Fred Armisen and Bill Hader's fake '70s soft rock band, Blue Jean Committee, has graduated from a Saturday Night Live sketch to a full-grown comedy band with a very real recording. The blue-eyed soulful parody band is releasing their debut EP, Catalina Breeze, on November 20th via Drag City. Today, they've shared a new song from the forthcoming album entitled "Gentle and Soft," which you can listen to below.
According to The Blue Jean Committee's bio on Drag City's website, the band started in "blue-collar Chicago when the now legendary Clark Honus (Bill Hader) and Gene Allen (Fred Armisen) dropped out of school to create the band of their dreams." As the story goes in the This Is Spinal Tap-esque season finale of the comedians' IFC parody series, Documentary Now!, the band convinces producer big-wig, Alvin Izoff (played in the episode by Irving Azoff, the actual manager of The Eagles), to help reinvent their image to, in the words of the aforementioned bio, "transcend the laid-back essence of California."
The duo even had something of a "reunion" performance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, which you can watch below.
Stereogum shared the duo's funny press release for the new track:
"Ahhhhh. The feeling of a fresh cotton towel straight out of the dryer; draping your skin in warm and fluffy hug of fabric. Or maybe the soft touch of puffy kittens entangled in your arms? These simple feelings of pleasure and contentment are often hard to emulate...unless you're the Blue Jean Committee! The almost-otherworldly quality of the smooth-n silky vocal harmonies of softrock legends Clark Honus and Gene Allen possess an ability to instantly transport and relax your body and mind to a peaceful place. And with the addition of the angelic voices provided by backup singers, "Gentle and Soft" swaddles your ears with such velvety sounds, you'll need a cigarette after just one listen! NOTHING should be that soft."
You can pre-order Catalina Breeze on Drag City's website where you can also hear previews of some of the other tracks. Check out the full tracklist:.
01. Catalina Breeze
02. Freeway Song
03. Gentle And Soft
04. Going Out To Hollywood
05. Mama You're A Dancer
06. Mr. Fix It
07. Walking Shoes
