Violent Femmes

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States (1980 – 2009)

The Violent Femmes were an band, formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States in 1980. The band originally consisted of Gordon Gano (vocals, guitar), Brian Ritchie (bass), and Victor DeLorenzo (drums), with second drummer Guy Hoffman being added into the band in 1993. The band split in early 2009, their last recording being a cover of the Gnarls Barkley song “Crazy”, a response to Gnarls Barkley’s cover of the Femmes song “Gone Daddy Gone” released the previous year.

Their music is an innovative combination of American music and . The lyrics mix common adolescent themes like yearning for love, sex and affection with explorations of sin, death, and the hope of salvation. Their songs often express both a lyrical and musical sense of humor. Critics often attribute the Violent Femmes as laying the groundwork of dynamicism for the 90s movement.

In its early days, the band frequently played coffee houses and street corners. They were discovered by James Honeyman-Scott (of The Pretenders) on August 23, 1981, when the band was busking on a street corner in front of the Oriental Theatre, the Milwaukee venue that The Pretenders would be playing later that night. Chrissie Hynde invited them to play a brief acoustic set after the opening act. The band signed to Slash Records and recorded their eponymous debut in July 1982.

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  • licoricepizza

    no fat at all on that debut album. all killer, no filler. :D

    25 Feb 11:09pm Reply
  • My_Sharona

    Underrated. [5] But Amazing <3

    21 Feb 11:40am Reply
  • stian86

    They released an even better album is what happened.

    8 Feb 8:07pm Reply
  • ckypissdrunk

    first album was a classic but den wtf happened

    2 Feb 8:55am Reply
  • sk_maniak

    nicely

    1 Feb 2:00pm Reply
  • michaelmcguire

    The lead singer sounds very similar to Lou Reed

    28 Jan 5:41pm Reply
  • ericbroski

    Brian Ritchie is a god

    13 Jan 7:15am Reply
  • de_putaPadre

    The dude below has Sum 41 on his top ten. hahahahaha. don't listen to him [2] and he calls himself coelho. i don't know what worse- shitty band or a shity writer.

    10 Jan 10:22pm Reply
  • RReneeElizabeth

    :)

    10 Jan 4:20am Reply
  • drbillrubin

    The dude below has Sum 41 on his top ten. hahahahaha. don't listen to him

    6 Dec 2012 Reply
  • coelho_

    Overrated [2]

    24 Nov 2012 Reply
  • carolstardust

    I hope you know this will go down on your permanent record [2]

    14 Nov 2012 Reply
  • nytelse

    Underrated. [4]

    8 Nov 2012 Reply
  • Bastard1

    No, I'm more like everyone else who had to tolerate your pretentious, self-important ass.

    27 Oct 2012 Reply
  • TimeToDie10

    Overrated

    22 Oct 2012 Reply
  • ponder_muahaha

    Underrated. [3]

    3 Oct 2012 Reply
  • pathtoyirah

    @ "remember that episode of sabrina the teenage witch where they went to see this band live" yes I certainly do

    29 Sep 2012 Reply
  • jessicapotas

    highly underrate. Loving to report that my 5 yr old loves the violent femmes! Have to censor a bit, but I am rounding hin out music-wise. Was thrilled to see you at oyster fest in Chicago a few years back (5--6...7? the years run together)....fascinating how many tried to sing along and had so little clue! Keep rocking it out!!

    10 Sep 2012 Reply
  • twenty-ten

    I just came to this page to say that this band is underrated. Well, I can see that I'm not original.

    1 Sep 2012 Reply
  • My_Sharona

    Underrated. [2]

    24 Aug 2012 Reply
  • All 531 shouts