“Stay the course. Keep on trying.” So sings Glenn Mercer on the Feelies’ In Between, their sixth album and second since rebooting in 2008. Last year, the Haledon, N.J., band founded by guitarists Mercer and Bill Million celebrated its 40th anniversary. Crazy Rhythms, their frenetic, classic debut, arrived in 1980, but they waited six years for their second, the comparatively sedate The Good Earth. That was the first Feelies album with the band’s current lineup of Mercer, Million, bassist Brenda Sauter, drummer Stan Demeski and percussionist Dave Weckerman. After the (relatively) quick run of three albums between 1986 and 1991, the band retired until Sonic Youth coaxed a reunion in 2008 that led to sporadic touring and to 2011’s Here Before. The Feelies will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on them.
Demeski: This is on the fabulous Bellaphon label (the one that put out the Beatles at the Star Club record), and I’m not really sure what they are. Other than they seem to be pre-first LP demo, and they have Billy Doll on them. There’s actually two 45s of these demos, and all four songs are slower then they would end up being on the first LP. Great versions, and you can see that Jerry Nolan picked up where Billy left off. Great, simple drumming that perfectly fits the songs. The covers of both of these are some of the ugliest picture sleeves ever.
