Big Stir Records is proud to announce a new double-sided digital single from veteran LA psych-pop combo SHPLANG, coinciding with the long overdue debut of the band's entire back catalog on all digital streaming services worldwide. “Let's Get High (And I Could Be Your Man)”, a long-standing fan favorite, gets its first standalone release to celebrate the occasion, and it's paired here with the all-new B-side “Frankie's Back”, a teaser for BSR's forthcoming Halloween collection featuring Shplang among many other indie pop stars. Both tracks premiere September 5, along with the catalog rollout, and can be pre-ordered or presaved now:
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SHPLANG, the LA-based brainchild of PETER MARSTON (vocals, guitars and more) and JOHN KRAUSE (bass, visuals) has been a mainstay of the city's guitar pop scene for over three decades, but much of their early work has been relegated to physical CD releases – until now. “Let's Get High (And I Could Be Your Man)” has long been a fan favorite at live shows and in its original appearance on the band's 2009 album MY BIG THREE WHEELER. That record now joins the band's full catalog of albums – the never-before-streaming JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF MIRTH (1995), SELF MADE MONK (1997) and AMERICAN CREAM (2000), plus the band's Big Stir Records output of the career-summarizing LOS GRANDES EXCRITOS 1994-2019 and the subsequent career-rebooting THANK YOU, VALUED CUSTOMER (2023) – marking the first time the entire SHPLANG oeuvre has been available to stream. And the tune that heralds the digital rollout is as emblematic of the ever-eclectic band's style as anything could be: SHPLANG is never predictable, but always effortlessly tuneful and lyrically sly. The A-side is no exception.
“'Let’s Get High (and I Could Be Your Man)' has a title that often raises both eyebrows and presumed comparisons to Jimmy Buffett’s 'Why Don’t We Get Drunk (and Screw),' but even a single listen will reveal that this comparison is well off-target,” says MARSTON. “It's actually deeply romantic—indeed, one of the most romantic songs Shplang has recorded. The singer, feeling stuck and without hope of reversing the course of his life, seeks not gratification or distraction, but connection and solace. He wants to belong to someone.” The songwriter adds, “In terms of production, the highlights are John Krause’s sliding bass, the melancholic baritone guitar riffs, and the Brian Wilson pastiche in the instrumental bridge. In earlier versions, the bridge had lyrics, but the piano arrangement seemed too good and the tribute to Wilson too lovely to not feature it in an instrumental section. Listen to Stack-o-Tracks and you’ll see why.”
The B-side is a different beast – or monster! – altogether. Freshly recorded and never-before-heard, the irresistibly rocking “Frankie's Back” is the public's first taste of the tricks and treats to come this October when Big Stir Records presents their first ever Halloween collection, CHILLING, THRILLING HOOKS AND HAUNTED HARMONIES, on which SHPLANG is one of twenty leading lights of the indie pop scene to craft new songs for the scary season. Marston tells the terrifying tale: “This song provides a twist on a well-trod theme in early rock 'n' roll: the girl I like's ex-boyfriend is back in town. Only this time, he's Frankenstein's monster, providing new avenues for the usual cocktail of jealousy and contempt. Think it's hard to compete with the high school football star or a trendy beatnik? Try the reanimated undead!” Between the catalog relaunch and this standout track from the upcoming collection, signs abound that SHPLANG – like that famous monster – is back, and we can't wait to hear what they do next.