The Virgineers: The Virgineers 1999 + Singles

 

On first mention, The Virgineers sounds like the name of some folk revival group who would be playing Kingston Trio numbers at state fairs. One listen to their self-titled, and, so far, only album, though, reveals

a group (“virgin ears,” get it?) that specializes in turning the way-back clock to the paisley summer of ’67. They sound like The Beatles during their Sgt. Pepper / Magical Mystery Tour period, along with Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, as filtered through XTC, especially in their Dukes of Stratosphear psychedelic guise. As a matter of fact, if you loved those two mid-‘80s Dukes platters (25 O’Clock and Psonic Psunspot), then you will flip your paisley wigs over this blotter of Owsley-drenched sunshine. Just like on those two albums, you get to have fun playing spot-the-‘60s-influence.
                             

Fans of the Virgineers continue to clamor for more info about the secretive pair, and many find it hard to believe they haven't yet broken through the misty ether that surrounds them and confounds those who would want to know more. Though Ken Zawacki (vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion) and Bruce Lash

(vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, percussion) claim on their website that the Virgineers "formed when the lads met at an art school for wayward girls in their hometown of Sydville, an Antarctic seaport built on the baby octopus trade," they are actually a dynamic duo originally hailing from Chicago. Many of the songs reveal the more whimsical, English tea-garden variety of psychedelia, which bands like The Hollies and Village Green-era Kinks specialized in. The period production techniques are spot-on, and they have quite a flair for memorable melodies.
                     

                       
This band has remained a mystery to many.  This album came out more than a decade ago, though, and

apparently is almost impossible to find these days. According to their website, where you can still purchase it as a download, they have also released a handful of singles since then, including one that just came out back in February, “Valentine,” which still carries on the ’60s vibe. If and when they are ever going to release a follow-up to this album, though, I haven’t a clue.
                          

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Ken Zawacki (vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion)  
Bruce Lash (vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, percussion)

The Virgineers – The Virgineers
Label: Liquid Sound Records – LSR-2634
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1999
Genre: Rock
Style: Psychedelic Rock, Alternative Rock, Pop Rock

TRACKS

                            

01. Love Circus    3:35
02. Places That I've Never Been    3:10
03. Sun    2:37
04. Floating    3:50
05. Plasticman    4:48
06. How Far Does Space Go?    5:00
07. The Morning Moon    3:56
08. Dr. Glouster    3:51
09. Be My Guru    3:21
10. Lost Balloon    5:24
11. Diesel Train     6:23

Flac Size: 305 MB

Here are some singles from Bandcamp in MP3

12. 13B Hawthorne Street (3:20) From the 13B Hawthorne Street, 1999
13. Smile, Cheshire Cat (4:07) – From the Smile, Cheshire Cat, 2000
14. Sometime Tomorrow (4:16) – From the Sometime Tomorrow, 2001
15. Surgery (Robyn Hitchcock Cover) (2:49) – From the Glass Flesh 2: A Tribute To Robyn Hitchcock, 2002
16. The Day Begins (3:38) – From the Friends Of Walter Ghoul, Year?
17. Mrs. Brown (2:53) – From the New Adventures In Toytown, Volume 4, Year?
18. Valentine (3:18) – From the Valentine, 2010
19. Christmas In My Mind (3:56) – From the Christmas With The Virgineers, 2004
20. We Are Santa’s Helpers (3:47) – From the Christmas With The Virgineers, 2004
21. (Hidden Track) (3:02)

MP3 @ 320 Size: 82.5 MB