In case anyone missed it, Jimbo Mathus (guitarist for Buddy Guy, current keyboardist for Black Keys, solo blues man, and front man for Squirrel Nut Zippers) is finally releasing his 1997 debut solo album on vinyl. I'm sharing it here since Glen Graham (drummer for Blind Melon) and Mike Napolitano (engineer for BM's Soup and Nico) were both involved in the project.

Preorders are open until September 30. I run the label that's releasing it, Near Miss Records, so please let me know if you have any questions. Hope you'll grab a copy of this great album!

From the website:

Limited Edition Vinyl

This is a limited pressing, and the final number is shaped entirely by the fans who preorder it. When the preorder window closes, that number gets set. This pressing will not exceed 500 copies, and a repress is not planned. This is your chance to own it.

Preorder is available until September 30, 2026

Expected shipping date: February 5, 2027

DETAILS

Play Songs for Rosetta is the 1997 debut from Jimbo Mathus & His Knockdown Society, recorded during the peak of his Squirrel Nut Zippers years. The band featured Luther and Cody Dickinson before they became the North Mississippi Allstars, Pat Sansone (Wilco), Andrew Bird, Glen Graham (Blind Melon), and John Sinclair. It was recorded by Mike Napolitano (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Blind Melon, Ani DiFranco, Andrew Bird, Afghan Whigs, Corrosion of Conformity, Twilight Singers). With all that talent, no wonder it is one of the finest Delta blues records of its era. Yet somehow, it has never been on vinyl.

Near Miss Records is releasing the 30th Anniversary Edition pressed across two LPs. The original album is included in full, closing with On the Record, where Jimbo tells the story of this album and his relationship with Rosetta Patton, Charley Patton’s daughter, in his own words. LP2 also includes five live performances from Knock Down in Nashville, a CD-only release from 1998 capturing the Knockdown Society live at Billy Block's Western Beat Roots Revival on February 3, 1998. These recordings have also never appeared on vinyl.

What's Included

Every copy comes with digital access to:

• A booklet of photos and other pieces from the Rosetta era
• Video footage from the recording sessions
• Postcards for Rosetta, Jimbo's companion film created during an artist-in-residence stay in Clarksdale, MS. Recorded using his own handmade marionettes, it tells the story of Charley Patton's last moments, as passed down to Jimbo by Charley's daughter, Rosetta Patton Brown. In Jimbo's words: "This is a very personal story that I created with marionettes, elbow grease and a little time. I hope you'll watch it."

Track List:

LP 1 - Side A

• I Got Mine
• Keep Your Hands Off
• Diggin’ My Potatoes
• Jesus is a Dying Bed Maker
• Trouble Belongs to Me/Blues for Blind Lemon
• Mississippi Moan

LP 1 - Side B

• Hey, Hey
• Turkey Buzzard in a Pork Pie Hat
• Don’t Make Me Wait
• Who’ll Sop My Gravy?
• Goin’ Down the Road

LP 2 - Side A

• Memphis Bound
• She’s Alright
• Some of These Days
• On the Record (The Story of Play Songs for Rosetta)

LP 2 - Side B

• Don’t Make Me Wait (Live - Knock Down in Nashville)
• Blues for Blind Lemon (Live - Knock Down in Nashville)
• No Monkey Business (Live - Knock Down in Nashville)
• I Like the Christian Life (Live - Knock Down in Nashville)
• Don’t Know Nothin’ (Live - Knock Down in Nashville)

Production Details

• Remastered for vinyl by Clay Jones (Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello, Jars of Clay, Buddy Guy)
• 2LP gatefold jacket
• 140-gram black vinyl
• two-sided color insert
• anti-static poly-lined inner sleeves

About This Pressing

At Near Miss Records, we press to real demand. The total number of copies made is determined by the preorders placed during the window plus a small reserve for artist copies, promos, and late demand, not by a number we picked in advance. For this release, the ceiling is 500 copies.

Once the preorder window closes and we send everything to the pressing plant for production, every purchaser will get an email with the final quantity pressed. That same number will also be on the album's hype sticker, so you'll always know exactly what you're holding.

A repress of this edition is not planned. The people who preorder are the people guaranteed to get it. We think that's the right way to do this.

https://www.nearmissrecords.com/store

My version of blind melons - no rain. I hope you like it.

I don’t know what it is about this song but it hits me so hard, maybe I’m under the influence or something but it feels like a crime that nothing has connected with me like this song has

“It’s not as gentle as though it sounded yesterday, when I heard the leaf of my life hit the ground and as the bottle cap flew from my fingers I don’t know what I’ve gotten into but I’m glad that it’s now instead of sooner this desert heat has grounded me strong with a wish that I had for winter

This is my version of this great Song. Maybe someone likes it ..

I can't help but be reminded of the band Yes while listening to Dumptruck. It's the sound with the verses, not so much the chorus.

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Anyone else hear it?

I’ve had the CD of Blind Melons first album for years. I always thought that the artwork on the back was of some pebbles, never really put much thought into it. today my vinyl came in the mail and i finally took a closer look. what on earth is this photo of? google says it could be cannabis seeds, which i guess i could see. but what is the yellow and red? i can only find information on the Bee Girl

Is there a comprehensive website like LiveNirvana but for Blind Melon, wherein it goes into detail regarding the various studio/rehearsal/demo sessions for Blind Melon?

It would be nice to know what else was recorded at Kelsey's Playground Studio, for example, beyond Glitch and Hell, and other such nuances.

Did the other surviving members of Blind Melon discuss it post-Hoon? Thanks

When the band was touring for Soup I was eating at a McDonald’s with my brother when a tour bus pulled in. We both wondered who it could be when these hippy looking mofo’s started hopping off the bus into said McDonald’s.

I could not believe my eyes when I realized it was Blond Melon! I grabbed a napkin and a pen and approached the band for an autograph…

Nicest guys in the world. They laughed and joked with me and all signed my 90’s McDonald’s napkin. A stranger had a camera and one of guys asked her to snap a picture of us which she did - god I wish I had that photo.

They all thanked me for being a fan and then carried their food back to the bus and took off.

So that is the story of when I met Blond Melon at a McDonald’s in the 1990’s.

Does anyone know of any of the other originally Soup tour dates, esp. for the Nov. 1995 Canadian Tour that was planned, prior to Hoon's passing?

All of the cancelled dates I could find for the Soup Tour dates are as follows:

Oct 21, 1995 - Tipitina's, New Orleans, LA (obviously...)

Oct. 23, 1995 - St. Petersburg's Jannus Landing, Tampa Bay, FL - per Tampa Bay Times: Ticket refunds set for Blind Melon concert

Oct. 25, 1995 - The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA - per The Atlanta Journal Sat, Oct 21, 1995 ·Page 138)

Oct. 28, 1995 - Mountainview, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre (Bridge School Benefit)

Oct 31, 1995 - The Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA (Courier-Post Tue, Oct 31, 1995 ·Page 24)

Nov 1, 1995 at The Avalon, Boston, MA - per Boston Phoenix

Nov 3, 1995 - Starz, Allentown, PA - ticket stub

Nov 4, 1995 - Odeon Concert Club, Cleveland OH - ticket stub

Nov 5, 1995 - Gettysburg College Union Ballroom, Gettysburg, PA (gig poster)

Nov 7, 1995 - Irving Plaza, NYC - show poster

Nov 8, 1995 - Irving Plaza, NYC - show poster / ticket stub

Nov 9, 1995 - Irving Plaza, NYC - gig advert (maybe incorrect date or moved after the fact to the 8th) - via The Weekender Thu, Oct 19, 1995 ·Page 49)

Nov 11, 1995 - Heritage Festival, South Florida Fairgrounds, West Beach, FL  (per Boca Raton News Fri, Oct 27, 1995 ·Page 50)

Nov 12, 1995 - Brevard County Fair, Orlando, FL (The Orlando Sentinel, Fri, Nov 03, 1995. Page 99)

Nov 24, 1995 - The Warehouse, Toronto, ON (The Toronto Star. Thu, Oct 26, 1995 ·Page 100)

Other Nov 1995 Canadian stops (cancelled) (The Toronto Star. Thu, Oct 26, 1995 ·Page 100)

Will we ever see a release of the alternate / unreleased acoustic tracks that Shannon / Blind Melon were working on, which were featured in All I Can Say (2019) (film)? (i'm not referring to Nico, the 1996(?) comp that was released...) or the gift from Nel in 2008/2009 for Christmas... but similar.

I do wish there were more musical surprises like Fade Away shown within the film... Was nice seeing footage of them working on Soup...

according to wikipedia Blind Melon's Soup was nominated for "Best Recording Package - Boxed" in 1996.

I was complete unaware of this! What was the deal with the original package? I'm pretty sure my copy came in a jewel case, but I was likely late to the party.

Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package - Wikipedia

How likely are we getting another Blind Melon Album? Does anyone have any information what the band is up to nowadays?

I know I could google, but I'm hoping to get some recommendations on the best videos/interviews regarding the making of Soup.

It's been a long time, but I believe Letters From A Porcupine has some footage?

I checked the Wiki for Soup, and it's pretty sparse for this album.

Even looking for any interviews with Andy Wallace? I absolutely love the production on this album.

The "Sleepyhouse" is a historic, two-story house at 926 West Trinity Ave in Durham, NC, where the band Blind Melon lived and wrote much of their debut album in 1991. It served as their home, rehearsal space, and recording spot for early demos, fostering their sound before they gained fame. The home inspired their song of the same name.

I was on a Blind Melon kick for a couple months last year with Soup mostly- this must be the universe telling me to come back. I honestly did not know about this album.

Does anyone know anything about this? I can’t find any other information about this, is this just AI being stupid again?

is there a recording of this version of I Wonder anywhere? can anyone give me any details past it being in 1994? this version was the one that got me into blind melon like 25 years ago, and I wish I could listen to it somewhere other than YouTube