Freakwater

Freakwater’s Janet Bean and Catherine Irwin first put their distinctive harmonies to tape under a swinging Kentucky country ham in Janet’s parent’s basement. That was 1985. Cassette tapes sometimes have a way of landing in the right hands.

Hog Butcher To The World, a 1987 WNUR compilation contains a dulcimer-driven punk rock cover of Woody Guthrie’s Little Black Train from this original 4-track recording. The band appears under the name Mojo Wishbean and Trippy Squashblossom. Inside the record cover they transcribe Big Black’s required artist’s statement, replacing Steve Albini and Santiago Durango’s names with their own, hence: “Trippy — throbbing muscle of love dulcimer…” and “Mojo — electrodes to the gonads vocals”. This is described by Janet as “establishing our early desire to do the wrong thing.”