The dB’s: “Black and White”
I’m starting to get reasonably pumped1 about Saturday’s Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey concert2 so I’ve been cranking the tunes by their former jangle pop quartet, The dB’s. Holsapple & Stamey were one half of these severely underrated tunesmiths who spent the better part of the 1980s making some of the best music you’ve never heard.3
The duo just released a new record, Here & Now, and although I’m not digging it quite as hard as their incredible Mavericks album, it still made its way into one of the coveted six slots in my car stereo.
The two of ‘em were on North Carolina Public Radio earlier this afternoon, talking about their hometown (my current ZIP code) and people who like obscure British bands AND IT WAS LIKE THEY WERE TALKING DIRECTLY TO ME. So, you know, I’ve got that going for me.
Anyway, their dB’s work can’t be topped and after spending the past few years out of print, it’s finally available to download from iTunes or Amazon. Today’s track comes from their 1981 debut, Stands for Decibels, which is an excellent place to start your dB’s collection. Also, I dare you to find a better song about the end of a relationship. The line “I just don’t enjoy you anymore” is a much more poetic sentiment than “I’ve reached the point where I kind of hope you get alopecia and liver flukes and maybe have to live in a Wendy’s dumpster.”
1 I’m at about a 6 on the Pumped Scale right now, which means I’m OK to be left unattended.
2 At the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC, which I like writing if only because of the alliteration.
3 Yes, I’ve written about these dudes before.
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