27 October 2025 - The Breeders - Shocker In Gloomtown

Look, if you read Totally Covered, you're going to recognize most of this post. I originally wrote this in 2012.  

The fact is, the most successful band ever to be based out of Dayton, Ohio, is clearly The Breeders.  Best known for their hit "Cannonball", which is a fun song, the group started its adult life - the name was from Kim & Kelley Deal's childhood band - as a collaboration between Kim Deal of the Pixies, Tanya Donnelly from Throwing Muses (both represented in this #AmericanAutumn), and Josephine Wiggs from The Perfect Disaster.  Well, Tanya left to go do Belly (also represented in this #AmericanAutumn), and Kim brought Kelley back to the band to play guitar.

This song is a cover by a song originally performed by Dayton, Ohio's best band, Guided by Voices.  The song was from the 7" - yes, it was on vinyl only - Head to Toe. Look closely in the video, which was shot in Kim's Dayton, OH garage.  The guys peeking in the windows of the garage in disgust?  Guided by Voices.

This was not the only cover on the 7".  A third song - Freed Pig - was also there, a cover of a song by the band Sebadoh.  If you get a chance, check it out - all three songs are among the best The Breeders ever did, including the original title track.

A little footnote to this story - the drummer for the Breeders was Jim McPherson.  He later joined Guided by Voices.

Here's something that wasn't anything I could post in 2012...  the Breeders doing the song live in 2018..... and sounding just like they did in 1994.  

Which is incredible.  I didn't think they'd ever do it live.