The Monkees’ new album ‘Good Times!’ is out on May 27th and we’re hosting a special indie listening event!

You will be able to hear the band’s new album in its entirety as well as pick up a copy, but in addition we will have Monkees Limited Edition coloring books and are having an adult coloring party! No, not the dirty kind, ya creep. The zen, artistic, relaxing kind! And you can bring your kids, it’s not just for adults.

Here’s what we’ll have on site:
– Limited edition ‘The Monkees’ coloring books
– Balloons (woo!)
– Signed items to giveaway
– T-shirts
– Stickers

So come by for a fun, free event at Darkside Records!

================================================

“Good Times”, the first New Album In Nearly 20 Years from The Monkees Includes Tracks Written By Rivers Cuomo, Ben Gibbard, Noel Gallagher And Paul Weller, Andy Partridge, And Album Producer Adam Schlesinge The album Also Features Previously Unreleased 1960s Recordings Of Songs Written By Neil Diamond, Harry Nilsson, Carol King, And Others That Have Been Revisited And Completed In New Monkees Sessions. The group will embark on an extensive 50th anniversary North American tour.

All three surviving band members (Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork) have written new songs for the album as well as providing vocals and music performances. The unmistakable voice of the late Davy Jones is also included with a vintage vocal on the Neil Diamond-penned “Love To Love.” To produce the new album, the band found the perfect musical co-conspirator in Grammy® and Emmy®-winning songwriter Adam Schlesinger (Fountains Of Wayne, Ivy). The release date of GOOD TIMES! has been moved up two weeks and will be now be available on May 27 on CD ($13.98) and digitally, with a vinyl version ($19.98) coming out on July 29.

Much like The Monkees’ early albums, GOOD TIMES! features tracks written specifically for the band by some of the music world’s most gifted songwriters, including Rivers Cuomo of Weezer (“She Makes Me Laugh”), Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie (“Me & Magdalena”), Andy Partridge of XTC (“You Bring The Summer”), as well as a song co-written by Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller (“Birth Of An Accidental Hipster”).

GOOD TIMES! finds all three band members taking turns on lead vocals, playing a wide range of instruments, and sharing new compositions, including Nesmith’s “I Know What I Know” and Tork’s “Little Girl.” In addition to producing the album, Schlesinger also penned “Our Own World” and co-wrote the album’s finale with Dolenz, aptly titled “I Was There (And I’m Told I Had A Good Time).”

To help bring the 50th anniversary full circle, The Monkees completed songs for GOOD TIMES! that were originally written and recorded for the group during the 60s. Harry Nilsson wrote the title track “Good Times,” which he recorded at a session with Nesmith in January 1968. The production was never completed, so the band returned to the original session tape (featuring Nilsson’s guide vocal) and have created a duet with his close friend Dolenz. “Good Times” will mark the first time Dolenz and Nilsson have sung together since Dolenz’ May 1973 single “Daybreak.” GOOD TIMES! also includes the Neil Diamond-penned “Love To Love,” the Carole King and Gerry Goffin collaboration “I Wasn’t Born To Follow,” “Whatever’s Right,” written by legendary songwriting duo Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who were responsible for many of the classic Monkees hits, and “Gotta Give It Time,” by Jeff Barry and Joey Levine.

In addition to the new album, Dolenz and Tork will launch a Monkees 50th Anniversary Tour on May 18. The jaunt boasts nearly 50 North American dates through the end of the year including a homecoming gig at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles on September 16. Tickets are available now.

In other Monkees news, the band will release the entire series of “The Monkees” television show on Blu-ray for the very first time. All 58 episodes have been painstakingly restored in high-definition from the original film negatives. The 10-disc Blu-ray collection also includes the 1968 cult-classic “Head ,” along with many never-before-seen outtakes from the film. Due to the overwhelming amount of bonus material included, the collection, limited to 10,000 individually numbered pieces, will now be available on June 24 and can be purchased exclusively at Monkees.com for $199.98.

During the band’s time together, The Monkees amassed a dozen Top 40 hits, including a trio of tunes that soared to #1. Between September 1966 and December 1967, “Last Train To Clarksville,” “I’m A Believer,” and “Daydream Believer” collectively occupied the top position for 12 weeks. Sales of their LPs were more phenomenal still: The Monkees occupied the #1 position for 13 consecutive weeks, and More Of The Monkees for 18 weeks. Both Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. went to the top as well, for a four-in-a-row feat in the incomprehensible space of 13 months. The final tally: 16 million albums and 7.5 million singles sold in a mere 2 1/2 years.

GOOD TIMES! Track Listing (with songwriters noted)
1. “Good Times” (Harry Nilsson)
2. “You Bring The Summer” (Andy Partridge)
3. “She Makes Me Laugh” (Rivers Cuomo)
4. “Our Own World” (Adam Schlesinger)
5. “Gotta Give It Time” (Jeff Barry/Joey Levine)
6. “Me & Magdalena” (Ben Gibbard)
7. “Whatever’s Right” (Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart)
8. “Love To Love” (Neil Diamond)
9. “Little Girl” (Peter Tork)
10. “Birth Of An Accidental Hipster” (Noel Gallagher/Paul Weller)
11. “I Wasn’t Born To Follow” (Carole King/Gerry Goffin)
12. “I Know What I Know” (Michael Nesmith)
13. “I Was There (And I’m Told I Had A Good Time)” (Micky Dolenz/Adam Schlesinger)