There's an ongoing joke: When musicians get too wasted they start side
projects. These grandiose schemes usually fizzle as attention spans are
rerouted to deal with hangovers and coming back down to reality. Occasionally
there are exceptions to this rule...

Enter The Playing Favorites, a band born out of an idea conceived on a
drunken night in Japan when old pals Joey Cape and Luke Tierney were on tour
together in their respective bands (Me First & the Gimme Gimmes and The
Penfifteen Club). Caffeine and/or alcohol-assisted brainstorms ensued with
more good friends; Tim Cullen (a solo artist and former singer/guitarist of
Summercamp); Marko DeSantis (guitarist of Sugarcult and bassist of another
Cape band, Bad Astronaut); and Mick Flowers (who had played in Tim and
Marko's early 90's band Popsicko, and bands such as The Rentals, and The
Lapdancers). The five of them originate from Santa Barbara, CA but have all
carved out new lives in different cities. They have such an intertwining
history of musical relationships that a family tree would look more like a
family forest. Soon after, the concept of making a record together grew into
a plan.

Everyone synchronized their calendars and found a week of time to meet at The
Sandbox Studio in Los Angeles. With Rick Parker (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club,
The Shore) behind the glass they rolled up their sleeves and got right to
work. Time and money were of the essence the so process was as follows: set
up the gear, throw up some microphones, learn a song, record it, pass the mic
to the next guy that had a song, and do it again.
3 songs a day were recorded over a period of 5 days (the final 2 days were
used for a few basic changes), resulting in 14 inspired-by-the-moment songs;
diverse in style, but united by mutual respect. The raw tracks were then
fermented for about a year; the elapsed time providing a fresh perspective on
the songs. Final touches were made and the record was finished.

There's a refreshing honesty and authenticity to The Playing Favorites that
can't be fabricated. Their debut album "I Remember When I Was Pretty" plays
like a tribute to a collective and possibly checkered past of a circle of
friends.



01. Leavingtown                
02. Everyone Else              
03. Good Years                 
04. Waiting                    
05. This is the Last Train     
06. Spill My GUts              
07. Futuring                   
08. Indigenous                 
09. Drug Hugger                
10. Stay                       
11. Whole Lotta Nothin         
12. The Problems Last          
13. Wasteland                  
14. Citizen's Band