Album Notes

“A strong return to form.” —Trouser Press

“They sound fresher on Freak Magnet than they’ve sounded since 1986’s The Blind Leading the Naked.” —The Austin Chronicle


Originally scheduled for a 1998 release on Interscope, Freak Magnet was pulled when the band was dropped from the label. Promo copies fetched upwards of $50 until the album was released in improved form by indie label Beyond in 2000. Beyond soon went under, leaving Freak Magnet in limbo once again. Now, Shout! Factory is reissuing an even more improved version of Freak Magnet—including bonus tracks—finally giving it the widespread exposure it deserves.

The Violent Femmes are one of the pioneers of alternative rock. Their 1983 debut album has scanned 1.5 million copies since the early ’90s, and their blend of folk, rockabilly and punk has been a perennial favorite on high school and college campuses for 20. Freak Magnet is the most electric and rocking album they’ve ever made, and a welcome return to Gano’s strong early-’80s songwriting.


• Widely considered the Femmes’ best album of the ’90s, and one of their best overall.
• Available again after years out of print, with fully remastered sound.
• Includes three bonus live cuts, including a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Positively 4th Street.”
• New track-by-track liner notes by frontman Gordan Gano.