- New Granada Handout
- Jonathan Berlin of Sunbears! hand cuts Maccabees vinyl in real time.
Jonathan "McDougan" Wilson was not in Tampa-based band The Maccabees (who actually predated the UK band by about a decade). Wilson — who was killed on SwissAir Flight no. 111 — did leave a large impact on the group, though, and he's honored this afternoon, exactly sixteen years after his death.
The remembrance comes at the hand of local label New Granada Records, which is re-releasing limited copies of The Maccabees' Songs From The Weakest Link EP on hand-cut 12" black vinyl complete with hand assembled and numbered packaging. It's all part of the label's ongoing slew of special releases in honor of its 20th anniversary.
The EP — which was actually New Granada's fifth release ever — is a more more chill, indie-folk-flavored version of another Tampa band, Pohgoh (Susie Richarson, Matt Slate, and Keith Ulrey), which broke up before acquiring a new bassist (Chris Deininger) and recording under the Maccabees moniker.
"One of our best sellers at the time, and to this day," New Granada head honcho Keith Ulrey told CL during a recent chat at his Seminole Heights record store, Microgroove. "It was our first post-Pohgoh outing. The tour and EP were well received — it was definitely a title that inspired us to keep the label going during a transitional time in our lives."
There are only 20 copies available ($35 USD), and New Granada will not ship internationally for this release. Locals would do well to head directly to Microgoove (4906 N. Florida Ave, Tampa) and grab a copy of their own. Have a listen to the whole EP below, and grab a name-your-price download here. Pohgoh will reunite on Christmas night as part of New Granada's annual holiday show (which is actually extended to three nights for the label's anniversary).
Songs From The Weakest Link Tracklist:
01. Enabler
02. Mon Aventure
03. Abingdon
04. Grown
05. McDougan
06. Wedding Day
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 3, 2014.