The Breeders
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Alternative rock
Status:
Most recent release, All Nerve (2018)
See also:
Breeders Digest (official site)Wikipedia's entry on The Breeders
The Ectophiles' Guide's entries for Kim Deal's other projects: Pixies and The Amps.
Kelley Deal also now in Kelley Deal 9000.
Tanya Donelly previously in Throwing Muses, after her time with The Breeders, formed Belly, now solo
Josephine Wiggs now in The Josephine Wiggs Experience
Comparisons:
The Breeders preceded them, but Veruca Salt got a lot of their licks from them. (Neile)
Covers/own material:
Mostly own but frequent covers
General comments:
Originally side project for everyone in the band, for a short while after the breakup of the Pixies, The Breeders became the focus of the band's personnel. While there doesn't seem to have been an official announcement of the band's breakup, it seems that everyone is involved with different projects now. For me, The Breeders typify the alternative rock sound of the early '90s. Lively, energetic, sardonic. (Neile)A good marriage of the talents of the band members involved. (jmgurley@drizzle.com)
Recommended first album:
The Safari EP remains my favourite, though others would recommend the harder sound of Pod or the pop-ish rock sound of Last Splash. (Neile)
Recordings:
- Pod (1990)
- Safari EP (1992)
- Last Splash (1993)
- Live in Stockholm (1994, fan club release)
- Saints EP
- Head to Toe EP (1994, vinyl only)
- title TK (2002)
- Mountain Battle (2008)
- Fate to Fatal (digital EP, 2009)
- All Nerve (2018)
Pod
Release info:
1990—4AD/Elektra—9 61331-2
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended for fans of rough alternative rock
Group members:
Kim Deal—vocals, guitar
Tanya Donelly—vocals, guitar
Josephine Wiggs—vocals, bass guitar
Shannon Doughton—vocals, drums
Carrie Bradley—violin
Comments:
Gutsy late '80s girl hard-core, stripped-down punk! Begs to be played loud. (jmgurley@drizzle.com)The sound on this album is rough and harsh and quite delightful. I love their cover of "Happiness is a Warm Gun". (Neile)
Safari EP
Release info:
1992—4AD/Elektra—66432-2
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Kim Deal—guitars, vocals
Tanya Donelly—guitar, vocals
Josephine Wiggs—bass, cello, vocals
Kelley Deal-guitar, vocals
Mike Hunt—drums, vocals
Comments:
Damn, I love this—it's a classic. All four songs are great. I just wish there were more of them. (Neile)A little more pop oriented than their first album. The last appearance of Tanya Donelly (sigh). On this one I think they are trying to learn how to play their instruments and write structured songs with a hook. Good cover of a Pete Townshend's "So Sad About Us". (jmgurley@drizzle.com)
Last Splash
Release info:
1993—4AD/Elektra—9 61508-2
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Kelley Deal—guitar, vocals
Kim Deal—guitar, vocals
Jim MacPherson—drums
Josephine Wiggs—bass, vocals
Produced by:
Kim Deal and Mark Freegard
Comments:
Loud, bouncy, infectious pop tunes with good hooks. This is one of the quintessential albums from this period. (Neile)
Live in Stockholm
Release info:
1994—Breeders Digest, The Official Breeders Fan Club, P.O. Box 5090, Hoboken, NJ 07030, U.S.A.
Availability:
Available from Fan club and in the U.S. at stores that carry special releases
Ecto priority:
Recommended for Breeders fans
Comments:
A decent-quality recording documenting the live experience of The Breeders. Fun. (Neile)
Head To Toe EP
Release info:
1994—4AD—BAD D4012
Availability:
U.K., import in U.S.
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Comments:
Only available in 7" and 10" vinyl format. An EP that made fans hope that this was the start of more from The Breeders. Alas, this was the last we heard from them for eight years. (Neile)
title TK
Release info:
2002—4 AD/Elktra—62766-2
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended for The Breeders fans
Group members:
Kim Deal—vocals, guitar, drums, bass, electric bass, upright bass, farfisa
Kelley Deal—guitar, vocals, bass pedal
Mando Lopez—bass, electric bass, upright bass
Richard Presley—lead guitar, guitar
Jose Medeles—drums
Produced by:
Steve Albini
Comments:
This is a low-key, somewhat loose album. It still has a distinctive Kim Deal sound, but the songwriting is looser and less hook-laden than on Safari or Last Splash. In some ways it harkens back to Pod, though somewhat updated. (Neile)
Further info:
The Official Breeders Fan Club, P.O. Box 5090, Hoboken NJ 07030, U.S.A.
Thanks to Ariel Brennan for work on this entry.
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