Re: Kevin Dunn: New Anthology!

Hey, everyone --

Long-time listener, first-time caller...my name is Brad San Martin, and I'm a writer and musician based in Boston. I grew up in Atlanta, and by the time I was 16 or so, I pretty much had memorized the Trouser Press Record Guide. Because of a rave review in the Guide, I purchased The Judgement of Paris by Kevin and the Regiment of Women...

Fast-forward fifteen years or so. I have a tiny record label called Casa Nueva, and I'm proud to say that on May 18 Casa Nueva is releasing No Great Lost: Songs, 1979-1985, a definitive anthology of Kevin Dunn's early music. Put together with Kevin's participation and blessing, it features 21 tracks -- including the complete The Judgement of Paris LP, fully restored from the original 16-track tapes, augmented with essential tracks from prior and subsequent 45s, EPs, and LPs, going all the way back to the Fans' "Cars and Explosions." It's packaged with a thick booklet, including rare photos, original album art, full credits, and a new essay by Kevin himself.

It's already causing a bit of a stir...here are some testimonials:

“In the Eighties, Kevin Dunn was a smart, engaging, innovative artist whose groundbreaking work has been unjustly overlooked – until now.” – Anthony DeCurtis

“Snotty, literate pop from this underground master of the post-punk era, sounding like the missing link between Brian Eno circa Tiger Mountain, and XTC circa Drums and Wires – while also truly ahead of its time, like it could have been recorded by kids today. Oozing with angular hooks, synth bleeps and fuzz guitar wizardry, a compilation of songs that should be – and will be, and already are – classics.” – Robert Schneider, The Apples in Stereo

In anticipation of the release, you can download a free mp3 of the song "Saturn" by visiting this website and entering the code "paris".

If there are any journalists here, please feel free to e-mail me at info@casanueva.net for promo and interview info. Kevin is still active, and is working on a long-awaited album of new material...

Thanks for reading this....I'll be taking preorders on www.casanueva.net soon.

-- brad

This is cool news. Dunn is one of those names I always saw but have never heard anything by. I look forward to checking this out.

now this thread needs brad pitt and the band brad

i burped through some of schneider's words but i usually trust him

so: hell yeah!!!

Hmmm! I see from the Casa Nueva website that Robyn Hitchcock is working with King Wilkie. That's pretty cool.

...yeah, Robyn played on their album King Wilkie Presents: The Wilkie Family Singers, which Casa Nueva put out last year. I still feel it's one of the most underrated records of 2009...

brad

I love King Wilkie, but was unaware of this album. I'll be tracking down a copy now.

Thanks! It got some great reviews...but it was a bit more underground than their previous disks...

brad

wow!
now this is a tp exclusive.

kevin once sent me a handwriiten letter. i think it was between eight or ten pages, in them he tried to describe his music. to me it was all GREEK. there were pictorials & graphs. megaHERTZ and deci bells. Perfect songs mapped out in pure wavelength format. thinking back, i remember my mind being completely blown off my shoulders. but I was going though an insecure stage @ the time. so i just tried to act cool. like i understood or something. to confess, all of it went straight over my head. no matter, i still love his music.

i think i'll try & find a copy of the KEVIN DUNN ant theology.
thanks for the ahoy mates!

"but I was going though an insecure stage @ the time"
Whaaaaaaaaaat?

look here you bronzed oz its like this,
my idea of 'regimented women' when i was nineteen were nuns in bikinis on all fours waxing my board.

OK, I take it back. I wouldn't hurt you for quids, plus I like the mental image it conjures.

Someone posted to the Loud Family / Scott Miller listserv:


NO GREAT LOST is set for a May 18th release, with more details at
casanueva.net. Dunn was the closest that Atlanta ever got to a Scott Miller, and this comp includes all of his JUDGEMENT OF PARIS album (from 1981, as Kevin Dunn & the Regiment of Women), plus pretty much all the vital tracks from his few other releases.


Any thoughts on "closest Atlanta ever got to a Scott Miller?"

I am listening to "Saturn" now.

I'll put on my Judge Potter Stewart robe and state that I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ("power pop"); and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I hear it, and the musician involved (Kevin Dunn) in this case is not that.

In any case, I'm really looking forward to the anthology.

And am wondering about whether anyone's ever going to do something with the Game Theory catalog.

I can think of a thing or two to do with the Game Theory catalogue, and the Loud Family, but I'm not really in the right line of work.

For starters, a single-disc compilation of the Loud Family (including some excellent b-sides and perhaps live tracks), would be great - especially if accompanied by one or more of tracks of the shelved Scott Miller-Aimee Mann collaboration.

For the GT days, the Tinker to Evers to Chance compilation is great, and could absolutely be reissued or put online. The CD issues of all their albums are great and all have added tracks, but are basically impossible to find. I don't know what benefit a remaster would do. How many people would even buy them?

...for what it's worth, I'm going to start a series of blog posts about the process of reissuing this music. The first one -- more of a teaser than anything else -- is up now at www.casanueva.net/blog.

The free track is still available by putting the code paris in at promo.11spot.com/casanueva/kevindunn

Thanks!

brad