The dB’s
Stands for deciBels
Debut Album Rerelease and First US Vinyl Pressing
Propeller Sound Recordings
In the 1980s, The dB’s were part of the explosion of new Southern rock bands that were creating the sound of college radio. Along with REM, Pylon, and Let’s Active, the dB’s revived the idea of short, sharp, melodic pop songs. In many people’s opinion, the dB’s should have been huge. They should have been leading the charge of jangly pop bands along with REM. That didn’t happen, and they have remained a critic’s darling and cult band.
I remember reading about the dB’s and not being able to find their records in my local record shops. Their first two records, Stands for deciBels and Repercussions were released by the UK label Albion in 1981. The records were distributed throughout Europe and Australia, but in America we had to search the imports bins hoping someone had the elusive vinyl. If I remember correctly, I finally found my copy of Stands for deciBels at the original Wax Trax record shop in Chicago. (The dB’s continued to have bad luck once they signed with an American label. Their US debut, Like This was held up for months when the Bearsville label went bankrupt, but that’s another story.)
The dB’s were fronted by two gifted multi-instrumentalist songwriters, Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple, with Will Rigby on drums and Gene Holder on bass. They all grew up in North Carolina but formed the band in New York. (Stamey had moved to NYC to play in a late version of Big Star with Alex Chilton.) They recorded Stands for deciBels with Alan Betrock, editor of the New York Rocker co-producing.
Pitchfork called Stands for deciBels one of its 100 Top Albums of the 1980s, and it still sounds fresh over 40 years after its initial release. The album features the classic songs “Black and White,” “Cycles Per Second,” and “Big Brown Eyes.” Holsapple’s songs tend to be the more straightforward rock songs. “Bad Reputation” is a fun song about young lust. His tune “The Fight” is a fast-paced trip through one couple’s domestic discomfort. Stamey’s songs tend to be a bit more experimental. “She’s Not Worried” has a Beach Boys by-way-of Big Star feel, complete with backward guitars and keyboard accents. “Tearjerkin’” feels like the Beatles playing with the Byrds. The playing is tight, with Holder and Rigby keeping the rhythm tracks interesting.
What would have happened to the dB’s if they’d been picked up by a solid US label from the get go? We’ll never know. By the time they got signed to IRS, the group was already falling apart. They did leave behind four albums of great power pop, jangly guitar rock that secures their place in the cult band hall of fame alongside contemporaries like The Soft Boys.
