Ever see that old CBS TV show Early Edition, where this Chicago shlub mysteriously gets the Chicago Sun-Times delivered to his doorstep every morning by a sassy tabby cat one full day before its publication date? And then, like a sucker, he decides to use that information “only for good” and dedicates his life to stopping future disasters from happening before they occur? No? Well, no matter. Neither has David Berman, and it has nothing to do with this article whatsoever about his defunct project releasing a compilation of early-90s Silver Jews tracks in a few months. …Or does it??? Segues!
Fans of Silver Jews all know that David Berman, Stephen Malkmus, and Bob Nastanovich were once young, reputation-less post-grads out to change the world. But do they really, like, know-know that? This is the terrible question that I will carelessly assume that Berman is asking with Early Times, which is comprised of the group’s original 7-inch EP Dime Map of the Reef and 12-inch EP The Arizona Record. These dudes (okay, maybe 2.5 of them) would go on to become indie rock legends down the road, but back in 1990-91, they were as unknown and harmless as Ross Perot: just a couple-a fellas who loved beer and thought Nirvana was lame, their imaginations fired by promises of hover boards by 2015 and cool war metaphors like Operation Desert Storm.
What kind of music would these young heroes-in-training record to their shitty boomboxes when they weren’t obsessively listening to “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em”? Well, we can all find out together on June 19 when Drag City releases this rare document of Silver Jews’ earliest days to the public. But just remember, if you think the music it contains sounds uncouth and don’t like it, you’re both wrong and outnumbered. Because history has already retroactively made it “amazing.”
Early Times tracklisting:
01. Canada
02. The Walnut Falcon
03. September 1999
04. SVM F.T. TROOPS
05. THE Unchained Melody
06. Secret Knowledge of Back Roads
07. I Love the Rights
08. Jackson Nightz
09. The War in Apartment 1812
10. West S
11. You Can’t Trust It to Remain
12. The Wild Palms
13. Welcome to the House of the Bats
14. Bar Scene from Stars Wars
• Silver Jews: http://www.silverjews.net
• Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com
More about: Silver Jews
