Alexander & the Grapes are back. The much-beloved St. Petersburg rock band has re-assembled its original lineup (Alexander and Philip Charos, Dr. Charles Swan, Tom Dicks and Jeremy Mendicino) and says that its new album is about 75-percent recorded.
Some of the roles in the band have changed (original drummer Philip is on keys, and Mendicino has taken over for him on the drum kit), and the still-untitled album is set for release in early 2019, according to Alexander Charos. It will be the follow up to the band's 2016 sophomore full-length, HYPER SELF.
"This recording experience was really just about making music with my best friends," Alexander told CL.
On Saturday, October 13, the band — in conjunction with Charos' label Viva La Records and St. Pete's Daddy Kool Records — will give fans a taste of the album by releasing "Radio" has part of a Cassette Store Day exclusive tape made possible by the fine folks at the Central Avenue shop.
Still, Charos said that he wasn't planning on releasing a Viva mixtape in 2018 (the Saturday release is the label's third after dropping tapes in 2015 and 2016).
"My focus was on producing bands instead," Charos said. The label just released the debut album from Miami’s Haute Tension while also working on other projects with The Jackettes and Brother Cephus. "But as I was dropping some tapes off at Daddy Kool they asked me if I wanted to do another mixtape and I was so down."
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The result is a cassette that features new music from a lot of the bands Viva La Records has highlighted before, but also some new bands making their mixtape debut.
"The mixtape series is always about showcasing bands that we dig who are are either from Florida or have some roots here. All the bands featured are really great and they are amazing humans as well," Charos explained.
Cassette Store Day is kind of like Record Store Day’s plastic-encased, dual-mini-spool-wearing cousin, and its another reason to celebrate local, independent retail. Daddy Kool Records will have free copies of the new mixtape and will also welcome exciting St. Petersburg electro duo Blestian plus Tampa producer duo They Hate Change for a free concert on the sidewalk.
It kicks off at 10 a.m. with Cassette Store Day specials and will all wrap up by 8 p.m. Listen to "Radio" and get more information on Daddy Kool's Cassette Day party below.
Cassette Store Day w/Blestian/They Hate Change. Sat. Oct. 13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Daddy Kool Records, St. Petersburg. INFO.
This article appears in Oct 4-11, 2018.