Three-piece pop outfit the Whatnot are ready to release the follow-up to 2003’s What You Make of It with another Jon Wyman-produced disc, One More for Pocket. In between, the band have likely played about 600 gigs. One the new release, look for guest turns from DuncanWatt, Andy Happel, and Melvern Taylor (ukelele?). The album will be released July 25, with a special CD-release show at the Press Room, in Portsmouth, July 21, where $10 admission gets you a copy of the disc. Also, the Whatnot are featured in a new indie film called Dribbles, directed by Tom and Heidi Tosi — we’d tell you more about that, but this ain’t the movie-news section.
Former Extendo-Ride All Stars Peet Chamberlain and Jay Lobley have yet another new band: Cult Maze (An Evening With and the Funeral are some others). In this outfit, which sounds to us a little like Elvis Costello and the Attractions on morphine (that’d be the drug, not the band), Peet and Jay are joined by Andrew Barron (currently also a member of Phantom Buffalo and thus touring the country and doing things like opening for the Fiery Furnaces) on drums and Joshua Lorring on bass. Their new record, Ice Arena, also features Aaron Hautala on bass, who Chamberlain says has quit to do Satellite Lot full-time, though didn’t mention whether he’d also quit An Evening With (we’re checking on that). Right now, Arena is only available as a “limited-edition” CD-R), but there’s a good chance you’ll see a bona fide disc come out later this summer. Pay attention.
Neil Collins, formerly of Twisted Roots, Linconlville, and Eldemur Krimm, just got back from a two-year sailing trip with his wife and child and he’s ready to rock (unsurprisingly). Check out his travelog at www.sailzora.com and be on the lookout for a new band. He promises he won’t go all Jimmy Buffett on us.
Remember Divine Maggees, um, we mean divineMAGgees? If not, the short primer involves two gals, Cregan and Danielle, armed with fiddle, guitar, random other instruments and nice vocals, playing folk rock up north of Portland. Then they up and moved to Asheville, North Carolina, which sounds nice, and seemed to have found some success in what is a very welcoming town, from all accounts, for musicians and artist types. Now, the pair are returning to Maine for a “homecoming CD release party” for Love Me Like the Roses, a debut studio full-length featuring Chris Rosser turning dials, River Guerguerian on drums, and stand-up bassist Eliot Wadopian, which they released in September of last year. The gig goes down July 28 at the St. Lawrence.
