Andrew Pasternack 1955-2013

Just heard the news of Andy's passing this morning. I am, for want of a better word, devastated.

Obviously, all of our good wishes go out to his wife and children.

The Vault of Horror

Four previously unseen (and in the case of the Polaroids, previously unsuspected) photos of us, as unearthed by shutterbug and chum Allan Rosenberg. Who, as it turns out, is the photog who took the front cover portraits seen on the CD. Credits on the Zero Hour reissue will obviously be adjusted in that regard.

Incidentally, Allan also discovered a whole bunch of color slides he took of us during the same period; I'll be scanning and posting them in the next couple of days.

Cue Count Floyd and "very scary!!!!"

August Album Update: The Floors of Summer

A couple of brief news flashes:

1. The liner notes for the forthcoming Australian reissue of Floor Your Love -- which behoove beholding -- can be beheld, i.e., read, over here at PowerPop.

2. My beautiful and brilliant girlfriend, who art-directed the original CD (and who works cheap), has suggested we reposition the front cover photos thusly.

I concur.

3. My old chum Allan Rosenberg informs me he has discovered a humongous trove of previously unseen and unsuspected Floor Models photos, which we will be scanning and posting beginning in September. Interestingly, these include the negatives to the aforementioned front cover photos, which means that Allan is in fact the photographer of same (which we had long suspected but not been sure of until now). The album credits will be thus corrected on the aforementioned Austrlian reissue.

Kudos, Al!!!

All the News That Fits We Print

An update on the whole Floor Your Love The Album: This Time It's Personal! project, for those of you scoring at home:

Our Australian mogul at Zero Hour Records is now in possession of remastered audio and additional art elements for the official release, which will be unleashed on an unsuspecting world some time later this year, presumably. I'm also in the process of writing liner notes, which may or may not be included with the new package.

In any case, it's going to differ -- more than just slightly -- from the POJ release you all know and love, so hold on to them; clearly, they're going to become humongous collector's items worth gazillions of dollars.

Meanwhile, here's a track that didn't make the album. From the same sessions that produced "Following Up," which did. A remake of Andy's "You'll Come Around," produced by the irrepressible Glen "Bob" Allen.



This was, if memory serves, the last thing the original band recorded. I rather liked it at the time, but when it came time to compile the album, I concluded the original version we did was a lot truer to what the band actually sounded like. And in retrospect, I really can't stand that gated 80s drum sound, although obviously it seemed like the bees knees back in the day.

More updates as things develop, 'natch.

2013 Floor Models World Domination Update

Okay, here's the latest info.

The Zero Hour reissue of "Floor Your Love" is moving along. Ace engineer Steve Schwartz, who's had a couple of software upgrades since last year, is in the process of remastering the audio; I'm in the process of collecting all sorts of old band photographs and ephemera, as well as penning historical liner notes.

Also, in case you haven't heard, a Flo Mos fan in Spain -- yeah, yeah, I know -- out of the immense goodness of his heart, has posted a home-made video for "Enough's Enough" on YouTube.



Words completely fail me about that, BTW.

And if you'd like to hear a pretty cool outtake version of "Fade Into Grey," with the sitars from the Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" appended (thanks, Andy!!!) just click here.

More news as it develops.

And in Further News, Frozen Smoothies Have Just Gone On-Sale at the Concession Stand in Gehenna

Well, this whole strange two year journey of Floor Your Love: The Album has just gotten a little stranger.

Which is to say that -- unlikely as it may seem -- a guy at an Australian power pop label somehow heard about the album and has...

...wait for it...

...decided to release the thing for real.

The label is called Zero Hour and they do good work. Like this just released tribute album for The Records...

This tribute gathers a host of bands/artists from around the world to pay tribute to one of the finest power pop bands. Featuring: Bill Lloyd, Off Broadway, Dan Sarka & The Sometimes Why, Donovans Brain (Bobby Sutliff/Dennis Tek), Steven Deal, The Accent, The Split Squad, Lannie Flowers, Zombie Western Baby, Mike Dees, The Injured Parties, The Mold Monkies, The Bottle Kids, Vex and The Vextones, Words, The World Record, The Popdogs, Undecided By Default, The Cheeks and The Broken Rekkids. Original members John Wicks and Will Birch have given it their blessings.

...so it seems like a good fit for us.

In any case, we're currently hashing out the details -- the packaging is going to change a little, obviously -- and I'll keep you posted on further news as it develops.

Meanwhile -- somebody pinch me, because I still can't believe this.

Sales Update (Plus: Why The Guys Stopped Letting Me Intro Songs On-Stage)

It boggles the mind, but we have sold out our initial run of Floor Your Love discs at CD Baby.

I have shipped new copies to them -- and how hilarious is it that we actually have a distributor of sorts for this stuff? -- and I would just like to add that they make great birthday presents for the masochists power pop fans of your acquaintance.

In any case, in celebration, here's another bonus track: A low-fi but nonetheless listenable live version of us doing Nick Lowe's "American Squirm" at the Other End in 1982.





Apologies for the off-key harmonies by yours truly.

And speaking of apologies, you'll note that I introduce the thing as "a song about lice." I swear to god, I was not on drugs at the time.