Throwback Thursday - Throwing Muses - The Doghouse Cassette

This weeks throwback thursday looks at the remarkable demo cassette that launched the career of one of the most under-rated and influential bands of the 80s/90s - Throwing Muses.

Throwing Muses had built up quite a cult following throw their live shows in and around Long Island, with their weird and wonderful songs that came unbidden fully formed into the mind of lead singer and guitarist Kristin Hersh. The result of a trauma caused by being ran over by a car. The doghouse cassette was a demo formed of the songs that made up their early gig setlists and was the basis on which they were signed to the highly influential 4ad label.

To get your hands on the actual cassette nowadays is nigh on impossible but they songs were later released on the excellent In a Doghouse cd, the second side of which is the closest you'll get to the original versions of the songs. What is exciting about these songs are the energy, wildness of Hersh's voice set against the Tanya Donelly's sweeter vocals and the many tempo changes within songs, as well as some pretty interesting and sometimes disturbing lyrical imagery. The songs sounded like they were coming from someone one the edge emotionally.

The tracklisting for the cassette was:

Side One.

1. Call Me
2. Sinkhole
3. Green
4. Hate My Way
5. Vicky's Box

Side Two.

1. America/She Cant Say No
2. Fear
3. Raises The Roses
4. And a She Wolf After the War
5. Fish

I think this represents the best of their output as a band (though they did produce a lot of great moments throughout their career afterwards). Sinkhole was probably the most accessible of the tracks - being quite anthemic and it was their breakthrough hit on US college radio. Songs like Hate My Way, Vicky's Box and Fish showcased the disturbing side of Hersh's lyrics and the best of her shouty ragey vocals. Green showcased the fact the Tanya Donelly (half-sister of Hersh and future Belly frontwoman) was also capable of producing some excellent songs too and perhaps a bit more tuneful and accesible than Hersh's songs.

I recommend a lot of people to read Hersh's book Paradoxical Undressing (Rat Girl in the US) which gives a great account of her personal story and that of the band from the time this cassette came about.

I managed to catch Hersh reading from the book and performing some of the songs in January 2011 as part of her book tour and it was a fantastic experience to hear these songs live after living with them as recordings for so long.