Milwaukee, WI · folk-punk

Violent Femmes

2 upcoming festivals

'Blister in the Sun' and the strangest great American songbook — acoustic punk forever, xylophone solos included.

Violent Femmes formed in Milwaukee in 1980 around singer and guitarist Gordon Gano and bassist Brian Ritchie. Their self-titled debut, recorded largely on acoustic instruments with a stripped-down rhythm section, became a slow-burning staple of American alternative radio and college rock, carrying songs including "Blister in the Sun," "Kiss Off" and "Add It Up."

The band's music sits between folk, punk and country, built on acoustic guitar, an unusually prominent acoustic bass and Gano's nasal, adolescent-sounding delivery. Later records added horns, xylophone and gospel and religious themes. They have continued to perform for decades, with the early material still central to their live shows.

folk-punk