Luna
In 1992, Dean Wareham followed the posthumous buzz of Galaxie 500 by forming a new band: Luna. Initially joined by Justin Harwood (of the Chills) and Stanley Demeski (of the Feelies), the group went on to sign to Warner Brothers sub-label Elektra, tour with the Velvet Underground, collaborate with Tom Verlaine and Sterling Morrison and ultimately release five stunning albums over the course of the 90’s.
Deemed “the best band you’ve never heard of” by Rolling Stone, Luna remained under the radar for most of their career despite gathering a rabid cult following. It’s not hard to see why this is the case, as the three albums featuring the original lineup (plus guitarist Sean Eden on the latter two) act as a perfect synthesis of the members past bands, blending the simplicity of Galaxie, the heavenly pop melodies of the Chills and the quick and intensely precise drumming of the Feelies into one fluid package. This is particularly evident on 1995’s fan-favorite Penthouse, in which the band created a masterpiece of lush, late night music that’s now considered one of the best of the 90’s.
Following Penthouse, the band saw the replacement of Stanley with Lee Wall on drums but no slump in quality. The psychedelic textures of 1997’s Pup Tent and the clean and beautiful pop of 1999’s Days of Our Nights proved that Luna was a consistently reliable band and not one that would wane with age. Elektra didn’t feel the same way, though, and eventually decided not to release Days of Our Nights after paying for the recording. The albums inclusion of their mellow and unique take on “Sweet Child o’ Mine,” then, is not only a perfect reminder of everything that they could never be for Elektra, but also that they were a band unlike any other. They were Luna.
This box set gathers together those five albums from the 90’s (all of which would cost approximately $400+ on the open market) as well as a compilation of demos and B-sides recorded contemporaneously, all housed in a beautiful textured canvas box. Accompanying the records is a 12×12 book featuring archival imagery, an interview with Dean Wareham conducted by Noah Baumbach and an oral history with the band and their producers. As the majority of these records were never released on vinyl outside of limited pressings, this is a boon to longtime fans and new listeners alike.
