After 10 years of near silence, New England trio Throwing Muses return with Purgatory/Paradise on November 11th. The 32-track effort comes as part of an art book, which will be released via Harper Collins imprint It Books. Below, listen to one of the songs, a scruffy and unpredictable rocker titled “sleeping 1″.
Throwing Muses originally carved out their name in the 80s/90s college rock scene and were the first U.S. act signed by label 4AD (the current home of acts such as Grimes, The National, St. Vincent). The group featured frontwomen Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly, alongside drummer Dave Narcizo and bassist Bernard Georges. (Donelly eventually left to join The Breeders and later Belly.) Though they earned acclaim from critics and fans alike, the band broke up in 1997, with Hersh embarking on a solo career. In 2003, Throwing Muses reunited to issue a self-titled album, but had remained quiet since.
The current lineup features everyone but Donelly.
Purgatory/Paradise’s accompanying book was designed by Narcizo and includes lyrics, photographs, and writing by Hersh. In addition, each comes with a downloadable treasure trove of commentary, instrumentals, and album art. The entire project will also be released as an interactive e-book and music app.