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October 20, 2004 Local indie rockers The Operators are turning out their second full length album, The Light and the Dark, and will celebrate its release Saturday, November 20th at P.A.'s Lounge in Somerville. Also joining the festivities will be Shenzhou 5 (featuring Seana Carmody of Kimchee Records, ex-Swirlies and Syrup USA) and postpunkers The Squids. The Operators have been making rock music from their base in Somerville for five years now, garnering giddy praise for their first album nationwide--"spiffy and wry," "blase [and] blistering," "jingle-jangle effervescence and buzz-saw power," "punkily outlandish," "and damned gleeful," according to the Village Voice, Venus Magazine, Giant Robot, Northeast Performer, and Splendid respectively. They also earned a spot on the CMJ charts and topped many radio station best-of-year lists. Their new effort is a concept album, "but you supply the concept," warns bassist Jen Godfrey. Light and dark became a theme running throughout the lyrics, first organically, then self-consciously, and eventually a bit ridiculously. This left no other option than to dub the collection The Light and the Dark (no relation to 80's video game Archon: The Light and the Dark). The album's singles are a sour-pop "The Look" (no relation to 80's Jordache jean jingles) and "The Light," a 5-minute rave-up that ends with Gang-of-Four-esque ferocity (any 80's references intentional). In addition to their usual lineup (two guitars, bass and drums), the album includes an array of curious instruments (mellotrons, short wave radios, and plastic bags) as well as guest appearances by members of Choo Choo la Rouge and The Blind King. Atop their active schedule of Rock, The Ops have found time to co-found the Handstand Command music collective (which includes bands such as The Anchormen and Plunge into Death), help launch the wildly successful Bazaar Bizarre DIY craft fair in Davis Square, lend organizational efforts to the Ladyfest*East arts and activism festival in New York, and contribute to many of the Somerville Arts Council's happenings (guitarist Emily Arkin sits on the agency's board). The party starts at 9pm on Saturday the 20th, and along with the live performances, there will be food, games, and, as always, booze. Though the band has has played regularly for years, in local clubs and on the occasional regional tour, guitarist Paul Coleman has just moved to the Adirondacks (possibly to eat bark and trap beaver) which means future appearances will be few and far between. "So git to PA's while the gittin's good," Coleman recommends.
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