Pitchfork

Try and imagine a Violent Femmes "hits" compilation containing over 20 songs. "That's too many! They were only really good for one album," you say? I know, I know, but it gets worse. Imagine that, among these two dozen tracks, studio cuts of "Add It Up" and "Kiss Off" were nowhere to be found. You'd probably think "What? That makes no sense! Those are their two best songs! I don't like these crappy live versions!" What if they even had the gall to name it after one of said omitted tracks?

"That's just plain mean," you'd surely say. And you'd be right. Yet, such and album exists, and to this day Add It Up 1981-1993) festers on Best Buy shelves nationwide.

Fortunately, the band and Rhino Records are teaming up to right this wrong with the July 12 release of The Very Best of Violent Femmes. Clocking in at a leaner (but still a bit fatty) 16 tracks, and including the highlights that were inexplicably left out of the previous compilation, this promises to be a far more tolerable alternative to its predecessor. Of course, this will be the first comp. containing tracks from 2000's Freak Magnet, but I'll leave whether or not that's a good thing up to you humble readers. For fans who've already completed the band's audio catalogue, a concert/music video DVD bearing the same name will see release the same day. The album's tracklist, both violent and feminine: 01 Gimme the Car 02 Blister in the Sun 03 Gone Daddy Gone 04 Kiss Off 05 Add It Up 06 Black Girls 07 Jesus Walking on the Water 08 Children of the Revolution 09 I Held Her in My Arms 10 Nightmares 11 American Music 12 Breakin' Up 13 Color Me Once 14 I Danced 15 Country Death Song 16 Freak Magnet