UPDATE, May 1999: The release of the Overcome By Happiness LP was somewhat hampered by a lack of promotion- no doubt in the wake of Subpop's 1998 fiscal problems. The sheer brilliance of the record, however, has resulted in a good deal of slightly-belated critical recognition. Besides a slew of positive reviews,a search on the web turns up a number of sites citing the LP as one of 1998's ten best. These include critics and fans alike. Julianna Hatfield, Universal Frequencies, Rich Taylor, Craig Wisneski, Steve Holt and Road Records ("the first half of 1998 has witnessed more great records than the last couple of years put together and to encounter a record as magical as The Pernice Brothers 'Overcome By Happiness' is overwhelming") are just a few of those who rated the record at the top of the year's pack. Over at Amplifier Overcome... made the overall Top Ten list, in addition to being chosen individually by Jim Kribb ("as lyrically rich a pop album as you’re likely to find..."), Rick Kornell ("...part Burt Bacharach, part East River Pipe, and all gorgeous..."), Joe Joyce, ("subtle and superb"), and Kevin Matthews ("...impossible to ignore the mark of Brian Wilson and Pet Sounds on this record. And why should anyone - that alone is probably the biggest accolade one could possibly be given as a musician. There will not be a dry eye in the house with this atmospheric slice of melancholia"). The record was also nominated for the Kahlua Boston Music Awards, as well as being selected for Amazon.com's Top 100 of 1998. Besides regular PB outings, Joe Pernice has also been playing solo shows both here and abroad. For further info you can visit Boston legend Joyce Linehan's website at Joyce Linehan Artist Management.

-joe h

The first Pernice Brothers single was recorded and released while Joe was still in Northhampton's y'alternative pioneers, the Scud Mountain Boys. That's Joe on the cover being coddled in his First Communion "monkee suit" by beautiful, big sister Judy, and that's older brother Bob on the opposite side in his own church duds. There wasn't much time between the release of this "Monkey Suit" single and the demise of the Scuds, however. Principal songwriter and lead vocalist for the Scud Mountain Boys, Joe made the decision to leave the band and work solo on his own terms. The first step had been to record the single, to test the waters as it were (thanks to straight ahead, hard rocking material and some great guitar work the waters were just fine). Joe's next step was to do a full album of Pernice Brothers material to follow up on the single- and what an album it is! Overcome by Happiness was released to strong local and national reviews. String arrangements using real orchestral instruments hearken back to the halcyon days of the Fab Four Beatles and post-Brill Building pop, with a moodiness akin to classic Glen Campbell recordings, while the quality of the songs match- and at times surpass -the best of the Scud catalogue. Not too shabby for a first outing, and no disappointment to Scud fans. Engineer and producer Thom Moynihan was one of the behind-the-scenes powers during those Mountain Boys days and his work is even more impressive now than on his previous recordings.

After recording the single and the LP, Joe's next step was to put together a kick-ass live band to tour with. His eforts here were just as effective as they were in the studio.Thom Monahan reveals his top-notch skill as the new bass player for the band, while his rock solid partner in the rhythm section is drummer Mike Belitsky. Guitarist Preston Pinkerton adds edge and depth via his Hagstrom and Travis Bean electrics, while keyboardist Laura Stein replaces the acoustic pianos and string sections that graced the record in the studio. Bob Pernice played the first two shows with the band, and will join them for local shows and the odd special occasion. Joe and Bob and company remain on the SubPop label, and the "Brothers" monniker remains as a tribute to the fraternal love and respect between the two siblings. The second phase of the Pernice Brothers began with a show in NYC on May 28, followed by a second performance at T.T. the Bear's on May 30, 1998. With a few shows under their belts now, the band is beginning to garner the same strong reviews as the LP. This is an excerpt from a review of their 7/9/98 Ohio show with the Jolenes, at Wilbert's:

T.T THE BEAR'S PLACE, Summer '98.These next photos are from the band's next-to-inaugural Cambridge gig, headlined by the Jolines and opened by Greg "Skeggie" Kendall's new group- also playing their second ever show - the Tuffskins.

In the summer of '98, at a roof party in Cambridge, I ran into Jason Hatfield, the brother of Julianna and an equally capable musician in his own right. We ended up talking about the Scuds and the Pernice Brothers, and Jason confessed to having recorded "Holy Ghost", my own personal favorite off of Massachusetts. While he felt it wasn't a treatment that offered anything new or different enough to merit releasing, I was pleased to hear that the song was a regular part of Jason's live set- the Scuds hadn't done "Holy Ghost" live -and encouraged to find that there were other musician's who appreciated the quality of Joe's writing. On August 24, '98, I went to Green Street Grille to see the band, and I arrived in time to catch the last song of the set, a cover of Dumptruck's "Get Off My Island". Former Blood Oranges mandolin genius Jimmy Ryan and Jason Hatfield were leading an impromptu choral section singing along with the chorus, and they were so into it that kept on singing even when the band had finished the song. Other players like Greg "Skeggie" Kendall have expressed a keen interest in doing some writing with Joe as well, so the group of musician-fans is growing.

Who let these guys in? Choral section ringleaders Jimmy Ryan and Jason Hatfield stirred up the crowd, while keyboardist Laura Stein mocked my efforts to capture a "natural pose" with this distinctly un-natural expression.

I'm totally looking forward to the next Pernice Brothers record, which is bound to benefit from the presence of an already established band. I myself always enjoy writing for a specific band, and I think that it's the best way for a songwriter to write focused, cohesive material- although Joe Pernice spends time writing every day no matter what: "I can't go a day without playing for two or three hours". And this version of the Pernice Brothers is a damn good band- nothing fancy, no flash prima donnas or virtuousos, just good, solid players with a commitment to playing the songs- as opposed to "playing drums", or "playing guitar". That's the sort of band that greatly benefits from gigging together over time. When I started this article the Pernice Brother had another show coming up at the Middle East- on Friday, August 29, '98. As of this update they have toured in tandem with the Jolines and Jimmy Dale Gilmore, as well as doing the month-out one night stand trips on several occassions. The band gets better with every show they play, so there's always something to look forward to- and I'm definitely looking forward to this next one. In the meantime, here are some shots from the August 24, '98 show at the Green Street Grille, and some data on the Overcome By Happiness LP:

Green Street Grille, Summer '98.A hot summer night in Cambridge, Massachusetts...a great band, great tunes, cold beer...what more could you want out of life?

Preston in a pensive moment, Thom holding down the bottom, both awash in tiny lights.

Thom and the ultra-swank Univox bass, Joe doing what he does best.

A relaxed moment, Laura and Thom basking in the post-gig warmth of a job well done.

Super-fan Billy Ruane split his pants leaping from a table, bought ten CD's, and then kissed most of the band at least once before speeding off on his moped into the night.

Reviews

Reviews of Overcome by Happiness are overwhelminly positive. A review by Cheryl Waters of Public Radio 94.9 KUOW is typical:

RECORDING AT HOME. Winter of 1998...Carrying on a tradition that began back in the Scud Mountain Boys, Joe and Thom decided to record tracks for Joe's upcoming solo record at home. The basement became the control room, along with the "iso booths" provided by the bathroom and downstairs storage room, while the first-floor living room became the main studio.

(l) Guest guitarist Joe Harvard with tools of the trade- '66 Telecaster and the Foxx Tone Machine; (r) Thom in his element, at the board

Thom and Peyton strategize about guitar overdubs

(l) Joe P. laying down a track in the living room; (r) Joe takes a break on the "control room" sofa in the basement

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