Cycles Per Second : US Tour 2024 by The dB’s on Propellor Sound Recordings
This album is a dream come true for me. I 100% missed The dB’s until after they had basically broken up. I was a freshman in college in fall of 88 when a friend gave me a copy of their criminally underrated The Sound of Music release on IRS. I was immediately sold on what they were doing and sought out their other, equally enthralling releases. My friends grew tired of me asking if they knew about the dB’s as I would not wait for a reply before playing them track after track of the best jangle pop I had ever heard.
As the band had broken up, I had to satisfy myself with a few sporadic shows from various members over the years. I saw Peter Holsapple play a songwriters festival in Seagrove Beach, enjoyed Chris Stamey with Don Dixon & Mitch Easter in Nashville, and embarrassed myself by asking Will Rigby to his face, without knowing who he was, if he knew who the dB’s were as they were one of my favorite bands. I have put in the work to continue my enthusiasm for all things dB’s and that’s what makes this album so enjoyable in my opinion.
Cycles Per Second is a damn near perfect example of the glories of the past and the power of the present. 46 years after their first single and 12 years after Falling Off the Sky, 2024 found the band taking a victory lap of sorts to celebrate the remastered vinyl editions of their first two albums Stands for Decibels & Repercussion. All four original members – Chris Stamey, Peter Holsapple, Will Rigby & Gene Holder with Wes Lachot on keys, sold out 12 shows across the US, culminating in their first ever live album. Originally released as a now out of print 2026 13 track Record Store Day exclusive, this release is expanded to 22 songs and should satisfy fans old and new. The album itself was produced by Stamey and it crackles with energy from start to finish. I half-jokingly referred to it as all killer, no filler when describing it to a friend after first listen. What struck me is how crisp and vibrant these songs sounded since they were originally recorded. The band could go toe to toe with any band out there and you can feel that coming through the speakers. This wasn’t a farewell so much as it was a sonic reminder of the enduring vibrancy of band and songs alike.
The tracks on Cycles Per Second span the band’s career. “I Thought You Wanted to Know” from their first 7” showcases their love for all things British. “Molly Says” from The Sound of Music is a fun reminder of how solid that album was while “Before We Were Born” made me go back and listen to Falling Off Sky.
A standout for me is “Love Is For Lovers” originally included on Like This. It has always made me think of XTC and this live version only cements (for me at least) why this should have been a new wave classic. The lion’s share of songs, as expected, come from Stands for Decibels and Repercussion. As I listened what I kept coming back to over and over again is how current these songs still sound. The fingerprints of The dB’s are all over the indie rock world. “She’s Not Worried,” “Ask for Jill” and “In Spain” sound more in vogue today than they probably did in the early 80s.
“Amplifier” gets the double treatment with versions recorded in North Carolina and Los Angeles because I guess a song that good needs to be heard twice! As I mentioned earlier, this album is All Killer & No Filler. There isn’t a better way to put it. As the band goes through their entire catalog, the record just keeps getting better and better with each listen. One thing I didn’t mention is how well it is recorded. There are times I forgot it was even a live album which I think stands as a testament to how good the band still is. I wish the crowd noise had been a little louder at the end of each track to convey the energy and excitement the audience and band had to be feeling.
I could go on and on but I won’t as Cycles Per Second stands on its own merits. Name me a band with almost 50 years under its belt that sounds this good and this relevant – I’ll wait while you think of one. My hope (as foolish as it may be) is always for more music from The dB’s and maybe this is the first of more releases to come. If not, I will always have this document of a band doing what it does best, and that will have to be enough.
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Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: Interview: Peter Holsapple Identifies as an “Omnicana” Musician, Talks About Model Cars, His Concept Album, and the Disappearance of Credits and here: REVIEW: Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey – “Our Back Pages”