April 2026. As you all clearly remember, we have featured Joey Kine as our Album of the Month twice before, Nov 2009 (Kline’s 57) and August 2006 (Forever Blowing Bubbles). And of course Joey was one of our earliest GMR artists in 1985, with Prudence Dredge, before they jumped ship to PopLlama Products. A singer-songwriter and guitarist, originally from Helena, Montana. Joey moved to Seattle, Washington in the early 1980s as a member of the band Boy Toast and went on to play with numerous bands in Seattle. He moved back to Montana in 2024.
So, let’s set the wayback machine to 1988. Time for Joey’s Pomp and Circus Pants. At the time Joey was still doing Dredge and had hooked up with Rob Morgan (Rob did the cover) in The Squirrels, but still had time to record his first solo album “Pomp and Circus Pants” with an all-star cast of pre-grunge scenesters. It was recorded by Keith “Ace” Livingston down in my Queen Anne basement and then taken over to Uno’s basement to mix. I have no idea how it sold back when, but artistically it was right in the Joey mold, solidly produced rockin’, tongue – in-cheek lyrics, recorded with a bunch of Dredgers and various neighborhood superstars.
It got at least a couple reviews I can still find (Joey probably has more in a shoebox somewhere):
All Music Review: Pomp and Circuspants Review by Jason AnkenyThe solo debut from the leader of the pop/rock band Prudence Dredge is an eclectic affair that, while steeped in rock and country, drags banjos, bagpipes, polka horns and barking dogs into the mix. The lyrics are similarly-absurdist sketches of Americana.
Klektic Aug 18, 2018
…a pretty eccentric Songsmither bag reekin’ w/bent introspective mussels-in-motion wrapped in Fusion-Folk typo armouries ‘n bluesy khool ridin’ a West Coasty crest (“the real rodeo”) w/electric-lead picks; full-band venture w/circus-brass goofing on ” a couple of drunks” scraping the bend w/ a messy coughing sound for closure; an album w/definite grower-status as its versatility won’t grab at first ear!
It even had one of the tunes covered by his pal, Bill (one name only). https://www.facebook.com/blanketstealer/videos/1888980157936591/
Most recently Steve Turnidge mastered it up from a cassette (who needs them reel to reels?) and here it be, ready for you to spin!
We made up a couple hundred CDs for ya’ll that love the plastic action and they can be had right here: https://joeykline.bandcamp.com/album/pomp-and-circus-pants
So dig it now boys and girls, it’s later than you think!
Next month we are going to have some new goo from the prolific Rod Moody of The Fuzz, Swedish Finnish, Swallow, Spike, The Runaway Trains, Deranged Diction, and Crime Family. Maybe more? This is Rod’s first ever solo album, 100% pure Rod coming to you from the wilds of Vashon Island.
We will have a robust pile of other releases throughout this year’s calendar, so please do stay tuned.
td April 2026