ANOTHER Reunion: The dB’s

The original dB’s (singer/guitarists Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey, drummer Will Rigby, bassist Gene Holder), native North Carolinians transplanted to NYC who were at the vanguard of the jangle-pop movement of the late-’70s and ’80s, reunited and recorded new tracks at Water Music Recorders (Hoboken, NJ) in the first week of January, their first sessions together since 1982.

Seven new originals by Holsapple and Stamey — “You Taught the World to Cry,” “That Time Is Gone,” “Send Me Something Real,” “Trying to Get to the Chorus,” “Lakefront” and “Clever” — are now being completed. The band also recorded a piano-based version of Motown classic “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” in reaction to the Indian Ocean tsunami catastrophe, and took on some favorite dB’s originals and other oldies, including Canned Heat’s “On the Road Again.”

So much was accomplished in a few days that all agreed to record more tracks and complete an album. “It was frightening how easy it was,” said Stamey.

The dB’s are currently looking for a label and a co-producer (Steve Litt?) for these recordings, and hope to have an album out early in 2006 – live appearances may happen sooner.

Holsapple is based in New Orleans where he performs with his new band, The Peoples’ Revolutionary Army of Saint Bernard, and he also works as a touring musician with Hootie and the Blowfish. Rigby lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and tours and records with Steve Earle and the Dukes. Both Stamey and Holder have active recording and producing careers, Chris in Chapel Hill and Gene in New York.

Stamey has not one but two very fine recent releases (both on Yep Roc): Travels in the South and A Question of Temperature, the latter a collaboration with Yo La Tengo pianist Tyson Rogers, and Gene Holder.

Check out Stamey and Yo La Tengo’s get-out-the vote project from last year here.