In late 1992, we received a demo tape that contained eight clever, well-written indie pop songs that showed more promise than any band we’d ever heard. Filled with pop sensibility, intelligent lyrics and the occasional crunchy guitar passage, *cuppa joe* enriched our lives with some of the most lovable indie pop we’ve ever heard, producing dozens of wonderful songs before breaking up in 1999.
Our first cuppa joe release, “meanings,” came from that demo tape and was featured on our (awful) 1993 debut compilation, _Nothing Smells Quite Like Elizabeth_.
Later that year, we released our first-ever seven-inch vinyl record, a three-song EP from cuppa joe called _busy work_ that helped put both Dromedary and cuppa joe on the map as a growing source for high-quality indie rock songwriting. _busy work_ also featured “bottlerocket,” probably the most popular individual song to ever be released on Dromedary (which, at the time, we billed as “the best song ever written” – which might actually be true). _busy work_ sold out of two pressings.
In 1994 we released a full-length debut CD from the band called _nurture_. The _nurture_ CD became our best-selling release up until that point, its 13 songs a shining example of the writing prowess of singer/guitarist doug larkin, coupled with the band’s exceptional ability to augment those songs to the point where they created a micro-indie masterpiece. The album was years ahead of its time, foretelling of a day when bands like Neutral Milk Hotel would rule the indie rock landscape.
After the release of _nurture_ the band produced a number of self-released recordings, and put out another 7″ on a small, Midwestern indie. Singer doug larkin and drummer/illustrator steve spatucci collaborated on the outstanding late 90s zine _Science Geek_, and eventually, the band and zine faded away as priorities changed.
Now, we’re proud to announce that we’ve teamed up with the guys from cuppa joe to make their music available to you once again.
Keep on the lookout for the _busy work_ ep, which we will release digitally on the Dromedary website for FREE DOWNLOAD in the near future. And then, we’ll be releasing a brand-new version of _nurture_, complete with previously unreleased tracks and an updated, remastered version of “sitting limit.”
Stay tuned!