The Minus 5’s Oar On, Penelope! Out Today
US and UK Tours Confirmed with The Baseball Project, Luke Haines & Peter Buck, plus special guest openers
Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill, and The Rubinoos
West Coast Tour Dates Begin June 1, with stops in Pioneertown, San Diego,
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC
Today, indie power-pop rock collective The Minus 5 releases Oar On, Penelope! on Yep Roc Records.
Produced by The Minus 5 leader and songwriter Scott McCaughey and mixed by legendary engineer Ed Stasium (The Replacements, Ramones, Talking Heads), Oar On, Penelope! is The Minus 5’s first album of all-original material in five years and features help from some of his most trusted allies: Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Linda Pitmon (Baseball Project, Filthy Friends), Debbi Peterson (The Bangles), Kurt Bloch (The Fastbacks), plus Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers) and Spencer Tweedy.
Throughout the 12-song collection, McCaughey’s breadth of musical knowledge and appreciation is on full display from the addictive power pop of “Words & Birds” to the gnarly garage rock of “The Garden of Arden,” the Neil Young-influenced Americana of “Bison Queen,” and the Procol Harum-ish psychedelia of “Sharktooth.” “The songs feel immediate, relatively unadorned, and somewhat more positive in an indescribable way,” says McCaughey. “The words could be termed stream-of-consciousness, which is nothing new from this sector, but there seems to be a ray of light fighting its way through the usual twisted tales.”
In celebration of the release, the band – Scott McCaughey, the band featuring Peter Buck, Linda Pitmon, Debbie Peterson, Kurt Bloch, Mike Mills, Steve Wynn and more, in different combinations – will kick off their 34-date tour June 1 at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA with stops at the Casbah (San Diego), Zebulon (Los Angeles), The Chapel (San Francisco), Mississippi Studios (Portland), Tractor Tavern (Seattle), and Biltmore Cabaret (Vancouver, BC). A complete list of dates is below and tickets are available here.
Critical praise for Oar On, Penelope!
"The perpetually moveable lineup surrounding Minus 5 mainstays Scott McCaughey and Peter Buck boasts Baseball Project drummer Linda Pitmon, Young Fresh Fellows guitarist Kurt Bloch, and Bangle Debbi Peterson, whose vocals bring unexpected elegance to tracks like the Left Banke-ish ‘The Last Hotel’" – Uncut
“Ed Stasium, veteran producer of the Ramones, gives these raw sessions a galvanizing roar; this is college rock meant to be blasted over the radio, a record as vigorous as it is joyous.” (4 out of 5 stars) –MOJO
“...an album which celebrates McCaughey’s credentials as a mover and shaker while appreciating that he has his own unique vision.” – Americana UK
“Fortunately, McCaughey can still write and sing songs – and on "Oar On, Penelope!" all his skills come together most beautifully.” – Rolling Stone Germany
"The new Minus 5 album, OAR ON, PENELOPE!, is as versatile as a Swiss Army knife; there's a suitable object for every conceivable emotional impulse—from tweezers to toothpicks to corkscrews, everything is there." (8 out of 10) –Classic Rock Germany
“Oar On Penelope shapeshifts from quixotic to chaotic and sneaky charismatic.” -Americana UK
“…an anthemic power-pop number.” –Brooklyn Vegan of “Words & Birds”
“…a power-pop gem…” –American Songwriter of “Words & Birds”
Previous singles and videos released include: ”‘Let The Rope Hold, Cassie Lee,” named the “Coolest Song in the World” by SiriusXM’s Little Steven's Underground Garage, "Words & Birds," “a power-pop gem” (American Songwriter), is a raucous ode to life, punctuated by cranky guitars and McCaughey’s unmistakable vocal delivery and “Blow in My Bag,” built on the “idea of a Nancy Sinatra / Lee Hazlewood duet, but of course between me and Debbi,” says McCaughey.
Over a four-decade career, indie rock cult hero Scott McCaughey has been a member of many bands, including R.E.M., Young Fresh Fellows, Baseball Project, Filthy Friends, and Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3, to name a few. Still, The Minus 5 has remained one of the most enduring projects of his storied résumé. Suffering a near-fatal stroke in 2017, it was under the The Minus 5 name that McCaughey put out the recordings of Stroke Manor, featuring the original songs that detail his recovery through music therapy.
Formed in 1993 by Scott McCaughey, The Minus 5 is known for its collaborative ethos and ever-changing lineup, which has included some of the most celebrated names in music, from Jeff Tweedy and Wilco to The Decemberists, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Kelly Hogan, M. Ward, Chuck Prophet, Michael McCready of Pearl Jam, Alejandro Escovedo, and many more. The band embodies the communal spirit that has been a hallmark of the band since its inception.
L to R: Peter Buck, Kurt Bloch, Linda Pitmon, Scott McCaughey, Debbi Peterson
photo credit: Andy McCulla
Oar On, Penelope! Tracklisting
1. Words & Birds
2. Death the Bludgeoner
3. Let the Rope Hold, Cassie Lee
4. I Don’t Want to Hate Anyone
5. The Garden of Arden
6. Last Hotel
7. Bison Queen
8. Falling Like Jets
9. Burgundy Suit
10. Blow in My Bag
11. Sharktooth
12. What Shall Not Be Released
The Minus 5 Tour Dates
June 1 – Pappy & Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA+
June 2 – Casbah – San Diego, CA+
June 3 – Zebulon – Los Angeles, CA+
June 4 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA%
June 6 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR%
June 7 – Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA%
June 8 – Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
July 19 – Woodtick Fest – Darby, MT
August 14 – Strange Brew – Bristol, UK^
August 15-16 – O’Meara – London, UK^
August 17 – Cavern – Exeter, UK^
August 19 – Portland Arms – Cambridge, UK^
August 20 – Hare & Hounds – Birmingham, UK^
August 21 – Metronome – Nottingham, UK^
August 22 – Arts Centre – Pocklington, UK^
August 23 – Gorilla – Manchester, UK^
August 25 – Barn Theatre – Oxted, UK
August 27 – Trades Club – Hebden Bridge, UK^
August 28 – Brudenell – Leeds, UK^
August 29 – Cluny – Newcastle, UK^
August 30 – Oran Mor – Glasgow, UK^
August 31 – Ferret – Preston, UK^
September 10 – Intuition Ale Works – Jacksonville, FL*
September 11 – Saturn – Birmingham, AL*
September 12 – 40 Watt Club – Athens, GA*
September 16 – Codfish Hollow – Maquoketa, IA*
September 17 – Fine Line – Minneapolis, MN*
September 18 – Thalia Hall – Chicago, IL*
September 19 – Bell’s Beer Garden – Kalamazoo, MI*
September 20 – Mr. Smalls Theatre – Millvale, PA*
September 21 – White Eagle Hall – Jersey City, NJ*
September 23 – Crystal Ballroom – Somerville, MA*
September 24 – World Cafe Live – Philadelphia, PA*
September 25 – The Hamilton – Washington, DC*
September 26 – The Broadberry – Richmond, VA*
September 27 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC*
September 30 – Terminal West – Atlanta, GA*
+w/ Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill
%w/ The Rubinoos
^w/ Luke Haines & Peter Buck
*w/ The Baseball Project
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