For those not in the know, music fans worldwide know Roger Joseph Manning Jr. as co-founder or member of the bands Jellyfish, Imperial Drag, The Moog Cookbook, TV Eyes, Beatnik Beatch, and The Lickerish Quartet, in addition to being a member of Beck’s band and an in-demand session player.

Over the years, he’s contributed to albums by Beck, Morrissey, Lana Del Rey, Blink 182, Johnny Cash, and Adele, among many others.

Omnivore Recordings is thrilled to continue their long association with Manning in releasing his new split EP/live EP which together form the album Hopium.

Side one features five new, some of which have been in the works for over 15 years. Across the ensuing years, Manning worked with musician friends Victor Indrizzo (drums), Steve Shane McDonald (bass), Jim Wilson (electric guitars), Ken Sluiter (mixing, mastering) and Jason Falkner (additional electric guitars) to perfectly craft five songs forming the basis of Hopium.

The flipside of Hopium is drawn from Manning’s live appearance at the 2018 International Pop Overthrow Festival at Molly Malone’s in Los Angeles. The five songs include a pair from his 2006 album The Land Of Pure Imagination, one from his previous Omnivore release, 2020’s Radio Daze & Glamping, and another pair from his former band, Jellyfish.

The live band appearing alongside him for the IPO date include Chris Price, Dan Rothchild, Ben Lecourt, Alex Jules, and Emeen Zarookian.

1. Modern Dance (The After School Specials)
2. Just Lust
3. My Magic Bicycle
4. Wish Away
5. The Lords Of Altamont
6. That Is Why (Live at International Pop Overthrow, Molly Malone’s, Los Angeles, 2018)
7. The Loser (Live at International Pop Overthrow, Molly Malone’s, Los Angeles, 2018)
8. Pray For The Many (Live at International Pop Overthrow, Molly Malone’s, Los Angeles, 2018)
9. Funhouse (Live at International Pop Overthrow, Molly Malone’s, Los Angeles, 2018)
10. The King Is Half-Undressed (Live at International Pop Overthrow, Molly Malone’s, Los Angeles, 2018)

The uber talented keyboardist, singer, and songwriter opens this cobbled together new recording on the fun rocker Modern Dance (The After School Specials) and the languishing AOR of Just Lust and then brings us the psych-hued pop of My Magic Bicycle, the flourishing Renaissance-imbibed Wish Away and the rousing guitar rock of The Lords Of Altamont.

And then come the live cuts, which begin with the jaunty That Is Why and that is in turn backed brilliantly by the free flowing The Loser, the low slung, mid-tempo balladry of Pray For The Many, the set rounding out on the upbeat and joyous Funhouse, coming to a resoundingly spectacular close on the divine flashback brilliance of the always great to hear The King Is Half-Undressed.

About the songs on Hopium Roger says, “I remember writing the lyrics in a hotel room in Germany. Out on tour, especially in the middle of the night when you’re jetlagging, you have all this time to think about lyrics that take forever to take shape. It’s a huge sense of personal victory when you realize you’ve got something.”

“This collection of songs is like that, ideas that developed over time that I believed in enough to take the time and resources to flesh out and record thinking, ‘Somebody’s got to hear this someday.’ So I just keep going and it’s a method that’s worked for me over the years because as a freelance musician, we’re all so busy trying to make ends meet, the songs that make it through have a special place in my heart.”

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