EELS to release Best Of and Useless Trinkets rarities + tour dates

The ever-changing lineup of musicians that play the songs of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Mark Oliver Everett (aka E), unveils both its first "best of" compilation, 'Meet The EELS: Essential EELS Vol. 1, 1996-2006 (CD+DVD)', and its first collection of rarities, B-sides, film contributions and unreleased tracks, the 'EELS Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2006 (2CD+DVD)', each issued by DreamWorks/Geffen/UMe, scheduled for release on January 21, 2008.

All videos are available for the first time on DVD and all music is digitally remastered with both packages packed with never before seen photos, artefacts and Everett's notes about each track.

'Meet The EELS: Essential EELS Vol. 1, 1996-2006' spans the first decade of the EELS with 24 selections on CD and 12 promotional videos on DVD. The CD opens with four tracks from the band's 1996 debut 'Beautiful Freak', two tracks from the Eels' highly acclaimed second album 1998's 'Electro-shock Blues' follow plus a previously unreleased Jon Brion remix of "Climbing To The Moon."

Four songs from 2000's 'Daisies Of The Galaxy', which NME dubbed "a masterpiece in almost every way," are represented on the Essentials album plus three tracks from 2001's 'Souljacker', which Time Magazine crowned as one of the best albums of the year, was acclaimed overseas with NME calling it "downright brilliant" and the London's Sunday Times named it Album Of The Year, writing that "the conventional wisdom that (the earlier album) 'Electro-shock Blues' was E's masterpiece will have to be reassessed: it was clearly just one of his masterpieces."

2003's live-in-the-studio Shootenanny! (awarded four stars by Rolling Stone) adds two fan favorites, while five songs from the highly acclaimed, and best charting album in the band's history 'Blinking Lights and Other Revelations' are included. Also on the Essentials album are the previously unreleased "Get Ur Freak On," a live version of "Dirty Girl" from 2006's 'With Strings: Live At Town Hall' and "I Need Some Sleep" from the Shrek 2 soundtrack.

Highlights within the 50 CD tracks 'EELS Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2006' are longtime concert favorite "Living Life" from the Daniel Johnston tribute album, the previously unreleased 2006 cover of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put A Spell On You" and other covers including James Carr's "Dark End of The Street" and Prince's "If I Was Your Girlfriend."

Useless Trinkets also includes a large handful of BBC performances, unique live versions of "Novocaine For The Soul" and "My Beloved Monster," tracks from films - The End Of Violence, Holes, Levity and How The Grinch Stole Christmas and many previously unreleased tracks including the original collections title track which frontman Everett performs backed by a 28 piece orchestra. The DVD features six performances from the EELS' Lollapalooza 2006 performance, including a gospel rave-up take on "My Beloved Monster" and a high octane rumble through "Souljacker part I."

'Meet The EELS: Essential EELS Vol. 1, 1996-2006' and 'EELS Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2006' prove why, following that 2006 Lollapalooza performance, Rolling Stone wrote: "EELS define coolness."

The EELS are one of music's most acclaimed and idiosyncratic enterprises, accomplishing what The New Yorker calls "that rarest thing in contemporary pop: a unique sound."

Tracklistings:

Meet The EELS: Essential EELS Vol. I, 1996-2006 (CD+DVD)

1 Novocaine For the Soul
2 Susan's House
3 My Beloved Monster
4 Your Lucky Day in Hell
5 3 Speed
6 Last Stop: This Town
7 Climbing to the Moon (Jon Brion Remix)*
8 Flyswatter
9 I Like Birds
10 Mr. E's Beautiful Blues
11 It's A Motherfu?@!r
12 Souljacker Part 1
13 That's Not Really Funny
14 Fresh Feeling
15 Get Ur Freak On*
16 Saturday Morning
17 Love of the Loveless
18 Dirty Girl (live at Town Hall)
19 I Need Some Sleep
20 Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)
21 I'm Going to Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart
22 Trouble With Dreams
23 Railroad Man
24 Losing Streak

EELS Video Collection DVD:

1 Novocaine For the Soul
2 Susan's House
3 Rags to Rags
4 Your Lucky Day in Hell
5 Last Stop: This Town
6 Cancer For the Cure
7 Flyswatter
8 Souljacker Part I
9 Saturday Morning
10 Hey Man (Now You're Really Living)
11 Trouble with Dreams
12 Dirty Girl (live at Town Hall)

*previously unreleased

EELS Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities and Unreleased 1996-2006 (2CD+DVD)

DISC 1:

1 Novocaine For the Soul (live from hell)
2 Fu@!er
3 My Beloved Monster (live from tennessee)
4 Dog's Life
5 Susan's Apartment
6 Manchester Girl (BBC)
7 Flower (BBC)
8 My Beloved Mad Monster Party (BBC)
9 Animal
10 Stepmother
11 Everything's Gonna Be Cool This Christmas
12 Your Lucky Day in Hell (Michael Simpson remix)*
13 Altar Boy
14 Novocaine for the Soul (Moog Cookbook remix)
15 If I Was Your Girlfriend (live)*
16 Bad News
17 Funeral Parlor
18 Hospital Food (BBC)
19 Open the Door (BBC)
20 Birdgirl on a Cell Phone
21 Vice President Fruitley
22 My Beloved Monstrosity
23 Dark End of the Street (live)*
24 The Cheater's Guide to Your Heart (live)*
25 Useless Trinkets*

DISC 2:

1 Mr. E's Beautiful Remix
2 Souljacker part I (alternate version)*
3 Dog Faced Boy (alternate version)*
4 Jennifer Eccles
5 Rotten World Blues
6 Can't Help Falling in Love
7 Christmas is Going to the Dogs
8 Mighty Fine Blues
9 Eyes Down
10 Skywriting
11 Taking a Bath in Rust
12 Estranged Friends*
13 Her
14 Waltz of the Naked Clowns
15 I Like Birds (live)*
16 Sad Foot Sign
17 Living Life
18 The Bright Side
19 After the Operation
20 Jelly Dancers
21 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man (live at Town Hall)
22 Mr. E's Beautiful Blues (live at Town Hall)
23 I Want to Protect You*
24 I Put a Spell on You (live)*
25 Saw a UFO*

EELS Lollapalooza 2006 DVD:

1 Saturday Morning
2 Eyes Down
3 My Beloved Monster
4 A Magic World
5 Not Ready Yet
6 Souljacker Part I

*previously unreleased

Eels 2008 UK tour dates:

Dates could be added or changed! Go to the Eels Official Website for the latest news and information.

February 25 2008 - London, Royal Festival Hall
February 26 2008 - Birmingham, Town Hall
February 27 2008 - Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
February 28 2008 - Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
March 1 2008 - Gateshead, Sage
March 2 2008 - Brighton, Dome

For more information and the latest news go to:

EELS Official Website

Related: BBC Four documentary about Mark Everett and his father