Domino are to reissue two albums by nerd-rock heroes The Feelies, Crazy Rhythms and The Good Earth, with deluxe packaging and bonus tracks.

The Feelies, founded in Haledon, New Jersey, are pretty iconic in their own obscure way. Their nervy, self-deprecating and decidedly college-friendly sound and aesthetic has proved hugely influential on bands like Pavement, Weezer and Vampire Weekend, to name but a few. The cover of Weezer’s Blue Album was a homage to that of Crazy Rhythms, conscious or otherwise. 

 Crazy Rhythms, originally released in 1980, is the album’s definitive statement. Its nine songs are cut from the same power-pop cloth as those of Jonathan Richman and The Cars, but there’s a crucial difference, a difference which made The Feelies quite radical for their time: the music is rhythm-driven, the usual New Wave tales of romantic mishap and self-realization sung over densely-layered motorik-cum-tribal beats that recall a less opiated Velvet Underground. Domino quite rightly describe the sound of Crazy Rhythms as "minimalist rock ‘n roll", but it aspires to the condition of dance music – repetitive, hypnotic and transporting. But this was still 1980, and while there are intimations of LCD Soundsystem and YACHT in Crazy Rhythms‘ caffeinated propulsions and pulsations, it still sounds  rather…quaint. We wouldn’t have it any other way. 

It took The Feelies six years to follow up Crazy Rhythms, and they did so with TheGood Earth – co-produced by chief Feelies Glenn Mercer andBill Million with REM’s Peter Buck, The album was an early release on CoyoteRecords, and consolidated rather than advanced the band’s hectic but streamlined sound.

Crazy Rhythms and The Good Earth have both been out of print for a decade. The new editions of each album are both released on 26 October by Domino with deluxe packaging and bonus tracks, to tie in with the band’s ATP New York appearance, where they will play ‘Crazy Rhythms’ in it’s entirety.  Bonus material including demos, B-sides, EP tracks and new live recordings will be included via download cards inserted into both LPs and CDs, which will also feature deluxe packaging with liner notes by Jim Derogatis and Jim Sullivan.

 ‘CRAZY RHYTHMS’ TRACKS The Boy With the Perpetual Nervousness Fa Ce-La Loveless Love Forces At Work Original Love Everybody’s Got Something to Hide (Except Me and My Monkey) Moscow Nights Raised Eyebrows Crazy Rhythms BONUS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CARD Fa Ce-La (Single Version) The Boy With the Perpetual Nervousness (Demo Version) Moscow Nights (Demo Version) Crazy Rhythms (Live) I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms (Live)  

THE GOOD EARTH TRACKS On The Roof The High Road The Last Roundup Slipping (Into Something) When Company Comes Let’s Go Two Rooms The Good Earth Tomorrow Today Slow Down BONUS DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CARD She Said She Said (Previously only available on EP) Sedan Delivery (Previously only available on EP) Slipping (Into Something) (Live)