Tanya Donelly: vocals, guitar
Kim Deal: vocals, guitar
Josephine Wiggs: vocals, bass guitar
Shannon Doughton: vocals, drums
Carrie Bradley: violin
Before The Pixies came along, Kim and her twin sister Kelly had an act in the early 80s called The Breeders. Not much came of it, as it was mainly just for fun, until Kim Deal wanted to do a side project from The Pixies. She picked up the old name and recruited a few other people from different bands to record an LP. Thus, the very raw and underappreciated first album, “POD”.
“POD” is very broody and melodic throughout the album which, in contrast to the female vocals, sets a different stage from The Pixies. The whole album is very raw, very honest, but so catchy the listener can’t help but get a song or two stuck in their head from time to time. There’s a lot of short and silly songs scattered throughout “POD”, but the highlights are within the more developed tracks like the catchy “Hellbound”, or a very well done, arguably transcending, version of The Beatles “Happiness Is A Warm Gun”. Though any Pixies fan should really appreciate The Breeders, they should not necessarily compare them, but consider them as separate bands with their own respectable contributions. There’s pounding drums, scratchy guitars, heaviness without sacrificing melody, a perfect case being “Iris”, and intelligent humor, all of which would make anyone tired of the monotonous emo or indie scene of today very satisfied.
The Breeders sound is pretty, but still dark. In its raw nature, it may take a few listens to really appreciate everything “POD” has to offer, but it is definitely worth the purchase.
