Morr Music Reissues Dump Albums

Dump, the recording and performing alias of James McNew, is reissuing his long out-of-circulation LPs Superpowerless (1993) and I Can Hear Music (1994) on Morr Music. McNew has been the bassist from legendary lo-fi rockers Yo La Tengo since 1992. Remastered by Bob Weston (Shellac, Mission of Burma), the LPs are being released on vinyl for the first time ever. Superpowerless will be available as a CD, a double LP or digital download, and I Can Hear Music will be available as two CDs, a triple LP package or digitally. Both will be released with the original album artwork, bonus materials and detailed liner notes. Stream both tracks from the 7″ split of ‘Secret Blood’/’Slow Down’ now, which was released January 24th on Morr Music.

Raised in Charlottesville, VA, McNew performed with Christmas from 1989 until they broke up two years later, at which point he joined Yo La Tengo. Yo La Tengo was known to have an extensive repertoire of covers-fittingly, McNew recorded an entire album of Prince covers as Dump. Tastefully chosen covers appear on much of his other recorded work.

The Dump moniker officially began in 1991, but he didn’t have any releases after that name until Superpowerless came out two years later. McNew recorded most instruments-guitar, bass, drums, organ and vocals-by himself, except for the instances in which his Yo La Tengo bandmates joined him. McNew captured everything on a 4-track cassette recorder. “It made more sense to me if someone recorded a song in the moment by themselves, and got it to me as soon as possible,” he said of the process. McNew much preferred the lo-fi aesthetic he gleaned from this process to the clean, polished sound obtained in a traditional studio setting. What’s more, some of the instruments weren’t instruments at all-Dump was known to have used “cardboard boxes as bass-drums” and to have prized “the victory of enthusiasm over perfection.” He recorded I Can Hear Music in a living room, which is particularly apropos for the lo-fi style he aimed for.

Superpowerless Tracklisting

01. Hands Of Fear
02. So Sedimentary
03. Secret Blood
04. Good Medicine
05. Formerly One-Eye
06. Dark Road
07. Just For You
08. Outer Spaceways, Inc
09. The Sea Wall
10. Broken Conscience
11. Throw Out The Lifeline
12. The Quality Of Hurt
13. 19 ½
14. Moon River
15. Superpowerless
16. Ode To Shaggs’ Own Thing
17. Love Theme From “Providence”
18. Knox’s Lament
19. How Many Bells?
20. Intro/ Nothing Left
21. Down To The Sea In Ships
22. Pennies From Heaven
23. Christmas Card
24. Snowman
25. Bunny Boy
26. Jaundice
27. Bus-Kicker’s Theme