If you weren't there, it is hard to express how important Athens, Ga Winston-Salem power pop band the dB's were to the 1980 nyc rock scene. Essentially, they closed the book on punk. At first glance a mash-up of Big Star and the Beatles, this would be to ignore the gift of two first rate songwriters working at opposite ends of the pop spectrum. Peter Holsapple a McCartney type melody man, Chris Stamey an experimental pop weirdo.
The result was three great great great albums in a row. The first one on the late lamented Alan Betrock's Shake, the youthful Stands for Decibels, The middle one, repercussions, one of the best puns for one of the best albums of all time. The third, after Stamey left, Holsapples greatest moment, Like This. Holsapple continued striving for a future that was just out of reach. I consider the dB's one of the rock and roll worlds greatest misses. They deserved REM type success and it just didn't happen.
They have reformed in several congloms, i remember a Stamey-Holsapple album from the 1990s. But, as we reported earlier this year, the dB's have recorded a new album, including original drummer Will Rigby and bassist Gene Holder. We didn't tell you they played together at SXSW and we didn't tell you that they have a gig at Le Poisson Rouge, Friday June 15th, 2012.the new album, Falling Off The Sky falls June 12th, the first album with the original line up since repercussions.
The one time I saw the db"s live, at Bonds, I was a little disappointed. But it is hard to hold a grudge for thirty years and I have every intention of checking em out in June.
Plus: if you're a fan and on the fence, check out this setlist!
Thanks for featuring the great dB’s! Go to YouTube to check out some of their recent live shows this year; they’re sounding great.
I have a fan blog dedicated to The dB’s, its members and their many musical collaborations. It’s here:
http://dbs-repercussion.blogspot.com/
One correction: The dB’s are not from Athens. They are proud to be from the Tar Heel state of North Carolina, where they all met & grew up together in the “tobacco town” of Winston-Salem.