Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox

Description

Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox is the debut album by the American power-pop band Two Pound Planet, independently released on Alternative Records in 1993. (Though originally released on Gravity Records in August 1990, as a 10 track album, under the band name Urban Edge.) The album was produced by Mitch Easter. (Easter is known as producer of R.E.M.’s early albums from 1981 through 1984, and as frontman of the 1980s band Let’s Active.)

Jerry Chapman went on to form Life in General with Jason LeVasseur.

One of the few Mitch Easter-produced bands that escaped widespread recognition, Two Pound Planet released this stylishly packaged independent masterpiece before suspected clone Oasis secured their first record deal. From Winston-Salem, NC, this power pop quartet combines Beatlesque hooks and harmonies with Elvis Costello-like quirkiness and the deadpan delivery of the Kinks. While Easter is presumed to be the genius behind their songs and arrangements, Two Pound Planet are responsible for grafting their own sound. Easter hopped aboard after being blown away by their demos. Cleanly produced, heavy on guitars and pseudo British attitude, Songs From the Hydrogen Jukebox is as relevant and fresh even ten years (and counting) after its clandestine release in 1993.

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/songs-from-hydrogen-jukebox/id302336288)

CD tracklist:

01. No Room – 3:52
02. After All – 4:33
03. One Time / Bop Apocalypse – 3:54
04. Seen Not Heard – 3:07
05. Now I Know – 3:47
06. Spend Spend Spend – 2:37
07. Six O’Clock News – 3:59
08. Tuesday’s Garden – 3:33
09. Gone – 2:04
10. Ricochet Radio – 4:07
11. Day Glo Dreams – 4:09
12. Run Away – 4:20
13. On Your Feet – 4:29
14. The Listening Post [Unlisted Track] – 0:51

Note: Remastered and re-issued on both CD and vinyl by Lo-Fidelity Records in 2021, through a Kickstarted-funded campaign. The CD-edition is fully remastered with second disc of bonus tracks and rarities, housed in a 6 panel deluxe digipak with a 16 page booklet featuring extensive liner notes by the band and Randy Layton of Alternative Records. Also released on 12-inch vinyl LP for the first time, as a 2 record set, housed in a full color gatefold jacket, with 4 panel insert. (Pressed on 180 gram vinyl as Black, Transparent Green, and Orange & White Pinwheel.)

Available at Bandcamp:
https://twopoundplanet.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-the-hydrogen-jukebox-the-mitch-easter-sessions-more
https://twopoundplanet.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-the-hydrogen-jukebox-vinyl

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Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox, Lo-Fidelity Records 2021, Front Cover Artwork CD/vinyl

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Songs from the Hydrogen Jukebox, Lo-Fidelity Records 2021, Orange & White Pinwheel Vinyl Edition

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A Kickstarter Campaign, launched September 8, 2020, created by Lo-Fidelity Records.
Help us release Two Pound Planet’s “Songs From The Hydrogen Jukebox (Mitch Easter Sessions)” plus MORE on download, deluxe CD & vinyl!

Two Pound Planet started life as Urban Edge with Tom Shaw (Guitar and Vocals) and Jerry Chapman (Bass and Vocals) around 1982. By 1984 Jerry Finley had joined the band (Drums and Vocals). Finally, by 1986 18 year old keyboardist, Jason Buss joined the band, which recorded its first full-length album titled Bottom of the Stairs.

Bottom of the Stairs put the band on the club circuit for the first time. The band started to open for national acts, such as The Romantics and Guadalcanal Diary. In early 1988, Urban Edge caught the attention of producer Mitch Easter (Let’s Active, R.E.M.) who agreed to record fresh demos for the group at Mitch’s Drive-In studio in January of 1990.

Over the next four months they recorded their finest effort, Songs From the Hydrogen Jukebox. Released in August of 1990, the album sold well to widespread critical acclaim. It also charted on college radio, from New York to Portland, OR. Now called Two Pound Planet, the band showcased for various labels. Alternative Records wound up re-releasing the album with extra material, and updated artwork.

A subsequent EP was released – new demos on Whispering Delicious had a new, harder edge with more guitar based songs. In the spring of 1994, the band rerecorded «Big Bang» and two Shaw penned rockers, «Acid On», and «Mindblower» at Easter’s new studio (Fidelitorium).

Now, for the first time fans old and new can listen to the originally released sessions with Mitch Easter, as well as five songs done with Mitch that have not been released commercially. In addition, there is going to be nearly 80 minutes of material that has not been released on CD, or at all from the band’s early days to the end.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2113730376/two-pound-planet-songsthe-mitch-easter-sessions-and-more

Two Pound Planet, s/t, 1990 cassette

Any fan of Two Pound Planet will instantly recognize these songs and start singing along with them. These are the songs that were remastered, combined with others, and released as Songs From the Hydrogen Jukebox by Randy Layton’s Alternative Records. Other than the cover (there were apparently different color and non-color versions of it) and the mix, there is nothing different about this demo. This was apparently released in a very small window of time after the band changed their name from Urban Edge, but before the Alternative Records release. And we are all glad that Alternative did, because we may have not heard the sweet, sweet music contained on this tape. Power pop / alternative rock / catchy as all get out music that deserved wider airplay than it received. Fans of the bands know this, but in case any readers don’t, this was produced by Mitch Easter (yes, THE Mitch Easter). [Christian Tape Underground, April 17, 2020]