After a long string of my favorite artists and bands either dying, retiring, or breaking up, I finally get a couple pieces of good news. First, Kepano Green is back together again and are working on a new album. This band is the acoustic pop duo of Josh Kauffman and Paul Duncan. They got together at Wheaton College nearly seven years ago. It’s funny, because Josh lived next door to me in the same dorm, and I’d hear him playing guitar all the time. So it’s no surprise that I became a huge fan of their work. They got together in the fall of 1997 and recorded their first album, which was a live project recorded in the Chatlos TV Studio at Wheaton. I had the chance to help with the project, and videotaped the whole session. It’s a great album that brings back a lot of great memories for me. Well, Josh and Paul graduated, released another album, moved to LA, added a third member, and promptly broke up. But now their back together. I’m looking forward to the result.

The other good news that I read was that Smalltown Poets are putting another album out this fall. They’ve been dormant for a long time, and I thought they were finished. Apparently not. Their self-titles debut album is still an amazing effort. I had the chance to interview these guys way back in 1996 or 1997 and hear them do an acoustic set at WETN. They were awesome.

Now, if only the Waiting would put something new out, I’d be happyy.