Helium Reveal New Rarities Comp and Vinyl Reissues

Represses of 1995's 'The Dirt of Luck' and 1997's 'The Magic City' will arrive in May

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Mar 23, 2017

Long before ripping it up with Ex Hex, Mary Timony led '90s rockers Helium through a six-year career that resulted in two full-length albums and three EPs. Now, the band's work is being given the vinyl reissue treatment by Matador, alongside the release of a new rarities compilation.

After being out of print for a decade, reissues of 1995's The Dirt of Luck and 1997's The Magic City will be reissued, with the No Guitars EP accompanying the latter to complete the 2-LP set.

The rarities compilation, titled Ends with And, will be a 19-track 2-LP release containing B-sides, rare songs and demos alongside the band's Pirate Prude EP.

Timony had the following to say about the compilation in a press release:

Compiling Ends with And has been like stumbling upon a long forgotten time capsule and trying to put the pieces in order. I hadn't heard most of the songs in a very long time. I pored over hours of unlabeled cassette demos, odd test pressings, and DAT tapes. A few of the live recordings and bonus tracks were hard to find — I knew that they existed but I had lost copies, but luckily a few kind souls had stored tapes in dusty basements and attics in various parts of the country. It's good to know that these songs will all be in one place now.

For a taste of the comp, you can check out its "Hole in the Ground" and a newly restored video for "XXX" at the bottom of the page.

Timony is also set to take the songs on  the road as "Mary Timony Plays Helium" this June, including a date at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern on June 12. Find the dates and tracklist for Ends with And below.

Ends with And:

1. Baby Vampire Made Me 
2. XXX 
3. OOO
4. Love $$$ 
5. Lucy 
6. Termite Tree 
7. Hole In The Ground 
8. Magic Box 
9. Superball (Demo) 
10. What Institution Are You From? 
11. Lucky Charm 
12. #12 L'Enfant 
13. I Am A Witch
14. Ghost Car (Demo) 
15. Puffin Stars 
16. Leon's Space Song (Demo) 
17. The Dragon #1 
18. Fantastic Castle 
19. Golden Bridge (Demo)

Tour dates:

06/06 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
06/07 Philadelphia, PA - Boot and Saddle
06/08 Brooklyn, NY - Northside Festival
06/09 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
06/10 Boston, MA - The Sinclair
06/12 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
06/13 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
06/14 Detroit, MI - Marble Bar
06/15 Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle 



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