So I found out today that one of my favorite records of all time, Material Issue’s sadly overlooked pantheon to power pop, “International Pop Overthrow,” is finally getting the reissue treatment later this month, the twentieth anniversary of its initial release. Best remembered for their blistering college rock semi-hit “Valerie Loves Me” and front man Jim Ellison’s suicide in 1996, the band were purveyors of melodic jangle in an era hopelessly devoted to the Sub Pop aesthetics of sludgy guitars and piss off dissonance.

“Valerie” is undeniably their finest hour—a sonic boom of pining with one of the all time great, top-of-your-lungs choruses ever laid down on tape—but the rest of IPO (and the band’s three subsequent albums) has more than its share of gems, from the counterpoint take on female infatuation in “Diane” to the flippantly quotable title track. “I don’t need a girlfriend, I need an accomplice”—I pray to one day write a lyric half that offhandedly cool.

Anyhoo, the IPO reissue (from Hip-O Select) will feature 8 bonus tracks, including the never-before-released “The Girl with the Saddest Eyes” and a handful of promotional-only B-Sides. Regrettably absent are any cuts from the band’s woefully O/P live recording, “Goin Through Your Purse.” Nevertheless, I’m (as Andy would say) pretty Je’Ron Stokes-ed to dig into the new material. I’ll be sure to post some highlights when the CD hits me in a couple weeks.