Sound of The Smiths

Redefining an 80s generation of disillusioned youth caused by Britain’s inane ability to rid itself of the poverty and turmoil of the era, The Smiths were the neo-intellectual person’s answer to the dullness surrounding them. As is so often the case, the sum of The Smiths parts was always less than the whole, the group’s influence on modern rock music incalculable, their unique sound echoing through the strains of countless indie success stories and untold hopefuls alike. The Smiths provided a guitar-based alternative to the synth-pop sounds of so many other early 80s UK bands, paving the way for the 90s Brit-pop explosion, and the Smiths' distinct LPs are still studied by millions of sensitive types all over the world. In this chapter of our The Many Faces series, we will explore The Smiths´ inner world, including their members’ projects, the post-punk scene from where the band emerged, their unparalleled repertoire and a fantastic early live performance of the band. With stellar artwork and remastered sound, The Smiths are the most recent addition to our The Many Faces Collection. And remember that this is not available on streaming platforms.

First off, no, this box set doesn’t contain the Complete Smiths, not even in its super-deluxe edition containing vinyl replicas of the group’s singles and LPs. Stray B-sides don’t appear here, nor do the scrapped sessions for the first album and a few other heavily bootlegged numbers, but what is here are sterling remasters – allegedly supervised by Johnny Marr – of the band’s four albums, three compilations, and lone live album, all released during the band’s exceedingly brief lifespan…

Originally released on 12th March 1993, the album hit the No.1 spot in both the UK and Ireland and sold over 6 million copies worldwide. The four disc box set contains the album on the first CD and bonus material spread over three further discs. Of course all of those previous bonus tracks are included, but so too are unreleased early demos, a live performance from 31 July 1994 at the Féile Festival in Ireland and a series of radio sessions from 1992-1993. The box includes a poster and four postcards.

The Drums are a four-piece indie pop band from Brooklyn, NY. Jonny Pierce is the main founding member, as well as the singer, songwriter and producer. The band heavily channels the sound of The Smiths & Joy Division/New Order and they put on a highly regarded live show. Jonny found creative inspiration and challenge in writing infectious pop music that lyrically confronts darker issues than to sonically be expected. As he grew as an artist, he became more involved in this dichotomy, finding more interesting ways to do so. This new record is perhaps his best work yet - catchy and carefree at times, yet dark and atmospheric at others, strung together more seamlessly than in the past. The band has received critical praise of their past work & grown to acquire a very loyal fanbase in the US and strongly in South America and the UK. They have over half a million followers on Facebook, which is a strong indication of their following. Anti -Records is excited to have them on the label and their new album is due for release in June 2017.