Permanent Record: The Very Best of the Violent Femmes

Intense, wry, risque, and dependably quirky, the music of Violent Femmes helped define "college rock" in the 1980s. The Wisconsin trio's willfully primitive folk-punk emerged fully formed on the group's 1983
eponymous debut, unleashing such classic acoustic barnstormers as "Kiss Off," "Add It Up," and the dance-floor sing-along favorite "Blister in the Sun." These tracks are all present on PERMANENT RECORD, a
band retrospective that follows the Femmes through the fuller sound of HALLOWED GROUND and beyond, touching down on the Talking Heads-like rendition of T.Rex's "Children of the Revolution" (which features the Heads' Jerry Harrison) and the oddly uplifting, nostalgic "American Music."
Although this 16-song set overlaps somewhat with ADD IT UP: 1981-1993, it follows the Femmes catalog through 2000's FREAK MAGNET (including the melancholy, soul-tinged "Color Me Once" from the soundtrack to 1994's THE CROW), making for a more wide-ranging overview. Throughout the compilation, frontman Gordon
Gano's unmistakably whiny vocals, caustic lyrics, and fierce acoustic-guitar strumming are at the fore, embodying the skewed charm of this utterly unique ensemble.