The Primitives: Let's Go Round Again

The Primitives were one of my favorite "law school-era" bands, with some great music that helped fill the gap between my mid-80s college radio days (R.E.M., Replacements, Connells, Feelies, etc.) and my plunge into early/mid-90s indie rock (Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Guided By Voices, Luna, etc.). Their blend of jangly bubblegum drawn from the 50s/60s girl groups and the Go-Go's, with some post-Jesus And Mary Chain fizz, made records like 1988's Lovely and 1999's Pure a big part of my musical life.

They broke up after 1991's (perfectly fine, if not moving the needle much) Galore, but quietly regrouped in the mid-2010s. 2012's Echoes And Rhymes picked up right where they left off, none the worse for wear, followed by 2014's comparable Spin-O-Rama; they didn't seem to get a lot of buzz at the time, though they've continued to issue the occasional single/EP and do some touring.

Let's Go Round Again just dropped today--buy it on Bandcamp!--and collects a buncha singles, b-sides, and live tracks from their second phase. I've already got most of this, and it's great. Tracks like "Spin-O-Rama" and "Sweet Sister Sorrow" take you right back to their 1988/1989 heyday, which is ok by me, because if it ain't broke...

Anyway, check it out; guaranteed smiles all around.