First things first I’d like to thank Bret Helm of the excellent post-punk band Audra and from the Life on This Planet blog for clueing me into this one, as well as for providing the rip to share with you all. This particular 7” is one of those rare nuggets that only pops up once in a blue moon, and goes for an extraordinary amount, but in my opinion, is totally worth the asking price.
The Psalms were a new wave/post-punk band from Tempe, Arizona. The biggest touchstone here is guitarist/synth player Doug Hopkins and bassist Bill Leen, both who would form the Gin Blossoms a few years later. I could probably get into a big rant here about how the Gin Blossoms were REM in the time of Hootie, unfortunate timing for an otherwise solid jangle pop band. I’ll defend them to my dying day, but that all being said, this single is its own beast, and certainly should find lots of love around these parts. The A-side has an excellent airy synth lead and some power pop overtones, while the B-side has a little bit of a darker and harder edge. Both songs are incredibly catchy, and fans of bands like The Lucy Show, Weeping Messerschmitts, and Wild Flowers. More info about the band (including some lineup change info) can be found here.
This single was released in 1982 on Reilly Records and is the only piece of wax The Psalms released. The band put out a cassette in 1983, the single-sided No Great Cathedrals, with four more tracks. I’ve heard one of them on Youtube, but if anyone out there has the cassette (or a nice rip of it), please do get in touch! Otherwise, here’s the details for this 7”:
The Psalms- A Story I Was Told 7”
1. A Story I Was Told
2. Christmas Island