Fate to Fatal | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | April 21, 2009 | |||
Genre | Alternative rock | |||
Length | 14:48 | |||
Label | Period Music (U.S.) | |||
Producer | Ben Mumphrey, Steve Albini, Gareth Parton | |||
The Breeders chronology | ||||
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Fate to Fatal is an EP by the American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on Period Music, on April 21, 2009. It was recorded in three different locations by multiple engineers: the title track was recorded at the Fortress Studios, London with producer Gareth Parton; "The Last Time", which features lead vocals by Mark Lanegan, and "Pinnacle Hollow" were recorded by Ben Mumphrey in Dayton, OH; "Chances Are", a cover of a Bob Marley song, was recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago.
The Breeders released their fourth studio album, Mountain Battles , in the spring of 2008, and the Deals continued writing new songs. [1] Near the end of their 2008 tour, they were in the United Kingdom, and decided to record the new composition "Fate to Fatal" at Fortress Studios in London. [1] The song took about two days to record and mix, including time spent moving their musical equipment into the studio and setting up. [2] The engineer was Gareth Parton, with assistants Tom Morris and Nick Trepka. [3]
Later, the Breeders found out that they would be curating the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival [1] —held on May 15, 2009 in Minehead, United Kingdom. [4] They had been playing their Mountain Battles material for several months, and decided that it would be nice to have new songs to perform. [5] Their first thought was to put out one or two songs on a single, but subsequently decided to release an EP instead. [6] They had three original compositions that they wanted to release, but felt that this would be too short for an EP, so they decided to also do a cover of Bob Marley's "Chances Are". [6] They recorded this at Electrical Audio in Chicago, with engineer Steve Albini and assistants Dominique D'Amico and Gregoire Yeche. [3]
The Breeders recorded "Pinnacle Hollow" and "The Last Time" in Kim Deal's basement, [7] at her home in Dayton, Ohio, [3] with engineer Ben Mumphrey. [3] Kim and Kelley recorded the latter track in January 2009; Breeders Mondo Lopez and Jose Medeles were not present. [8] They then sent the track to Mark Lanegan, who recorded his vocals elsewhere, and sent it back to them. [8] The assistant engineer for "Pinnacle Hollow" was James Hutchinson. [3]
Reviewers have characterized "Fate to Fatal" as "ramshackle", [9] "jarring and ... exuberant". [10] The music and singing alternates between loud and quiet, [5] [10] reminiscent of the dynamic that Kim's former group, Pixies, is known for. [5] Kim notes that the song's title refers to the line "What men pray for, what men cradle/I've gone from fate to fatal"; [11] she describes the song as about a lonesome person who does not know how to connect with other people. [8]
Kim Deal has stated that "The Last Time" is about "moments where ... [one feels] gutted, taken down in life". [8] When she wrote the song, she imagined it being sung by a man. [8] She recorded a version with her singing it herself, [6] [8] but felt that she did not convey enough pain in her performance. [8] While discussing Mark Lanegan's work with a friend, she decided to ask him to sing on the track, and he agreed. [8] Lanegan's vocals have been compared to Lou Reed's, [9] and described as "weary" [9] and as a "pallbearer growl". [5]
Kim and Kelley Deal had been listening to, [8] and considering recording a cover of, [6] "Chances Are" for about ten years. They had experimented with adding instruments such as drums and stand-up bass, [6] but their version on Fate to Fatal is a more minimalist, [5] [6] [12] acoustic rendition. [10] In interviews, the Deals have noted that while Bob Marley is associated with reggae, "Chances Are" comes from his earlier, doo-wop period. [11] [13]
"Pinnacle Hollow", in which Kim hears a Neil Young influence, [12] has been described as having a "bluesy" [5] [9] [10] and a "slightly spooky" [9] sound. There are approximately two and a half minutes of instrumentation before the vocals start. [9] Kim and Kelley sing—in a manner that has been characterized as "deadpan" [9] —lines such as "I don't know a sin I haven't found" [10] and "up and down the road...." Kim was originally going to call the composition "Up and Down" but later decided on "Pinnacle Hollow", named after Pinnacle Holler, a place where the Deals' mother grew up in West Virginia. [8]
The EP's cover was designed by Chris Glass. [14] Not long before this, Glass had designed the logo for U.S. president Barack Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. [14] The Fate to Fatal design was Glass's first work doing a record cover. [15] Glass, who is related to the Deals through marriage, [14] had been a fan of the Breeders' music and of the work of Vaughan Oliver, [15] who had designed most of the group's covers for 4AD.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Consequence Of Sound | B [16] |
Pitchfork | 6.4/10 [17] |
Under the Radar | [18] |
All of the Breeders' previous albums and EPs had been released on the record label 4AD: up until 2002's Title TK Kim Deal was under contract with that label, and the Breeders released 2008's Mountain Battles with 4AD as a "one-off". [6] [12] For Fate to Fatal, they considered whether it was worthwhile to negotiate again with 4AD to release it as well. [6] [12] They conferred with friends in the music industry, including Albini, Bob Weston, and former 4AD owner Ivo Watts-Russell, and decided to release the EP themselves independently, [19] on Period Music. [3] On April 21, 2009, [11] they released 1000 copies on vinyl for Record Store Day; they also made the EP available digitally. [1]
The Breeders made a music video for the song "Fate to Fatal", co-directed by Lopez and James Ford. [20] They shot the video at the St. Louis Skatium, a roller rink in St. Louis, where they filmed the Arch Rival Rollergirls women's roller derby team. [20] The idea for this setting came when by chance Kelley met groups of roller derby athletes in the summer and autumn of 2008: first, an Arch Rival member named Amy Whited that the Deals had known since her childhood; next, a roller derby team at a Barack Obama benefit in Cincinnati; then, a different team at a craft competition in Minnesota. [20] The "Fate to Fatal" video also includes footage of the Breeders in studio. [20]
All tracks are written by Kim Deal, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Fate to Fatal" | 2:44 | |
2. | "The Last Time" | 3:11 | |
3. | "Chances Are" | Bob Marley | 3:24 |
4. | "Pinnacle Hollow" | 5:27 |
The Pixies are an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts formed in 1986 by Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal and David Lovering (drums). They disbanded acrimoniously in 1993 but reunited in 2004. After Deal left in 2013, the Pixies hired Kim Shattuck as a touring bassist. She was replaced that year by Paz Lenchantin, who became a full member in 2016, and recorded three studio albums with the band before departing in 2024. Lenchantin's replacement was bassist Emma Richardson, formerly of Band of Skulls.
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band based in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of members Kim Deal, her twin sister Kelley Deal, Josephine Wiggs and Jim Macpherson (drums).
Kimberley Ann Deal is an American musician. She was the original bassist and co-vocalist in the alternative rock band Pixies from 1986 to 1993 and 2004 to 2013, and is the frontwoman of the Breeders, which she formed in 1989.
Last Splash is the second album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released on August 30, 1993. Originally formed as a side project for Pixies bassist Kim Deal, the Breeders quickly became her primary recording outlet. Last Splash peaked at number 33 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and by June 1994, the album had been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of one million units.
Surfer Rosa is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British label 4AD. It was produced by Steve Albini. Surfer Rosa contains many of the elements of Pixies' earlier output, including Spanish lyrics and references to Puerto Rico. It includes references to mutilation and voyeurism alongside experimental recording techniques and a distinctive drum sound.
Bossanova is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Pixies. It was released on August 13, 1990, by English independent record label 4AD in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Because of 4AD's independent status, major label Elektra handled distribution in the US.
Come On Pilgrim is the debut mini-album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released on September 28, 1987, on 4AD. Produced by Gary Smith, the release consists of eight tracks from a seventeen-song recording session that the band had recorded at Fort Apache Studios in March 1987.
Pod is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band the Breeders, released by 4AD records on May 29, 1990. Engineered by Steve Albini, the album features band leader Kim Deal on vocals and guitar, Josephine Wiggs on bass, Britt Walford on drums, and Tanya Donelly on guitar. Albini's production prioritized sound over technical accomplishment; the final takes favor the band's spontaneous live "in studio" performances.
"Gigantic" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies, co-written by bassist Kim Deal and lead vocalist/guitarist Black Francis. The song appeared on the band's first full-length studio album, Surfer Rosa, released in 1988. One of the longest songs on the album, "Gigantic" was released as the band's first single later that year.
Chances Are is a compilation album by Bob Marley released in 1981 by WEA International throughout the world, and through the Cotillion imprint of Atlantic Records in the U.S.
Kelley Deal is an American musician and singer. She has been the lead guitarist and co-vocalist of the alternative rock band the Breeders since 1992, and has formed her own side-projects with bands such as R. Ring and the Kelley Deal 6000. She is the identical twin sister of the musician Kim Deal.
Miranda Cordelia Susan Josephine Wiggs, simply known as Josephine Wiggs, is an English multi-instrumentalist rock musician, best known for her work as bassist in the alternative rock bands The Breeders and The Perfect Disaster. She has also formed multiple side-projects, including her own bands Honey Tongue, The Josephine Wiggs Experience, and Dusty Trails.
Benjamin Mumphrey is an American record producer, audio engineer, and musician.
Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies is a 2005 book by Josh Frank and Caryn Ganz about the American alternative rock band Pixies. The book, written as an oral history, covers the career of the band from their inception in 1985, to their breakup in 1993 and eventual reunion in 2004. Fool the World features interviews and recollections from a range of characters involved with the band, including Surfer Rosa producer Steve Albini, Kim Deal's twin sister Kelley Deal and 4AD co-founder Ivo Watts-Russell, as well as each member of the band.
Safari is an EP by the Breeders, released in 1992 on 4AD/Elektra Records. By the time of its release, Kim Deal had enlisted her twin sister Kelley to play guitar for the band. It is the only Breeders recording that features both Kelley Deal and Tanya Donelly.
The discography of American alternative rock band The Breeders consists of five studio albums, one live album, three extended plays, ten singles and twelve music videos. Kim Deal, then-bassist of American alternative rock band the Pixies, formed The Breeders as a side-project with Tanya Donelly, guitarist of American alternative rock band Throwing Muses. After recording a demo tape, The Breeders signed to the English independent record label 4AD in 1989. Their debut studio album Pod was released in May 1990, but was not commercially successful. After the revival of the Pixies and Throwing Muses in 1990, The Breeders became mostly inactive until the Pixies' breakup in 1993. With a new lineup, The Breeders released their Safari EP in 1992, followed by their second studio album Last Splash in 1993. Last Splash was The Breeders' most successful album; it peaked at number 33 on the United States Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1994. The album spawned the band's most successful single, "Cannonball". The single peaked at number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number two on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
Mountain Battles is the fourth studio album by American band The Breeders. It was released in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2008, and in the United States on April 8, 2008. The album was gradually recorded in a number of different locales including Refraze Recording Studios in Dayton, Ohio, by engineers including Steve Albini, Erika Larson, Manny Nieto and Ben Mumphrey.
Cheryl Lane Lyndsey is an American singer–songwriter and musician best known as touring member of alternative rock band The Breeders. She is noted as guitarist for Exene Cervenka's solo band and contributed to Exene's 2011 album The Excitement of Maybe. She was declared "One of LA's Best" by LA Weekly.
"Wait in the Car" is a song by American alternative rock band the Breeders. Written by Kim Deal and Richard Presley, it was released on October 3, 2017, via 4AD, as the lead single from their 2018 album All Nerve. The song marks the first new music from the band since 2009, when they released their EP Fate to Fatal.
The LSXX Tour was a series of sixty concerts by the Breeders in 2013 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the release of their 1993 album Last Splash.
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