3 Tracks by The Breeders You Must Know If You Only Know “Cannonball”

Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” helped define alternative rock in the 1990s, but The Breeders’ hit, “Cannonball”, was equally impactful.

When The Breeders, featuring twin sisters Kim and Kelley Deal (each on vocals and guitar), bassist Josephine Wiggs, and drummer Jim MacPherson, released Last Splash in 1993, alternative music was still truly alternative. And the group became one of the last underground 90s bands to become firmly rooted in the mainstream.

So, if you only know “Cannonball”, this list is a public service attempt to change that.

“Divine Hammer”

Though not as ubiquitous as “Cannonball”, if you were around in the 90s, you likely know “Divine Hammer”. It also appears on Last Splash and finds Kim Deal in existential anguish. She’s searching for the unreachable, unknowable, transcendent, something. She told Rolling Stone in 1993, “When I grew up and went to Sunday school, they said it was going to be really great … I [believed] everything everybody told me. And that’s why I’m so pissed off now.” And don’t forget to check out “Divine Mascis”, a brilliant rework featuring J Mascis.

“Drivin’ On 9”

Also on Last Splash, The Breeders’ cover of “Drivin’ On 9” by Ed’s Redeeming Qualities remains one of my favorite alt-country tunes from the 90s. And in Kim’s voice, which pings between aloof and curious, it’s a real tearjerker about longing, a shotgun wedding, and wondering whether one has made a dreadful mistake. It’s a destination song that travels in both directions. The narrator recalls where she’s been, but the anxiety over where she’s heading lingers.

“Glorious”

“Glorious” is indeed glorious. Steve Albini recorded the track, in case you couldn’t tell from the sound of those roomy drums. The Breeders released their debut LP, Pod, in 1990, and at this point, Tanya Donelly was still in the band, before leaving to form Belly the following year. The album was a favorite of Kurt Cobain’s, and its raw sound foreshadows Nirvana’s work with Albini on In Utero. Of course, Kim’s previous band, Pixies, also inspired Cobain to write his anthem, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic