Belly
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Alternative pop
Status:
Band broke up in 1996. Tanya Donelly now recording solo.
See also:
Slumberland--Tanya Donelly's Official SiteA Belly/Tanya Donelly fan site
The Ectophiles' Guide entries for: Throwing Muses (the band Tanya Donelly began with) The Breeders (a band she briefly played with before starting Belly), and Tanya Donelly's solo work.
Comparisons:
The Breeders, Throwing Muses, Bettie Serveert, Veruca Salt.
Covers/own material:
Own with a few covers on singles.
General comments:
Basic alternative sound. Tanya Donelly has a childlike voice. More interesting than many similar bands are the melodic and lyrical hooks. The lyrics are a little surreal, but suit the music and are far more interesting than the mainstream. (Neile)I love Belly and I love Tanya Donelly's Lovesongs for Underdogs. That said, they're comparable, but the stylistic differences are noticeable. I'd say Belly tends toward crunchier. I suspect that most ectophiles prefer the first one, Star, which is a little more, er, experimental, I guess. I probably listen to King more often, though. (burka@jeffrey.net)
Recommended first album:
Star (Neile)I prefer Star because it's a little quirkier. (colford@chlotrudis.org)
Recordings:
Star
Release info:
1993--Sire Reprise (U.S.)--9 45187-2
Availability:
wide
Ecto priority:
Must have for lovers of "alternative" pop (Neile)
Group members:
Tanya Donelly--guitars, vocals
Thomas Gorman--guitars, organ
Fred Abong--bass
Chris Gorman--drums, percussion
Guest artists:
Chick Graning--slide guitar, guitar, vocals
John Douglas--violin
Produced by:
Tracy Chisholm & Belly
Comments:
Lively, catchy pop. Songs with lyrics/musical hooks that will stick in your head for years. (Neile)Another album to overcome a certain amount of odds stacked against it (namely, I had not heard good things about Belly from my friends, plus the wondering doubt as to what's in store for Throwing Muses [whom I like a great deal]). I find that Star is somewhat addictive. I kind of have to make myself listen to something else or I'll keep listening to it. (MIHARKI@indsvax1.indstate.edu)
Tanya Donelly, ex-Throwing Muse put together an amazingly catchy batch of alternative pop songs. Lead song, "Feed the Tree" hooked me and reeled me in. (colford@chlotrudis.org)
King
Release info:
1995--Sire Reprise (U.S.)--9 45833-2
Availability:
wide
Ecto priority:
Recommended for lovers of "alternative" pop. (Neile)
Group members:
Tanya Donelly--guitars, vocals
Chris Gorman--drums, percussion
Thomas Gorman--guitar, piano
Gail Greenwood--bass and vocals
Comments:
King is a little darker than Star, and took longer to grow on me and I tired of it quickly. In fact, I don't think we own it anymore, while I still love Star. It just doesn't have the wonderful hooks of the previous release. (Neile)after the disappointment of the initial ep release, i was really wary of this album, but i like it a lot. it sounds very little like throwing muses, or star, but it has its own appeal. the tunes seem a bit poppier, and Tanya Donelly's voice is almost pretty in places, which is strange to hear. i think it needs to grow on me more, but it's good. (clsriram@phoenix.Princeton.EDU)
Dunno, just not as weird as Star. Tanya Donelly won with that album over Throwing Muses' Red Heaven, but Kristin Hersh takes this round with Throwing Muses' University. (bossert@suddensound.com)
i think that King will have a lot more staying power than Star did. Star is a pop powerhouse, but it sugar-rots the brain after a while. King, on the other hand, is meaty and echoes nicely in the skull. (woj@smoe.org)
I feel in the minority about this disc: I feel it shows a great growth from Star (another very good album), and I like "Red", dammit! (cinnamon@one.net)
Thanks to Neal Copperman for his work on this entry.
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