| The Lemonheads | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 26, 2006 | |||
| Recorded | Blasting Room, Fort Collins, Colorado | |||
| Genre | Punk rock [1] | |||
| Label | Vagrant | |||
| Producer | Bill Stevenson, Evan Dando | |||
| The Lemonheads chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Lemonheads is the eighth studio album by the Lemonheads and the first after their return from a nine-year hiatus.
On April 26, 2006, it was announced that the Lemonheads had signed to Vagrant Records. The group's new lineup consisted of original member Evan Dando and Descendents/All bassist Karl Alvarez and drummer Bill Stevenson. It was also revealed that the band was working on an album due for release later in the year. [2]
The Lemonheads features contributions from Josh Lattanzi on bass, the Band's Garth Hudson on keyboards, and Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis on lead guitar. "Steve's Boy" is dedicated to William A. Stevenson, Bill Stevenson's father.
On July 6, 2006, The Lemonheads was announced for release, and the track listing was revealed; [3] later that month, the band played a few shows in the UK. [4] On August 22, 2006, "No Backbone" was posted online. [5] The Lemonheads was made available for streaming on September 25, 2006, and was released a day later. [3] [6] In November and December 2006, the band went on a tour of the U.S. [7] In January and February 2007, they toured the US again; they then embarked on a tour of New Zealand and Australia in March and April 2007. [8] In July 2007, the band toured the US East Coast with support from the Icarus Line. [9]
A limited-edition yellow vinyl version of the album was released in 2008, with signed copies made available via the Lemonheads' website.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 70/100 [10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| The Guardian | [12] |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10 [13] |
| Rolling Stone |  [1] |
| Slant | [14] |
| Spin | [15] |
On review aggregator Metacritic the album holds a score of 70/100, based on 23 reviews, indicating a "generally favorable" reception. [10]
Jimmy Newlin of Slant reviewed the album very positively, calling it "nearly as great as the band’s masterpiece, It's a Shame About Ray , and far more dependable than the runner-up Come on Feel the Lemonheads ." [14] Jon Young of Spin wrote that "Dando chooses maximum accessibility, offering agreeably chunky guitar pop." [15] Maddy Costa of the Guardian was more critical, writing "there's a broken feeling about this album, a resignation that reflects the trouble of the intervening years." [12]
All songs by Evan Dando unless otherwise stated.
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [16] | 97 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [17] | 98 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [18] | 92 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [19] | 56 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [20] | 26 |
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After their initial punk-influenced releases and tours as an independent/college rock band in the late 1980s, the Lemonheads' popularity with a mass audience grew in 1992 with the major label album It's a Shame about Ray, which was produced, engineered, and mixed by The Robb Brothers. This was followed by a cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", which eventually became one of the band's most successful singles. The Lemonheads were active until 1997 before going on hiatus, but reformed with a new lineup in 2005 and released The Lemonheads the following year. The band released its latest album, Varshons 2, in February 2019.
Vagrant Records is an American record label based in California. It was founded in 1995 by Rich Egan and Jon Cohen. The label focuses on rock, but features artists in a variety of other genres including folk, soul, electronic, and pop. It is home to artists such as The 1975, Death Spells, Eels, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, CRUISR, Active Child, PJ Harvey, School of Seven Bells, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, James Vincent McMorrow, Black Joe Lewis, Wake Owl, Blitzen Trapper, and Bombay Bicycle Club. Originally, Vagrant Records was mostly focused on emo bands such as Dashboard Confessional, Saves the Day, The Get Up Kids, Senses Fail, and Alkaline Trio. The label is considered one of the pre-eminent labels of the emo music scene.
Evan Griffith Dando is an American musician and the frontman of the rock band the Lemonheads. He has also embarked on a solo career and collaborated on songs with various artists. In December 2015, Dando was inducted into the Boston Music Awards Hall of Fame.
Crimson is the fifth studio album by American rock band Alkaline Trio. Produced by Jerry Finn, it was released on May 24, 2005, by Vagrant.
Wolves in Wolves' Clothing is the tenth studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. At 46 minutes, this is NOFX's longest studio album.
If Only You Were Lonely is the second studio album by American rock band Hawthorne Heights and the final album to feature rhythm guitarist and unclean backing vocalist Casey Calvert before his death on November 24, 2007. It was produced by David Bendeth. The title of the album is in reference to a B-side by The Replacements of the same name.
Crisis is the third studio album from Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire, released on August 22, 2006.
Decemberunderground is the seventh studio album by American rock band AFI, released on June 6, 2006, through Interscope Records. The album was supported by three singles, "Miss Murder", "Love Like Winter", and "The Missing Frame".
Happy Hollow is the fifth album by the American indie rock band Cursive. It was released on August 22, 2006, on Saddle Creek Records. Saddle Creek Records began shipping pre-orders on August 8, 2006. The album is named after a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska.
New Maps of Hell is the fourteenth studio album by Bad Religion, released on July 10, 2007.
The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II: Fire & Water is the fifth studio album by American rock band Thrice. It consists of the first two volumes of The Alchemy Index, a four-disc concept album about the four elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. The band had issues with Island Records, who tried to change their sound with their fourth studio album Vheissu (2005). By July 2006, they were working on its follow-up, which would become The Alchemy Index project; recording sessions were held between September 2006 and June 2007 at guitarist Teppei Teranishi's house in Orange County, California. The Fire disc revolved around the band's post-hardcore sound that was prevalent on their older releases, while the Water disc focused on the Ambient electronic and trip hop genres.
In Black and White is the sixth album by Mustard Plug.
The Shade of Poison Trees is the fifth studio album recorded by the band Dashboard Confessional.
In Defense of The Genre is the third studio album by American rock band Say Anything. The album artwork was provided by Jeff Smith, an artist primarily known for his work on the Bone comic series.
Varshons is the ninth studio album and is an album of covers by alternative rock band the Lemonheads. On 27 March 2009, it was announced that Varshons would be released in the US on 23 June on The End Records. It was promoted with a US tour throughout June 2009, and a UK tour in September 2009. Between January and March 2010, Dando went on a US tour.
Coaster is the eleventh studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX. It was released on April 28, 2009 through Fat Wreck Chords.
Let the Dominoes Fall is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid, released in June 2009 by Hellcat/Epitaph. It is their first album of new material in nearly six years, following 2003's Indestructible, and their first with drummer Branden Steineckert, who joined the band in 2006 after the departure of founding drummer Brett Reed.
Old Crows / Young Cardinals is the fourth studio album from Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire, released on June 23, 2009. The album was originally referred to by the shortened title of Young Cardinals, until the name change was announced on April 1, 2009.
Beggars is the seventh studio album by American rock band Thrice. It was released digitally through Vagrant Records in the UK on August 9, 2009, and in the US on August 11, 2009. A physical release containing bonus material was released on September 15, 2009.
Underclass Hero is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Sum 41. It is the first of two albums by the band recorded without guitarist Dave "Brownsound" Baksh since he left a year earlier to focus on Brown Brigade. It was first released on July 18, 2007, in Japan by Island Records and distributed worldwide by Aquarius Records, the band's final album on the label. In comparison to the heavy metal-inspired punk style of their previous album Chuck (2004), Underclass Hero marked a return to the band’s pop-punk sound.
