Album & West Coast Tour Band Line-up: Scott McCaughey  (Young Fresh Fellows, Baseball Project, R.E.M.) Peter Buck  (R.E.M.) Linda Pitmon (Baseball Project, Steve Wynn, Filthy Friends) Kurt Bloch (Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows) Debbi Peterson (Bangles) What isThe Minus 5 in Year 2025?  You might well arsk!  What started off in 1993 as a studio side project (as the Young Fresh Fellows were easing up on their typically frenetic activities), it was originally meant to explore the folkier, more dismal side of rock’s palate/pallet. Now thirty years on, it seems to be just another rock band — a band with a rather extensive discography, belying its part-time status.  Which is pretty awesome anyway. The new album,Oar On, Penelope!, was in fact recorded in classic Get Back style, gathered in a room (or two), musicians tackling ideas that had not been demoed, or heard, or performed previously — and yet they seemed to be songs, rather instantly upon inception.  The core band on this effort isScott (The Hoople) McCaughey, ever-ready Peter Buck, Linda Pitmon, Kurt Bloch. And Debbi Peterson added her golden voice to every song.  Plus guest appearances by Spencer Tweedy, Patterson Hood, and Ed Stasium (more on him later). Somehow, less thought was put into this record… which is actually an extremely positive development! The songs feel immediate, relatively unadorned, and somewhat more positive in an indescribable way.  The words could be termed stream-of-consciousness, which is nothing new from this sector, but there seems to be a ray of light fighting its way through the usual twisted tales. Coming after 2017’sStroke Manor, a slew of pandemic long-distance collaborations (The No Ones, Luke Haines & Peter Buck, Junior League, solo-ish efforts) and three volumes of Neil Young-themed albums, the record just fell into place.  Grabbing any opportunity to pull friends into the studio for a quickie session, with no preparation at all, just seemed to work wonders.  Maybe it was a good idea to make music somewhere besides the frigid dank subterranean chamber called The Dungeon Of Horror? In mid-2024, with a 12-song collection sounding ready for consumption, Scott apparently got it into his head to see what someone else might make of it… not just anyone, in fact, but Ed Stasium, whose work has intrigued the M5 leader for many years.  Ramones, Smithereens, Replacements, Talking Heads, Motörhead, Living Colour, Hoodoo Gurus, Long Ryders, The Dickies … hell, he even worked on “Midnight Train To Georgia”!  Ed was willing to take on the project, and his enthusiasm while mixing, as well as adding odds and sods (or “secret sauce” as he calls it), really took these songs into another realm, without tarnishing the already-established garage-vibe.  The only way Scott could describe the difference Ed made to the record, was by saying: “It sounds more classic… like a record you might hear on the radio.” So, there it is.  The umpteenth Minus 5 platter, lovingly titledOar On, Penelope!, perhaps playing in a town near you.