Stands for Decibels in Bloomington, MN

On their debut,
the dB's
combined a reverence for
British pop
and arty,
post-punk
leanings that alternate between minimalism and a love of quirky embellishment, odd sounds, and unexpected twists;
Stands for Decibels
is clearly a collegiate
pop
experiment, but rarely is experimentation so enjoyable and irresistibly catchy. Singing and songwriting duties are shared equally by
Chris Stamey
and
Peter Holsapple
--
Stamey
, more quirky and psychedelic-leaning with a winsome, pure-pop whine, is nicely balanced by
Holsapple
's more earthy drawl and straightforward approach. The album stands not only as a landmark power pop album, but also as a prototype for much of the Southern jangle that would follow. [
remained criminally unavailable in the U.S. for years. When
IRS
reissued it on CD in 1989,
's
"Judy"
was added as a bonus track.] ~ Chris Woodstra