Alt-rock Legends Galaxie 500 have announced Uncollected Noise New York '88-'90, the band's first compilation of new archival material in nearly 30 years, described as "their most comprehensive collection of unreleased and rare archival material ever."
Arriving September 20 via Silver Current Records and the band's own imprint 20/20/20, the collection's 24 tracks make up the entire Noise New York studio recordings of the band's outtakes, B-sides and non-album tracks. Today, you can listen to two never-before-heard songs: "Shout You Down" from the Today album sessions and "I Wanna Live" from the On Fire album sessions.
"Opening up these tape boxes was like looking into an old journal or datebook. I had forgotten most of this happened at all, but it only took a few quick details to put me right back in the drum seat," drummer Damon Krukowski said in a statement. "There are songs from all the Galaxie 500 recording sessions included here."
"There is a sweetness in hearing the progression of us finding our own sound, our own collective voice. The Proustian power of music," explained bassist Naomi Yang. "Listening to these early recordings I can hear myself figuring out how I wanted to play bass — finding my way up the neck to where the notes would cut through, where there could be a counter-melody to the singing. Making the bass my singing voice."
"I can see why we left some of these songs in the vaults, but there is pleasure in hearing them today; they sound very alive, like Galaxie 500 playing in the brick-walled room that was Noise New York," said singer and guitarist Dean Wareham.
Galaxie 500 released three albums — Today, On Fire and This Is Our Music — between 1987 and 1991.
Check out "Shout You Down" and "I Wanna Live" below, plus the Uncollected Noise New York '88-'90 tracklist.
Uncollected Noise New York '88-'90:
1. Shout You Down (previously unreleased)
2. See Through Glasses (previously unreleased)
3. On the Floor (Noise NY version) (previously unreleased)
4. Can't Believe It's Me (Ryko Box Set bonus CD, otherwise unreleased)
5. Oblivious (Ryko Box Set bonus CD, Chemical Imbalance fanzine 7-inch)
6. King of Spain (Today CD bonus track, Aurora Records 7-inch B-side)
7. Jerome (Ryko Box Set bonus CD, otherwise unreleased)
8. Song in 3 (Ryko Box Set bonus CD, otherwise unreleased)
9. Crazy (Ryko Box Set bonus CD, European Today CD bonus track)
10. I Wanna Live (previously unreleased)
11. I Will Walk (previously unreleased)
12. Cold Night (On Fire CD bonus track, Rough Trade BlueThunder EP)
13. Ceremony (On Fire CD bonus track, Rough Trade BlueThunder EP)
14. Never Get to Heaven (previously unreleased)
15. Maracas Song (Ryko Box Set bonus CD, otherwise unreleased)
16. Victory Garden (On Fire CD bonus track, Rough Trade BlueThunder EP)
17. Blue Thunder (w/sax) (Ryko Box Set bonus CD, Rough Trade EP)
18. Cheese and Onions (Ryko Box Set bonus CD, Rutles Highway Revisited Shimmy Disc LP)
19. Fourth of July (video mix)
20. Cactus (previously unreleased)
21. Moonshot (previously unreleased)
22. Them (Ryko Box Set bonus CD, otherwise unreleased)
23. Final Day (Ryko Box Set bonus CD, otherwise unreleased)
24. Here She Comes Now (This Is Our Music CD bonus track, Rough Trade Fourth of July 12-inch B-side)