I’m not sure how to square this with my memory, since I’ve always thought of it as a summertime song, but 15 years ago this week, The Breeders‘ “Cannonball” topped out at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Breeders began as a creative outlet for the Pixies’ Kim Deal and Throwing Muses’ Tanya Donnelly. Their bands were on a European tour together, but neither outfit had solid plans once the dates wrapped. So Deal and Donnelly wrote some songs, recorded a demo, added bassist Josephine Wiggs and a drummer, and released their side project’s debut, Pod, in 1990.

About a year later, Deal’s twin sister Kelley joined The Breeders for the Safari EP, though Donnelly left the fold shortly afterward to form Belly. With a change of drummer (Jim McPherson replaced Britt Walford), the new lineup released the platinum-selling Last Splash in August 1993.

That sophomore success was largely due to “Cannonball,” a huge #2 Modern Rock hit that October (still not summer, according to any calendar). The video was directed by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and Spike Jonze:

After a long hiatus (Kelley’s drug bust and subsequent rehab, several side projects), the sisters Deal restarted The Breeders in 2002, issuing Title TK. The lo-fi release was a marked departure from the more polished Last Splash, thanks in part to Steve Albini, who’d also handled engineering duties on Pod.

Taking their sweet time once more, Mountain Battles, The Breeders’ fourth album, was released last year. This spring, they’re curating the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in England, with a new EP rumored for 2009, too. Of course, don’t be surprised if it doesn’t see the light of day for, oh, another six years.

Purchase The Breeders’ “Cannonball” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.