Latest Hits! LP

Description

Oakland California’s legendary mod blues quartet The Loved Ones are back with a new full-length LP produced by the Grammy winner, Nick Waterhouse! On “Latest Hits!’, the classic line-up of Xan McCurdy (Cake), Michael Therieau, John Kent and Bart Davenport deliver the rawkus 60s sound they are known for with some unexpected genre twists. The Loved Ones formed in 1990, a veritable supergroup of the California mod scene, influenced by Chicago blues, British Invasion, garage rock, Memphis soul and New Orleans R&B. Releasing two LPs and a single on Hightone Records, they toured every region of the US and opened for the likes of John Lee Hooker and Junior Wells. Europe followed with tours of Spain, France and the Netherlands. The group split in 1995. Lead guitarist Xan McCurdy eventually joined Cake and is still with the hit-making band today. Bart Davenport has released eight solo albums (several on Lovemonk). While The Loved Ones have reunited several times over the years, their new LP ‘Latest Hits!’ marks a long-awaited return to writing and recording as a unit. To capture the magic on analog tape, they enlisted retro R&B dynamo Nick Waterhouse as producer. The group’s undeniable chemistry, plus decades of experience apart, brings masterful results, with McCurdy’s tough yet playful riffs and Kent’s anachronistic beats setting the tone. Twelve originals with lyrics by Davenport and Therieau explore the whole of 60s style rock’n’roll from the endless boogie of ‘Mad, Bad LUV’, to the Mersey-drenched ‘Down That Road’, to the garage harmonies of ‘True Love Or Temptation’ and freakbeat stomp of ‘Vagabond’. Therieau gets a rare and soulful lead vocal on his bluebeat inspired ‘Over & Over’. Reanimating grooves they’ve appreciated since their teens but with a maturity that only comes from veteran players, there is no weak link in The Loved Ones. Their sound would be impossible without each member’s distinctive contribution.