let it breed
Kim Deal used to be a Pixie but she‘s alright now. Now she’s a Breeder, a big fan of Rumours, and telling Fiona Shepherd how crap Michael Bolton is.
There are plenty references to rock ‘n‘ roll history that The Breeders don’t mind trading on. Several of them blast through their new album The Breeders’ last Splash. ‘Flipside‘ is like a distorted Beach Boys instrumental. ‘1 Just Wanna Get Along‘ gleefully thieves a Stooges riff. ‘Roi‘ does the same with Led Zep. Plus sundry other generic quirks for the inveterate trainspotter. But there‘s one element of pop‘s past that they wouldn't touch. not with protective surgical gloves, the one that vocalist and guitarist Kim Deal helped forge — Pixies.
For now, Kim evading Pixies‘ legacy seems about as likely as shaking off her shadow. This she probably accepts. but there‘s something about journalists, questions about her previous band and her intolerant streak that go together. The day before the interview, there are several phone calls from the 4AD press office gently warning against use of the P-word. So it‘s pretty fortunate really that Kim broaches the subject of being branded for life with no external prompting.
‘Y‘know Bob Mould. he always gets “Bob Mould. ex-of Husker Dii“ even though Sugar is really big. but for me . . . the two bands just don‘t interact as much as people want to put them together. The Breeders is a band. i never called up Jo and Tanya and said “hey. d‘you wanna do a side project?“ ‘ Readers. Kim Deal says everything in italics. Or capitals. Anyway. she continues, ‘I did an interview
yesterday and every question was Pixies-based.
“How is The Breeders‘ music different from Pixies‘ music?“ They even had a question like. "what kind of food do you eat now you‘re not in Pixies?“ it was
' incredible; I had to break down every single question
and go, “wait a minute! i cannot base my entire
, being in relation to the Pixies!“ ‘
Let that be the last word on the subject. Now we‘ve
7 got the all-clear to talk about The Breeders. Since ‘ their 1990 debut LP Pod. there's been some
personnel-shuffling. Belly‘s Tanya Donnelly left. ‘ Deal and bassist Jo Wiggs reckoned a trio with
Deal‘s twin Kelley on drums would bejust dandy.
Kelley reckoned a quartet with her on lead guitar
(despite no prior experience) would be better. Lest
‘ sibling warfare rend the group asunder, Kelley's proposition was taken up. and the writing and
recording process was given a neat twist, as if there
weren‘t enough twists to Breeders‘ recording - sessions anyway . . .
‘The Plant had a real heyday in the 70s.‘ says Deal
V of the San Francisco studio where Last Splash was
out or something.‘
occupants, l‘ll warrant. ‘I walked into the studio ' room. I looked at the gold and platinum records on
. Starship. Michael Bolton.‘ She lowers her voice to a
hoarse. conspiratorial whisper. ‘The worst music in
Stevie Wonder‘s Songs In The Key OfLife, then I ’ looked at this other place and it was like Rumours
; It; ,.’ V. d ,v’ / «(f 5 I I.” / , :" ,
mixed. ‘You don‘t walk down a straight hallway to your studio. you go down a curve like a serpentine — they call it Sperm Hall. At the end there‘s a carnival mirror. You walk up to it like you‘re short and fat. You stand back and you‘re long and skinny. They did these things because l guess everybody was doing coke and acid back then. so it was meant to freak you
Ha, but not as much as a fix of the studio‘s erstwhile the wall. it was like Kenny Loggins. Jefferson
the fuckin‘ world was done here. ‘Then I went to the back room and saw, thank god.
was done there!‘ This. apparently, is a good thing. There‘s no Rumours references on The Breeders'
Last Splash. This is definitely a good thing.
The Breeders play The Plaza. Glasgow on Tue 28.
mm:- Hip hop hooray
‘When we’re in there we have like a i painting thing - gotta have a little green In there, this needs a little ' salsa, needs a little more hip hop. We just have this certain sound we want, it might need this, it might need that, we couldn’t even say what it is we’re trying to do.’ Ilow about this then: hip hop that’s
tunky, iiery, tresh? Rap that is indie is
debut seven-tracker from the law 'York foursome. Over here it’s available came out here this summer.
. %- w: V
; band don’t. ‘In Search 0t Manny’ is the 5 irom 1991 , some trom 1992. ‘I'hey still 5 sounded ot-the-moment when they
be on the bill with straight hip hop is, like, really unlikely, ’cos it’s just a totally ditierent world.’
This is ’cos, like, Luscious Jackson are all girls, all live, and all- encompassing in their influences. Straight-up macho rap is irrelevant. Hence the tours with the inspirational - Goats, kooky Dutch people Bettie j Serveert, and now The Breeders and ' Urge Overkill. Luscious Jackson find common cause with maverick talents, whoever, whatever. Angry tems, hip ' hop hooligans, riot mappers? Forget
it
:Vle just bounced onto the scene separately, and tor the most part
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The List 24 September—7 October I993 29