Jack White and his Third Man Records have announced their latest vinyl reissue project, and this time they will be shining a light on cult NYC indie act Jonathan Fire*Eater, whose members would eventually form the Walkmen.
On October 18, Third Man will re-release the short-lived group's classic 1996 EP Tremble Under Boom Lights, which will be expanded to include five bonus tracks (four of which previously were included on the Japanese edition of the release). The Third Man reissue adds the previously unreleased song "In the Head."
Right now, Third Man is teasing the collection with its "The Search for Cherry Red," which you can hear below.
For the unfamiliar, Third Man writes, "Jonathan Fire*Eater is credited in large part with kick-starting the New York City rock & roll revival that birthed the Strokes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem and many more, and several of its members eventually went on to form the Walkmen."
In addition to a new colour scheme on the cover artwork, the reissue will be available in two limited colored vinyl variants: a "Winston Plum" coloured vinyl LP (exclusive to indie shops and limited to 500 copies) and a yellow vinyl LP (exclusive to Rough Trade and limited to 300 copies). A black vinyl version will also be released.
Beyond re-releasing Tremble Under Boom Lights, Third Man will publish a chapbook called The Plural Atmosphere, which will be made up on the poetry of late Jonathan Fire*Eater frontman Stewart Lupton. As previously reported, Lupton passed away last year at the age of 43.
You can learn more about each release, as well as place a pre-order, here.
To give more insight into the Jonathan Fire*Eater, here's a bit more from Third Man:
In a world chock full of flame-outs, coulda-been contenders and great white hopes, the band Jonathan Fire*Eater are among the "almost-est." Widely praised as the mid-Nineties next-big-thing, they are largely credited with being the earliest purveyors of the "New York City Rock and Roll Revival" circa 2001. Which would be great, if only the band hadn't imploded by 1998.
The quintet employed a fresh, one-of-a-kind blend of sly rock and roll reference and reverence. Their press release at the time name-dropped all the correct and relevant influences... the Stooges, the Modern Lovers, Tom Waits, the Scientists, ? and the Mysterians, the Cramps, Nation of Ulysses, the Stones, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...all markers conveying the point that Fire-Eater's dark, brooding overtones are complemented by springy Farfisa tones and impressionistic, evocative lyrics.
The band was inarguably in top form with the 1996 EP release of Tremble Under Boom Lights. Mean and lean at only five tracks, those songs click together perfectly, enough so to kick-start a major label bidding frenzy which found the band signing a lucrative, seven-figure contract. Showcasing lead singer Stewart Lupton's redolent exercises in picturesque poetry, coupled with Matt Barrick's inimitable percussive attack, Paul Maroon's wide, unadorned guitar blistering throughout while Walter Martin's choice, deliberate organ accompaniment and Tom Frank's propulsive, bottom-heavy bass all join together for a full, beautiful, glorious masterpiece.
On October 18, Third Man will re-release the short-lived group's classic 1996 EP Tremble Under Boom Lights, which will be expanded to include five bonus tracks (four of which previously were included on the Japanese edition of the release). The Third Man reissue adds the previously unreleased song "In the Head."
Right now, Third Man is teasing the collection with its "The Search for Cherry Red," which you can hear below.
For the unfamiliar, Third Man writes, "Jonathan Fire*Eater is credited in large part with kick-starting the New York City rock & roll revival that birthed the Strokes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem and many more, and several of its members eventually went on to form the Walkmen."
In addition to a new colour scheme on the cover artwork, the reissue will be available in two limited colored vinyl variants: a "Winston Plum" coloured vinyl LP (exclusive to indie shops and limited to 500 copies) and a yellow vinyl LP (exclusive to Rough Trade and limited to 300 copies). A black vinyl version will also be released.
Beyond re-releasing Tremble Under Boom Lights, Third Man will publish a chapbook called The Plural Atmosphere, which will be made up on the poetry of late Jonathan Fire*Eater frontman Stewart Lupton. As previously reported, Lupton passed away last year at the age of 43.
You can learn more about each release, as well as place a pre-order, here.
To give more insight into the Jonathan Fire*Eater, here's a bit more from Third Man:
In a world chock full of flame-outs, coulda-been contenders and great white hopes, the band Jonathan Fire*Eater are among the "almost-est." Widely praised as the mid-Nineties next-big-thing, they are largely credited with being the earliest purveyors of the "New York City Rock and Roll Revival" circa 2001. Which would be great, if only the band hadn't imploded by 1998.
The quintet employed a fresh, one-of-a-kind blend of sly rock and roll reference and reverence. Their press release at the time name-dropped all the correct and relevant influences... the Stooges, the Modern Lovers, Tom Waits, the Scientists, ? and the Mysterians, the Cramps, Nation of Ulysses, the Stones, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...all markers conveying the point that Fire-Eater's dark, brooding overtones are complemented by springy Farfisa tones and impressionistic, evocative lyrics.
The band was inarguably in top form with the 1996 EP release of Tremble Under Boom Lights. Mean and lean at only five tracks, those songs click together perfectly, enough so to kick-start a major label bidding frenzy which found the band signing a lucrative, seven-figure contract. Showcasing lead singer Stewart Lupton's redolent exercises in picturesque poetry, coupled with Matt Barrick's inimitable percussive attack, Paul Maroon's wide, unadorned guitar blistering throughout while Walter Martin's choice, deliberate organ accompaniment and Tom Frank's propulsive, bottom-heavy bass all join together for a full, beautiful, glorious masterpiece.