BIG STIR RECORDS takes great pride in announcing the surprise return of SPARKLE*JETS U.K. with a new single heralding an upcoming resurgence of new recordings – and much more! -- from the beloved icons of the Turn-of-the-Century Southern California guitar pop scene. “He's Coming Out,” a cover of a tune by underground pop legends THE MASTICATORS,
BIG STIR RECORDS takes great pride in announcing the surprise return of SPARKLE*JETS U.K. with a new single heralding an upcoming resurgence of new recordings – and much more! -- from the beloved icons of the Turn-of-the-Century Southern California guitar pop scene. “He's Coming Out,” a cover of a tune by underground pop legends THE MASTICATORS, is out May 19 on all digital platforms and up for pre-order/pre-save at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com and everywhere now.
It wouldn't do to give away everything SPARKLE*JETS U.K. (in their definitive lineup of vocalist-guitarist SUSAN WEST, bassist JAMIE KNIGHT, and singer/multi-instrumentalist MICHAEL SIMMONS) have in store for us this summer and beyond as they enter a new renaissance phase over 20 years after the release of their last album. Suffice it to say that “He's Coming Out” is a terrific core sample of the band's forthcoming deep dive into the '90s/2000s LA pop scene on which SJUK made their name. To the uninitiated, it's quite simply a prime example of the kind of revved-up, anthemically sweet power pop at which the band excels. To those familiar with the original version, from THE MASTICATORS' classic album Masticate!, it's a sort of homecoming, hearkening back to the days when the two bands shared many a stage at LA venues like Mr. T's Bowl and Highland Grounds. “The Masticators became the band we played with more than anyone,” recalls Simmons. “They were so fantastic!”
THE MASTICATORS' frontwoman LISA MYCHOLS – still very much active on the pop scene and currently launching a new band, THE HIGH FREQUENCIES, from her new hometown of Richmond, VA – reminds SJUK that the admiration was and is mutual. “I was so obsessed with you guys back in the day. It's so cool to hear you doing 'He's Coming Out'! I love it, it sounds so good,” she recently told them, offering some insights into the song's inspiration as well. “I was originally inspired by the move Falling Down, but then it took off into a different story. I remember you guys doing it live, so it's amazing to hear it done in the studio. I really miss having bandmates like sparkle*jets u.k., just like having a community and that chemistry... that's part of why I've got a new band coming out.”
Indeed, rumblings of the rebirth of that millennial pop sound seem to be everywhere. It would be more than accurate to call the new SPARKLEJETS U.K. single a sign of things to come. There's not only more of their intoxicatingly punchy pop sound in store for fans, but further fresh takes on the turn-of-the-century sound as well. And before you ask, yes, there's an album on the way. In fact, make that a double album, with dual-colored vinyl as one might expect, to say nothing of a multimedia campaign including more singles, videos, and a podcast series that's a veritable class reunion featuring the band in conversations with many of their peers from the halcyon days of two decades past. But don't mistake it for a pure nostalgia trip: SPARKLEJETS U.K. are very much a band of today, picking up where they left off and taking flight with their pop instincts and boundless inventiveness fully intact. We at Big Stir Records are honored just to be part of the flight crew.