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Marshmallow Coast’s first and third records, Time Square (1997) and Marshmallow Coasting (2000) are now available as “special edition” re-releases from iTunes and eMusic.  Each includes bonus tracks, most of which have never before been released.  Marshmallow Coasting, originally released on Kindercore Records, features of Montreal as Andy Gonzales’ backing band.  Complete track listings are below.  (Incidentally, I don’t know why “The Audience is Listening,” the opening instrumental track from Coasting, is not included; but I haven’t downloaded the new version yet, so for all I know it’s just been merged with “Lilypad” onto a single track.  UPDATE: I have confirmed with HHBTM that the missing track was Andy’s decision.  Frankly, it’s not a big loss – we’re talking, literally, about seconds of an instrumental – and it’s still a terrific album.)  Super Seniors and Juniors, a completely re-recorded version of his sophomore album, will be released in the very near future.

Time Square
1. Intro
2. In the Army Kid
3. Spencer for Hire = Expensive
4. Cosmolac
5. Crooked Dance
6. Bermuda Rectangle
7. I Love Satie
8. Hell Tingles
9. Wedding in Catland
10. Between Love and Puke on the Bus
11. Time to Go to Work
Bonus Tracks
12. Curly Whisper
13. Darker Side of Lightning
14. Instrumental
15. Ceilings Fall a Lot
16. I Hope You Like Rocking
17. Shimmering in a Bulb of Glass 98
18. Squinting Out the Lights
19. So & So’s and Emeralds

Marshmallow Coasting
1. Lilypad
2. Hung Up
3. Golden Harp
4. Oblong Destiny
5. Bizarre Classical V
6. Lonliest Heart in Texas
7. Siddartha
8. Blow My Mind
9. Shimmering in a Bulb of Glass
10. There Will Come a Time
11. Bizarre Classical VI
12. In the Sea
13. Insane
14. The Audience is Deaf
15. Lil’ Fun Machine
Bonus Tracks
16. David and the Giant Crabs
17. Listen to Your Heart Beat

Mike Turner of Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records has posted more news regarding the Marshmallow Coast reissues I mentioned a couple weeks back – it sounds like they’ll be coming sooner than previously thought, albeit digitally:

It’s been a pretty busy couple of weeks for Marshmallow Coast and HHBTM. In the next few weeks you’ll be able to download Seniors & Juniors, [Marshmallow] Coasting + bonus tracks, and Times Square + bonus tracks from Itunes, Emusic, or your favorite download service. Andy is also in the middle of recording Super Seniors & Juniors which is a re-recording and updating of the album that many consider to be his best. This time around it’s going to feature lots of guests, and will sound a bit more like Andy’s newest album Phreak Phantasy. This record will be on CD/LP in mid-2010. After that we’ll start issuing all the older Marshmallow Coast catalog on vinyl.

Thanks to Jezebel for the link.

Andy Gonzales released his seventh Marshmallow Coast album, Phreak Phantasy, earlier this year on Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records, and the University of Georgia’s redandblack.com has an interview up (thanks to Randy for the link) in which he drops the news that he’s working on a re-recording of the second Marshmallow Coast album, 1999’s Seniors and Juniors.  That album, which has become a cult favorite, was originally released on Kindercore Records.  It was a decidedly lo-fi concept album about going to school–charming little songs closed out with the notably epic “Little Pythagoras.”  The “remake” will most likely appear on HHBTM.  Andy confirmed to me, “I am recording Super Seniors and Juniors which has lots of electro and new arrangements, and will have pretty much everyone I know playing on it (as long as it fits). Emily Growden-Almstead [M Coast] is singing some of the songs, and in place of the instrumentals, I am adding new Pink Floyd/David Lynch-ish instrumentals that I recorded recently.”

Don’t expect this intriguing experiment to surface until sometime next year.  HHBTM will also be reissuing the first and third Marshmallow Coast albums, Timesquare and Marshmallow Coasting, on limited-edition vinyl with his early singles as bonus tracks.

Theo Hilton has posted a list of dates Nana Grizol will be playing in the U.S. in June.  Here is the thread, and here is the list in Theo’s words:

hello from brighton, england! nana grizol will be doing a brief tour in june. we will have more details in the coming days, but as i am far from home and in a hurry i will give you the general gist of it. look for more details at www.orangetwin.com around tuesday. if you want to.

june 10 – chattanooga, tn @ TBA
june 12 – idapalooza, tn (ida is between knoxville and nashville. this is a music festival)
june 13 – bloomington, in @ joel’s place
june 14 – chicago, il @ grand manor
june 15 – detroit, mi @ trubmullplex
june 16 – lexington, ky (YANP presents. there’s details on the thread b4 this)
june 19 – athens, ga @ 40 watt w/ sea of dogs

Thanks to David Glickman for the link. Also, FYI that there is a dual-purpose CD release party tonight, May 30, in Athens, GA. Casper & the Cookies are celebrating the release of Modern Silence, and Marshmallow Coast is celebrating Phreak Phantasy (both out on Happy Happy Birthday to Me Records). It’s at the Caledonia Lounge at 10pm. Also playing are The Lolligags!

Speaking of Phreak Phantasy, I got my copy this weekend and enjoyed it immensely.  It’s different by far from anything Andy Gonzales has released in the past – and not just because it’s the first album of his to feature the Elephant 6 Recording Company logo.  Think 70’s synth-driven prog with a big kick of disco.  The first 50 to preorder the album get an exclusive painting by Andy, and mine is gorgeous.  Expect a track (maybe “Please Don’t Take My Life Away”) to turn up in the Optical Atlas Jukebox this week.