Details: Most listeners were introduced to Mike Krol in 2015 with the release of his Merge debut, Turkey. Few knew at the time that Turkey was actually Chapter 3 of the Krol saga, and that he had self-released two records years earlier. To the delight of his new legion of fans, Merge reissued those early albums as the 2017 collection Mike Krol Is Never Dead: The First Two Records. With that release, I Hate Jazz and Trust Fund found new life, and the inclusion of digital-only rarities led to fresh demand for a complete release of Mike Krol Is Never Dead on CD, out January 29, 2021. Self-released on LP in 2011, I Hate Jazz was the opening salvo of World War Krol. Only 500 copies were pressed; they were given away to anyone who showed interest (and many who showed none whatsoever). Including Krol classics like "Fifteen Minutes" and "Like a Star, " the record had long been unavailable. Trust Fund followed in 2013; it's 500 LPs sold out on the ensuing tour, fueling a mini-mania that would elevate it to cult status. The 3-CD edition of Mike Krol Is Never Dead includes the first two albums housed in miniature-sized reproductions of the original album tri-fold wallets, and an additional disc filled with an illuminating selection of outtakes, demos, and B-sides from that era.

Mike Krol - Mike Krol Is Never Dead: The First Two Records (CD)