Violent Femmes ‘Why Do Birds Sing’ Gets A 30th Anniversary Make-Over

Violent Femmes fifth album ‘Why Do Birds Sing’ has been expanded with a chunk of previously unreleased material to mark the 30th anniversary of its release.

‘Why Do Birds Sing’ was produced by Michael Beinhorn, who came to Violent Femmes after working with Red Hot Chili Peppers on ‘Mother’s Milk’ and ‘The Uplift Mojo Plan’. “Beinhorn was the most eccentric producer we met with,” Brian Ritchie recalls. “More importantly, he understood our strengths as a trio, and the intimacy of the sound, and our improvisational nature, and wanted to focus on Gordon’s lyrics.”

A cool quirk of ‘Why Do Birds Sing’ was the Violent Femmes cover of Culture Club’s ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’. “We took it as a challenge,” said Gordon Gano. Ritchie adds, “It was an experiment that turned out really well…in fact, we bumped into Boy George once in a hotel bar and he told us, ‘That is the best cover of any of our songs anyone’s ever done.’”

‘Why Do Birds Sing’ went relatively unnoticed in the USA (no 141, 1991) but was Violent Femmes highest charting album in Australia (no 26, 1991).

The key track off the album ‘American Music’ reached no 2 on the US Modern Rock chart.

Another song, ‘Used To Be’ made the Australian chart at no 90.

‘Why Do Birds Sing’ 30th anniversary edition will be released on 8 October 2021.

Tracklist – Why Do Birds Sing? (Deluxe Edition) (2-CD/digital editions):

Disc 1
1. American Music
2. Out the Window
3. Look Like That
4. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
5. Hey Nonny Nonny
6. Used to Be
7. Girl Trouble
8. He Likes Me
9. Life is a Scream
10. Flamingo Baby
11. Lack of Knowledge
12. More Money Tonight
13. I’m Free
14. Me and You*
15. Color Me Once (Early Version)*
16. 4 Seasons (Early Version)*
17. Breaking Up (Early Version)*
18. American Music (Alternate Mix)*
19. Dance, M.F., Dance!

Disc 2
1. Look Like That (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
2. Out The Window (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
3. Fat (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
4. Blister in the Sun (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
5. Prove My Love (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
6. Country Death Song (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
7. Old Mother Reagan (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
8. Confessions (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
9. Girl Trouble (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
10. Add It Up (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
11. Good Feeling (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)
12. More Money Tonight (Live At The Boathouse, Norfolk, VA / 1991)

* Previously-unreleased material

Tracklist – Why Do Birds Sing? (Deluxe Edition) (vinyl edition):

Side A
1. American Music
2. Out the Window
3. Look Like That
4. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
5. Hey Nonny Nonny
6. Used to Be

Side B
1. Girl Trouble
2. He Likes Me
3. Life is a Scream
4. Flamingo Baby
5. Lack of Knowledge
6. More Money Tonight
7. I’m Free

Violent Femmes 2021 U.S. tour dates with Flogging Molly:

September 3: Maryland Heights, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park
September 4: Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheatre at White River State Park
September 8: Columbus, OH @ Express Live!
September 10: Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre
September 11: Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
September 12: Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summerstage
September 14: Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
September 15: Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
September 17: Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion
September 18: Rochester, NY @ Rochester Main Street Armory
September 19: Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
September 21: New York, NY @ Pier 17
September 22: New Haven, CT @ Westville Music Bowl
September 24: Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House
September 25: Big Flats, NY @ Tag’s Summer Stage – The Budweiser Summer Stage at Tag’s
September 26: Washington, DC @ The Anthem
October 5: Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
October 6: Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
October 8: Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre
October 9: Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
October 10: Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre
October 12: Sacramento, CA @ Heart Health Park
October 13: Fresno, CA @ Woodward Park Rotary Amphitheater
October 15: Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater
October 16: Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
October 17: Eugene, OR @ The Cuthbert Amphitheater
October 19: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
October 20: Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
October 22: Milwaukee, WI @ Miller High Life Theater
October 23: Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory