Writers Write, Breeders Breed

Back when MTV aired videos (sometimes to death), “Cannonball” by the Breeders got so much play circa 1993 that I couldn’t help but hate it. Until it inevitably grew on me, that is. Judge for yourself: it’s below, you’ll remember it. Still, I think it’s more likely Kurt Cobain endorsing the alt-rock foursome in an interview somewhere that led me to Last Splash, hands down one of the strongest rock albums of the 1990s from start to finish. Never saw them live despite hours and hours of listening pleasure over the years, not to mention the Amps side-project. I was blessed to catch the group perform recently after a looong hiatus at Le Cigale a few weeks ago, supporting a solid comeback album, Mountain Battles.

I was the only only black person in the entire crowd (which made my neck itch, to paraphrase Lenny Kravitz) but it was worth it. Moshing broke out in front of me once they opened, all the French girls chanting along in broken English. The Breeders, if you know nothing about them, are kind of a girl group. Kim Deal (formerly of the Pixies, whom I’ve never heard, I won’t front) is the only member whose been there since the beginning; her twin sister/lead guitarist Kelley had jokes for the crowd in-between great solos; Jose Melendes on drums and Mando Lopez on guitar round things out.

Thing is, the Breeders are only doing Europe and Australia for the time being, so I lucked out. If you gave a fuck about Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Antichrist Superstar and “The Dope Show,” “Creep” (Radiohead), “Plush” (Stone Temple Pilots) and such in the 90s, then you’re already creaming in your shorts. Cop Mountain Battles, it’s worth it. I came home from Le Cigale and stuck the album’s opener “Overglazed” on my MySpace page right away. Here’s a by-no-means-complete set list to the show:

1. “Bang On”
2. “Divine Hammer”
3. “No Aloha”
4. “Pacer”
   
5. “We’re Gonna Rise” (unfuckwitable)
6. “New Year”
7. “Cannonball”
8. “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” (yeah, that one)
9. “Iris”
   
10. “I Just Wanna Get Along”
11. “Saints”
12. “Overglazed”
13. “German Studies”
14. “Here No More”
15. “Hellbound”