Brooklyn baroque psych-pop vets The Ladybug Transistor will celebrate the 25th anniversary of their excellent third album, The Albemarle Sound, with a deluxe reissue and tour dates in December. The reissue will be out November 8 via Happy Happy Birthday to Me (vinyl / CD) and Merge Records (digital). Preorder yours.
The Albemarle Sound was recorded at the band’s Flatbush home, a Victorian house on Albemarle Rd they dubbed Marlborough Farms. “The instruments and recording equipment around the studio seemed to have stories that were woven into the fabric of the house or its prior inhabitants,” says bassist Jennifer Baron. The album showcases The Ladybug Transistor’s deft touch with ’60s style arrangements. It features 11 originals and a terrific cover of Jan & Dean’s ‘ “Like a Summer Rain.”
The deluxe 25th anniversary CD comes with 11 bonus tracks, including demos, b-sides, alternate versions, a cover of the Bee-Gees’ “Massachusetts” and more. The vinyl LP is the original album that comes with a digital download of the bonus disc. You can watch a new video for album standout “The Swimmer,” below.
The Ladybug Transistor’s tour happens in December, with East Coast dates supported by Lightheaded while West Coast dates are with Tony Molina. The trek includes Tubby’s Kingston on 12/6 (with the band’s Kyle Forester also doing a solo set) and Brooklyn’s Public Records on 12/7.
Before that, the band’s Gary Olson, Julia Rydholm, and Kyle Forester, along with Hampus Öhman-Frölund (Alpaca Sports) will play Brooklyn’s Mama Tried on September 12 with Sloppy Heads and Vague Plot. That’s a free show. All dates are listed below.
Albemarle Sound – 25th Annivesary Edition:
01 Oriental Boulevard
02 Six Times
03 Meadowport Arch
04 Today Knows
05 The Great British Spring
06 Like A Summer Rain
07 The Swimmer
08 Cienfuegos
09 The Automobile Song
10 Oceans In The Hall
11 Vale of Cashmere
12 Alieda’s Theme
bonus tracks
13 Massachusetts (Today Knows b-side)
14 Oriental Boulevard (piano/voice mix)
15 Six Times (full length version)
16 Like a Summer Rain (instrumental)
17 Like a Summer Rain (piano fragment)
18 Oceans In The Hall (instrumental rough mix)
19 Cienfuegos (7” piano version)
20 Today Knows (4 track demo)
21 Oceans In The Hall (4 track demo)
22 Meadowport Arch (4 track demo)
23 Six Times (4 track demo)
The Ladybug Transistor – 2024 Tour Dates
December 4, Medford, MA – Deep Cuts (with Lightheaded and Mark Robinson)
December 5, Keene, NH – Nova Arts (with Lightheaded)
December 6, Kingston, NY – Tubby’s (with Lightheaded and Kyle Forester)
December 7, Brooklyn, NY – Public Records (with Lightheaded
December 9, Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s (with Tony Molina)
December 10, Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios (with Tony Molina)
December 12, San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop (with Tony Molina)
December 13, Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room (with Tony Molina)