffs build up a particular atmosphere that develops with each song. The album is not afraid to try out some interesting stuff such as the folky segment in "Rabbits Dying". Not all songs work for me but I was amused by the bold mood swings that sometimes happen even in the same song. My favorite song is "Green".

Note: One of the top reviews here says that the Spotify album link is correct. As of February 2026, that is not the case. Spotify links to a completely different album that’s also titled “Throwing Muses.” The correct album is on YouTube. The bleating in the singing was a little grating. I really loved “Hate My Way.” Most of this sounds somehow generic to me (although it probably sounded fresher at the time). It is impressive that Kristin Hersh started the band at just 14 and released this album at 20.

2.8

Pretty good, sounded a little bit like No Doubt with less Reggae.

Not the 2003 album but the 1986 album which is now only available as the first part of "In a Doghouse"... It took me some research to figure all that out. Anyway, I quite liked it! Sort of like the precursor to The Pixies. Quirky Indie Rock.

Pretty decent…

Very eccentric and it charmed me for the most part. Don't know if I'll revisit it.

Can definitely hear how influential this was on a lot of later stuff that I really like but I don't really like this all that much. Heard worse.

Vaihteeksi vähän mielenkiintoisempaa musaa. Tämän voisi joskus kuunnella uusiksi.

Throwing Muses mashes ’70s punk energy with proto-’90s grunge in a female-led post-punk package, where the vocals sometimes veer into bleating-goat territory, though the cowbell helps.

Hey pretty cool (sorry i don't have the energy to develop...) 3.5

Bastante bueno, buenas propuestas intensas con voces enseguida atrapantes. Me gustó. Aún no lo amo, pero podría entrarle al grupo y seguramente apreciarlo mucho más.

No. 98 Weird fondness for this album, very gritty.

"Pretty or Not", "Status Quo", "Speed and Sleep" really held my attention. The rest wasn't bad, but nothing to write home about. Still, a good effort.

Very Kate Bush warbling.

Very good album. I imagine it was ground breaking when it came out. Influenced a lot of groups and opened the way for the grung era a few years later. Didnt love it but it is a good album that all should listen to

Without a doubt, this definitely sounds like an album from this list

3.5/5

I feel like liking this more would make me feel cooler than I am, but I guess I'm just kinda cool...because I just kinda liked it.

Not bad. 3/5

Before: I think a like them a little but not that much as I'm pretty sure they don't have any tracks on my favorites by years lists. I think I saw them perform at Frijoleros in Atlanta in the late 80's. During: This was hard to listen to in a logistical sense so that my affect my rating a little. The album is not on Spotify or Amazon so I had to listen to individual songs on YouTube. I did find all of them except "And A She-wolf After The War". There were a few tracks I might add to my 1986 play list if they were on Spotify. After: Average track rating was 2.6 so I'm giving this a 3 overall.

Im surprised I’ve never heard of this band before. They should be so much bigger! Really interesting album.

A very listenable, if unremarkable, example of 80s post-punk. This is a record I imagine I'd love if I was getting into the genre for the first time, but as it is, it's only decent rather than special. Sometimes let down by the production

Some of the songs are a little on the harder side for me, but over all it’s very 90’s grunge alternative. And we love a woman fronted band!

Not my traditional go to genre, but this psychedelic punk has been creeping on me recently. The indie rock feel mixed with the punk/psychedelic feel really makes for a unique and entertaining album. I enjoyed listening to this album and would give this type of music more of a chance bc of throwing muses.

This was kind of ok - it's a bit erratic at times and weird but I'm not sure that ruins it, at least not completely. I would listen to it again, even if just out of curiosity, and that in my books it's about 3 stars.

Was only able to find this album on YouTube - it was a recording from a cassette. Throwing Muses is always fascinating, and this album lives up to that.

Album #32 Throwing Muses: Throwing Muses Really unique and interesting album that I hadn’t heard of before. As a fan of Pixies, I can sort of hear similarities in the eccentric vocal inflections and quick change in volumes and tempo, which seems like that was the late 80s alternative style. Also think the vocalist sounds like Geddy Lee at times, which is funny. The lyricism is pretty good, especially for how young they were when the album came out; though I would probably relate to this album’s themes a lot more if I were a teenage girl. The first half of the album is pretty damn good, but around the middle and towards the end, I find myself getting a little tired of the abrasive style. Even then, the album never strikes me as being bad, and at its best, it is certainly good. One of the more interesting bands that I have discovered from this list, and I would definitely listen to more from them. Best Songs: Green, Hate My Way, Delicate Cutters Worst Song: Soul Soldier Score Out of 10: 6.5

I've heard of Throwing Muses since my teenage years but they never seemed to come up on 120 Minutes or my local alternative station, although Tanya Donnelly certainly did with the Breeders and Belly. Of those three Donnelly-bands, this is my third favorite. I appreciate what they were doing but a little too jagged for me without enough pill.

Surprising sound on a good first release. Wish this band, when young, had achieved more traction across the country.

The original Throwing band before Cooper came along for a breakthrough in the alternative scene in a mid 80s scene.

Doesn’t feel too far removed from Siouxsie & The Banshees, from whom I’ve had 2 albums recently. Some of the vocals were at times a little warbling and annoying but on the whole, no real problem. It’s interesting and varied, some adjacency to bands like the Pixies. I’d never heard of them before but some post-punk with 90s indie and grunge vibes in 1986 certainly piqued my interest.

Not bad for a girl

3. It's ok.

It was okay, I'm sure it had a better impact when it came out, but it didn't do it for me, however, this seems like a cool record, sounds great and I didn't get bored. It's good

40/1089 3.4412* This is a somewhat surprising album for the mid 80s. It was original and think I heard some Siouxsie and Cindi lauper influence. Then some vocals that could have influenced Courtney love. Good album.

Veruca Salt and Hole sound like descendants of this band, and that’s okay.

Pretty good!

Enough to keep me interested without ever blowing me away

Pretty good!

Nope. Not for me.

Overwhelmingly mid

I’d never heard of the Throwing Muses before but I really dug this album and their new wave rock/punk vibe and sound! This sounded like an album that is right up my alley so I’m shocked I’d never heard of them before! Overall, I enjoyed listening to this album and I would definitely listen to it again and explore some of their other albums in the future! (Sad it wasn’t on Spotify but I was able to listen to it on YouTube!)

An album where my enjoyment depended on the song I was listening to. Sometimes it was great, sometimes it was like listening to depressed farm animals forming a band, and I'm not sure there was much difference between the songs. Nonetheless, I'm glad I listened to it, it's a unique one

Good debut album, good sound, good vibe. Hard to be more detailed but it's a good listen. I should say good a few more times. Strong three, weak four.

A strong debut album. Little surprised I had never heard of them. I like a lot of what the instrumentation is doing . The vocals are hit or miss, and on the later tracks I got a little burned out. Green is my favorite track.

really hard to find this one and I'm lazy.

My riot grrrl heart is fed. That back end is ROUGH but there are some gems in the first half worth returning to.

Definitely a band I've not heard of that clearly has their finger on the pulse of the impending garage rock revival. That being said, this does sound like the type of music you'd find on MTV in the early 90s in between instances "Black Hole Sun" and "Jeremy"

For an 80s album it sounded a bit like some alternative college rock. It was decent enough but I am sure they had better albums than this one

I liked this. Mid-oughts great female vibes. Well done.

Ok. Maybe it hit different when it first came out.

Female punk rock

Heard of them but never heard a song before. I personally found this quite boring. It was energetic and had some melodies but I felt it was quite meaningless.

pretty solid

Особого восторга не вызвало, но в целом норм, пойдет

Okay. Not bad.

It was fine

S’il y a throwing muses en titre même si l’album est incroyable ça sera 1 étoile Les menteurs le nom de l’album c’est in a doghouse Bref C’est bien sans plus

Nice NY pop punk

Like the raw passion, don't like her voice, quite annoying after a while. 2.8

très honnêtement je m'attendais à détester, mais au final je me suis un peu laissée emporter par l'album qui oscille entre sons violents/agressifs et moments plus calmes. surtout je suis allée lire rapidement l'histoire de la conception de l'album et c'est quelque chose il faut dire! j'écouterais clairement pas ça tous les jours, mais en crise existentielle ça me paraît être plutôt approprié. un solide 3

Pretty decent post-punk influenced album. Vocals and music at points reminded me of Sleater Kinney, so maybe Throwing Muses were an influence on them. Overall, an enjoyable listen that I’ll probably come back too.

Really cool and interesting album! Loved the vocal delivery. It’s a good one but none of the tracks particularly jumped out to me.

Musically interesting - alt rock sounds. Lyrically sometimes a little trite, but it’s not awful even at its worst - trite in the way that a lot of 80’s punk lyrics are intentionally crude. Kind of reminds of bands like Sonic Youth or the Pixies - a little harder on the scale of alt rock sounds. Notable tracks include Call Me, Green, Soul Soldier.

Good 3. Love this!

Gwen Stefani owes this gal some $

Call Me 3.6 Green 3.6 Hate My Way 3.3 Vicky's Box 3.4 Rabbits Dying 3.3 America (She Can't Say No) 3.5 Fear 3.4 Stand Up 3.6 Soul Soldier 3.3 Delicate Cutters 3 Score: 3.4

I feel like every post punk album on here ends up in this vague space of "I like their vibe a lot. I feel pretty neutral about actually listening to their music tho."

It was alright. Nothing to write home about. A well made album but I’m not gonna rush to put it on again.

Quite enjoyed a punky edgy sound

Transported me. Early 80's punk - not radically changing the world (they thought they were by hating on it), but they did leave a mark, allow others to spin out in different ways. This album's not my thing, but the rating is 50% for the nostalgia of the sound and 50% for not sucking.

The album was taken off of Spotify for some reason so I have to do RESEARCH to find this thing

It’s okay but they had better albums later on

More EA SPORTS core

Parece la banda de Lindsay Lohan en Freaky Friday pero haciendo musica mas seria Uhmmm 3.0

This was a relief after the last few albums. I liked Green a lot. Not too much else to say here, though. Just a good album.

Pretty solid raw emotion on the album, I could dig the vibe. I’d love to listen to more of their stuff. 3 stars

Surprised I haven’t heard of them before. Pretty cool, more my speed than some others I’ve heard. Though I felt like a lot of the songs sounded a little similar to each other.

"Why do I want to die?" Damn. That hits hard.

V/rv

yes to women-lead punk!

Another pretty decent addition

I'd heard some of the later Throwing Muses albums before, then the solo albums by Kristin and Tanya. Thought those were decent pop-rock songs. Didn't know they'd started out a bit punk-y and early grunge. I like much of the music, but some of the singing is too screechy for me. (Man, I hate punk!) "Green" is good. "Soul Soldier" is probably the best one here. Soft though. Overall, I'm giving it a three. Some of the later stuff had better production and both lady's stopped using their screechy voices.

At its best when it's grungy, otherwise it's pretty middle of the road

The top comment is the wrong album — here's the right one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_5G-bBTpX4 It's tense, jittery and pretty fun

Fun discovery.

Not bad.

The fact I had to hunt around for this album makes me enjoy it more. Not on Apple Music, Spotify or SoundCloud. I found it on YouTube. Considering this was Throwing Muses compilation of early music. They have a lot of music later than this album on streaming services. It makes me want to check out some of their later work. Musically I enjoyed it. A bit of a punk vibe to it.

This was a cool experimental feeling pop album with some hints of punk

I like the energy which borrows from punk and grunge, I like Kristin Hersch's vocals. Not novel in 2003 I'd think.

Surprisingly nice vocals, otherwise not that impressive.

Cole

Alright indie alt rock with some punk vibes to it

This one took a bit of work just to track down theoriginal track listing, the linked version had the wrong tracks. Once I got that sorted, though, it was a pleasant surprise. It has a more alternative, B-52's kind of sound that I liked. They were definitely on the front end of the alternative rock wave.

Some pleasant songs

Interesting to hear the group that would become particles involved with the Breeders and Belly. I dug the lyrics on several tracks. Hard to imagine what this would have been like to see live in Rhode Island in 1981.

A bit undecided on this one when I listened to it. Some of it good, but I think more of it mediocre. Didn't think it was anything special.

The album (I think it was the album? Unclear, since the album listed here is not available on streaming services) grew on me over the course of listening to it.

i'd rate a 3.5 - 3.75 Vicky's Box would be a 4.5-4.75

Pretty cool sounding female vocal punk/alt rock band.

Never heard of them. Good 80's alt-rock.

A bit of fun and some good numbers thrown in there. I was always going to be wooed by the bass guitar and occasional vocal harmonies but it hit its ceiling and repeat listens didn't really challenge that.

It was fine.

I love the vibe and the angry grrrls! Not sure how often I’d listen to this again but I enjoyed it while it lasted.

Not sure I listened to right album, but I don’t know that it would’ve made much of a difference. I liked these guys all right, but there’s something about the trilly female vocal that just doesn’t sit with me. I have the same reaction to the Cranberries. So, not exactly up my alley, but they were just fine.

This is firmly in my wheelhouse and I enjoyed it for the most part. I should listen to it again but there are so many darn albums to listen to. Anyway, a good punk-ish sound and a great lead singer.

This albums wasn't on Spotify and I could only find scraps of it elsewhere, but I liked the parts I heard

It was fun to listen to, but kinda bland tbh

This is the 15th album i've listened to. I dont have much notes to say about this album I thought it was pretty good 81/100

I accidentally listened to the 2003 album (it was good) before listing to the debut intended here, oops. This debut album sounds significantly different, and has a better written, more memorable track list. I found it surprisingly approachable and easy to listen to. Definitely a pared-down sound especially on the drums, but it by no means sounds bad or lazy. Good album, not mind blowing, but I will listen again.

Decent listen, although not fully my kind of thing

Meh

Interesting. Never heard before.

6/10… 80s indie / rock

Not bad but nothing special to me

It was ok. 2.5

This was cool new wave/punk sounds.

It’s decent

It was ok ig

buen rock

Cool alternative. Feels grunge adjacent to me.

First, let's clear up the confusion on this album: This 1986 debut release is not to be confused with their also-self-titled 2003 album. The latter seems to be the only one of the two currently available on streaming platforms. The 1986 album is 10 tracks beginning with "Call Me" and ending with "Delicate Cutters" and is on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/E1Xd2jY3zWQ?si=gadsEQeOCaZlzdXe. The "In a Doghouse" version pictured on this site is a 1998 re-release compilation that added additional content from the era. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throwing_Muses_discography As for my review, this is a decent album.

Pregrunge sound, occasional baba yaga vocals. I kinda liked it

It’s was unremarkable

Started listening to the wrong album here, so we were glad to find the correct album was actually much stronger. We enjoyed this: it was good.

3.4

cool

This album’s not really my cup of tea, but I thoufht more people would’ve liked it. Not sure if most of the negative reviews are because the wrong Spotify link was used. Anyway, while I’m not into the heavier stuff, there were still a few songs I appreciated. Fine album, but just personally not my thing.

Not bad but very muddy sounding.

I couldn’t get the content on this album on Spotify. I listened to their first album. The singers voice is definitely beautiful and the instrumentation is nice straightahead rock ‘n’ roll. But for music on the artier side I need to be able to hear the lyrics and I can’t with her enunciation.

Det var okej album men inte i min smak

Låt 1-10 på "In A Doghouse" är tydligen hur man lyssnar på detta album på Spotify om jag fattade rätt. Och jorå, jag gillade!

Had to chase this one down on YouTube. Interesting proto-grunge punk.

Þetta var ágætt og hressandi á köflum, en tvö rennsli eru nóg til að henda þristi á plötuna og halda svo áfram.

This is a weird one, I couldn't quite my finger on it. It's as if Cyndi Lauper joined The Cure but she was on guitar as well. But something else is missing. Anyway, it was kinda cool sometimes and other times a little bland. Occasionally I thought it was repetitive.

Really interesting album that was a fun listen with vibes that reminded me of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at times. Even if it was difficult to find, it was a super random pull from the list that still keeps it interesting 400 albums in. I’m probably going to check out their newer stuff.

I'm so close to really liking this album. Unfortunately, the lead singer has a little too much Stevie Nicks and not enough Hayley Williams.

413/1001

For the era, it’s fine. Nothing special. It’s inoffensive… for me, that’s boring.

sure! not good, not bad. If this counts as punk it's on the better side of punk.

Pretty decent sounding album nothing really to report though.

Hmmm another one not on streaming... Almost listened to one I found on AM but noticed it was a different year/tracklist. We've def had a decent amount of this type of dark brooding post-punk. This one reminds me a ton of the Echo & The Bunnymen album we had however long ago. Another one where I love the instrumentals and can't get into the vocals. I don't even think I heard the entire thing, but from what I did hear I'm going a meh 3. Instrumentals did enough to bring it up from a 2 after her shrieking in some of these songs.

Not avaliable on Spotify. Unable to rate.

pretty good

When it first started playing all I thought was haphazard all over the place alt rock. Not what I expected. Heard a lot of violent femmes and remained me of the breeders. Interesting music and there seems to be some longevity to them. Not bad at all. Didn’t want to rush to shut it off. That’s saying something.

Mercury - 3/5 Pretty or Not - 4/5 Civil Disobedience - 4/5 Pandora's Box - 5/5 Status Quo - 3/5 Speed and Sleep - 4/5 Portia - 4/5 Solar Dip - 4/5 Epiphany - 3/5 Los Flamingos - 3/5 Half Blast - 3/5 Flying - 4/5 Average score: 3.7/5 (rounding down) this was alright, just not impressive enough to land on this album list imho. the tracks are decent for the most part, but kinda same-y and forgettable once they're over. i'm not crazy about the vocalist's performance at times either i'll stick with The Breeders, Liz Phair, Sleater-Kinney and the like for this genre done better

Sounded so much like the garbage album

Well, at least it's not another repeat artist. Here we have an album that's not on Spotify. Why is that? I don't know. It's also yet another post-punk album. Cool. We definitely don't have enough of those on this list. But, there is something that makes this album stand out. You see, most post-punk albums on this list have lyrics sung by some British man, where as the songs from Throwing Muses here are sung by an American woman! Wow! Yeah, this really doesn't change much for me. The album still kind of blends in with other bands of the time, with Siouxsie and the Banshees being the clearest comparison to make. That means that this album is good but not special. The instrumentation sure does sound like post-punk instrumentation. Kind of spooky/gothy in a way. The writing is alright. Nothing crazy here. The singing fits the style pretty well. Again, Kristin Hersh being a female lead vocalist makes this album somewhat unique in comparison to what it's up against. Overall, this album doesn't do anything particularly wrong, but it's also kind of just there. Throwing Muses are somewhat influential in regards to later rock bands in and out of post-punk. Apparently they even influenced the Pixies, which is pretty cool. Still, I'm not huge on the album, but I also don't have any major gripes. It's alright. 3/5.

Alright Punk.

I wasn't familiar with this even though I'm generally a fan of Throwing Muses. Just hadn't hear their earlier stuff, which isn't nearly as alt-rock as the later output. This is a pretty singular album, hard to describe. You can hear a ridiculous number of influences, to the point where you wonder if this album wasn't just the influence itself.

Has its moments (the quite ones), but overall not too hot for me.

I Make You Into A Song 1001 Albums Generator 55 (06/18/2025) Throwing Muses is the debut album by 80's post-punk band Throwing Muses, led by the charismatic Kristin Hersh. This album was kind of a pain to find due to the following: 1. It is not on Spotify. 2. Another album by Throwing Muses called Throwing Muses, released in 2003, is on Spotify. This is a different album entirely. 3. The album cover listed on 1001albumsgenerator.com is not the correct album cover. I'm really curious how many people on this site listened to the wrong album as a result of this. And it's honestly a damn shame that this album was so hard to find, because it's great. This is a truly talented group of individuals, and at a tight 37 minutes, Throwing Muses is an easy listen. Call Me introduces us to the jangly guitar and strange vocal techniques that we would become accustomed to throughout the length of the album. Kristin Hersh is one of the most interesting vocalists I have been introduced to during this journey. She is undoubtably talented, never sounding off key, but her voice can be so off-putting at times. In this opening track alone she switches between about 4 distinct timbres seamlessly, and she always seems to know which voice to use for any given part of a song. Green showcases the incredible skills of David Narcizo on the drums. Similar to Kristin, he also switches between many styles throughout the song; my favorite is in the middle when he switches to a highly precise, march-like snare pattern. Hate My Way was inspired by an encounter Hersh had with a street preacher that really affected her. She also starts singing about a massacre that happened in 1984 during the climax. It is quite a poignant piece. Vicky's Box brings in a piano, which is a great layer, and I love the chromatic vocal melody on the line "home is where the heart lies" before the tempo picks up. The following Rabbits Dying introduces us to the first bit of country influence on the album, which will appear at various points during the second half. I do think that the second half falls off in quality a bit. America (She Can't Say No) is another country-esque punk song with a guitar part that's cool, but this is the song where I find Hersh's voice to be the most grating. The next three songs don't have much to distinguish themselves from one another to me. Sometimes the abrupt switch-ups don't really work, with Soul Soldier being the worst offender of this. The last song, Delicate Cutters, is beautiful however. It is a gothic, acoustic guitar led rock song and it was genius to end this album with such a song that is so distinct from the rest of the album, but still manages to maintain its ethos. Throwing Muses was a nice surprise. In general, I had no idea how much of the early punk scene was led by female fronted bands, and all of it that I have heard so far has been excellent. 3.5/5, rounded down to a 3 because it's not quite as good as my other 4's, but it's close. Favs: Call Me Green Delicate Cutters Least Fav: America (She Can't Say No)

Unfortunately not on Spotify and the YouTube playlist I found didn't have all the songs. From what I heard I thought it was pretty good.

Definitely inspired by Siouxsie and the Banshees, Throwing Muses offers a more complex link in the evolution of post-punk by marrying the dark ethereal hallmarks of the genre with more punk edge, as well as softer folky guitar work. Alas, this complexity doesn't translate to an album full of super memorable or catchy songs. "Hate My Way" is a notable exception.

ok... legalzinho e até vou ouvir dnv mas achei algumas musicas meio same-y 3.5/5

There’s something about the lead singer’s voice that I don’t like much. Music is alright.

Had never heard of this before. Not bad, would listen again.

2.9 There are two albums with the same name and I guess I have listened to them both. The '86 is better than the '03

I had Fear with this one but you can Call Me if you don’t like it.

Similar sound to Siouxie & the B's

I’m still not totally sure I listened to the right album, but if I did, I can’t say it felt essential or necessary to listen to. It was perfectly serviceable punk.

Nothing took me out; nothing drew me in.

3.5

Had to jump through hoops to listen. Good, but not something I’ll plan to listen to again.

Some good tracks

Jo men ganska coolt men samtidigt så var det ingenting som högg tag i mig, och då lyssnade jag ändå två gånger. En stark trea känns som ett rimligt betyg

I could see how it may have been an important album at the time but without growing up with it it hits as a little lifeless.

Nothing particularly special, but it's just fun, energetic post-punk with fun melodies and vocals. Not amazing but has a fair bit of variety and pretty engaging overall. 7/10

Reminded me of Siouxie and the bashees, nice female vocalist, nice fun backing. Would definitely listen again.

Her vocals are quite hit-or-miss

Really not for me, however that might be because I'm sick of listening to things that have clearly ripping these guys off This is one of those situations where an album is so influencial it looks dated and mediocre

Aight

Bonne découverte, à explorer.

Instrumentals >> vocals/lyrics (which sound like Siouxsie, the vocals that is).

Rigtig fed indierock plade, kan ikke helt forstå hvorfor Throwing Muses ikke er større

Nice indie rock with a female singer. Not much bad to say about it.

I did not realize Throwing Muses went back to the mid 80's. They're a perfect late 80's/early 90's kind of band. Post-punk but sprung from the eccentricities of new wave, like an evolution of the Talking Heads, with a brooding feel fit for alternative rock. Some similarities to Sleater-Kinney, though gloomier and less punk/riot. Also, Kristin Hersh's warbling vocals aren't as good as Corin Tucker's and Tanya Donnelly's guitar playing isn't as good as Carrie Brownstein's. Lyrics are a little snarkier, which I like. Overall, I enjoyed the album but it's flawed; not quite 3.5. Still I appreciate learning a bit more about bands and albums that paved the way for 90's alternative. And it got better with every listen, especially the first half of the album. Favorite tracks were Call Me, Green, Hate My Way, Vicky's Box, and Soul Soldier.

I'm 95% sure that this album is not on Spotify, and that the link to it offered on this website's top review is not actually the album in question but is in fact a different self-titled album by Throwing Muses, released 17 years after their debut but to substantially less critical and cultural import. It's like if R.E.M.'s Murmur was the listed album, and then the majority of participants instead heard R.E.M.'s Reveal. Anyway — this is the full album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1Xd2jY3zWQ I resent that the em dash has emerged as a shorthand detection method for AI-generated prose. Per ctrl+f on my reviews page here, I've used one 17 times in 75 reviews, and you will not catch me dead using AI. The album is solid, but I can see why it's been largely forgotten compared to The Breeders or Sleater-Kinney or similar. Happy to have had a chance to listen.

Album carino, alcune canzoni spingono per bene ma nel complesso non il mio mood.

Not bad but there's something about the album I didn't like and I can't quite put my finger on it.

Its actually fine. I'm not sure something like this deserves a place on the list. It's not made any sort of lasting impact. Its good but not blow away incredible.

not one spotify, so thats a skip for me :(

Weird fondness for this album, very gritty.

This was totally fine. Some good beats but pretty forgettable

++: Green, Rabbits Dying, America (She Can't Say No), Fear +: Call Me, Vicky's Box, Stand Up, Soul Soldier +-: Hate My Way, Delicate Cutters 7,2/10

It's fine.

Kinda weird but solid alternative

Like The Cure meets Dead Kennedys, but not quite as entertaining as either. The dead kennedys influence seems to have fallen off after the first song.

Reminds me very much of Cocteau Twins. Were I 30 years younger, it'd be a new favorite of mine. For now, just a cool record.

best aardig ofzo maar ook weird? en na tijdje wel repetitive

It’s ok - very Siouxsie and the Banshees, but not quite as good. Also, the Spotify link sort of works - the first ten tracks are the same as the album.

I like a lot about this. Maybe someday it will be a 4. Sound is great, love the leads voice, all the ingredients for a new beloved band just not quite made the connection yet.

Female led American Post-Punk Alternative Rock. Quirky vocals which reminded me of Chrissie Hynde. The album is OK, but it didn't inspire me.

I didn’t know much about this besides that it was considered a pretty iconic alt 90s album. I really enjoyed parts of it: the best tracks were absolute bangers with an irresistible pounding rhythm that fit Kristin Hersh’s mournful vocals really well. The worst tracks, on the other hand, sounded like so many bands I’ve heard in pubs with awful acoustics (and yes, I realise those bands were probably inspired by TM, but still). The whole thing was also probably 2-3 tracks too long and I found myself fading a bit towards the end, although final track Cry Baby Cry woke me up! Probably a 3.5 for me but I’ll round up cos I’m nice 🤷‍♀️ Added to playlist: Green, America (She Can’t Say No), Cry Baby Cry

Nothing that stood out on this one in either direction. Good music, just nothing memorable for me.

Personally, I didn't enjoy this album as much as previous entries. It definitely does not deserve a bad score, however. I can recognize impressive guitar work when it comes around. A new vocal style for sure, but not certain I'd go back and listen to the entire album again. Maybe a couple tracks.

Okay punk album 3/5

Gives me Kat Stratford vibes, also reminds me of No Doubt. Enjoyed

Well I couldn’t find this album anywhere…getting a bit tired of these scavenger hunt albums on this list. But I did listen to other albums and I liked what I heard. And that’s good because I had never heard of the band before.

Throwing something

Pretty alright

Correcto

Dark alternative rock with a unique sound and style. A lot of this comes from the haunting, unstable vocals. There are also pounding drums with minimal cymbal use and bass that’s often more prominent than guitar (which still has good parts). And the rest is from their erratic, pivoting nature - it’s punky energy one minute, folky the next. It sounds like near suicidal journal, then an exhuberant party. It’s completely honest, authentic, and in the moment. You never know where a song may go, but it all fits together nicely. Still, I’m not sure if I find most of the songs that memorable or great…it’s the general sound and idea that I’ll remember more than specifics.

I’ve listened to the original tracks of the album, but not the full 2 discs on Spotify - it’s too hot today and it’s all a bit too much! I think another different dat I might have rated this higher, but it was a bit screechy and samey throughout for me to really get into it. Extra star for a powerhouse female singer which there isn’t enough of on this list.

Can't hear

enjoyable alternative indie rock, didn’t grab me too much but overall OK.

Kinda cool

Ok

2.9 3x - youtube - unavailable on spotify

Never heard of this band before but I immediately liked it. Not surprised to hear about their close affiliation to the Pixies. The songs drag on a little bit and feel a bit murky. I wish there were more stand out songs here but I still enjoyed learning about them! 3.5

Weird, scratxhed an itch but wernt s huge fan 3/5

Not bad. Read this review on youtube "Back then, whenya had Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe, Metallica and Madonna, that gave absolutely nothing, we had real music. Bands like REM, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic youth and yes, Throwing Muses. Thank physics for the Inde underground. Because therein lie the therapy’s for an ever questioning youth. The dizzying absurdities of growing up then, as now. And the kids are not alright." So, I would say it's music for Gen X atheists who don't believe in therapy.

At a glance, I thought today’s album was by Muse. It turns out I’m just stupid though. This is a very different band, being instead an 80s post punk band. I’ve definitely said this before, but this genre is very hit or miss with me, and I’ve so far been unable to pinpoint why this is. Thankfully, this was a hit for me. I enjoyed the vocals, and the music was all around catchier than a lot of other bands that fall within this same genre. I’m a bit confused about why rateyourmusic.com also lists them as “cowpunk”, but that’s a genre for another day.

enjoyed this without having anything really stand out. Liked the raw sound it has throughout, civil disobedience was my fave

Quite liked her voice but wouldn’t go back to it. Generous 3z

3/5 There's some amazing alternative rock tracks with a timeless quality on this album. The way the vocals wildly ramble over the great instrumentals is so enjoyable. Hersh is clearly incredibly talented. Vicky's Box stands out with its vicious, unrelenting intensity, but unfortunately acts in stark contrast to the whimsical, half-arsed period which begins halfway through Rabbits Dying and stretches into the second side. Not a big fan of how much the quality drops, in the instrumentals mainly. Call Me 5/5 Green 4.5/5 Hate My Way 5/5 (FAV) Vicky's Box 5/5 Rabbits Dying 3/5 America (She Can't Say No) 2.5/5 Fear 1.5/5 (LEAST FAV) Stand Up 3/5 Soul Soldier 3.5/5 Delicate Cutters 2.5/5

As a weird girl from Rhode Island who listens to weird music, I can tell you that this is the original music made by weird girls from Rhode Island who listened to weird music for weird girls from Rhode Island who listened to weird music. That said, 1986 weird is very different from 2008 weird, so while I respect this as a missing link of sorts for the indie scene, particularly Northeastern indie music, this isn’t really my strain of weird music. It’s good, but I couldn’t help thinking that I’d rather just be listening to Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Juju.

okay but not for me

Promising at first but felt long and repetetive

I tried to find this on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and Tidal. So I listened to their University album because it was mentioned in the Wikipedia review. It's probably not fair to compare a debut album with University, their 6th. If the two are anything alike, it's a good album albeit somewhat unremarkable. I liked the vocals - Hersh has a cool voice. The rest of it guitars, bass, drums) was competent.

soitatus kelpousta kolmeen..

Maybe I judged you too harshly. Marked a 2/5 after my first listen but its been revised to a 3/5 after 2 more. It's definitely interesting, the soundscape is fun and the vocals are super energetic as well.

For a college rock band during the early 2000’s, it definitely holds its own inside the many other bands in this genre during that time. I enjoyed it.

Not bad for the 80's Had a sameness to it.

Rock album that is typical for early 2000s.

Trippy and psychedelic, the female vocal here is really awesome and the sudden changes the band makes mid song are fun and interesting. The album fits my taste, but sadly it's missing a banger or two, not really a lot here i would revisit, especially when the trademark psychedelic lyrics. also whats with Disc 2, am i supposed to listen to all the Cassete versions?

I enjoyed this but it didn’t really catch my attention so much. I remember really liking their 1995 album when I listened so I thought I’d like this more than I did, but I guess a decade makes quite a difference in their sound. I didn’t NOT like it, I just don’t really have any strong feelings about it, and also had to listen on Youtube because it’s not on Spotify so I don’t actually know the names of the songs I did like.

Favorite Track: Speed and Sleep

Pretty good. Always enjoy punk bands with a female lead vocalist.

Had to find this album on YouTube as it's unavailable on Spotify, but it was really good. Although it sounds similar to a lot of other things out there, they were the first to do it

Once I’d finally listened to the right album the experience was pretty good. Nice proto-grunge sound. It has merited a second spin. I enjoyed Soul Soldier.

I hadn't heard of this band at all. I didn't find the album particularly remarkable except that it seems to be quite ahead of its time: it sounds like a fairly average album from the 90s rather than from 1986.

There was one song I was particularly into. The rest of this passed me by a little bit... Some of it very samey and now cannot distinguish between..

I need to go back and listen to this one. With it not being available on Spotify or Amazon Music, I had to listen to it on YouTube which is always an annoying experience. What I listened to was very unique and I definitely think I want to explore it further.

Not available on Spotify? Nice job Spotify. Still, if it’s like their early stuff, I give it a 👍🏻

Background music that does not offend. Not terribly engaging, but also not off-putting. If not for the louder sound of guitar, this would be much worse.

It's an interesting album, sometimes you have no idea which direction the beat/rhythm/melody is going to go. The vocals can be a little goat like but they generally work.

Not a bad album, although it took forever to go through all of the songs, especially as there was a second Disc with "Doghouse Cassette Versions" of the songs. This album was a nice background listen, nothing too exciting but it was relatively enjoyable.

This simultaneously sounds of its time (i.e. the 80s post-punk scene), and like it could conceivably have been released today by one of the math rock-minded indie bands currently doing the rounds. It feels like something I should like, but there were only a few moments than piqued my interest (Green, Stand Up, Delicate Cutters) first time around. I suspect it’s a grower though, so I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.

Mildly irritating music that occasionally comes up with some killer moments. Too much filler for the killer, though.

This is cool, but whatever

Love the vocals and the music rocks. This is a solid, early 00s rock release with some decent sounds. Sounds similar to other music of its time, but still has some unique elements to set itself apart.

Garbage light.

This feels oddly like an album of Siouxsie and the Banshees trying to do folk influenced country tunes. Quite weird.

Quite liked it after a few listens, but not one I was excited to relisten to. Plus my favourite track from the Spotify link is not actually on the album (Cry Baby Cry).

2.5/5

A mess of melancholy and experimental chords and riffs. It has very nice undertone and feeling, but just lacks real oomph, the lyrics feel a bit too much like background noise. In part however the instrumentals definitely feel like they could vibe with me if I felt a little bit down, but this album caught me on the wrong day I guess.

This is the mid-80's version of Siouxsie and the Banshees, though I prefer that band more. For some reason, the lead singer of Throwing Muses has a voice that can tend to grate after repeated listenings. The rawness of Throwing Muses's sound is a good thing and can be a bad thing as well. I think I would like to listen to the rest of their catalog to get a better read on them as a band. I do believe Throwing Muses has a place in this book. Some of the tracks I enjoyed the most were: Call Me Green Hate My Way Rabbits Dying Delicate Cutters Not a bad album, though it is hard to find.

Decent for sure.

Best Song: Vicky's Box. In an album full of great lyrics and vocals, this track still stands above the rest. Worst Song: Rabbits Dying. Too upbeat of a hoe-down rhythm for me. Overall: The type of beautifully raw punk that I like. Lyrically interesting, great vocals, and a production that isn't too egregiously noisy nor clean. A decent listen.

I want to like it better than I do, cause it’s cool, it’s original, and the singer has a really cool style. However, the songs just don’t do it for me. Green and Rabbits Dying are the highlights for me.

My first impression of Throwing Muses is that they are a poor woman’s version of No Doubt but I think that’s unfair especially since I listened to their 2nd self titled album and not one released when Gwen Stefani was probably 10 years old. Apple doesn’t have the album but I think it’d be good 6.0/10

This album is not on Spotify so I listened to a live set from KEXP. They are good and I'll listen to more later.

I liked it

I like female punk music, I never knew this!! The vibrance and energy is amazing. Favourite song: Call me is a great tune. Least favourite: All songs are good but they do get a bit repetative after a while. Album artwork: Cool cover

272 albums in and I’ve only so far have had selected a handful of previously unknown albums/artists which have truly been a revelation. Whilst this album is not quite a revelation it is a fair effort. I liked the sometimes weirdness of a track which after a key or time change morphed into a lovely melodic passage. Would seem to be a Throwing Muses thing to have these constant direction changes in songs which I like and shows their talents. Will listen again and take interest in their other stuff. 2.6/5 1/10/24

always meant to check these out because they are Pixies-adjacent. i have now checked them out. they were alright.

The first indication to me that Throwing Muses were more than just alt-rock landfill came partway through album opener “Call Me”. Following several nihilistic, toxic opening verses, there’s an inspired 180-switch into wistful, yearning waltz-time pity, as if suggesting a sudden moment of clarity, or an out-of-body experience, or a flashback. “I’m lonely at night, time on my hands, I feel sad in the day” sings Kristin Hersh, before the plaintive plea of “Call me”. It’s the first of many similar about-turns on the record: later, “Rabbits Dying” begins softly before launching into an out-of-control rockabilly-influenced jam (with delirious cowbell). And “Vicky’s Box” begins with a third-person tale of blow-jobs in cars, then accelerates into a self-destructive spiral with a snarl of “I only love pieces of things that I use”. It’s all traced back to “Call Me”, the first sign of a proudly messy, shambolic album and a gifted lyricist. As the front-woman and songwriter of Throwing Muses, Hersh has struggled repeatedly with bipolar disorder and other mental health afflictions, and makes them the subject of many of the songs here. Her vocal presence is searing and honest, and her lyrics cut right to the bone with stark simplicity and the fewest possible words. “Hate My Way” is genuinely affecting, a slow-burning ballad which takes its time to truly settle under the listener’s skin. “My pillow screams too… I have a gun in my head, I’m invisible, I can’t find the ice”. A masterclass in disassociated imagery. On the lighter side is “America (She Can’t Say No)” with an infectious groove built around vocal tics, the very David Byrne-esque “Fear”, and unlikely single “Soul Soldier”. I’m very upset to report that “Finished” is just a lowly bonus track, because it was my favourite here: like Paul Simon’s “Graceland” gone to hell. “Throwing Muses” is a challenging listen, and musically I didn’t love it back to front, but I really enjoyed the lyrics here and think the band deserve a lot more respect than they get for ushering in a new phase of alternative rock.

Couldn’t listen to it as it is not on Apple Music but I have listened to some of there other stuff.

Yeah this was pretty ok but again nothing to rave about. Been a few of those of late.

This was good. Not necessarily good enough for me to seek out more of their work though.

Throwing Muses

Throwing Muses

Reviews (page 4 of 7)