Add It Up

The 80's produced a lot of interesting out-of-the-way, left-of-center bands. That's why I'll always say that that decade produced a great deal of the best music played (and, thankfully, shunned) by radio.

One of the most curious musical incarnations of the 80's was the three-piece band from Milwaukee, Violent Femmes. Made up of vocalist/guitaris Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie, and percussionist Victor DeLorenzo, Violent Femmes presented a unique sound that blended folk music with a strong dose of punk. While busking in front of the Oriental Theater in Milwaukee, they were discovered by James Honeyman-Scott of The Pretenders who were due to play the Oriental later that evening.

Despite freely careening around in any direction they fancied, Violent Femmes stayed clear of the mainstream while consistently pulling in new fans along the way. They have a bazillion hit songs under their belt and I love every one of 'em. But for the purpose of this post, let's take a look at one of their biggest hits - a quirky little song called "Add It Up".