Pernice Brothers — Spread the Feeling (Sept. 9, 2019)
•χ• Outlet pro uznávaného indie~misantropa jménem Joe Pernice, jehož hudba sahá od konejšivého písničkáčství až po orchestrální pop.
Location: Dorchester ~ Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Album release: September 9, 2019
Record Label: Ashmont Records
Duration: 37:31
Tracks:
01. Mint Condition 3:07
02. Lullabye 2:42
03. The Devil and The Jinn 3:18
04. Always in All Ways 2:25
05. Evidently So 2:25
06. Wither on The Vine 3:00
07. Throw Me to The Lions 3:19
08. Skinny Jeanne 2:02
09. The Queen of California 3:27
10. I Came Back 2:35
11. Eric Saw Colors 3:38
12. Frank Say (Bonus Track) 3:04
13. Unsound (Bonus Track) 2:29
Credits overall:
• Patrick Berkery Drums, Percussion
• Neko Case Vocals
• Stephen Hogan Engineer
• Liam Jaeger Bass, Drums, Engineer, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (El.), Guitar (Nylon String), Jupiter 8, Keyboards, Mixing, Vocals
• Josh Kantor Organ, Piano
• Josh “Budo” Karp Engineer, Mixing
• Joshua Karp Harmonica, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Trumpet, Whistle
• Greg Kramer Trombone
• Jeff Lipton Mastering
• Michael McKenzie Percussion
• Ric Menck Drums, Percussion
• Mike & Joe Engineer, Mixing
• Thom Monahan Vocals
• Frank Padellaro Bass, Engineer, Vocals
• Bob Pernice Engineer, Guitar, Vocals
• Joe Pernice Bass, Composer, Engineer, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Mixing, Percussion, Vocals
• Peyton Pinkerton Guitar, Vocals
• Maria Rice Mastering
AllMusic Review by Mark Deming | Score: ****
• Joe Pernice waited three years between the first Pernice Brothers album, 1998’s Overcome by Happiness, and the second, 2001’s The World Won’t End, during which he released two side~project albums filled with songs he declared weren’t up to his standards for the group. And to take him at his word, in the nearly ten years after 2010’s Goodbye, Killer, he wrote and recorded another Pernice Brothers album only to scrap it because he didn’t like how it turned out. Clearly, patience and quality control are integral parts of Pernice’s creative process, but you can’t say they don’t work for him.
• 2019’s Spread the Feeling may have been a long time coming, but it’s a brilliant reminder that Pernice is one of the best and most interesting pop songwriters of the 21st century, and he has a fine grasp of what makes a great record. In terms of songwriting, Spread the Feeling is prime Joe Pernice, full of cleverly constructed melodies paired with lyrics that are darkly witty poison~pen observations on romantic relationships and other human interactions. Randy Newman once described his style as a nice sound with a nasty intent, and at his best, Pernice hits that target just as reliably as the Minstrel of Pixar. And working with a cast of musicians comprised of Pernice Brothers alumni (Peyton Pinkerton, James Walbourne, Patrick Berkery, Bob Pernice, Ric Menck) and new contributors (Joshua Karp, Neko Case, and Pete Yorn), this is some of the most immediate and forceful music this band has ever released, not heavy~handed but full of energy and not shy about making an impact. The guitars chime, the drums snap, and Pernice’s vocals, done up in a variety of tones of expressive suede, have been dipped in just enough honey that you aren’t aware of how deep they cut until it’s too late.
• Spread the Feeling falls short of being a career best, but it stands proudly side by side with anything they cut after 2003’s Yours, Mine and Ours, and if you like your pop smart, snarky, and easy to hum along with, you can hardly do much better than this.
Credits:
01. Mint Condition
• Joe Pernice — vox, guitar, percussion; Patrick Berkery — drums, percussion; Liam Jaeger — bass, guitar, Jupiter 8. Recorded and mixed by Liam and Joe.
02. Lullaby
• Joe Pernice — vox, electric guitar; Liam Jaeger — bass, drums, electric guitar, Jupiter 8. Recorded and mixed by Liam and Joe.
03. The Devil And The Jinn
• Joe Pernice — vox, guitar, Ric Menck — drums and percussion; James Walbourne — guitars; Frank Padellaro — bass, vox; Bob Pernice — guitar, vox; Josh Cantor — piano and organ; Neko Case — vox.
• Recorded by Bob and Frank. Mixed by T.W. Walsh. Additional mixing by Liam and Joe.
04. Always in All Ways
• Joe Pernice — vox, guitar, bass; Patrick Berkery — drums; Liam Jaeger — drums, guitars. Recorded and mixed by Liam and Joe.
05. Evidently So
• Joe Pernice — vox, guitar; Liam Jaeger — drums, nylon string guitar; Joshua Karp — piano, keyboards, trumpet, whistling; Greg Kramer — trombone. Recorded and mixed by Joshua Karp with Liam and Joe.
06. Wither on The Vine
• Joe Pernice — vox, guitars. Michael McKenzie — percussion; Joshua Karp — harmonica. Recorded and mixed by Mike and Joe.
07. Throw Me to The Lions
• Joe Pernice — vox, guitar; Peyton Pinkerton — guitars, vox; Ric Menck — drums and percussion; Frank Padellaro — bass, vox; Bob Pernice — guitar, vox; Pete Yorn — vox. Recorded by Bob and Frank. Mixed by T.W. Walsh. Additional mixing by Liam and Joe.
08. Skinny Jeanne
• Joe Pernice — vox, guitar; Ric Menck — drums and percussion; Frank Padellaro — bass, vox; Bob Pernice — guitar, vox; James Walbourne — guitar; T.W. Walsh — piano; Thom Monahan — vox. Recorded by Bob and Frank. Mixed by T.W. Walsh. Additional mixing by Liam and Joe.
09. The Queen of California
• Joe Pernice — vox, guitar; Liam Jaeger — drums, bass; Joshua Karp — paino, trumpet, organs; Greg Kramer — trombones. Recorded and mixed by Josh with Liam and Joe.
10. I Came Back
• Joe Pernice — vox, guitar; Patrick Berkery — drums, percussion; Liam Jaeger — bass, electric guitar, 12~string guitar, vox. Recorded and mixed by Liam and Joe.
11. Eric Saw Colors
• Joe Pernice — vox, guitar; Ric menck — drums, percussion; Frank Padellaro — bass, vox; James Walbourne — guitar; Bob pernice — guitar, vox; Peyton Pinkerton — lead guitar; Recorded by Bob and Frank. Mixed by T.W. Walsh. Additional mixing by Liam and Joe.
• All songs by Joe Pernice, Bony Gap Music (BMI), administered by BUG/BMG; Gutterfunk (ASACAP) Warner Chapel; James Walbourne (PRS); Pinkertones (ASCAP); Liam Jaeger (SOCAN).
• Pete Yorn appears courtesy of Shelly Music. Neko Case appears courtesy of Anti/Lady Pilot.
• The cover photo was snapped in the early 1970s by late great BMX team owner Rick Twomey. Team member Mel Stoutsenberger launches out of the concrete flood channel into the Simi Valley heat. Rick’s Bike Shop team members and local talent look on in with admiration, chomping at the bit for their turn. Just a bunch of kids hanging out, getting rad, spreading the feeling. Used by kind permission of Patti Twomey.
• Thank You: All of the players and engineers who were extremely generous with their time and talents; Laura & Sammy; The Pernice Family; The Stein Family; Joyce; Chris “Felony” Najewicz; Red House Music School; Ryan Lewis; Mike Leahy and all at Concerted Efforts; Neal Huff; Mike Belitsky; Norman Blake; Jon Drew; James Creeggan; Mel Stoutsenberger; Patti Twomey; https://bmxsociety.com/ ; S. Brothers; I Am The Owl; Reilly 1; Rob Eagleye; Greg Thomas; Ryan Balan, Tracy Rosetti, Adin Wener, Mark Lloyd and all at WTU13.
• For Joe Harvard, Gary Stewart and Berman
Copyright 2019 Ashmont Records, Inc., 1050 Adams St., Dorchester, MA, 02124.ABOUT:
• „SPREAD THE FEELING“ is the eight studio LP by the Pernice Brothers and my 17th or so in general. I’m honestly not sure. I don’t keep track. All I know is that if I play one song off each album at a gig, it’s a long show.
• The digital album will be available through Ashmont Records/Bandcamp on September 9, 2019. A limited number of vinyl LPs will be available for pre~order and sale through Ashmont Records. The proposed vinyl date is Oct. 15, 2019, give or take a few days.
• I recorded a full length Pernice Brothers record a few years back, but ditched it after it was mixed. Scrapping it had everything to do with me not liking the songs. The playing, the recording and mixing were fantastic to my ears. After letting the mixes sit for a while I revisited them for giggles. Still no dice, but there were a couple songs that were really good and deserved to be saved, unlike my soul. I holed up with engineer/musician extraordinaire Liam Jaeger in Toronto, and we reworked/mixed the songs worth the time. Then we kept recording new songs until SPREAD THE FEELING was done. (I am toying with releasing all my rejected recording on a double CD called SHITTY SONGS. For every copy you take, I give you $0.87. It’s the future winning model in the streaming age.)
• Eric Menck came up with the title. I think it was a peanut butter ad campaign slogan. If it wasn’t, it should be.
• I don’t know if SPREAD THE FEELING is a return to some kind of form. That’s for other people to decide. To be honest, I write all kinds of songs all the time. (You should hear my klezmer~meets~mariachi number called “Who Put The Mole in My Kugel” It’s from my WEST SIDE STORY knockoff musical my wife has brilliantly titled EL SID.) It might come down to my mood at the time as to which songs make a record. This record definitely has the most “muscle” of all my records. (That’s not saying much if you compare it to say, PINE BOX by the Scud Mountain Boys.) The playing is pretty nuts. Liam Jaeger and James Walbourne are two of the finest guitarists out there. Peyton Pinkerton is a true genius. It should be no surprise to learn that he’s an exceptional painter. All three players wowed me at every turn. Both Patrick Berkery and Ric Menck played drums. They are as good as it gets in my opinion. Neko Case and Pete Yorn were extremely generous with their voices. I’m grateful to both for elevating the songs. Oh, and my brother Bob is on there too, as always.
• The record was recorded and mixed in Boston, Toronto and Washington State.
• What’s the single? Probably “The Devil And The Jinn” or “Mint Condition” or “Lullaby.” I have my favorite songs, but they are almost never the ones most people like. For instance, this song didn’t make the cut, but the chorus is pretty badass:
Who put the mole in my kugel?
Who put the struggle in my strife?
Who put the mole in my kugel?
Because mole brought the kugel back to life.
JP, August, 2019, Toronto
Letter
• Yeah, it’s been a while. Not much, how 'bout you? I’m not sure why I called. I guess I really just wanted to talk to you. (That’s from England Dan And John Ford Coley’s 1970’s smash hit “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” in case you didn’t know. Say what you will about the song. The hook is pretty massive, and the tune had to have been a license to print money for the songwriters.I wouldn’t kick that number out of my catalog for making crumbs. I always figured there must have been some other dude named Dan in the duo’s coterie, and soft rock Dan adopted the prefix “England” (note: He did not adopt “English”) to distinguish himself from the lesser Dan. Well, by Jesus, unless lesser Dan became Dan Akroyd or Dan Marino, it worked.)
• Over the years I’ve borrowed a few tropes from the 1970’s soft rock genre. You got a problem with that? (Damn, too agro. Let me start over.)
• Hello, Everyone. You look fantastic. Wow! The years we spent apart were really kind to you. You look exactly the same. I’m serious. Who, me? Oh, stop. You’re embarrassing me. I think your eyesight must be going. Sure, I worked pretty hard to lose most of the weight I put on with the baby, but you know what they say about Joe’s charm being 50 percent illusion and all. Like Mary says regarding her good looks: I had it when I needed it.
• Anyway, about a year ago I quit my job at the blood bank and started writing songs. Lots of them. All kinds of songs. Before I knew it, I had a pile. And the pile was pretty high, like dirty laundry. (That simile may not be completely inaccurate.) I was left with only a single option: Make a new Pernice Brothers record. Which is what I did. It’s called Spread The Feeling, and it comes out on Sept. 9, 2019 “(If you’d like to order it, here’s a link) For now the only ways to get the record are through Bandcamp for the digital, and mail order for the vinyl. (The LPs will not be mailed out until right after Oct. 17, 2019. They’re still being pressed, but you can preorder now. It should still be warm when you spin it.) I apologize to most fans outside North America. I have no European/UK/S. American recording or distribution deal, and rather than wait around for something to happen I decided to just put the damn record out. (If you’re in Australia the record will be available from Spunk Records. And it’slooking like something is coming together for release in Japan.)
• We are also probably going to press a very limited number of CDs. Apparently a few of you still listen to music that way. (The plan is to press some, but we’re at the mercy of the pressing plant’s schedule. Will update when we know a CD delivery timeline.)
• And then comes touring. The last time my band played live was at thee Carnegie Hall. No joke. Would have been pretty cool if the last band gig we did had been Carnegie Hall. But it’s not to be. We’re going to play a short “tour” with the band. Nothing enormous, just a few shows at first to ease back into things. (You can see the dates below.) If all goes well, who knows, maybe we’ll stay out on the road for a while. Again, apologies to Europe/UK, but having no Euro/UK booking agent is going to make playing shows your way tough. I’m working on it, but can’t promise something will shake out.
• Oh, there’s something I must get off my chest. I can’t let this lie go on any longer. There’s a Pernice Brothers chain letter going around. (Here’s the link.) I co~wrote it with my partner (business only, thank God for both our sakes) Joyce Linehan. If you sign up for our mailing list and play along you’ll get to hear some new Pernice Brothers stuff for free.
Albums:
• Overcome by Happiness (Sub Pop; CD; 1998)
• The World Won’t End (Ashmont Records; CD; 2001)
• Yours, Mine and Ours (Ashmont Records; CD; 2003)
• Nobody’s Watching/Nobody’s Listening; Ashmont Records; live; CD/DVD; 2005)
• Discover a Lovelier You (Ashmont Records; CD; 2005)
• Live a Little (Ashmont Records; CD; 2006)
• Goodbye, Killer (Ashmont Records; CD; 2010)
• Spread The Feeling (Ashmont Records; 2019)
EPs:
• Australia Tour EP 2002 (Ashmont Records; live; EP; 2002)
Website: https://pernicebrothers.com/
Bandcamp: https://pernicebrothers.bandcamp.com/album/spread-the-feeling