A large pile of releases await review for September, so I’ll take a few days to relax before tackling anything new, but here is a few re-issues to check out:
The Turtles “All The Singles”
Not long ago, I reviewed a vinyl re-issue of The Turtles and tried to bring some attention to a band that seemed to epitomize the changes in the late ’60s. But because Flo and Eddie didn’t take things that seriously, few critics understood just how talented the band was until long after they left pop music. Well if you didn’t want vinyl, you were left getting old hits CDs — but not anymore. All The Singles gathers everything a Turtle fan could want remastered on both CD or digital download. Now you have no excuses!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvu3xiFmfDU
The Connells “Stone Cold Yesterday: Best of The Connells”
While REM gets the credit for starting the ’80s indie-college-rock scene, this Raleigh band has built a loyal fan base following their 1984 debut. Like REM, The Connells are also known for their jangle-pop guitars, wistful lyrics, and gorgeous melodies — a world where the childhood dreams of Boylan Heights are only a heartbeat away.
The band has worked with an amazing array of producers from Mitch Easter (R.E.M./Let’s Active) to Jim Scott (Wilco) and scored moderate hits with “Slackjawed” and “74-75.” This is their first-ever greatest hits package, collecting 16 college radio and modern-rock singles from 1987 to 1998, including their first breakthrough radio hit, “Stone Cold Yesterday.” If The Connells passed you by in that era, this is a chance to rediscover their distinctive sound. Release out 9/9/16.