25 Years Later

It's sad enough to see critics raving about lame new releases from Juliana Hatfield, Bob Mould and Frank Black. It's probably even sadder to be genuinely excited about pretty good new releases from Big Star and Lene Lovich. Amongst all this, though, The dB's-always overrated outside of 1982's Repercussions-emerge with the best reason for existing, via a new song debuting at ThedBsOnline.net.

The roots-rocking "World To Cry" is catchier than plenty of modern acts that don't even know they were inspired by these North Carolina expatriates. Peter Holsapple had already taken the band into a country turn back when it was unfashionable, with 1987's The Sound off Music, after fellow composer Chris Stamey had already left the band to pursue more skewed artsy pop stuff.

They'd both go on to far better work outside the band, while drummer Will Rigby and bassist Gene Holder would remain in demand as session musicians. Most of the band had scattered back to their Southern roots, but the former New Yorkers were nostalgic enough to return to record at Water Music in Hoboken earlier this year.

Assume that tickets for the upcoming Maxwell's show will be sold out long before the dates of Sept. 19 & 20. Stamey's certainly expecting an older crowd, although he's eager to downplay the franchise. "Peter and I started out talking about making a record," he notes, "and ended up dragging Gene and Will into the picture. Trademarked names are nothing, but there's a lot of baggage that comes with what people do. We think of this as a new adventure. However you've come to us, no matter what your expectations are-well, I hope we confound them."

Currently touring as utility player for Hootie & The Blowfish, Holsapple's sounding older, wiser, and a lot more pleasant. "I don't expect any kind of commercial success," he explains. "I'm reasonable enough to know that, at 49-years-old, the chances of topping the charts are as remote as they were 23 years ago. It's still fun to play with these guys, and to write an album for a group that's grown together."

This is also Holsapple's chance to enjoy being in the band. "It's great to be around to do this again," he says, "with a happy life and that drinking problem behind me. The stuff that I get from making music today is more elemental. That's why this Hootie job is the greatest. I play seven different instruments a night. I'm a mule for the music. It has a lot more impact for me than when I was playing so that some girl in Cedar Rapids might pay attention to me."