MuzikMan's Reviews And News: Sponge

Los Angeles, CA - Fresh from the critical and commercial success of their 1996 sophomore album Wax Ecstatic, Detroit hard rockers Sponge holed up in a small studio in their hometown to record what was to be their third as yet untitled album for Sony Records. The band, whose songwriting chops had been proved on the megahit singles “Plowed” and “Molly (16 Candles Down The Drain),” looked to founder and lead vocalist Vinnie Dombroski for a new batch of tunes, and Dombroski himself turned to his classic rock heroes like The Doors, The Who and Steppenwolf others for inspiration. The result was a raw blast of sonically devastating, guitar-oriented rock n’ roll. As the story goes, when legendary A&R rep John Kalodner stopped by the studio to sample what Sponge had been up to, he was not able to tolerate the sheer power of the sessions for long and had to beat a retreat!

For reasons known only to the band, these recordings were shelved and a new set of recordings were produced for Sponge’s 1999 album New Pop Sunday. But now those incredibly inspired studio sessions from 1997-1998 are available for the first time anywhere on the Cleopatra Records release Demoed In Detroit, providing a snapshot of where the band was 20 years ago while also offering a tantalizing taste of what might have been. In addition to the 13 original songs and 3 blistering cover tunes, this special collection includes 2 exclusive acoustic versions of the band’s hits “Plowed” and “Molly (16 Candles Down The Drain)” recorded especially for this compilation. Raw and powerful, Demoed In Detroit 1997-98 is an essential album for fans of Sponge and classic '90s alternative rock!

Track List:
1. How Much Do You Think Of Love
2. Fell In Deep
3. Faling For The Girls
4. Great Big Flop
5. Love's A Killer
6. Once In A Blue Moon
7. Laughing At Me
8. Get Down And Assumed The Position
9. What Are Good Friends For
10. Walk In My Shoes
11. Turn Out The Lights
12. Song For The End Of The World
13. Someone To Talk To
14. Break On Through
15. My Generation
16. Born To Be Wild
17. Plowed (Acoustic Pilot Mix)
18. Molly (16 Candles Down The Drain) (Mad Piano Mix)

Buy the CD here: https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/sponge-demoed-in-detroit-1997-98-cd/
Buy the digital version: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/demoed-in-detroit-1997-98/1448430761

Track List to The Early Years New York City 1997/1998:
1. Shit Life
2. Spine For You
3. Same Old Story
4. Voodoo Crush
5. Little Fish
6. Wish
7. Wake Up
8. Pig Society
9. Pseudo Trash
10. Debonair
11. I Am Nothing
12. America The Pitiful
13. Kimberly's Ghost
14. One Fix
15. Sick
16. Everything Sucks
17. City Tonight
18. Dead Men Walking
19. Fuck Tha Police

Buy the The Early Years CD here: https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/dope-the-early-years-new-york-city-1997-1998-cd/
Buy the digital version: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-early-years-new-york-city-1997-1998/1410561876
Stream the album: https://open.spotify.com/album/320vQ20eShAXH5Rz6qXpy6?si=rv9pHzjlRtm_98-N-vAdFw

Press inquiries:
Glass Onyon PR
Billy James
PH: 828-350-8158
glassonyonpr@gmail.com