The Breeders
Encyclopedia
The Breeders are an American alternative rock
band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal
of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly
of Throwing Muses
. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal
(lead vocals
and guitar
), her twin sister Kelley Deal
(guitar
and backing vocals
), Jose Medeles
(drums
and percussion
), Mando Lopez (bass guitar
) Todd the Fox (guitar
) and Cheryl Lyndsey (guitar
); Kim Deal has been the band's sole continual member. Their first album, Pod (1990), received critical acclaim but was not commercially successful. The Breeders' most successful album, 1993's Last Splash
, produced the hit single "Cannonball". The band's fourth album, Mountain Battles
, was released in 2008. The band's name is gay slang
for heterosexuals.
, Kim and Kelley Deal had an acoustic guitar duo which played at open mic nights, and opened for John Kay
of Steppenwolf
.
Despite reports to the contrary, this duo was just called Kim and Kelley, not The Breeders or The Breederz.
The Breeders' history began when Kim Deal
, then bassist of the Pixies, began writing new material while the band was on a post-Surfer Rosa
tour of Europe with Throwing Muses
. As neither band had plans for the short term, Deal discussed possible side-projects with Throwing Muses guitarist Tanya Donelly
. After rejecting the idea of creating a dance album together, the pair decided to form a new band. Carrie Bradley
, violinist and vocalist in Ed's Redeeming Qualities
, was recruited and they recorded a short demo tape. Tracks on the demo tape included early versions of "Lime House", "Doe" and "Only in 3's".
With the help of four drummers and bassist Ray Halliday The Breeders completed their demo tape and subsequently played one show at The Rathskeller
in Boston, billed as a "Boston girl super-group". The band sent the tape to the English independent record label
4AD
because both the Pixies and Throwing Muses had signed to the label. Upon hearing the tape 4AD head Ivo Watts-Russell
remarked "This is absolutely magical, beautiful stuff", and signed them to the label.
, who had worked with Deal on the Pixies' 1988 album Surfer Rosa
, to record in Edinburgh, Scotland for two weeks in December 1989. The Perfect Disaster
's Josephine Wiggs
joined the band as bassist. The Breeders were without a drummer, so Albini suggested Britt Walford
of Slint
join for the recording sessions. Deal met Walford after a Pixies concert in Chicago; Walford agreed to play drums on the album, and joined The Breeders under the assumed name of "Shannon Doughton".
The recording of Pod took only a week, so The Breeders used the remaining time to record several B-sides, a Peel Session and a video for "Hellbound". Released on 28 May 1990, Pod, although not commercially successful, received positive reviews from mainstream critics; The New York Times
' Karen Schoemer wrote: "The angular melodies, shattered tempos and screeching dynamics recall elements of each of the women's full-time bands, but Pod has a smart, innovative edge all its own.". The album also was famously quoted by Kurt Cobain
as one of his favorite records ever: "The main reason I like [The Breeders] is for their songs, for the way they structure them, which is totally unique, very atmospheric. I wish Kim was allowed to write more songs for the Pixies, because 'Gigantic
' is the best Pixies song, and Kim wrote it." In July 2007, in a chat forum interview, Pod' s engineer Steve Albini
revealed that he considered the album to be amongst his best works.
in 1990 and Trompe le Monde
in 1991, but by the end of 1991 were becoming less active. Deal, denied the opportunity to contribute material to a Pixies album, wrote new material for a Breeders release and recruited Kelley Deal
on guitar. The band recorded the Safari EP in late 1991. After the recording of Safari, Donelly left The Breeders to form Belly
. The Pixies became inactive in mid-1992, so Deal continued to write new material for The Breeders. By this time, Walford had become more reluctant to be identified as part of The Breeders, and was replaced by drummer Jim MacPherson
. The band had become a full-time outfit, and opened for Nirvana
on their 1992 European tour.
With the break-up of the Pixies in January 1993, The Breeders returned to the studio to record their second album. Last Splash
appeared in August 1993 to widespread acclaim and commercial success. Three singles were released from the album, including "Cannonball", which made it to #2 on the Billboard
Modern Rock Tracks chart. In 1993, the band contributed the track "Iris" to the AIDS-Benefit Album No Alternative
produced by the Red Hot Organization
. As a result, The Breeders' visibility increased: 1994 saw Last Splash receive a platinum certification
by the Recording Industry Association of America
and the band secured a prime spot on the Lollapalooza
tour.
was involved in a drug bust, so Kim Deal formed the side project The Amps
with MacPherson
, bassist Luis Lerma (member of the Dayton, Ohio band The Tasties) and guitarist Nate Farley, who later joined Guided by Voices
. The Amps released the album Pacer
in October 1995. Following drug rehab, Kelley started the Kelley Deal 6000 and also formed the Last Hard Men
with Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach
, Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin
, and Jimmy Flemion
of The Frogs
.
In 1996 Kim Deal reclaimed the Breeders name and played several California dates; the lineup was essentially The Amps augmented by violinist Carrie Bradley
. The band made another unsuccessful attempt at recording a third studio album in 1997. Kelley Deal rejoined the band the following year and wrote and recorded songs with her sister, although the only material released during this period was a cover of The Three Degrees' take on James Gang's "Collage," recorded for The Mod Squad
soundtrack in 1999.
to record the third Breeders studio album Title TK
with Steve Albini
. The Breeders were also recruited, in early 2002, to perform in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They were approached by the production staff, after they had been performing the show's theme, originally written by Nerf Herder
, as a regular part of their concert set. The episode is entitled "Him
", and aired November 5, 2002.
The Breeders contributed the track "Wicked Little Town: Hedwig Version" to the 2003 Hedwig and the Angry Inch
tribute album, "Wig in a Box
".
In 2004, Warner Music Group
announced plans to drop the Breeders from their label following low album sales of Title TK. The decision came with Warner's plans to drop several other artists as well.
was released in April 2008 on 4AD
. It features Kim and Kelley Deal, Jose Medeles and Mando Lopez. That October they played a benefit concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama
.
cover ("Chances Are") and a song with vocals by Mark Lanegan
. The title track was recorded at The Fortress Studios, London, by The Go! Team
producer Gareth Parton. The music video featured the Arch Rival Roller Girls, a St. Louis roller derby
league.
The Breeders were curators of an edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties
festival taking place in May 2009 in Minehead, England. They played the ATP New York 2010
music festival in Monticello, New York, in September 2010.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal
Kim Deal
Kimberley Ann Deal is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the bassist of the alternative rock band the Pixies and the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Breeders. Deal first joined the Pixies in January 1986 as the band's bassist, adopting the stage name Mrs...
of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly is an American Grammy-nominated singer songwriter and guitarist based in New England who co-founded Throwing Muses with her stepsister Kristin Hersh. She then went on to work in The Breeders and Belly in the 1990s...
of Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses is an alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originally fronted by two lead singers, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, who both wrote the...
. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal
Kim Deal
Kimberley Ann Deal is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the bassist of the alternative rock band the Pixies and the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Breeders. Deal first joined the Pixies in January 1986 as the band's bassist, adopting the stage name Mrs...
(lead vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
), her twin sister Kelley Deal
Kelley Deal
Kelley Deal is an American musician. The identical twin sister of Kim Deal, she is the lead guitarist of The Breeders, besides having a solo career.- Early days :...
(guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
), Jose Medeles
Jose Medeles
Jose Medeles is an American musician. He is the drummer for The Breeders, and in 1998 played drums for Face to Face as a touring member. He also played drums in 22 Jacks, appearing on Overserved and their final album Going North....
(drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
), Mando Lopez (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) Todd the Fox (guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
) and Cheryl Lyndsey (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
); Kim Deal has been the band's sole continual member. Their first album, Pod (1990), received critical acclaim but was not commercially successful. The Breeders' most successful album, 1993's Last Splash
Last Splash
Last Splash is the second album by indie rock band The Breeders, released August 1993. Originally formed as a side project for Pixies bassist Kim Deal, The Breeders quickly became her primary recording outlet....
, produced the hit single "Cannonball". The band's fourth album, Mountain Battles
Mountain Battles
Mountain Battles is the fourth album from the American alternative rock band The Breeders. The album was released on April 7, 2008 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and April 8, 2008 in the United States....
, was released in 2008. The band's name is gay slang
Gay slang
LGBT slang, LGBT speak or gay slang is a set of slang used predominantly among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. It has been used in various languages, including English and Japanese since the early 1900s as a means by members of the LGBT community as a group to self-advertise as a...
for heterosexuals.
Formation
In the 1970s in Dayton, OhioDayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Kim and Kelley Deal had an acoustic guitar duo which played at open mic nights, and opened for John Kay
John Kay (musician)
John Kay is a German-Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist known as the frontman of Steppenwolf...
of Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (band)
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
.
Despite reports to the contrary, this duo was just called Kim and Kelley, not The Breeders or The Breederz.
The Breeders' history began when Kim Deal
Kim Deal
Kimberley Ann Deal is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the bassist of the alternative rock band the Pixies and the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Breeders. Deal first joined the Pixies in January 1986 as the band's bassist, adopting the stage name Mrs...
, then bassist of the Pixies, began writing new material while the band was on a post-Surfer Rosa
Surfer Rosa
Like Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa displays a mix of musical styles; pop guitar songs such as "Broken Face", "Break My Body", and "Brick Is Red" are featured alongside slower, more melodic tracks exemplified by "Where Is My Mind?". The album includes heavier material, and prominently features the...
tour of Europe with Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses is an alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport, Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997, when its members began concentrating more on other projects. The group was originally fronted by two lead singers, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, who both wrote the...
. As neither band had plans for the short term, Deal discussed possible side-projects with Throwing Muses guitarist Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly
Tanya Donelly is an American Grammy-nominated singer songwriter and guitarist based in New England who co-founded Throwing Muses with her stepsister Kristin Hersh. She then went on to work in The Breeders and Belly in the 1990s...
. After rejecting the idea of creating a dance album together, the pair decided to form a new band. Carrie Bradley
Carrie Bradley
Carrie Bradley is an American violinist and vocalist. She was a founding member of the alternative folk band Ed's Redeeming Qualities, and has played in The Breeders and 100 Watt Smile. More recently, Bradley has appeared as half of the San Francisco-based musical duo The Great Auk.-External links:*...
, violinist and vocalist in Ed's Redeeming Qualities
Ed's Redeeming Qualities
Ed's Redeeming Qualities was an alternative folk group that was founded in 1988 and originally consisted of Dan Leone, Dom Leone, Carrie Bradley , and Neno Perrotta. Jonah Winter joined the band for the albums "Big Grapefruit Cleanup Job" and "At The Fish And Game Club"...
, was recruited and they recorded a short demo tape. Tracks on the demo tape included early versions of "Lime House", "Doe" and "Only in 3's".
With the help of four drummers and bassist Ray Halliday The Breeders completed their demo tape and subsequently played one show at The Rathskeller
The Rathskeller
The Rathskeller was a Kenmore Square live music venue in Boston, Massachusetts that was open from 1974 to 1997. As implied by its name "Ratskeller" , the Rathskeller was a dimly-lit establishment...
in Boston, billed as a "Boston girl super-group". The band sent the tape to the English independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
because both the Pixies and Throwing Muses had signed to the label. Upon hearing the tape 4AD head Ivo Watts-Russell
Ivo Watts-Russell
Ivo Watts-Russell was joint-founder with Peter Kent of the English indie record label 4AD. He has also produced several records, himself preferring to use the term "musical director" to explain his role in the creation....
remarked "This is absolutely magical, beautiful stuff", and signed them to the label.
Pod
The Breeders wanted to re-record the demo tape for a general release. 4AD gave the band an $11,000 budget and recruited Steve AlbiniSteve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
, who had worked with Deal on the Pixies' 1988 album Surfer Rosa
Surfer Rosa
Like Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa displays a mix of musical styles; pop guitar songs such as "Broken Face", "Break My Body", and "Brick Is Red" are featured alongside slower, more melodic tracks exemplified by "Where Is My Mind?". The album includes heavier material, and prominently features the...
, to record in Edinburgh, Scotland for two weeks in December 1989. The Perfect Disaster
The Perfect Disaster
The Perfect Disaster were an alternative rock band from London, England, formed in 1980; they released four albums before splitting up in 1991. The only constant member was singer/guitarist Phil Parfitt.-History:...
's Josephine Wiggs
Josephine Wiggs
Josephine Wiggs is an indie/alternative rock musician, noted for her work with the bands The Perfect Disaster, The Breeders, and Dusty Trails....
joined the band as bassist. The Breeders were without a drummer, so Albini suggested Britt Walford
Britt Walford
Britt Walford is a drummer from Louisville, Kentucky. He was a founding member of the punk band Squirrel Bait, but was replaced by Ben Daughtrey when he decided to play in the band Maurice. After the breakups of Squirrel Bait and Maurice, some of the members joined to form the post-rock band Slint...
of Slint
Slint
Slint was an American rock band consisting of Brian McMahan , David Pajo , Britt Walford , Todd Brashear and Ethan Buckler...
join for the recording sessions. Deal met Walford after a Pixies concert in Chicago; Walford agreed to play drums on the album, and joined The Breeders under the assumed name of "Shannon Doughton".
The recording of Pod took only a week, so The Breeders used the remaining time to record several B-sides, a Peel Session and a video for "Hellbound". Released on 28 May 1990, Pod, although not commercially successful, received positive reviews from mainstream critics; The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
as one of his favorite records ever: "The main reason I like [The Breeders] is for their songs, for the way they structure them, which is totally unique, very atmospheric. I wish Kim was allowed to write more songs for the Pixies, because 'Gigantic
Gigantic (song)
"Gigantic" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies, co-written by bassist Kim Deal and lead vocalist/guitarist Black Francis . The song appeared on the band's first studio album, Surfer Rosa, released in 1988...
' is the best Pixies song, and Kim wrote it." In July 2007, in a chat forum interview, Pod
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
revealed that he considered the album to be amongst his best works.
Safari and Last Splash
Following Pod, The Breeders returned to their various projects. The Pixies released BossanovaBossanova
Bossanova is the third album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in August 1990 on the English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. All of Bossanovas original material was written by the band's frontman Black Francis; it...
in 1990 and Trompe le Monde
Trompe le Monde
Trompe le Monde is the fourth and final album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in 1991 on the English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States...
in 1991, but by the end of 1991 were becoming less active. Deal, denied the opportunity to contribute material to a Pixies album, wrote new material for a Breeders release and recruited Kelley Deal
Kelley Deal
Kelley Deal is an American musician. The identical twin sister of Kim Deal, she is the lead guitarist of The Breeders, besides having a solo career.- Early days :...
on guitar. The band recorded the Safari EP in late 1991. After the recording of Safari, Donelly left The Breeders to form Belly
Belly (band)
Belly was an alternative rock band formed in 1991 by former Throwing Muses members Tanya Donelly and Fred Abong. The band was based in Boston, Massachusetts, though all of the original members grew up in Newport, Rhode Island. The band consisted of Donelly on lead vocals and guitar, Abong on bass,...
. The Pixies became inactive in mid-1992, so Deal continued to write new material for The Breeders. By this time, Walford had become more reluctant to be identified as part of The Breeders, and was replaced by drummer Jim MacPherson
Jim Macpherson
Jim Macpherson is a United States percussionist who has played with well-known rock groups, including Guided by Voices, The Breeders, The Moping Swans, The Raging Mantras, Killjoys and The Amps...
. The band had become a full-time outfit, and opened for Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
on their 1992 European tour.
With the break-up of the Pixies in January 1993, The Breeders returned to the studio to record their second album. Last Splash
Last Splash
Last Splash is the second album by indie rock band The Breeders, released August 1993. Originally formed as a side project for Pixies bassist Kim Deal, The Breeders quickly became her primary recording outlet....
appeared in August 1993 to widespread acclaim and commercial success. Three singles were released from the album, including "Cannonball", which made it to #2 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Modern Rock Tracks chart. In 1993, the band contributed the track "Iris" to the AIDS-Benefit Album No Alternative
No Alternative
-Home video track listing:# Matthew Sweet "Superdeformed"#*directed by Kevin Kerslake# Neneh Cherry "Athens, Georgia 1993"#*directed by Jim McKay & Michael Stipe# Urge Overkill "Take a Walk"#*directed by Matt Mahurin...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
. As a result, The Breeders' visibility increased: 1994 saw Last Splash receive a platinum certification
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
and the band secured a prime spot on the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour.
Hiatus
In 1995, Kelley DealKelley Deal
Kelley Deal is an American musician. The identical twin sister of Kim Deal, she is the lead guitarist of The Breeders, besides having a solo career.- Early days :...
was involved in a drug bust, so Kim Deal formed the side project The Amps
The Amps
The Amps were an indie-rock band from Dayton, Ohio. Formed by Kim Deal in 1995 after The Breeders went on hiatus, they first began touring as "Tammy Ampersand and the Amps" but it was later shortened to "The Amps."Their album Pacer was released in 1995.Kim Deal originally intended to play all of...
with MacPherson
Jim Macpherson
Jim Macpherson is a United States percussionist who has played with well-known rock groups, including Guided by Voices, The Breeders, The Moping Swans, The Raging Mantras, Killjoys and The Amps...
, bassist Luis Lerma (member of the Dayton, Ohio band The Tasties) and guitarist Nate Farley, who later joined Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
. The Amps released the album Pacer
Pacer (album)
Pacer was The Amps' only LP. It was released on October 31, 1995. The album is titled after the first track. The song "I Am Decided" was a combination of two songs written by Robert Pollard, which were given to Kim Deal as a gift after she produced some songs for Guided by Voices...
in October 1995. Following drug rehab, Kelley started the Kelley Deal 6000 and also formed the Last Hard Men
Last Hard Men
The Last Hard Men were an alternative music supergroup composed of former Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach, The Frogs guitarist Jimmy Flemion, The Breeders guitarist–vocalist Kelley Deal, and The Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.-Recordings:...
with Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
, Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin
Jimmy Chamberlin
Jimmy Chamberlin is an American drummer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as the former drummer for the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. After a drug-related incident with touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin in 1996, Chamberlin was fired from the band and joined The Last...
, and Jimmy Flemion
Jimmy Flemion
Jimmy Flemion is a founding member, with his older brother Dennis Flemion, of controversial independent rock band The Frogs. Jimmy is mostly the lead singer and guitarist for the group. He has been known to play solo shows with just an acoustic guitar....
of The Frogs
The Frogs (band)
The Frogs are an American rock music band founded in 1980, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by brothers Jimmy and Dennis Flemion. The brothers mainly write and perform short, catchy pop songs, but they are also known for their improvised home recordings which are delivered in a comedic style, and often...
.
In 1996 Kim Deal reclaimed the Breeders name and played several California dates; the lineup was essentially The Amps augmented by violinist Carrie Bradley
Carrie Bradley
Carrie Bradley is an American violinist and vocalist. She was a founding member of the alternative folk band Ed's Redeeming Qualities, and has played in The Breeders and 100 Watt Smile. More recently, Bradley has appeared as half of the San Francisco-based musical duo The Great Auk.-External links:*...
. The band made another unsuccessful attempt at recording a third studio album in 1997. Kelley Deal rejoined the band the following year and wrote and recorded songs with her sister, although the only material released during this period was a cover of The Three Degrees' take on James Gang's "Collage," recorded for The Mod Squad
The Mod Squad (film)
The Mod Squad is a 1999 film directed by Scott Silver and starring Claire Danes, Omar Epps and Giovanni Ribisi. It is based on the popular television show of the same name.-Plot:...
soundtrack in 1999.
Title TK
The Deal sisters recruited new personnel to play several live shows in 2001, and returned to the studio with guitarist Richard Presley, bass player Mando Lopez and drummer Jose MedelesJose Medeles
Jose Medeles is an American musician. He is the drummer for The Breeders, and in 1998 played drums for Face to Face as a touring member. He also played drums in 22 Jacks, appearing on Overserved and their final album Going North....
to record the third Breeders studio album Title TK
Title TK
Title TK is the third album from the American alternative rock band The Breeders. The album was released on May 20, 2002 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and distributed by Elektra records in the United States. Title TK was engineered by Steve Albini, who also engineered The Breeders' debut album Pod...
with Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
. The Breeders were also recruited, in early 2002, to perform in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They were approached by the production staff, after they had been performing the show's theme, originally written by Nerf Herder
Nerf Herder
Nerf Herder is a punk rock band from Santa Barbara formed in 1994 by Parry Gripp , Charlie Dennis and Steve Sherlock . They describe themselves as a "geek rock" band, and are known for simplistic modern punk-style songs with frequently humorous, juvenile and pop-culture-referencing lyrics...
, as a regular part of their concert set. The episode is entitled "Him
Him (Buffy episode)
"Him" is the sixth episode of the seventh and final season of television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:Dawn Summers falls in love with RJ, a football player at her high school and becomes desperate to win his affections, despite her awkward social skills in his presence. Her sister...
", and aired November 5, 2002.
The Breeders contributed the track "Wicked Little Town: Hedwig Version" to the 2003 Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch may refer to:* Hedwig and the Angry Inch * Hedwig and the Angry Inch...
tribute album, "Wig in a Box
Wig in a Box
Wig In A Box: Songs from & Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a charity tribute album featuring versions of songs from the musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch...
".
In 2004, Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
announced plans to drop the Breeders from their label following low album sales of Title TK. The decision came with Warner's plans to drop several other artists as well.
Mountain Battles
Mountain BattlesMountain Battles
Mountain Battles is the fourth album from the American alternative rock band The Breeders. The album was released on April 7, 2008 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and April 8, 2008 in the United States....
was released in April 2008 on 4AD
4AD
4AD is a British independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent, funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still active today...
. It features Kim and Kelley Deal, Jose Medeles and Mando Lopez. That October they played a benefit concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
2009
The Breeders' third EP, Fate to Fatal was released on April 21, 2009. It contains a Bob MarleyBob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
cover ("Chances Are") and a song with vocals by Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
. The title track was recorded at The Fortress Studios, London, by The Go! Team
The Go! Team
The Go! Team are a six-piece band from Brighton, England. They combine indie rock and garage rock with a mixture of blaxploitation and Bollywood soundtracks, double dutch chants, old school hip hop and distorted guitars similar to the style of Sonic Youth. Their songs are a mix of live...
producer Gareth Parton. The music video featured the Arch Rival Roller Girls, a St. Louis roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
league.
The Breeders were curators of an edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
festival taking place in May 2009 in Minehead, England. They played the ATP New York 2010
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
music festival in Monticello, New York, in September 2010.
Discography
- Pod (1990)
- SafariSafari (EP)Safari is a four song EP by The Breeders released in 1992 on 4AD/Elektra Records. By the time of this release, Kim Deal had enlisted her twin sister Kelley to play guitar for The Breeders...
EP (1992) - Last SplashLast SplashLast Splash is the second album by indie rock band The Breeders, released August 1993. Originally formed as a side project for Pixies bassist Kim Deal, The Breeders quickly became her primary recording outlet....
(1993) - Head to ToeHead to Toe (EP)Head to Toe is an extended play by the American alternative rock band The Breeders, released in July 1994 on 4AD and Elektra Records. The EP features covers of Guided By Voices' "Shocker in Gloomtown" and Sebadoh's "Freed Pig".-Track listing:...
EP (1994) - Title TKTitle TKTitle TK is the third album from the American alternative rock band The Breeders. The album was released on May 20, 2002 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and distributed by Elektra records in the United States. Title TK was engineered by Steve Albini, who also engineered The Breeders' debut album Pod...
(2002) - Mountain BattlesMountain BattlesMountain Battles is the fourth album from the American alternative rock band The Breeders. The album was released on April 7, 2008 by 4AD in the United Kingdom and April 8, 2008 in the United States....
(2008) - Fate to FatalFate to Fatal (EP)Fate to Fatal is an extended play by the American alternative rock band The Breeders, released in April 2009 on Period Music. It was recorded in three different locations by multiple engineers; the title track was recorded at The Fortress Studios, London with producer Gareth Parton ; "The Last...
EP (2009)
External links
- 4AD: The Breeders
- The Breeders at Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
- Official Band Website