This Friday, June 28th, Loma (Emily Cross, Dan Duszynski, Jonathan Meiburg) will release How Will I Live Without a Body?, their third album.
Its eleven tracks feature the highlights “How It Starts,” “Pink Sky,” and today’s offering, the hypnotic official video for “Affinity,” directed by Allison Beondé.
Beondé offers this, “In creating the video for ‘Affinity,’ I wanted to collect quiet moments that explore the experience of inhabiting a body, existing both collectively and simultaneously alone. Capturing people in public spaces embodying their own experience, their own world, while surrounded by others, the song is carried on a rolling rhythm reminiscent of waves—a soft and mysterious ebbing and flowing of time marked by something so elemental to our existence and uniquely capable of eliciting reflection on what it means to be alive.”
How Will I Live Without a Body? was produced and recorded by Loma in England, Texas, and Germany, mixed by Dan Duszynski, mastered by Steve Fallone, and mixed for Dolby Atmos by Steven Wilson. All songs were composed by the group—with a few nudges from a unique AI (see below).
How Will I Live Without a Body? is a gorgeous, unique, and oddly comforting album about partnership, loss, regeneration, and fighting the feeling that we’re all in this alone. Many of its songs have a feeling of restless motion; faceless characters drift through meetings and partings, tangling together and slipping away.
Throughout, the core of Loma’s sound remains intact: earthy, organic and deeply human, anchored by Cross’s cool, clear voice. Loma’s previous album, Don’t Shy Away, was galvanized by the encouragement of Brian Eno. This time, they were inspired by another hero, Laurie Anderson, who offered a chance to work with an AI trained on her work. Meiburg sent it a series of photos; Anderson’s AI responded with two haunting poems. “We used fragments of these poems in ‘How It Starts’ and ‘Affinity’,” he says. “And then Dan noticed that one of AI-Laurie’s lines, ‘How will I live without a body?’ would be a perfect name for the album, since we nearly lost sight of each other in the recording process.” [Read more about the album’s genesis here].
How Will I Live Without a Body? is available to preorder on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com (North America), Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and independent retailers worldwide will receive the limited Loser edition vinyl on Transparent Smoke (US) and Neon Orange (UK/EU) (All whilst stock lasts!).
As for How Will I Live Without a Body?’s cover art, returning collaborator Lisa Cline took inspiration from the histories of “bog people,” human bodies found naturally mummified in peat bogs. (From Wikipedia: “These “bodies” are both geographically and chronologically widespread, having been dated to between 8000 BCE and the Second World War.”).
What people are saying about Loma’s How Will I Live Without a Body?: “A masterclass in atmospherics” ★★★★ MOJO
“As beautifully ethereal as the title suggests.” 8/10 - Uncut
“The much anticipated follow up to their ethereal sophomore album, Don’t Shy Away, sees the band mine a new musical depth; sharing powerfully earnest lyricism and utilizing sophisticated production techniques.” 9.1/10 - Northern Transmissions
“Where 2020’s Don’t Shy Away played with ornate arrangements that leaned toward British art rock and psychedelia, parts of How Will I Live Without a Body? were recorded in the English countryside (in addition to Texas and Germany), where a ruined chapel was used to record vocals due to its natural reverb. Indeed, Loma can do a lot with very little. The drums on “Arrhythmia” build up to the clatter of what sounds like running horses as singer Emily Cross harmonizes with herself, creating an atmosphere that’s more important than any single lyric.” SLANT MAGAZINE
Loma How Will I Live Without A Body?
Tracklisting 1. Please, Come In 2. Arrhythmia 3. Unbraiding 4. I Swallowed a Stone 5. How It Starts 6. Dark Trio 7. A Steady Mind 8. Pink Sky 9. Broken Doorbell 10. Affinity 11. Turnaround
On September 27th, Naima Bock will release Below a Massive Dark Land worldwide through Sub Pop and Memorials of Distinction. Her second album, Below… comes as the follow up to Giant Palm, one of 2022’s most critically acclaimed debuts. Along with the album announcement Naima has shared the video for the lead single ‘Kaley’ (directed by Cassidy Hansen) and the animated visualizer accompanying single ‘Further Away’ (directed by Gaia Alari).
Speaking of the tracks, Naima says: “Kaley was written whilst staying at a friend’s house in Tucson, or at least it was finished there. It’s about betrayal and the subsequent lack of direction that follows. At the time there was no ‘plan’ or ‘way’ that I had for myself, let alone anyone else.”
“‘Further Away’ was written in Greece whilst trying to learn mini Bouzouki and missing someone.”
“‘Kaley”’ feels fresh and surprising in its rug-pull choppiness but is distinctly Naima in its swinging, jubilant choruses. Meanwhile, from its humble beginnings, ‘Further Away’ is fleshed out just enough while drawing you irresistibly near in its simplicity.
The success of Naima’s debut, Giant Palm, led to a mammoth period of touring. With headline tours including London’s EartH and support shows for artists such as A. Savage, J Mascis, Squid, Rodrigo Amarante, Arab Strap, Katy J Pearson, This is the Kit, and more, Naima’s feet have hardly touched the ground since 2022.
Today, fresh off the back of a solo tour with Porridge Radio’s Dana Margolin, Naima has also announced international tour dates for the summer and autumn of 2024 to support Below a Massive Dark Land.
They begin Wednesday, August 14th in St. Malo, France at La Route Du Rock and currently end Friday, December 13th in Paris at La Boule Noire. Along the way, Naima will perform solo (August 22nd, September 9th-15th), as a duo with Oliver Hamilton (August 14th and November 6th), and with a four-piece band (November 7th-December 13th). Please find the dates below.
Wed. Aug. 14 - St. Malo, FR - La Route Du Rock + Thu. Aug. 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Barnsdall Gallery Theatre ^ Sat. Aug. 24 - Ojai, CA - TBA Sun. Sep. 08 - Portland, OR - Music Millennium (instore) Fri. Sep. 13 - Walla Walla, WA - Billsville West Sun. Sep. 15 - Seattle, WA - The Rabbit Box Mon. Oct. 21 - Boston, MA - Warehouse XI Wed. Oct. 23 - Philadelphia, PA - The Parish Room (First Unitarian Church Fri. Oct. 25 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool Wed. Nov. 06 - London, UK - St. Pancras Old Church + Thu. Nov. 07 - Bristol, UK - Jam Jar * Fri. Nov. 08 - Liverpool, UK - Leaf * Sat. Nov. 09 - Newcastle, UK - Cumberland Arms * Sun. Nov. 10 - Glasgow, UK - McChuills * Tue. Nov. 12 - Leeds, UK - Hyde Park Book Club * Wed. Nov. 13 - Manchester, UK - Deaf Institute * Thu. Nov. 14 - Cambridge, UK - Storey’s Field Centre * Sat. Nov. 16 - Falmouth, UK - The Cornish Bank * Sun. Nov. 17 - Frome, UK - The Tree House * Mon. Nov. 18 - Exeter, UK - Cavern Club * Wed. Nov. 20 - Ipswich, UK - St Stephens Church * Thu. Nov. 21 - London, UK - The Ivy House * Tue. Dec. 03 - Lille, FR - L ‘Aéronef * Wed. Dec. 04 - Brugge, BE - Cactus Café * Fri. Dec. 06 - Haldern, DE - Pop Bar * Sat. Dec. 07 - Hamburg, DE - Nachstasyl * Sun. Dec. 08 - Berlin, DE - Neu Zunkunft * Tue. Dec. 10 - Cologne, DE - Subway * Wed. Dec. 11 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso * Thu. Dec. 12 - Brussels, BE - Botanique * Fri. Dec. 13 - Paris, FR - La Boule Noire *
^ w/ Angelo De Augustine * Full band show + Duo with Oliver Hamilton
Below a Massive Dark Land was predominantly produced by Jack Osborne (Bingo Fury) and Joe Jones, and recorded at The Crypt in north London, with additional production and arrangement by Oliver Hamilton (caroline, Shovel Dance Collective) and Naima herself. Six of the tracks on Below… were mixed by Jason Agel, with the remainder done by Osborne and Jones. The album was mastered by Kevin Tuffy.
Below a Massive Dark Land will be available on CD/LP/DSPs and is available now for preorder from Sub Pop/Memorials of Distinction. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com (North America), Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and independent retailers worldwide will receive the limited Loser edition vinyl on Blue Jay (US) and the eco-friendly Yellow Bio (UK/EU) (All whilst stock lasts!). Naima also created the art for the Below… album cover.
More on Naima Bock’s Below a Massive Dark Land: Most of the writing of Naima Bock’s second album, Below a Massive Dark Land, was a solitary affair. It may not sound it – it’s made up of strong, purposeful arrangements with a huge host of musicians; filled with cradling space and warm light. This will also come as a surprise to anyone who has seen Naima perform in the time since the release of her 2022 debut Giant Palm, undoubtedly a communal experience.
With a band of ten, three, or even just solo, when Naima plays there’s a rare bond between the musicians on stage and the audience. In their interview with her, The Quietus declared “after every song the applause and cheering is immense, so immense in fact that it seems to be coming from a different place than the usual formalities of a live show, a link between performer and artist forged somewhere deeper and more personal.”
It was in Giant Palm’s music too, a record that sweeps and swells, a chorus of voices and instrumentation that rises and falls as one alongside Naima’s own somersaulting voice.
It’s true though, most of Below…’s songs started life very simply; Naima alone, living in her grandmother’s shed in South London, writing just with her voice, guitar and violin. She’s no violin virtuoso but had taken it up as a songwriting exercise for its ability to draw melodies from her – a trick that undoubtedly worked, these are songs that drift into the back of your mind and settle there like fallen leaves, songs you wake up singing. The remainder was written on the road after those moments of audience connection, in the quiet that follows.
There’s power in the solitary, too. Giant Palm was arranged with collaborator Joel Burton, but going it alone in search of something truly hers, Naima found she was capable of more. “After me and Joel stopped working together,” she remembers, “it was an impossibility to even fathom doing arrangements myself, but then I started learning violin. Playing it isn’t easy but writing melodies on it is”. Finding that she could go it alone was incredibly powerful for Naima, “I think I needed it, to be able to feel proud of something. Like, that’s me! That feels good.”
Once that writing portion is over, though, this ends. The record is not a stark, stripped-back affair. Below… still has that majesty that made Giant Palm so remarkable. Tugging the first record down from the skies and spreading it across the earth; there’s a newfound vocal power and confidence born from hundreds of hours on stage, and the music sounds fuller, more tangible, but no less enveloping.
This can be found in Below a Massive Dark Land’s singles. ‘Kaley’ feels fresh and surprising in its rug-pull choppiness but is distinctly Naima in its swinging, jubilant choruses. The accompanying “Further Away” takes a different tack, drawing you irresistibly near in its simplicity. Finally, the hazy, luxurious beauty of ‘Feed My Release’ draws on the sepia-toned traditions of The Roches, John Prine, and Loudon Wainwright III but imbues them with the kind of stark confessional songwriting of Mount Eerie. Lyrically reaching deeper and darker than Giant Palm, these are ambitious, rich arrangements.
Past Praise For Naima Bock Giant Palm:
“Exquisite solo debut” - ★★★★ MOJO
“Quiet, melancholy and occasionally divinely uplifting (8/10)” - Uncut
“A real gem..” (“Album of the Week”) - Stereogum
“A sharply observed, sumptuously arranged album of idiosyncratic folk.” - Pitchfork
“quietly dazzling….” - Brooklyn Vegan
“Hugely ambitious” (“Music of the Month”) - The Quietus
“…exquisite. A truly special listen” (8/10) - CLASH
★★★★ - DIY
“a stellar debut (8/10)” - The Line of Best Fit
“…an often brilliant debut” ★★★★ - All Music
“The fusion of her disparate cultural influences makes for an enchanting sound entirely Bock’s own.” [“Giant Palm”] - New York Times
Naima Bock Below A Massive Dark Land
Tracklisting: 1. Gentle 2. Kaley 3. Feed My Release 4. My Sweet Body 5. Lines 6. Further Away 7. Takes One 8. Age 9. Moving 10. Star
Seattle, WA (June 20th, 2024) - Today, musician Suki Waterhouse is announcing the release of Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, her new 18-track double album, out worldwide on Friday, September 13th, 2024, from Sub Pop.
Suki is also sharing “Supersad,” the lead single which bursts out of the gate, kickstarted by fast-paced drum fills and garage-y guitars. “I tried to write a nineties song you could hear playing at the mall in Clueless or as an opening track for Legally Blonde,” she smiles. The single was produced by Brad Cook and the album’s Executive Producer Eli Hirsch, and written by Suki with Chelsea Balan, John Mark Nelson, and Lilian Caputo.
Also out today is the “Supersad” official video, in which Suki plays a bed-rot protagonist and her game show fairy godmother. The sparkling new visual is from filmmaker and longtime creative collaborator Émilie Richard-Froozan.
Suki’s music sounds like a collage of her inspirations, experiences, and emotions stitched together by honeyed vocal delivery, bright-eyed melodies, and evocative storytelling. It doubles as a mirror image of her life as a consummate creative, artist, actress, model, and mother, yet it also breaks the glass to unveil raw truth. She leans on an ever-evolving sonic palette to convey what she’s feeling—whether it be folky Americana, nineties alternative, turn-of-the-century indie, or handcrafted otherworldly pop. Now, the platinum-certified songstress asserts herself as a versatile, vibrant, and vital presence on Memoir of a Sparklemuffin.
Suki brought this body of work to life with the album’s Executive Producer Hirsch, as well as Jonathan Rado (Weyes Blood, Father John Misty, Beyonce), Cook (Bon Iver, War on Drugs, Snail Mail), Greg Gonzalez (Cigarettes After Sex), Rick Nowels (James Blake, Lana del Rey), and Natalie Findlay and Jules Apollinaire of the band Ttrruuces (with whom she co-wrote “Good Looking” and “OMG”).
She loosely tethered these 18 tracks to a transformative central concept represented by the Sparklemuffin spider….
“I came across the Sparklemuffin—which is wildly colored, does this razzle-dazzle dance, and its mate will cannibalize it if she doesn’t approve of the dance. It’s a metaphor for the dance of life we’re all in. The title felt hilarious, ridiculous, and wonderful to me.”
Suki’s The Sparklemuffin Tour, her previously announced 25-city North American headlining jaunt in support of the album, now begins at Salt Lake City’s Love Letters Festival on Friday, September 27th, and will make stops in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Boston, Toronto, Montreal, and more.
Preceding the tour, Suki will also appear at Seattle’s Day In Day Out (July 12th), London’s All Points East (August 18th), and will support Mitski at Portland, OR’s Moda Theatre (September 21st).
SUMMER/FALL 2024 Sat. Jul. 12 - Seattle, WA - Day In Day Out Festival Sun. Aug. 18 - London, UK - All Points East Festival Sat. Sep. 21 - Portland, OR - MODA Center +
“THE SPARKLEMUFFIN TOUR” FALL 2024 Fri. Sep. 27 - Salt Lake City, UT - Love Letters Festival Sat. Sep. 28 - Denver, CO - Mission Ballroom * Thu. Oct. 17 - Houston, TX - House of Blues ^ Fri. Oct. 18 - Austin, TX - ACL Live at the Moody Theater ^ Sat. Oct. 19 - Dallas, TX - The Factory in Deep Ellum ^ Mon. Oct. 21 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren ^ Tue. Oct. 22 - San Diego, CA - The Sound ^ Wed. Oct. 23 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre ^ Fri. Oct. 25 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield Mon. Oct. 28 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom ^ Tue. Oct. 30 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater ^ Mon. Dec. 02 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman ^ Tue. Dec. 03 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory ^ Wed. Dec. 04 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room at Old National Centre ^ Fri. Dec. 06 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora ^ Sat. Dec. 07 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount ^ [Sold Out] Sun. Dec. 08 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Paramount ^ Tue. Dec. 10 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall ^ Wed. Dec. 11 - Washington, DC - The Anthem ^ Fri. Dec. 13 - Boston, MA - Roadrunner ^ Sat. Dec. 14 - Montreal, QC - MTELUS ^ Sun. Dec. 15 - Toronto, ON - HISTORY ^ Tue. Dec. 17 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre ^ Wed. Dec. 18 - Chicago, IL - The Salt Shed ^ Thu. Dec. 19 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium ^ Sat. Dec. 21 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern ^
^ w/ Bully * w/ Debbii Dawson + w/ Mitski
Memoir of a Sparklemuffin will be available on CD/2xLP/CS/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com (US), Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and your local record store will receive the limited Loser edition vinyl on Sparklemuffin Pearl (North America), and Sparkle Starlight (UK/Europe). There is also an Afterglow Purple vinyl, along with new Suki merch available from her Official Merch Store (All limited edition vinyl colors available whilst stock lasts!).
Suki initially teased Memoir of a Sparklemuffin with the singles “To Love,” “OMG,” “Faded” and “My Fun,” drawing listeners into Sparklemuffin’s sticky stylistic web. The latter single is currently the soundtrack to the new Sonos Ace headphone campaign, in which Suki also stars.
Suki Waterhouse Memoir of a Sparklemuffin
1. Gateway Drug 2. Supersad 3. Blackout Drunk 4. Faded 5. Nonchalant 6. My Fun 7. Model, Actress, Whatever 8. To Get You 9. Lullaby 10. Big Love 11. Lawsuit 12. OMG 13. Think Twice 14. Could’ve Been A Star 15. Legendary 16. Everybody Breaks Up Anyway 17. Helpless 18. To Love
Ernest Greene’s music levitates over a timeless frontier on Washed Out’s fifth and most audacious album, Notes From a Quiet Life. You can sense it in his immersive, amorphous vocals, expansive soundscapes, and wistful storytelling.
This is evidenced by the new Washed Out visual for NFAQL’s standout, “Waking Up.” After months of research and meticulous planning, Greene and director Jonah Haber collaborated to bring this one-take, never-before-seen live performance filmed in the path of full totality of the solar eclipse on location in Bandera, Texas, on April 8th, 2024.
Using this perfectly timed moment and imagery from the album’s cover, Washed Out takes this pioneering spirit and delivers a gorgeous performance that encapsulates the essence of Notes From a Quiet Life.
With all the risks involved and no guarantee of success, Haber and Greene create a music video unlike any other. During those four minutes and eight seconds of full totality, the moon passed between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the Sun and emulating the night. The performance allows the viewer to disengage from the outside world. The effect appears as if Washed Out is taking the stage inside a venue, using the moment of totality as nature’s dimmer until all you can focus on is Greene’s performance. It gives space for reflection, introspection, and an appreciation for the lack of control we have over nature and her force.
Washed Out’s previously announced headlining US tour and festival dates for the summer of 2024 in support of NFAQL begin June 22nd in Ogden, UT, and currently run through Saturday, August 24th in Birmingham, AL, at Iron City. See below for a full list of dates.
Sat. Jun. 22 - Ogden, UT - Twilight Concert Series Sun. Jul. 14 - Seattle, WA - Day In Day Out Festival Thu. Aug. 01 - Atlanta, GA - The Eastern Fri. Aug. 02 - Columbia, SC - The Senate Sat. Aug. 03 - Asheville, NC - AVLFest Mon. Aug. 05 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl Tue. Aug. 06 - St. Louis, MO, Delmar Hall Thu. Aug. 08 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue Fri. Aug. 09 - Chicago, IL - Metro Sat. Aug. 10 - Madison, WI - Majestic Sun. Aug. 11 - Columbus, OH - Kemba Tue. Aug. 13 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Wed. Aug.14 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Fri. Aug. 16 - Norwalk, CT - District Music Hall Sat. Aug. 17 - Boston, MA - Paradise Sun. Aug. 18 - Brooklyn, NY - Paramount Tue. Aug. 20 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer Wed. Aug. 21 - Washington, DC - 930 Club Fri. Aug. 23 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle Sat. Aug. 24 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City
Notes From a Quiet Life are now available to preorder on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders in North America from megamart.subpop.com and select independent retailers will receive the Loser Edition on Honeydew Melon vinyl. LP orders from independent retail stores & Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) in the UK and Europe will receive the Loser Edition on Yellow-Green vinyl. All colored vinyl versions are available while stock lasts.
Washed Out Notes From a Quiet Life
Track Listing: 1. Waking Up 2. Say Goodbye 3. Got Your Back 4. The Hardest Part 5. A Sign 6. Second Sight 7. Running Away 8. Wait on You 9. Wondrous Life 10. Letting Go
Long out-of-print 1993 debut album by the beloved indie-rock band A remixed, remastered, and expanded edition of the original album, with liner notes, and an album’s worth of bonus tracks compiling singles, outtakes, and the band’s 1993 Peel Session
New Shows include October 25th in Los Angeles at Teragram Ballroom and November 23rd in Washington, DC at Black Cat
Velocity Girl were one of the leading lights of 1990s indie-pop, fusing the hooks of Britpop with the fuzzy guitars of shoegaze. This updated edition of the album features a new, band-approved mix, a full album of bonus tracks compiling singles, outtakes, and the band’s 1993 Peel Session. All of the music has been freshly mastered by Golden Mastering, and the package includes extensive liner notes from the band.
Velocity Girl’s UltraCopacetic (Copacetic Remixed and Expanded) will be available on CD/2xLP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP Preorders are available in North America at the Sub Pop Mega Mart, in the UK and Europe at Mega Mart 2, and at your local record store. The first vinyl pressing is on opaque red vinyl, limited to 2,000 copies worldwide.
Velocity Girl has scheduled two new shows in support of UltraCopacetic for the fall of 2024, including Friday, October 25th in Los Angeles at The Teragram Ballroom and Saturday, November 23rd in Washington, DC at Black Cat.
Velocity Girl formed in 1989 or so at the University of Maryland outside Washington DC, and shortly thereafter settled on the lasting lineup of guitarist Archie Moore (Black Tambourine), guitarist Brian Nelson (Black Tambourine), drummer Jim Spellman (Starry Eyes, Foxhall Stacks, High Back Chairs, Julie Ocean, Piper Club), bassist Kelly Riles (Starry Eyes), and singer Sarah Shannon (Starry Eyes, The Not Its). The band combined English-inspired noisy shoegaze fuzz with scrappy US indie rock and classic ‘60s-style pop songwriting. A killer single on Slumberland and non-stop touring grabbed the attention of the indie-rock cognoscenti of the day, and, following a heated courtship involving both dinner AND dessert, Velocity Girl signed a contract on a car hood in Hoboken, New Jersey, making Sub Pop their home.
In 1992, the band began work on their debut album, Copacetic, at Easley Studios - once home base to the Bar-Kays and other classic soul bands - in Memphis with Bob Weston (Volcano Suns, Shellac) at the helm, and then mixed the album with Weston in Chicago. While the album had strong songs - pop tunes like “Audrey’s Eyes,” “Pop Loser,” and “Living Well” alongside ambitious explorations like “Pretty Sister” and “Here Comes” - the band had little experience with production and lacked the skills to “drive the boat” in the studio. As a result, the album turned out to be a rather stripped-down affair, lacking the lushness of their prior recordings. To the band’s ear it was jarring, and they soon realized this wasn’t the record they hoped to make. Bob Weston had done exactly what was asked of him and captured the sounds, but the band didn’t do its part to articulate a clear vision. But the band’s slot in the studio was over, and Polvo had just showed up to work on their album, so off Velocity Girl went to shoot the video for “Audrey’s Eyes.” Copacetic came out in 1993 and people seemed to like it just fine, but within the band there was a sense of disappointment to the point where most members couldn’t stand to hear the record.
Between then and now, the band learned a lot about recording, and Archie Moore developed a career in audio work, and the band finally decided to revisit Copacetic. After extensive digging, the 2” tape reels appeared in Jim’s ex-wife’s mother’s house, and in the spring of 2023, Archie began working on a remix.
Song by song the new mixes emerged just as the band envisioned them. Soaring vocals from Sarah (who studied opera in college), chiming lead guitar, juicy fuzzed-out rhythm guitars, and clear pounding drums. The pop songs are much poppier. The sonic blasts are more powerful, and the record hangs together as a cohesive document that flows from song to song. The approach was not to make a 2024-sounding record but rather to go back to the 1992 mindset and create the record the band should have made then. The result, UltraCopacetic (Copacetic Remixed and Expanded), is an exciting alternate history of Copacetic.
And, while they were at it, the band dug up and refreshed the rest of their studio material from the era: Ultraopacetic includes “Warm/Crawl” from the Velocity Girl/Tsunami split 7”, “Creepy” from the Crazy Town 7”, “Stupid Thing” from the Audrey’s Eyes 7”, and the unreleased album outtake “Even Die.” Topping it all off is the band’s complete five-song 1993 John Peel session, including two tracks that haven’t been heard since the original broadcast. UltraCopacetic is truly the definitive version of Velocity Girl’s first record.
Velocity Girl UltraCopacetic (Copactic Remixed and Expanded)
Tracklisting: 1. Pretty Sister 2. Crazy Town 3. Copacetic 4. Here Comes 5. Pop Loser 6. Living Well 7. A Chang 8. Audrey’s Eyes 9. Lisa Librarian 10. 57 Waltz 11. Candy Apples 12. Catching Squirrels 13. Warm/Crawl 14. Creepy 15. Stupid Thing 16. Even Die 17. Here Comes (Peel Session version) 18. Always (Peel Session version) 19. Crazy Town (Peel Session version) 20. 57 Waltz (Peel Session version) 21. Copacetic (Peel Session version)
