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THE B-52's - FUNPLEX (LIMITED EDITION LP + CD)

The B-52's Funplex Limited Edition (LP + CD)

Welcome to Funplex, the first record of the 21st century from the B-52s. "It's loud, sexy rock and roll, with the beat pumped up to hot pink," says guitarist Keith Strickland. Eleven fresh new songs, crafted by the groundbreaking band that put Athens, GA on the musical map in the late '70s, and conquered the world with its savvy hooks, unconventional approach to music-making and original style. “Funplex sounds like us, updated," adds Fred Schneider. "It's the B-52s now or fifteen years from now."

From the opening burst of "Pump," with Keith’s garage-rock guitar and Kate, Fred and Cindy's one-of-a-kind vocal interplay, Funplex is instantly recognizable as prime, yet contemporary, B-52s. Vibrant selections including "Keep This Party Going," "Ultraviolet," and "Hot Corner" reaffirm the quartet's status as "the world's greatest party band." Yet they continue taking risks, too, yielding future favorites such as the transcendental "Juliet of the Spirits" and "Love in the Year 3000," where atmospheric introductions unfold into multi-layered harmonies and burbling beats. On the propulsive title track and first single, the three vocalists adopt distinct characters, running amok on diet pills and slinging tacos in a sprawling shopping center. "It's the seedy underbelly of the mall," chortles Fred.

The creative odyssey of Funplex began with Keith Strickland, who composes the music for the group. "I had been listening to a lot of electronic dance music and early rock and roll. I was inspired to use these two aesthetics together with our own sound to write some shameless dance-floor party music." At home in Key West, FL, he commenced crafting new tracks that retained iconic features of the band's sound – such as their primal guitar   hooks – while also emphasizing grooves. What emerged were originals like "Eyes Wide Open," with its throbbing low-end and oddball percussion, and the chugging, unvarnished "Too Much to Think About." Songs that can stand (or shimmy) shoulder-to-shoulder with the best work by newer contemporaries like LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture and the Killers.

To help formalize the sound of Funplex, the band recruited producer Steve Osborne (Happy Mondays, Doves, KT Tunstall). Recording took place in two locations, first at the Clubhouse in Rhinebeck, NY, followed by John Keane's Studio in Athens, GA. Looking back at the band’s pioneering fusions of punk, new wave, and vintage rock, it would be tough to imagine the contemporary musical landscape existing without having encountered the B-52's. With Funplex we don't have to imagine it at all!

The B-52's  Funplex Track Listing

1. Pump 
2. Hot Corner 
3. Ultraviolet 
4. Juliet of the Spirits 
5. Funplex 
6. Eyes Wide Open 
7. Love in the Year 3000 
8. Deviant Ingredient 
9. Too Much to Think About 
10. Dancing Now 
11. Keep This Party Going