Violent Femmes - Self Titled (Slash Records 1983)
Sometimes great things come in smaller packages. The idea that some of the greatest punk rock songs ever written could be delivered from a trio boasting a few of acoustic instruments is not the typical image that comes to mind.
Where some look to loud amplifiers, spike wrist bands and leather jackets to stick it to the status quo, the Violent Femmes took a folk music approach and handed us some of the most catchy and addictive songwriting of its time.
At a time in the world that was bursting with creative punk rock everywhere, breeding thrash and punk crossover bands like Slayer, Metallica, Anthrax and other of the like on the east and west coast, exploding with skate punk, the birth of hip hop in New York, Florida was breeding an underground death metal scene, we have a total change of tone with the Violent Femmes from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
As if the sunny and uplifting sounds of the music was not enough to draw the listener, the snarky lyrics start to seep in with dark humor, confusion, raging angst and are complete with punk rock attitude. A willingness to scream at the clouds, openly discuss the turmoil of life, drug use, sexual frustrations, religion, tell the world to get lost and all of it wrapped in a happily knit package that found its own way into the hearts of the world at large.
The weirdos of the world found their anthems. Funny enough, I am not sure I’ve ever been around anyone who did not enjoy listening to this album. Maybe we are all a little strange and whatever chord the band has struck resonates with us all.
For my experience, it was a time of confusion. Feelings of not belonging. There were friendships. Many of them lifelong but there was always an underlying feeling of wandering lost and desolation in any setting. Trying to feel my way through teenage discourse. It felt like nothing connected with my actions and my thoughts would never be truly understood so I’ll sit quietly. At least until I figure this thing called life out.
How many hours might I have looked at the album art and felt a similar emotion? Someone on the outside looking in through some building falling apart but somehow its moldy, dry rotting edges still call to my interest to check out what’s might be inside.
These songs bring some of those feelings back to memory. The reaching out for something just out of distance but to continue reaching anyway. It was not all a bad time but it was a strange time. A time of staying out late in a town that wanted to turn the lights off at 9pm. Finding a coffee shop or a pool table in a restaurant that happened to stay open 24 hours for reasons unknown. We could stay there for hours and see very few people come and go. Sit at a table and toss a few quarters in the juke box, if we had them to spare.
There was a road passing between two buildings parallel to that late night coffee shop and we could hang out, ride skateboards or simply stand and smoke cigarettes. There might be a car parked there with its stereo playing Violent Femmes or something similar. Many nights we found ourselves just around that corner and wondering what the future of the night would hold. Maybe we would stay up all night and eventually drive off to another hole in the wall and grab a two egg, biscuit and gravy combo for $2.99 before we collapse from exhaustion. No more steam. Lungs feel like charcoal from chain smoking all night. The sun is out and it’s time to retire into the darkness of whoever had a place for us to crash, unobstructed by civilization.
“I hope you know this will go down on your permanent record.”
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)
Bandcamp: https://violentfemmes.bandcamp.com/album/violent-femmes-deluxe-edition
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