John Andrew Fredrick — college professor, novelist and, yes, rocker — is back with the 15th album in 30 years with his cult-favorite Southern California indie-rock act The Black Watch, and we here at Slicing Up Eyeballs are thrilled to premiere “The All-Right Side of Just OK,” the second single off the forthcoming The Gospel According to John.
The taut, melodic rocker — stream it below — is the follow-up single to “Whence,” and both appear on the new record that’s due out April 21 on Fredrick’s own The Eskimo Record Label.
Of the new single, Fredrick says:
“‘The All-Right Side of Just OK’ is a punkish thing that sparkles along the lines of two bands we are not ashamed to love: My Bloody Valentine and XTC. I think the lyrics are repeated three times rather than varied in order to emphasize how most of us face the same emotional and psychological problems, until we, as the song says, ‘suture’ them with our metaphorical ‘needle and a thread.'”
Fredrick formed The Black Watch in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1987 after earning his Ph.D., and the band released its debut, St. Valentine, the following year. Save for a break-up in 1997, the band, with Fredrick as its sole core member, has continued to record and perform.
Currently teaching English at Cal Lutheran. Fredrick will follow up his four novels with the publication this summer of “Fucking Innocent: The Early Films of Wes Anderson,” a book of criticsm that focuses on “Bottle Rocket,” “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tennenbaums.”
“I keep writing because I am so bored with people — and so in love with a handful of them,” Fredrick says.
Check out “The All-Right Side of Just OK” below.
That’s pretty cool! I vaguely remember them from back in ye olde college radio days, but certainly had no idea they were from California and can’t say I’ve heard anything about them since. Good sounds, good song.
I got to listen to this with ear bud’s; like the music but didn’t get the Message.