After vocalist Tanya Donelly and bassist Fred Abong left the alternative rock band Throwing Muses in 1991, the two decided to form their own band. Based out of Boston, they'd ultimately settle on naming their venture Belly, because Donelly thought the word was "both pretty and ugly," at the same time. After rounding out its lineup by adding a guitarist and drummer, Belly would release its debut album, Star, in 1993. The LP--full of dream pop inspired vocals and jangly guitar accompaniments--would go on to do extremely well, surprising many who didn't think the band would fare well, and in the UK it even managed to reach #1 on the UK indie charts. The group's success was short-lived, however, and after Belly's sophomore LP failed to chart as well as its first, the band members decided to go their separate ways in 1996.
