Posted on: December 2, 2007 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

On Tuesday, November 20, The Militia Group released Dressed Up & In Line, a collection of rare and previously unreleased material from Florida indie darlings, Copeland.

After a year filled with uncertainty and change for Copeland, it seemed an ideal time to pause for reflection. A retrospective of the band’s stellar seven-year history (2000 – 2007), this 14-song gem is loaded with music that all fans will consider must-haves while serving as the perfect introduction for newbies.

Founding member Aaron Marsh says of Dressed Up & In Line: “This is not a comprehensive collection. There are far too many acoustic recordings, demos and live bootlegs to include. Instead this is a collection of the essential non-album tracks from over the years. While some of these recordings make us a bit red-faced as all artists get when they listen to their old material, each of these songs has a bit of nostalgia, an interesting story, or marks a milestone in our career. The opportunity to prepare this collection has been a trip down memory lane for us.”

Yet far from a simple rehashing of familiar material, each song on Dressed Up & In Line has been reworked, whether that means a new guitar lick or new vocal harmony or a totally remixed track. But fear not because that classic Copeland signature sound still remains intact.

The collection also includes covers of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” and The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” – as well as some of the first songs the band ever laid down in “That Awful Memory of Yours,” “May I Have This Dance” and “Second Star To The Left, Go ‘Til Dawn.”

Some of the most alluring moments come as the band re-tools some of its most memorable tracks, from the now swooning pace of “You Love To Sing,” to the almost danceable version of “Sleep” to the stripped-down elegance of “No One Really Wins”; these tracks are at once both fresh and familiar.

As listeners take this journey alongside the band they have come to know so well over the years, they will find that there is still more to discover about their storied past. And most certainly, it gives us one more reason to get in line to follow them for many promising years to come.

Dressed Up & In Line Track Listing:

1. You Love To Sing (Slow Version)

2. Thanks To You

3. Sleep (Premix)

4. Chin Up (Demo)

5. Careful Now (Acoustic Version)

6. Black Hole Sun

7. No One Really Wins (Acoustic Version)

8. Interlude

9. Every Breath You Take

10. May I Have This Dance

11. That Awful Memory Of Yours

12. Second Star To The Left, Go ‘Til Dawn

13. Brightest (Acoustic Version)

14. When Paula Sparks (Alternate Recording)

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