Album Notes

Starting as partners in their East Coast home town of Rochester, N.Y., back in '91, Bob Gaulke and Eric Gregory clung tenaciously to the Hypermarket torch. Their first recording, Famous Profiles in Retail, released in 1994, met with something less than critical acclaim. The current releases, however, show a marked improvement in listenability and clarity of thought.

In the ideologically volatile '60s, Hypermarket 96-97 might have been labeled as a "protest" band, but today their music could serve as a clarion call to any thinking individual. Listeners are apprised of the Supersaturation Culture and given a pass to The Innerloop. Take a ride On The Bus or relive the Summer of Love. The grooves bubble and twist, and the instrumentation is at once stark and lush.

Hypermarket '96-'97 was a two year project produced by engineer Sean Flora in Portland, Oregon. Featuring the songwriting duo of Eric Gregory (guitar, vocals) and Bob Gaulke (bass, vocals), the band also included Shannon Hale (trumpet, vocals), Jim Huie (drums), Tom McFadden (trombone), and Jen Harrison (French Horn).

After its breakup, Eric Gregory went on to form the hard rockin' group The Crack City Rockers, Bob Gaulke went on to write a travel book for Future Tense Books (The Nervous Tourist) and moved to Japan. Jim Huie formed the Paisley Pop label. Shannon Hale moved out to New Mexico, Tom McFadden ran (unsuccesfully) for Congress as a candidate for the All Night Party, and Jen Harrison became a housewife.

The CD includes pop culture superhero artwork in homage to the Marvel Comics of the 60s by the mysterious and highly sought after Daupo.