My Top 1000 Songs #676: The Happy Song

[I've been writing up my Top 1000 songs on a daily basis--you can see them all in descending order by hitting the All My Favorite Songs tag.] 

What, you don't know the Noise Petals?

Probably not--these guys were some college friends of mine who recorded a couple EPs and used to play gigs on campus, so if you weren't spending the mid-80s in lovely Princeton, New Jersey, they were probably outside your radar. So, yeah, a little inside baseball here, but--my list, my rules. And since they were a huge part of my life back in the day, they nestle a spot here.

And they were really good! Their 1988 self-titled EP (which is available on Spotify, go check it out) offers some prime college radio jangle pop, particularly on the bubbly, bouncy "Happy Song."

Sadly, the guys didn't stick together after graduation, though bassist and backup singer Jeremy Toback has been in and out of the music business--as a solo artist who got some alternative radio airplay; with Pearl Jam side-project Brad; and more recently as half of the children's music duo Renee & Jeremy (who are great!). And singer/guitarist James Trigg, besides becoming a lawyer, has played in southern indie band Jupiter Watts. (Alas, my buddy Hearn Cho, lead guitarist, foolishly opted for med school.)

FYI, here's Jeremy with Brad (on bass):

And James with Jupiter Watts (vocals):

A little Renee & Jeremy: