The Milwaukee, Wisconsin band Violent Femmes are best known for their song Blister in the Sun released in 1983. A girl that I knew drove me crazy playing that song but after a while I started to like it…more than the girl. The song started to be played on alternative and college radio.
James Honeyman Scott (Pretenders guitar player) was booked to play a gig and he was so impressed by the Violent Femmes that he let them open for him. They were were then offered a record deal by Slash Records and soon after that they released their 1982 debut album, “Violent Femmes.” The album slowly hit and later went platinum.
This song was on their Why Do Birds Sing? album in 1991 and it was their fifth studio album. The album peaked at #141 in the Billboard Album Chart but the song peaked at #2 on Billboard‘s Modern Rock chart.
Through breakups and reunions the band minus the original drummer Victor DeLorenzo are still together. Gordon Gano is the singer- songwriter and Brian Ritchie is the bass player with new drummer John Sparrow.
They released an album in 2019 called Hotel Last Resort and it peaked at #29 in the Billboard Indie Charts.
American Music
Can I, can I put in something like…
“This is “American Music”… take one.” 1-2-3-4!
Do you like American music?
I like American music.
Don’t you like American music, baby?
I want you to hold me, I want your arms around me.
I want you to hold me, baby…
Did you do too many drugs? I did too many drugs.
Did you do too many drugs, too, baby?
You were born too late, I was born too soon,
But every time I look at that ugly moon, it reminds me of you.
It reminds me of you… ooh-ooh-ooh.
I need a date to the prom, would you like to come along?
But nobody would go to the prom with me, baby…
They didn’t like American music, they never heard American music.
They didn’t know the music was in my soul, baby…
You were born too soon, I was born too late,
But every time I look at that ugly lake, it reminds me of me.
It reminds me of me…
Do you like American music? We like American music.
I like American music… Baby.
Do you like American music? We like all kinds of music.
But I like American music best… baby.
You were born too late, and I was born too late,
But every time I look at that ugly lake,
It reminds me of me…
It reminds me of me
It reminds me of me
Do you like american music
It reminds me of me
Do you like american music
It reminds me of me
Do you like american music
It reminds me of me
I like american music
It reminds me of me
She like american music
It reminds me of me
I like american music
It reminds me of me
She like american music
It reminds me of me
I like american music
It reminds me of me
She like american music
It reminds me of me
I like american music
It reminds me of me
She like american music
It reminds me of me
I like american music
It reminds me of me
She like american music
It reminds me of me
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
Saw them a couple times back in the late 80s- didn’t realize they were still together! Pretty good band that I haven’t listened to in a long time!
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His voice is one of the most unique voices I’ve heard. Their new song “I’m Nothing” is good…about not being on either of the political sides.
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Will have to check it out!
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I liked the song and loved the video and for some odd reason this group reminded me of watching the Monkees.
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I heard this one a lot on radio in the 80s, not much since. Hard-working little band… I think they were discovered while busking outside a show (probably the Pretenders based on your info) weren’t they?
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I think so yes… I didn’t know that first album when platinum.
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First time hearing it. Sounds good. For some reason I thought they were a British band.
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That video draws me in…he looks disturbed…in a good way lol.
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This is another group I’d always heard of, but never heard. It’s a sound and style I could have enjoyed.
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The main thing I knew was blister in the sun… then I heard this on mainstream radio in the early nineties and liked it.
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But every time I look at that ugly moon, it reminds me of you. Great line!
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You are right… I reread the line while I was writing it and liked it.
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I only know Blister in the Sun, but this was good.
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I have found some good songs by them…but yes I really like this one.
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These guys were one of the very few international bands that came to my home town (Dunedin, NZ) back in the late 80s. Even met them briefly! Such a good live band.
How’s tricks Max?
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That is really cool that you got to meet them.
I’m doing good…work is booming…hope you are doing well Jeremy.
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Nice to hear. Great the blog is still powering along🎉
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Yea I’m doing more unknown bands now…I had to or I was going to quit…I still have the Beatles, Stones, and Who but not every week lol.
Good to see you are still around. Every time something about audio comes up…I think damn…could have asked Jeremy about that.
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I’ll admit the only song I know is Blister in the Sun and it is an amazing track. But I guess it wasn’t amazing enough for me to ever try an album for them.
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I loved Blister in the Sun. “Big hands, I know you’re the one…” LOL!
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Missed this band. Heard of them. Song has a bot of a Modern Lovers vibe.
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