OK, so the video above does not exactly capture their finest work. But before they were singing the praises of The Colbert Report, before there was a Colbert Report, before fake news was more popular than newspapers, before music blogs (or MP3 blogs)—a long time ago, that is—The Apples in Stereo were already doing a slightly spazzed-up, fuzzed-out rendition of 1960-something like it wasn't already going out of style. I remember playing the shit out of "Strawberryfire," the trippy I-can't-believe-it's-not-The-Beatles number from Her Wallpaper Reverie. (At some point I lost that record to an ex-roommate, but I've never figured out which one. It's been nine years, so I guess I should just buy a new copy. Oh wait, that was before people stopped paying for music.) Anyway, for a dude that's been driving beat-up vans around the country for so long, head Apple Robert Schneider still seems like he's having fun. And shit, The Music Tapes have a new album due in August, so maybe that whole E6 thing is just gonna happen all over again. Mr. Mangum, are you listening?
The Apples in Stereo play tonight at Mercy Lounge, accompanied by Poison Control Center and Big Fresh. 9 p.m., $12 if you don't have your ticket already.
