Veruca Salt- any recommendations for similar groups.. (3 Viewers)

[Scott Strang]

I love that sweet female vocal against an edgy, hard rock type backdrop. Since VS has broken up, can anyone recommends similar acts?

thanks

 

[BrianB]

Liz Phair!

 

[Dan B]

How 'bout Juliana Hatfield & her bands whose names I forget at the moment?

-Dan

 

[MatS]

FROGPOND , but unfortunately they have broken up as well. 'Count To Ten' highly recommended

 

[Dan B]

Oh I forgot about The Breeders, too! I'm sure there are many others I'm forgetting.

 

[Tom Meyer]

Juliana Hatfield was in the Blake Babies. Their best is "Sunburn", which was released in like 1990.

Others:

Sonic Youth -- Kim Gordon's best songs are on anything before "Goo".

PJ Harvey -- Good God, the Godmother of them all. "Rid of Me" will just about castrate you if you're not careful.

Sleater-Kinney -- Greatest 3 girl punk band on the planet

Pixies/Breeders

Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 -- Anne Eickelberg doesn't sing much, but she still rocks.

Team Dresch - Try "Personal Best"

My Bloody Valentine -- Haven't put anything out in 11 years but "Loveless" defines dreamy drone rock.

Helium / Mary Timony -- Sweet, deadpan vocals against distorted guitars.

Scrawl -- They've been around forever, but can still rock.

The Mekons -- Don't be a smart ass or Sally Timms will break a bottle over your head. "Curse of the Mekons" is my favorite.

And do you mean VS or Versus ?

 

[Leif Wall]

Star 69

Tracy Bonham

Belly

Letters to Cleo

Scratching Post

Babes in Toyland

Seven Year Bitch

...a few to think about

 

[Alan K]

Also check out Lush's Split and either of Medicine's two albums from the early 90's.

 

[BrianB]

I'll second the pick for Sleater Kinney. One of the best bands on the planet as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Most Veruca Salt fans also seem to have a soft spot for Letters to Cleo and othe radio stuff like Tracy Bonham.
While I'm not much of a fan of any of those, I would say that there are some excellent "girl rock" bands out there:
As mentioned above, Sleater-Kinney - which I also would say is probably one of the only interesting rock bands currently putting out records (boys or girls). Not quite as glossy pop as VEruca, but if you start with their most recent album (all hands on the bad one) and work backwards- you might like them.
The band Autoclave is also very very cool- (Mary from Helium with Christina Billotte from Slant 6- recorded way back in the early 90's. Way ahead of their time, and very cool). Again, more angular and mathy than Veruca, but interesting none the less.
I would also say you might like The Donnas- basically the ramones if they were girls (add in a slutty factor so that they're not intimidating or taken too seriously).
Liz Phair's first two albums (Exile in Guyville and Whipsmart) are excellent, but not really as pop-core as the Veruca Salt stuff.
Babes in Toyland- interesting suggestion- nothing like Veruca Salt- more vicious screaming noisy.
L7- if you're gonna add Babes in Toyland, I'd add L7. Although some argue if the singer even sounds like a girl-- more dirty LA street rock.
That Dog- I think the last that dog album before their breakup is one of the most underappreciated pure pop records I have ever heard. Why Mtv didn't play the shit out of this, I'll never know. Again, start with their last record (retreat for the sun) and work backwards. I think it you like Veruca, you'll love that dog.
Other Possibilities: Breeders, Amps, Kelly Deal 6000, Helium, Elastica, bis, pj harvey, velocity girl, lush, cibo matto, slant 6, quixotic, lois, cub, cakelike, lucious jackson, bjork.
And if you're really looking to broaden your horizons, try bikini kill, huggybear, heavens to betsy, Le Tigre, Julie Ruin, 7 year bitch, dickless, courtney love (the band not the girl), etc
Sounds like you might need someone to make you a mixtape
-Vince
NP: A mixtape I made for scott in my head

 

[Scott Strang]

Hi All;

Yep I've got the following tunes from some of the names mentioned.

Universal Heartbeat Juliana Hatfield

Josie and Pussycats Juliana and someone else

Supernova Liz Phair

Whipsmart Liz Phair

Mother MOther Tracy Bonham

Here and now Letters to Cleo

Entire 8 Arms to.. Veruca Salt

Seether Veruca Salt

All of the above are on TM Century Hitdiscs so they're also radio edits.

Are Veruca's "Blow it out your Ass" and "American Thighs" any good? I loved "8 arms to hold you".

Has anyone here heard the soundtrack from "The Craft"?

It's got some great stuff on it.

 

[Bill Leber]

Elastica

 

[Scott Strang]

Elastica is great too. The only I've seen (and have) is the one with "Connection" and "car song".

 

[Ted Lee]

all the good ones are mentioned, but i don't think anyone recommended Concrete Blonde.
even though they're not techncially a girl-band, the lead singer can really rock. she has a scruffy, but not fatiguing (sp?) voice.
they have a great range...from the melancholy "tomorrow wendy" to the melodic "joey" to the hard-edged "still in hollywood" -- they're songs are as varied as you could ask for. i'd say their overall sound is pretty unique.
their best of compilation (i think it's called 'recollection') is a great sampler.

 

[Joseph S]

You could always check out Nina Gordon's solo work if you liked her in Veruca Salt

 

[Dan Stone]

Along the lines of what Vince was suggesting for expanding your horizons would be the bands Fluffy and Teen Angels. Both of their albums are fairly difficult to find these days but make for interesting listening if you can track them down.

You also asked whether the earlier Veruca Salt albums are worthwhile. I certainly feel they are if you like Eight Arms To Hold You. The feel of all three is pretty similar although the third album had the Bob Rock production where the first two were not as polished on the production (in my opinion this is actually a plus though).

Hope this helps,

Dan

 

[Leif Wall]

I was also going to through in that dog.. Vince beat me to it.
By the way, Vince, from what I've seen around here you've got some good taste.

 

[Mike Hutman]

You should check out Nina Gordon, Tonight and the rest of my life CD. It is alot softer then when she was in Veruca Salt. It is still good non the less.

 

[Paul D Young]

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[Kelley_B]

I will also add the recommendation for PJ Harvey, my second favorite artist of all time. And I will also recommend The Donnas, everything Vince said about them is so true
Sleater-Kinney are great rock n roll.
A new band you might want to check out are Pretty Girls Make Graves.