The Prissteens - Almost 24

What's this, another Prissteens collection from Girlsville? Well kind of. Almost 24 is essentially a re-vamped version of 2016's long out-of-print Demos and Rarities cassette - with the live cuts and 7" tracks replaced by additional demos covering the years 1996-99. If you missed out on Demos and Rarities, Almost 24 retains the most intriguing aspect of that collection: the nine tracks The Prissteens demoed in 1999 in preparation for their second album. That album was never made, but Lori Lindsay and Leslie Day reemerged a few years later with their new band Purple Wizard. Songs like "If You Really Loved Me" and "Sugarboy" bridge the gap between both bands and suggest that a second Prissteens album would likely have sounded quite different from the first. Minus the live cuts and studio tracks, Almost 24 has a nice flow to it. This is the most inclusive collection of Prissteens demos ever assembled, with songs representing the full span of the band's career. And even if you already own both volumes of Demos and Rarities,  you will definitely want to shell out a buck for a download of the previously unreleased "Don't Think About You". I wondered after the release of Demos and Rarities Volume 2 if there could possibly be any more "A"-list Prissteens demos lying around. Apparently there was at least one! "Don't Think About You" is what I like to think of as the "true" Prissteens sound - raw garage rock inspired by '60s pop and girl groups. If you're a Prissteens super-fan, "Don't Think About You" is a must-own track. And come on: you'll want to own the cassette since it's just so freaking cool! For those of you who still own nothing by The Prissteens, I'd probably say start with the Demos and Rarities Volume 2 download and work your way out from there. Either way, we are talking about one of the greatest rock and roll bands to come out of New York City (or anywhere else, for that matter!) in the '90s. I will always jump on any opportunity to write about The Prissteens!



-L.R.

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