Even for an era defined by putting weirdo songs into heavy rotation, 1993's "Cannonball" is still a baffling, bizarre song -- unless, as some suggest, you're thoroughly baked. But there was plenty more to Last Splash, the awesomely oddball album it shot to platinum, and plenty more to come from The Breeders and sisters Kim and Kelley Deal.
While Last Spash and tours with the likes of Nirvana rocketed The Breeders to alt-stardom, the band almost immediately went on a long furlough, as Kelley underwent rehab in 1994 and other members pursued side projects. While Kim fired up the band again in 1996, joined by Kelley in early 1998, it would take until 2002 for the Breeders' third album, the Steve Albini-produced Title TK.
Since that nine-year pause between albums, it seems the tunes have kept coming, if not much faster. Mountain Battles came out on the 4AD label in 2008, after a period in which Kim was involved in the Pixies reunion.
This April, the band self-released the DIY EP, Fate to Fatal: A vinyl edition, limited to 1,000 copies, was hand-silkscreened by the Deals themselves. The title track, featuring the chorus line "What men pray for, what men cradle / I've gone from fate to fatal," is coupled with a music video destined to endear them to legions of roller-derby fans, and Mark Lanegan sits in on "The Last Time." As Pitchfork's Paul Thompson wrote, "Casual is a fine look for The Breeders [...] and it's no bad thing to hear them having what sounds like a pretty good time goofing around."
So, if you haven't changed the station in awhile, there will likely be some new tunes when the band plays Diesel on Sat., Aug. 22. But if you're really just going to hear "Divine Hammer" and "Cannonball," there's nothing really wrong with being your whatever you want.
The Breeders with special guest. 7 p.m. Sat., Aug. 22. Diesel, 1601 E. Carson St., South Side. $18 ($20 day of show). 21 and over. 412-431-8800 or www.dieselpgh.com
