Artist Spotlight: Belly
Belly, was herald as one of the first alternative bands to hit the mainstream and help commercialize the newfound sound, in the early 90s. After only lasting long enough for two releases, they continue to be popular amongst those of the alterna-indie crowd. With her candy-coasted and feathery voice, Tanya Donelly rose to fame amongst the underground with college radio royalty, the Throwing Muses, which she broke way from in 1991. After a brief stint in the Breeders, Donelly opted to start out fresh with a new band, that could benefit from her ear for pop-catchy tunes, in 1992. Along with her fellow Throwing Muses bandmate, Fred Abong, and the Gorman brothers, Chris and Tom, Tanya Donelly formed Belly. The band quickly released their debut single, *Slow Dust*, it was obvious that they were on their way to success. With *Slow Dust* reaching the top of the UK indie-rock charts, Belly released two more EPs, that traveled quickly throughout fans of the underground. With success within their reach, Donelly and the guys released their first full-fledged debut album, *Star*, in 1993. *Star* proved to be a melodic masterpiece, filled to the brim with Donelly's unforgettable, often referred to as "girlish" vocals and the bands masterful riffs and chords. Their first single *Feed the Tree*, made it's mark in both the UK's top 40 and the US's top 100.
With such ratings, *Star* soon went gold. Bassist Fred Abong, left the band on the peak of *Star*'s success, and Gail Greenwood stepped in. Greenwood was known amongst the musical community as having more of a harder rock edge, and after Belly's demise would go on to join L7. A gold record under their belt, after one a year of being together, Belly toured for the remainder of 1993 before going back into the studios to start on a follow up to *Star*. In 1994, Belly released their sophomore album, *King*, which showcased a more "rock-oriented" sound. Cast by critics to be Belly's "breakthrough" album, the released was met with a motley of reviews by both fans and critics, *King* fell short. With failure engrossing the band, Donelly opted to end Belly's run, and they soon disbanded, in 1996. By the end of that year, Tanya Donelly released her debut album solo album, and the rumors of Belly's breakup to just be a hiatus, turned permanent. Donelly continues to release solo albums, most recently releasing *Beautysleep*, which has received favorable reviews. For those of you who never thought you'd hear from Belly again, you will soon be able to pick up a copy of *Sweet Ride: The Best Of Belly*. With such a short-run in the musical business, Belly will forever be remember for bringing the fast emerging alternative genre to the forefront. Photo: http://weeper.dynip.com