It's time for the next Collaborative Cover Single from New York State Power Pop Hall of Famers THE FLASHCUBES... and this time out they're joined by THE PALEY BROTHERS for a new version of the duo's classic “Come Out And Play”! The single's out and streaming everywhere Friday, September 23 and up for pre-order at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com

It's time for the next Collaborative Cover Single from New York State Power Pop Hall of Famers THE FLASHCUBES... and this time out they're joined by THE PALEY BROTHERS for a new version of the duo's classic “Come Out And Play”! The single's out and streaming everywhere Friday, September 23 and up for pre-order at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com now. Both brothers – ANDY and JONATHAN – join the original 'Cubes lineup of Gary Frenay (bass, vocals), Arty Lenin (lead guitar), Paul Armstrong (guitars) and Tommy Allen (drums and production) for what's become a much anticipated monthly ritual for power pop fans worldwide: THE FLASHCUBES getting together with their fellow pop legends to re-introduce a true classic of the form.

“Come Out And Play”, from THE PALEY BROTHERS' one and only LP, is just such a genre classic. So much so that it not only appears on, but lends its title to, Rhino Records' essential collection DIY: Come Out And Play - American Power Pop I (1975-78), a definitive document that also includes The Flashcubes' own underground hit “Christi Girl”. Gary Frenay tells us that the connection between the two bands goes all the way back to that era. “When the Paley Brothers LP came out on Sire in 1978, we were all over it. Arty and I are huge Everly Brothers fans (even performing occasionally as the Neverly Brothers), and we thought Jonathan and Andy were the New Wave Everlys.”

“We met them briefly at an after-hours party in Boston back in the day,” Frenay continues, “but it was until 2010, when visiting my friend, Tom Kenny (formerly of Syracuse and longtime voice of SpongeBob Squarepants), now based in LA, that I really got to know Andy. He and Tom created all of the music for the wildly-popular Nickelodeon series, and were partners in crime in the band, Tom Kenny & The Hi-Seas. The 'Cubes got to play with Andy and Tom earlier this year at a Syracuse Awards show, and we all had a ball. Getting Andy and his brother Jonathan to join us on our version of their classic single was the icing on the cake!”

The band's Paul Armstrong adds: “So excited to record this classic with the legendary Paley Brothers! It was an extra special thrill for The Flashcubes to perform on stage with Andy Paley and Tom Kenny this past March doing 'C’Mon Let’s Go,' which the Paleys did with the Ramones for the Rock 'N' Roll High School classic flick.” It's thus that Andy (on vocals, guitars and keys) and Jonathan (on vocals) joined the band to record this new version of “Come Out And Play”.

The final word must belong to The Paley Brothers themselves. Andy says, “The Flashcubes knocked 'Come Out and Play' outta the park. These guys have a winning sound!” Jonathan adds, “Wonderful to work with The Flashcubes! They have real class and a great sound!” Fans of the ongoing singles series have come to expect no less, and they're sure to be delighted to “Play” the new track, often, and loudly.

New York State Power Pop Hall of Famers THE FLASHCUBES continue their winning singles streak with another star-studded cover of another pop rock classic! This time out it's a fresh new version of PILOT's 1977 hit “Get Up And Go”, featuring none other than Pilot lead singer DAVID PATON on vocals and piano. The new track is out and streaming

New York State Power Pop Hall of Famers THE FLASHCUBES continue their winning singles streak with another star-studded cover of another pop rock classic! This time out it's a fresh new version of PILOT's 1977 hit “Get Up And Go”, featuring none other than Pilot lead singer DAVID PATON on vocals and piano. The new track is out and streaming everywhere this Friday, August 26, and up for pre-order along with the full Flashcubes “covers and collaborations” singles series at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com now!

By now you know what original classic lineup of The Flashcubes – Gary Frenay (bass, vocals), Arty Lenin (lead guitar), Paul Armstrong (guitars) and Tommy Allen (drums and production) are up to, with a new version of a pop-rock gem every month. The real “magic”, to borrow a song title from a certain band, is which tune they pick and who turns up to help them! Tommy and the boys tell the tall of how they decided to get up and do “Get Up And Go”:

TOMMY ALLEN: “This song has been on the mountaintop of pop for us since its release. It was Gary's idea to include it, but I was hesitant to even try to re-do this absolute masterpiece... it seemed too perfect as it was. Gary's persistence paid off when he reached out to David Paton and asked him if he'd be interested in joining us. Having David on this track is a real high point for all of us as we're complete Pilot fanboys!”

GARY FRENAY: “I know of no bigger Pilot/David Paton fan than myself. I have followed his career from the very beginning when 'Magic' first hit the charts in 1974. I was working in a record store at the time and was in charge of the 45s, and of reporting sales to the local radio stations. Long after 'Magic' had slid off the charts, I was still reporting it to radio as a 'hot seller' for that week. Makes me laugh now, but I was such a true believer! All these years later, to get to sing what I think was David’s greatest single, and have him join in on the second verse, was literally a dream come true for me!”

ARTY LENIN: “It was a great pleasure and one my great challenges to emulate the guitar work performed on this pop masterpiece. One of my all time favorites from the guitar genius Ian Bairnson. He’s as good as it gets.”

And lastly, a word from Mr. PATON himself: “I was a bit apprehensive when I received the message about the FLASHCUBES recording of 'Get Up And Go'... and I must admit that I was surprised at how good the basic track sounded! The quality of musicianship and production is excellent and I was happy to add piano and vocals to the track. Well done, guys, and thank you all for making such a good recording of the song.” And with that endorsement, we can deliver to you the next, but far from final, FLASHCUBES flashback. Get up and go get it!

THE FLASHCUBES – Power Pop Hall Of Famers and unstoppable icons of the NY State rock scene for over forty years – are back with another single from Big Stir Records. This month, our heroes take a break from saluting their peers and influences in the guitar pop pantheon to show off their own legendary prowess with hooks and high-energy pop rock, at

THE FLASHCUBES – Power Pop Hall Of Famers and unstoppable icons of the NY State rock scene for over forty years – are back with another single from Big Stir Records. This month, our heroes take a break from saluting their peers and influences in the guitar pop pantheon to show off their own legendary prowess with hooks and high-energy pop rock, at the height of their early live powers in 1979. “Christi Girl (Live)” is out this Friday, July 22, up for pre-order now at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com, and streaming worldwide on the release date.

It's an urgent vintage recording of the band's biggest hit single, recorded at The Firebarn in the band's hometown of Syracuse, NY just one year after the classic 45's 1978 release. “Christi Girl”, performed onstage here by the band's classic (and current) lineup of bassist Gary Frenay, drummer Tommy Allen and guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin (who wrote the tune) will be familiar to even power pop fans who weren't “there”: it's hard to find an anthology of the genre's heyday that doesn't include the original version. It is quite simply, like the tunes the modern-day 'Cubes have been covering by the likes of Shoes, Dwight Twilley, The Spongetones, and Pezband on their recent Big Stir singles, a definitive classic of the form.

And for anyone wishing they had been around to witness the young Flashcubes at the start of it all, this single – an exclusive and specially-edited version of track as found on the terrific live album FLASHCUBES ON FIRE: LIVE AT THE FIREBARN, MAY 26, 1979 independently released by the band earlier this year – is the next best thing. The single's here to showcase why you should add that essential document of the band's early days to your collection, as expressed by Carl Cafarelli (of THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO), who indeed was there, in the record's liner notes:

“On May 26, 1979, The Flashcubes recorded a show at the Firebarn on multitrack, their only 1970s show to be preserved with that level of oomph. You can hear the sweat. The Firebarn's upstairs could get hot. It was never hotter than this night. Bright lights. Guitars, bass, drums. Volume. Your ears are gonna be ringing for days. This album documents that precise moment, that pyrotechnic spark when the band were at their peak: a quartet of rock 'n' rollers dead set for the toppermost of the poppermost. If you were there, you'll never forget it. If you weren't there, just close your eyes, open your imagination, and breathe in the gold.”

You still can, and not just on this new “Christi Girl” single: FLASHCUBES ON FIRE is still available. It's heartily endorsed by Big Stir Records, and we're happy to shine a light on it. For our part? We wouldn't have felt right about issuing series of singles where THE FLASHCUBES play the classics if it didn't include one of their own. Here it is... fire it up, and stand by for more to come from the band next month!

New York State Power Pop Hall of Famers THE FLASHCUBES continue their thrilling and wildly successful run of cover version singles saluting – and including! – the legends of of melodic rock and roll, this time digging back to 1972 for a classic by Slade! The band is joined by NY guitar hero, studio ace and former New York Doll STEVE CONTE on “

New York State Power Pop Hall of Famers THE FLASHCUBES continue their thrilling and wildly successful run of cover version singles saluting – and including! – the legends of of melodic rock and roll, this time digging back to 1972 for a classic by Slade! The band is joined by NY guitar hero, studio ace and former New York Doll STEVE CONTE on “Gudbuy T'Jane”, a No. 2 chart hit in the UK for the glam-rock progenitors and a beloved cult touchstone among the '70s kids who would go on to form punk-adjacent bands just like The Flashcubes and usher in the late-'70s power pop renaissance. The new Big Stir Records single will be out and streaming everywhere on Friday, June 24 and it's up for pre-order at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com now.

FLASHCUBES drummer-producer TOMMY ALLEN tells us about how and why the ongoing singles series – which has thus far showcased material and musicians from power pop contemporaries like The Spongetones, Shoes, Dwight Twiley, and Pezband – takes a detour to the band's glam roots, and how Conte came on board for this rip-roaring new installment: “This classic Slade tune was an early add to the list of songs we wanted to cover. We were all big fans and had seen them live back in their heyday. We did try to reach out to the lads from Slade about participating, but when things couldn't line up, we were still able to keep it 'glam' with former New York Doll Steve Conte. I've known Steve for a very long time and loved his band Company Of Wolves and his solo work, and he was on a very short list of people we thought would be perfect to help us out on this.”

“When I contacted him out of the blue to ask him if he'd be interested in playing on this with us, he said yes, and WOW, he delivered the bona fide goods! He fully owns this one: scorching guitar and kick-ass vocals!” Also joining the core 'Cubes – the 1977 vintage lineup of guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin, bassist Gary Frenay and of course Allen – is a stellar guest cast. There's Tommy Mandel (Bryan Adams, Ian Hunter and many many more) on piano, Randy Klawon of The Choir on guitar, and Cactus/Humble Pie singer Jimmy Kunes on vocals, all of them, as Tommy says “getting greasy and glam-tastic with us! It's easy to tell that we had fun on this one!”

This new version of “Jane” is not only a new twist in the wildly popular Flashcubes singles series, it's also proven impossible to contain. Renowned SiriusXM DJ Chris Carter (Chris Carter's British Invasion, Breakfast With The Beatles) was so taken with the track that he's already aired it – a rare honor for a stateside band, especially for an unreleasded track. And you can bet that other DJs have been asking about it here at Big Stir, so here it is. “Gudbuy T'Jane” and hello to yet another loving tribute, and guaranteed hit, from THE FLASHCUBES and friends!

BIG STIR RECORDS and THE FLASHCUBES announce the next in a series of collaborative singles bringing the Syracuse power pop titans together with equally legendary peers for new versions of the songs the band (and their fans) love like their own. This time it's North Carolina heroes THE SPONGETONES on board as both Power Pop Hall Of Fame-enshrined

BIG STIR RECORDS and THE FLASHCUBES announce the next in a series of collaborative singles bringing the Syracuse power pop titans together with equally legendary peers for new versions of the songs the band (and their fans) love like their own. This time it's North Carolina heroes THE SPONGETONES on board as both Power Pop Hall Of Fame-enshrined bands tear through a new version of The Spongetones' “Have You Ever Been Torn Apart?” with glorious results. It's out and streaming everywhere on Friday, May 27 and up for pre-order at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com now.

The current run of singles from THE FLASHCUBES – still going strong in their 1977 vintage lineup of guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin, bassist Gary Frenay and drummer Tommy Allen – has been a power pop fan's dream. Having already covered Dwight Twilley, Pezband (with the group's Mimi Betinis on board) and Shoes (featuring the band's entire classic lineup), bringing The Spongetones into the fold for a run at their 1984 classic was a natural. Flashcubes drummer Tommy Allen explains:

“We've been fans of The Spongetones forever. In fact, when I was the entertainment booker at the China Club in NYC, one of the first things i did was book them! Our friend Pat Pierson memorialized the evening by taking a photo of all four of us in The Flashcubes staring at the stage while The Spongetones blew us all away! Years later at a gig in LA, we had learned 'Have You Ever Been Torn Apart' for our set, but as the night was running late our slot was shortened and we never got to it! Needless to say the song and the band have been near and dear to us for decades! When I began to record our version of this Beatles-inspired song, I asked my friend Frank Agnello (of The Fab Faux) to help out with the authentic Merseybeat sound, and Randy Klawon (from The Choir) helped to get the whole thing started. In the process of recording, I reached out to The Spongetones' Jamie Hoover and asked if he'd like to join us on it, and suggested to him that we'd like the band's Steve Stoeckel and Pat Walters as well, and much to our delight, they all said yes!”

Stoeckel – just off a new release from his project Pop Co-Op and working on a solo album for Big Stir at this very moment – picks up the story: “When Tommy called and asked us to be a part of this, we of course jumped at the chance. Having shared the stage with these guys and then sharing a song? Well, of course! We were honored, pleased, chuffed even! When you hear all of us on this, you'll be able to tell: It. Was. Fun.” The Spongetones, who celebrated their 40th Anniversary onstage at The McGlohon Theatre in Charlotte NC last year, would also like to dedicate their participation to their longtime drummer Chris Garges, who passed away earlier this year after a battle with cancer.

The music goes on, for The Spongetones and their members, and most assuredly for The Flashcubes as their extraordinarily popular series of singles continues on Big Stir Records. Far more than covers or tributes, these new versions of the classics are a window into the too-often-overlooked power pop renaissance that gave birth the The Flashcubes, The Spongetones, and all the bands who've been included, with more yet to come. Look through that window and you'll find not only proof that these songs stand the test of time, you'll see a veritable party: The Flashcubes have invited their friends over to play, and with friends like these, the music is guaranteed to be phenomenal. Enjoy “Torn Apart”, and stand by for much, much more!

The Flashcubes are: Tommy Allen: drums/percussion/vocals Paul Armstrong: guitars Gary Frenay: bass/vocals Arty Lenin: guitars/vocals

The Spongetones are: Jamie Hoover: guitar/vocals Steve Stoeckel: vocals Pat Walters: vocals

Additional guitars: Randy Klawon Frank Agnello

New York State power pop legends THE FLASHCUBES continue their exciting string of Big Stir Records singles paying tribute to – and featuring guest performances from – their contemporaries from the halcyon days of the guitar pop revolution, this time uniting with the full classic lineup of SHOES on one of the pioneering band's most beloved tunes. “

New York State power pop legends THE FLASHCUBES continue their exciting string of Big Stir Records singles paying tribute to – and featuring guest performances from – their contemporaries from the halcyon days of the guitar pop revolution, this time uniting with the full classic lineup of SHOES on one of the pioneering band's most beloved tunes. “Tommorrow Night” – out March 18 worldwide but exclusively available now at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com – sees the same 'Cubes lineup that first hit Syracuse stages in 1977, joined by the prime movers of Shoes since their debut album Black Vinyl Shoes the same year. Fans of both bands won't want to miss this one.

It's a meeting of power pop royalty, and part of an ongoing series of peer-to-peer collaboration singles from The Flashcubes that shows no sign of stopping. Displaying the creative drive of a band less than half their age and a community spirit that we at Big Stir simply adore, The 'Cubes started down this road last year with a cover of Pezband's “Baby It's Cold Outside” featuring the band's Mimi Betinis. They've since paid tribute to pop titans throughout the decades by issuing ace covers of classics from Dwight Twilley and The Posies, and more and more of the original artists are signing up to participate in the ongoing series.

“Since we began recording some of our favorite songs, and really since Mimi said yes to our invitation to join us for the Pezband cover, we've been asking the original artists to participate,” explains Flashcubes drummer/producer Tommy Allen. “While Dwight Twilley declined to play, he did correct us on some lyrics, and his full-throated endorsement was the cherry on top! When we were halfway through Shoes' 'Tomorrow Night', I reached out to founding member Jeff Murphy, and he was eager to have the opportunity to sing and play on his classic tune.”

By the time of the final mix of the tune – an underground pop standard from Shoes' 1979 masterpiece Present Tense whose chorus sports one of the most indelible riffs of the genre (or any other) – it featured all three essential founding members of the band, joining the seminal Flashcubes lineup of guitarists Paul Armstrong and Arty Lenin, bassist Gary Frenay and drummer Tommy Allen. Jeff Murphy takes the lead vocal on the second verse and tackles the fiery guitar solo, while he and co-founders John Murphy and Gary Klebe all contribute the instantly recognizable Shoes harmonies over the 'Cubes' tight new instrumental rendition, faithful in spirit but with enough new twists to make it their own.

In an age where every single seems to require an endless list of “featured” artists, here's a real rarity: a track from one band featuring another band! That would be unique enough in itself, but when the bands in question are as rightly revered as THE FLASHCUBES and SHOES, and the song is a treasure as finely crafted as “Tomorrow Night”, the results are inevitably one for the ages, and the airwaves. The only question is which legends might pop up on the next single in the series as THE FLASHCUBES continue their journey through the past, serving up some of the best music of today. Only time will tell, and we can't wait to find out!