Also Released Today: Galaxie 500
Today (March 30th) marks the release of the deluxe reissues of Galaxie 500’s Today, On Fire, and This is Our Music. These reissue have been bundled with Uncollected, their legendary Peel Sessions, and their only live record, Copenhagen. MP3’s: Galaxie 500 – “Ceremony” [New Order cover] Galaxie 500 – “Summertime” [This Is Our Music] Galaxie 500 – “Submission” [Peel Session] Galaxie 500 – “Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste” [Today] Galaxie 500 – “Blue Thunder” [On Fire] Much more information after the jump… Today When Galaxie 500’s record Today was first released in 1988, it set off a chain reaction of quiet explosions still being felt. Never before had a record so emphasized the calming elements of rock music, transforming what at first seems like a collection of bridges into fully realized songs. And one can draw a straight line from here to the many groups they influenced like Low, Belle & Sebastian, and Bon Iver. The record itself is full of idiosyncrasies. Damon Krukowski, Dean Wareham and Naomi Yang were recent Harvard grads who intuitively eliminated any histrionic tradition to rock songs, leaving core emotion (not for nothing did they include a cover of “Don’t Let Our Youth Go To Waste,” by the kings of feeling, The Modern Lovers). It was produced by Kramer, who was best known for his work with cataclysmic slop rock pioneers such as Bongwater, Ween and King Missle. The band’s hometown of Boston was just coming out of its love affair with Mission of Burma and pouncing upon the spasmodic electricity of the Pixies. Despite, or perhaps because of, all these elements, Today thrived. Listening to the album more than 20 years after its initial release, its title is still no misnomer. The music, recorded with what many thought at the time was way too much reverb, sounds present, alive, and indeed a product of today. Songs like “Flowers,” “Temperature’s Rising,” and of course “Tugboat” (the band’s debut single), have stood the test of time and seem to exist in an eternal now. For the first time since its original pressing, Today is available again on vinyl, and as a double CD with deluxe packaging, featuring essential b-sides and covers in the form of Uncollected. The vinyl was cut by Kevin Gray from a remaster by Alan Douches and Kramer, and the album sounds more vibrant than ever. Galaxie 500 exists again as one of the most enrapturing and glorious bands to emerge from the underground in the past twenty-five years. On Fire For many, On Fire is considered the canonic pinnacle of Galaxie 500’s career. The artwork conveys this, with a shot of the band taken from low near the ground, looking up towards an amber sky. This record marked the realization of their signature sound. Nowhere is that more clear than on the album opener, “Blue Thunder,” which is the closest a song can come to waves crashing on a beach in song form. Lyrically inconsequential, with a chorus composed entirely of “la’s,” the power of “Blue Thunder” lies in a systematic build and break of intensity that reaches a Spector-like climax. It has become Galaxie 500’s signature song, encapsulating all that was great about the band. Once again utilizing the bizarre genius of producer Kramer, On Fire sounds like anything but. The guitars are warm blankets enwrapping Dean Wareham’s vocals, percolated by the open percussion of Damon Krukowski, and anchored by the emotion-laden bass of Naomi Yang. Songs like “Snowstorm,” “Strange,” and “Decomposing Trees” have an endless quality, without beginnings or ends, but rather frozen somewhere on a spectrum of melancholy. For the first time since its original pressing, On Fire is available again on vinyl, as well as a double CD with deluxe packaging, featuring their legendary Peel Sessions. The vinyl was cut by Kevin Gray from a remaster by Alan Douches and Kramer, effectively re-envisioning the warmth and power this record alone is capable of delivering. This Is Our Music After two albums celebrated by a thirsty underground network of fans, Galaxie 500 produced what turned out to be their unexpected swansong, This Is Our Music. The title is an intentionally declarative statement. After being labeled masters of the disengaged and forlorn, the band’s third album offers Damon Krukowsi, Dean Wareham and Naomi Yang’s most stately material. Here, one can hear potential realized, and changes afoot. “Fourth Of July” is a surprisingly up front song from the band, with rolling drums and a bass-heavy refrain, and it proved to be their most popular single. It sets the stage for the dynamism of This Is Our Music. When the band sounds wistful (“Summertime”), it sounds like years of yearning actualized; when the band sounds regretful (“Sorry”), it comes pleading on its knees. The band found a beautiful balance between increased production values and knob-twiddler Kramer’s odd handed approach. For the first time since its original pressing, This Is Our Music is available again on vinyl, as well as a double CD with deluxe packaging, this one featuring one of their final live performances (and only live album), Copenhagen. The vinyl was cut by Kevin Gray from a remaster by Alan Douches and Kramer, showcasing the band’s swansong as one of the most devastating and vital albums in underground history. Tweet This! Share this on Facebook Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Add this to Google Bookmarks Subscribe to the comments for this post?
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