What a day for a Daysdream

By Henry Lipput

The Shop Window’s great new album Daysdream (Jangleshop Records) is the band’s first new album in two years following A 4 Letter Word in 2022. After a clutch of singles promoting Daysdream the expectations were high for the new release.

The new album more than meets the challenge. The Shop Window has, starting with their 2019 single “Signpost,” always been a really tight band but with Daysdream they’ve hit a new high. The band sees this double LP as being two mini albums with one being Days and the other Dream. The Days disc is filled with upbeat jangle and indie pop sounds while the Dream disc is more melancholy with its dreampop/shoegaze elements.

Disc One of Daysdream kicks off with “I Run” and we’re introduced to this disc’s emphasis on the sound of Carl Mann and Syd Oxlee’s two-voices-singing-in-one-mic vocals as well as Mann’s patented 12-string jangle (it appears that Mann has never met a jangle he didn’t like and he comes up with his own on Daysdream). Second guitarist, programmer, and sax player Paul Reeves, bassist and synth player Martin Corder, and drummer Phil Elphee join Mann and Oxlee to create a rewarding listening experience (one that is made even more special when you get to hear it the album on vinyl).

Disc Two, Dream, starts with “Miracles” and the songs on these two sides are a showcase for all the band’s talents. These songs make more use of Reeves’s programming and Corder’s synths, Elphee’s drums are more prominent, and the guitars of Reeves and Mann work side by side. Daysdream closes with the sweeping “Made In Heaven,” a seven-minute glorious beauty.

Playing it forward

By Henry Lipput

Stands for deciBels, the debut album by North Carolina’s The dB's, has been re-released by Propellor Sound Recordings. It’s been remastered and is available for the first time on vinyl in the U.S (the new CD edition of the album includes the bonus track “Judy” which was not included on the original release).

The sounds on Stands for deciBels are made up of both older bands that had influenced The dB's but also newer musical trends that members Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Gene Holder, and Will Rigby clicked with.  The album contains songs like “The Fight” with a prominent jagged guitar right out of XTC and “Tearjerkin’” has the electro-pop of Gary Numan but with extra pop. 

Both “Bad Reputation” and “Big Brown Eyes” have a real 70’s power pop glow with the first channeling The Romantics and the second right out of the Raspberries’ song book and “Moving in Your Sleep” recalls the hazy sound of Big Star’s Third. My favorite of these musical tributes to bands of the not-so-distant past is the wonderful Beach Boys-flavored “She’s Not Worried.”

But Stands for deciBels isn’t only about looking backwards; the album became an inspiration for bands that were just starting out but also those who were yet to be. Mike Mills of R.E.M. said about hearing the album for the first time: “This is the one that let me know we were not alone, that there were others out there with the same curiosity, the same willingness to dive into melody, structure, and pop sensibility,”

And although you can hear what Mills is talking about when it comes to the album’s melody, structure, and pop sensibility, it’s the first song on the dB's album, “Black and White,” that more than likely hit the nail on the head for him and his new band.

A dream is a wish your heart makes

By Henry Lipput

Dreamers On The Run, the new album by BMX Bandits (Tapete Records), with its wonderful arrangements of instruments and both backing and choral voices, is, in many ways, the band’s Pet Sounds. (Need convincing? Check out the stereo mix of Pet Sounds created for the Pet Sounds Sessions box set in 1997.) “I am dreaming all the time/Not just when I’m asleep” sings lead Bandit Duglas T Stewart on the opening track and title song. Dreamers On The Run is full of tales of dreams achieved, hoped for, and sometimes dashed.

In my review of “Setting Sun,” the first single from the album, I referred to it as “jaunty pop.” Both it and the next song on Dreamers On The Run, “Time To Get Away,” are about dream vacations, whether real or imagined, and contain this type of uplifting vibe.  On initial listen so does “Hop Skip Jump (For You Love” with its Bo Didley riff.  But sometimes in a relationship, no matter how hard one tries, you don’t make the grade. “My best was never good enough/I go so far to win your love” – so “I’m sick and tired of running after you.” 

On the segue that connects “Time To Get Away” and “What He Set Out To Be” we hear the tide that has washed away the dreams of the man in this song. “He thought too much of himself/And not enough of she/He can’t replace her smiles/Not if he walked a million miles.” Both musically and lyrically it can remind you of a Ray Davies song from mid-period Kinks, as this sad and lonely man may be the figure watching lovers crossing Waterloo Bridge each evening to meet.

With “My Name Is Duglas (Don’t Listen To What They Say)” one is also reminded of The Kinks, this time from their Schoolboys in Disgrace album. The voices that introduce “Jack The Idiot Dunce” have the same dismissive tone of people who have no regard for others who are different. The BMX Bandits track gives both Duglas and Jack a chance to respond to the haters.

Tucker Bingo’s new album is reviewed and he answers the Pure Pop Phive

By Henry Lipput

Like a master carpenter building and assembling a sturdy dining room table, Tucker Bingo has been building and assembling a sturdy body of albums and EPs. Working in his Philadelphia basement (I first heard his music on 2021’s The Basement Sessions EP) he’s been using the same rudimentary tools as most DIY solo musicians (his Bandcamp page’s bio includes this information: “Player of guitars, synths, piano, and percussionist)”.

His latest, Cattle & Canes (Bandcamp), continues this trend while also bringing something new to the mix. It’s had not to think the title isn't a nod to Grant McLennan’s Go-Between’s hit. As a result, the new album, more than his other releases, has more of a pop sensibility (and if you’ve read more than a few of my posts on this blog you know what a big thing that is for me). And he’s also more confident in his songwriting, playing, and mixing. For me, Cattle & Canes is a game changer and, if you support indie music (and if not -- why?) this is a good place to continue that support.

The Pure Pop Phive

Tucker Bingo takes the PPP and all the cool kids in Philly are waiting to hear his answers.

How would you describe your music? 

Not sure. It’s all over the place, a bit of this, a bit of that. I still get confused by genres. Just rock and roll.

What/who are your major influences?

Too many to count. Some, off the top of my head, are the Flaming Groovies, Velvet Underground, The Supremes, Iggy Pop (with Bowie), The Nerves, The Clean, The Smiths, The Clash, etc.

Do you perform live? Any upcoming gigs?

Not at the moment. Still looking for musicians who will want to just play the songs.

How do you support yourself so you can continue to make music?

I work in construction.

What’s an album that you can’t live without?

It would be a mix tape. I’m more of a one-hit wonder guy. I get tired of the same stuff. I go through “music phases.” I’m selfish and impatient with tunes. I treat music like a drunk one-night stand. I’ll listen to a song 150 times in two days then forget about it for a year. But it I absolutely had to choose it would be Iggy Pop’s Lust For Life album as I’d never turn it off.

Even odd socks can find pairs

By Henry Lipput

The Odd Sox collection (Bandcamp) of the Leeds UK band Nervous Twitch is composed of home demos, B-sides, and compilation tracks. It has songs that, like the odd socks in your own dresser drawer, are made up of various colors, textures, and shapes. And after five albums into their recording career, the band, made up of Erin Hyde (vocals, bass, and keys), Jamie Churchley (guitars, keys, and backing vocals), and Ashley Goodall (drums), have a lot to share.

Hyde’s vocals on most of the songs have a real don’t-mess-with-me vibe. On “Your Cruel Ways” she and the band’s punk roots are showing; “I Love You Honestly,” has a big beat sound to match.

“This Song About You” relates the story of a song that was written and recorded quickly, it was never considered as a single, and was probably never going to be played live; to my ears it's describing a relationship that was never considered serious (but there are serious. very cool organ fills going on). “Keep On Moving” has a country-rock feel as it gives a friend some encouragement to get their act together and to help them get off their couch and back in the game. The song ends with nearly a minute of an almost mantra-like repeating of the song’s title.

The Odd Sox collection also includes a few instrumentals, some fully formed and others waiting for the right time to blossom. “The Birdman Stomp” is a fab callback to the early ‘60s to bands like The Shadows. “Tarantino Hangover (Acoustic Demo)” is a short piece that would fit nicely as soundtrack music for someone’s next film (but from what I’ve heard he’s not making them anymore).

“Persistent Itch” is a rocking full band workout and although Hyde doesn’t have a vocal on this track her bass is up front and center; in addition, Churchley’s guitars and Goodall’s drums also get their time in the sun. 

Steve Conte, Andy Partridge, and Record Store Day

By Henry Lipput

Steve Conte’s new album The Concrete Jangle (Wicked Cool Records) is being released this Saturday on Record Store Day! So find a store here and get there early!

New York-based rocker Conte has worked with The New York Dolls and Michael Monroe and for The Concrete Jangle he has joined forces with Andy Partridge of XTC and, most recently, last year’s The 3 Clubmen EP. Conte and Partridge co-wrote the five songs on side one of the album and Conte went it alone for the five songs on side two. “I knew they’d have to stand up next to the Partridge co-writes,” said Conte in the album’s press materials about the songs on the flip side, “so I pulled some of the more psychedelic, adventurous, soulful songs from the Beatles/XTC/Motown side of my musical brain.”

The Concrete Jangle kicks off with the lead track and the first single from the album “Fourth of July.” The song is a burst of pop goodness and although it has trademark Partridge lyrical flourishes Conte brings the vocal and guitar licks for which he is known to make the song his own.

“Hey Hey Hey (Aren’t You The One”) starts off with a guitar riff reminiscent of Wasp Star’s “Playground” and continues with more riffs, a clean, melodic guitar solo, and some neat farfisa organ fills. And then there’s Partridge in love-struck mode: “Aren’t you the one/The one set to stun/Zap my heart just for fun/Are you the one.” Partridge was given co-producer credit for the co-writes and this is most apparent on “One Last Bell” a song whose arrangement recalls XTC songs like “The Last Balloon” and “Harvest Festival.”

Side two is all Conte all the time. Highlights (and there are many) include “All Tied Up.” It’s a cool tune about the many faces of love and features a terrific vocal from Conte as well as some of the best guitar work on the album (and there are handclaps!). “Girl With No Name” is a power pop treat with a tune and arrangement that could have been a mid-Sixties AM radio hit (and might just be one now on the interwebs radio).

Conte also said in the press materials that he told Partridge that for one of the songs “we should put on our Dukes of Stratosphere hats.” I don’t think any of the co-writes on side one of The Concrete Jangle fit that description but one of the songs on side two, “Decomposing A Song For You” is just that. It may be my favorite song on the album. Conte has rummaged through the Beatles side of his brain to fit together a “Penny Lane”-like piano, "Walrus" strings, and treated vocal and used the ingredients to bake a Dukes-like treat. And there’s even a bit of sitar at the very end!

Peter Hall continues to bewitch

By Henry Lipput

It’s been four years since Peter Hall’s initial solo outing, the There’s Something Wrong With Everyone EP, where we first became aware of his extraordinary gift for melody. Hall doesn’t rock, he swoons; and we swoon with him.

His ability to write and record songs that touch both the head and the heart has continued through EPs and albums. Hall’s latest, his What Are You Waiting For? EP (Bandcamp), continues this more than ever as Hall has become a singer-songwriter to reckon with especially if you, like me, appreciate the kind of melodic pop that reverberated throughout the 1960s.

The new four-song EP contains the brilliant “I’m In Love With You” which first saw the light of day on February’s Daisyland Acoustics EP which also included striped-down versions of three songs from previous releases (all of which deserve your attention and all of which can be found on Hall’s Bandcamp page).

Hall’s lyrics are all about love: looking for love, finding love, and losing love. “Two Twenty Two” from 2021’s glorious Light The Stars is a song about found love and all but name checks The Beatles' first single. “Waiting For Nothing” from last year’s wonderful About Last Night is, on the other hand, a look at love slowly coming to an end. His music as well as his choir boy voice, as expected, match his words and can be both joyous and heartbreaking.

Tall Poppy Syndrome sets their eyes on tomorrow

By Henry Lipput

On “This Time Tomorrow” (Tres Melo Musique), Tall Poppy Syndrome’s take on Kinks’ wistful, acoustic look at the future, the band plugs in their amps and turns up the volume.

As a long-time fan of The Kinks (my second favorite band after The Four-Headed Monster) – well, since 1979 but I then searched New York City record stores to find past releases and bought future albums and EPs as they came out -- this cover of “This Time Tomorrow” is a welcome addition to other cover versions of Kinks songs that get it just right. Don’t take my word for it – original Kinks drummer Mick Avory has told Tall Poppy Syndrome he likes it!

Tall Poppy Syndrome is the classic Bee Gees Vince Meloney on electric guitars; the multi-dimensional Jonathan Lea on electric guitars, mellotron, and tambourine; the legendary Clem Burke on drums; and, from the Strangers in a Strange Land band Paul Kopf on vocals and Alec Palao on bass and electric piano.

The Jack Rubies are back for another shot

By Henry Lipput

Clocks Are Out Of Time, the terrific brand-new album from The Jack Rubies (Big Stir Records), their first in over 30 years, doesn’t turn back in the clocks in a daylight savings time sort of way as much as it continues the streak the band had in the late 80s and early 90s. Or to put it another way: 2024 is sounding a lot like 1988.

And although a lot of the music on Clocks Are Out Of Time can remind you of bands and musicians like The The, Lloyd Cole, and Nick Cave it’s important to remember that The Jack Rubies, along with others at that time, were soaking up influences not unlike the bands in the 60s; it was in the musical water supply and available for the taking. And it doesn’t hurt that the band on Clocks Are Out Of Time is composed of the original line-up of Ian Wright (lead vocals and guitar), SD Ineson (backing vocals and guitar), Steve Brockway (bass), Lawrence Giltane (percussion), and Peter Maxted (drums and also the album’s producer).

For me, there are two very different musical styles on Clocks Are Out Of Time. There’s the “slightly bruised and battered positivity,” as singer and songwriter Ian Wright put it, of the songs. On the “slightly bruised” corner is the noirish “Hark” with its line “Does anyone know the way back?” “Poltergeist” is a rollicking scare fest and “Read My Mind” is a love song doubling as a warning. Wright’s vocal does nothing to reassure the listener/target he only has good intentions.

It should come as no surprise my favorite set of songs are the ones falling under the “battered positivity” flag. Even though The Jack Rubies were a year of two late to be included in NME’s fabled original C86 collection, the songs “Angeline Soul” and “Heaven Shook Me” would have not only fit perfectly on that cassette but would have made a killer double A-side single. You can listen for yourself here:

“Heaven” is the best of the best. It has a big, brassy arrangement and tight playing by the band. It’s a glorious track and if there’s any justice in this world it should be the next single from Clocks Are Out Of Time but also a major hit.

Suzy Goodwin’s not taking it anymore

By Henry Lipput

If there wasn’t such a thing as Australian Motown already there certainly is now.

Suzy Goodwin’s full-throated, heart-felt vocal on her dazzling debut solo single, “Ain’t No Next Time," hits you right between the ears. Accompanied by pounding piano and drums, along with classic organ fills and a horn section that works hard to keep up with her vocal, Goodwin puts her foot down and tells a roaming lover that if he leaves there won’t be a next time.

Goodwin has been a long-time staple of Australia’s inner west music scene and a pivotal member of the indie rock/alt-country band Fallon Cush (which Bandcamp notes is “enigmatic”) providing wonderful backing vocals and harmonies; Steve Smith of the band wrote and produced “Ain’t No Next Time.” Goodwin also leads (no surprises here) the popular Motown covers band Suzy & The Snakepit.

Dusty Wright dusts off his favorite songs

By Henry Lipput

On Dusted Off, Dusty Wright’s fine new covers album, he has recorded some of his favorite songs as well as the ones he enjoys playing live.

Wright has chosen songs from the 1950’s to the 1970’s and in doing so he has reimagined them and made them his own. The two best examples of this are his covers of “Walk On The Wild Side” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone.”

On “Walk On The Wild Side” Wright turns Lou Reed’s glorified take of New York City’s Lower East Side of the early 1970s into a sad, melancholic look at the sex and drugs that permeated that time.

With “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” Wright’s version of The Monkees song (written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart who wrote many of the band’s other hits) a response to a lover’s taking advantage becomes a mid-60s psychedelic journey. Wright has mentioned that his version is influenced by the Paul Revere and The Raiders cover but what we hear on Dusted Off is a whole different animal.

“That’s All Right” is neither a recreation of Elvis Presley’s Sun Sessions version or Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s original but instead the sound looks away from a rave up but to Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” Stephen Still’s coming-of-age song “4+20,” like the CSNY Déjà Vu track, has acoustic guitar but Wright adds textured electric guitars that conjure up a hazy, long-ago vibe.

“The Mighty Quinn” and “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” show Wright’s obvious debt to the songwriting of Bob Dylan. Wright loves these songs and you can hear it in his voice. For the digital bonus track “You Ain’t Going Nowhere” Wright recorded a slowed down yet faithful version of the original with a Dylanesque harmonica topping it off. And by slowing down the song he doesn’t try to match the avalanche of words from Dylan’s vocal but makes them understood.

Videos from Tamar Berk and The Shop Window

By Henry Lipput

Tamar Berk, "Permanent Vacation"

"Permanent Vacation" is the fourth single from Tamar Berk's third album tiny injuries (Bandcamp) (there’s a PP4NP review for that). The video, directed by Brandon Mosquero, was inspired by Berk’s first vacation since the pandemic along with her fears of traveling, flying, and crowds. Despite these anxieties she hoped the trip would change her and make her a different person. Mission accomplished.

The video, however, reflects the earlier concerns of both the pandemic and travelling as Berk is dressed completely in an astronaut suit even when doing mundane tasks like grocery shopping. (As a side note, fans of Matt Smith-era Doctor Who may recall a similar look during the The Impossible Astronaut episode.)

The Shop Window, "I Run"

“I Run” is the third single from The Shop Window’s forthcoming two-record (16 track) Daysdream to be released in May (you can pre-order here).

Earlier albums and singles highlighted the jangle and shoegaze elements of the band’s sound which are to be even more evident as they are to be split between the two discs of Daysdream. In addition, the 16 songs will showcase co-writers and co-lead vocalists Carl Mann and Syd Oxlee as they expand The Shop Window’s sound (now with a second guitarist!).

It’s clear from the DaysDream Bandcamp page that “I Run” will be leading off the collection and is what my friends from across the pond would call a banger of a tune. Along with the previous two singles (including "It's A High" and yes there's a review for that too)  “I Run” gives a glimpse into what an amazing group of songs will be found on DaysDream.

The video for “I Run” was directed by Darren Stokes, the alternative title for which could be “A Dog’s Life” because although the lyrics can conjure up a lover returning home from a long recording session or a tour like in “A Hard Day’s Night” it might also be from the viewpoint of a lost or wandering dog finding its way home.

A Few of My Favorite Things 2023 Edition – Part Two: The EPs, singles, a live release, compilations, and a reissue.

By Henry Lipput

Here is the rest of the music I've been enjoying (and listening to more than once) over the past year. I hope there's something here that you can get into as well. Next time we'll see start to see what 2024 is going to bring us.

EPs

Peter Hall, About Last Night

The initial email for About Last Night from the Subjangle label described the new Peter Hall release as a mini-album and/or an extended EP. For the purposes of this blog post I’m going with the latter although it would have been in the top five of my album list from Part One. About Last Night (Bandcamp) is another brilliant collection of songs from Hall whose Light The Stars album was at the top of the list in my 2021 year-end roundup. Each EP or album Hall presents to us is a musical step forward and we continue to be struck by how the vocals, lyrics, and soaring arrangements come together .

The 3 Clubmen, The 3 Clubmen

The musical powerhouse trio that is The 3 Clubmen is made up of Andy Partridge, Jen Olive, and Stu Rowe. Their self-titled EP (Burning Shed) is the kind of musically inventive and downright fun collection of songs that you just don’t hear much anymore. The trio made their first appearance when the first single from the EP, “Aviatrix,” was announced back in the Spring of 2023 (a few weeks later a glorious pop-art style video was released). In my review of the song I called it “mind-bending” and this also applies to the paint-splattering way all of these songs have been put together; there’s nothing in these songs that’s expected. 

Caleb Nichols, So This Is Crimble

It’s hard to deny Caleb Nichols his Beatle fan credentials. In addition to the very Beatles-influenced Ramon, he also released the single DoubleMantasy with covers of McCartney’s “Waterfalls” and Lennon’s “Watching The Wheels.” The centerpiece of the EP (Kill Rock Stars) is “Crimble Medley” in which Nichols creates a wonderful mashup of a song from a Beatles Christmas fanclub disc as well as holiday offerings from three solo Beatles along with Ringo's "Photograph" which fits very nicely in the mix (what's Christmas without photographs?). The EP also includes his two most recent Christmas songs, “(I Fell In Love On) Christmas Day” from Ramon (my favorite new Christmas song) and “Christmas, California” from his recent Let’s Look Back album.

SINGLES

The Bablers, “Thinking of You"

“Thinking Of You” (Big Stir Records), the latest single from The Bablers, is just the latest knock-out track following “Holding Me Tight Tonight,” “You Are the One for Me” (my personal favorite), and “Mr. King” which was released as the commutation (as a certain Mr. Lennon might have said) of Prince Charles was taking place. With these songs we’ve been treated to four singles from Like The First Time, an album only available in Japan and Finland (their home country) and things look good for a world-wide release of the whole thing in 2024. 

Fallon Cush, “Grain of Salt”

“Grain of Salt” (Bandcamp and all streaming services) is the first new music from Fallon Cush since 2019’s Stranger Things Have Happened album and the second single from the five-track Tricks EP which is being released in March 2024. “Grain of Salt” is mostly a solo effort with Fallon Cush’s main man Steve Smith with an assist from producer Josh Schuberth. At the beginning of 2020 Smith suffered a breakdown that left him with crippling anxiety. He stopped working and barely picked up a guitar. I wasn’t aware of any of this when I reviewed the song; it didn’t sound anything like an ask for help from its author, but it certainly sounds like that now.

Confusion Boats, “I Want To Hold Your Hand”

Brian Dear of Confusion Boats has been coming up with Beatles and Beatles-related covers for a long time and the fourth one to be released “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (Bandcamp) is the best. With the slowed down and soulful vocal of Andrew Lubman, Dear and fellow Boater Fernando Perdomo lay down the original arrangement for Abbey Road’s “Oh! Darling” on top. It’s just such a brilliant move that I’m sure no one saw it coming (I certainly didn't and have been playing it for people since it came out) and the result is amazing.

LIVE

The Sylvia Platters, Summer Dreamin'

The Sylvia Platters from Vancouver, British Columbia, is a four-piece consisting of Alex Kerc-Murchison, Stephen Carl O’Shea, Nick Ubels, and Tim Ubels. In December 2022 the band entered Malibu Sound Studio in Burnaby BC and performed a five-song set. Recorded and mixed by Kyle Schick, the collection was released in the summer of 2023 as Summer Dreamin' (Bandcamp). The title song is new to the band’s catalog but the other four tunes are from the albums, singles, and EPs The Sylvia Platters have released over the past ten years. Their sound is undoubtedly influenced by Teenage Fanclub and “Norman 4” (a bonus track originally on 2022’s Youth Without Virtue EP and dedicated to Norman Blake) is a standout on Summer Dreamin’.

COMPILATIONS

Dot Dash, 16 Again

The wonderful Dot Dash collection, 16 Again (Country Mile Records [sold out]/Last Night From Glasgow: vinyl/ Bandcamp: digital), is the first time these songs have been on vinyl and it’s a great way to hear them. It’s also a terrific way to introduce new fans to the band and a way to remind current fans why they liked Dot Dash so much in the first place. The title 16 Again refers to the fact that these songs (all but one) have been previously available on all ten of their albums released by Wally Salem’s The Beautiful Music label between 2011 and 2022. You can think of these songs, hand-picked by the band, as "a greatest hits album by a band with no hits" as the Bandcamp page says. But there's a difference between songs not being hits and songs loved by fans that should have been hits ("Unfair Weather" immediately comes to mind). 

Various Artists, Let The Band Times Roll (a tribute to The Replacements)

Philly’s Creep Records, with their Replacements tribute album Let The Bad Times Roll (digital available on Bandcamp and the vinyl from Creep Records) have put together a tremendous collection of 13 songs that span the ‘Mats recording career played by a group of bands and singers that I’ve never heard of playing songs I’ve been listening to for 30 or so years. Her Heads On Fire’s “Alex Chilton” and Celebration Summer’s “Left of the Dial” have arrangements close to the original but they just reinforce how great these songs are. The real gems are the ones that feature a different take on these beloved songs. Crazy Tom Martin’s “Sadly Beautiful” is electronically infused and Sammy Kay has an acoustic take and a Tom Waits vocal on “Favorite Things.” 

REISSUE

Pernice Brothers, Overcome By Happiness

I know I sound like a broken CD at times (because for a decade or so it was very difficult to buy a vinyl copy of an album in the US) but like 2001's Meaningless by Jon Brion (the vinyl release was in 2022) the Pernice Brothers great 1998 album Overcome By Happiness (New West Records) has finally been made available on a wonderful sounding remastered vinyl. Thanks to an arrangement with New West you can not only get yourself a single vinyl version of the 25th anniversary edition of Overcome but there's also a gorgeous deluxe edition with a second disc of pre-Overcome singles (the single version of "Monkey Suit" featuring both Joe and Bob Pernice is nearly worth the price of the whole thing), album demos, and a hardback book with comments by Joe and as well as lyrics. Another bonus of the coming together of New West and Pernice is the upcoming new solo album Who Will You Believe from Joe Pernice (now available for preorder here).