cuppa joe were a band that ran in the same circles as my band Ya-Ne-Zniyoo in the ’90s. We were both on the Dromedary Records compilation ‘Nothing Smells Quite Like Elizabeth’ in 1993 and we had shared bills playing in Hoboken.
Lately, they’ve been posting videos from their heyday on YouTube which has stirred up a whole lot of great memories. This gem was captured on Super 8 film and put away for over fifteen years until technology caught up with the ability to edit and properly release it.
Placing the guys in trees, along with the characteristics of the film format and the ravages of time, combined to add a very surreal feel to the song. The smart, quirky, and catchy feel of ‘Simple Enough’ is a fine example of how there was always a lot going on in those short songs. Yet they never flew above the heads of the listener.
Happily, they’ve begun to play around again recently after a decade-long hiatus.
More About The Video From cuppa joe:
The footage for this video was shot in 1995, as we were in the process of recording “Casualties of Exploration and Growth”.Wanting something above the level of the consumer camcorders of the mid 90’s, Steve bought a Super 8 camera at a flea market. The footage was shot in the Larkin family’s back yard, with the film camera operated by Doug and Rick’s sister Julie.
However, there was no solid plan for completing the video. Steve didn’t have access to an 8mm editing deck, and though the footage was transferred to VHS in 1996, even tape-to-tape editing seemed limited and out of reach.
Enter VHS to digital conversion in 2011. Steve digitized the footage and edited it in Final Cut. That charming, washed-out, blurry and grainy Super 8 is finally finished, in digital form.
See Also:
cuppa joe (website)
cuppa joe (myspace)
cuppa joe (youtube)
Dromedary Records
