Joe Wong

Nite Creatures

scum stats: pre-orders came with a bonus 7-inch single

I get a lot of records sent here. That is no secret. I promise to listen to all of them. That is no secret.

I may never be able to listen to all of them. That is my secret.

But I still sit here encouraging folks to send me the fruits of their labor, oftentimes to just get tossed into a pile of perpetual inconsequence in my office. I am not proud of it.

I met Joe a few years back when he interviewed me for his podcast "The Trapset" where he exclusively interviews drummers. I had fun and took delight in making bad jokes about him just wanting to be Marc Maron.

I guess through it all, I had assumed he was a drummer, but didn't think much beyond that. So I was somewhat caught off-guard when he sent over his fanciful LP "Nite Creatures."

What a delightful listen...chock to the brim of true-to-form UK-influenced pop psych gems, just executed with perfection, not a bum moment here. The fact that this record is on Decca (one of the original premier purveyors of pop psych) is still blowing my mind. Add in guest appearances from Steven Drozd from Flaming Lips, Mary Timony, Anna Waronker and Mary Lattimore and this album is absolutely BONA FIDE.

Joe included two copies of the purple vinyl 45 of the title track (which is curiously NOT included on the album, a gimmick I dig now, as much as I did in 1997 when Foo Fighters did the same trick on their "The Colour And the Shape" LP) and so one of those will go to a lucky little freak here.

In the comments below, tell the best story of being caught off-guard or unexpected, or about a task you feel like you may never fully complete but you soldier on with anyway. Or just write whatever, I'm easy. I'll pick the winner and they'll get my spare copy of this 45. Can't beat that.