From Lost in Ohio: “All I ever wanted was Aunt Bettys on vinyl. Reissue copies now available for pre-order. Remastered from tape, new artwork, extensive liners. Available on two vinyl variants, plus CD and cassette. Ships Feb 20. And a release celebration on Feb 28.

Lost in Ohio is reissuing Aunt Bettys on vinyl for the first time, with a deluxe package that honors the album’s legacy. The original Tim Okamura paintings are lost, so renowned artist Stephen Cefalo created two brand-new 12×24 oil paintings inspired by the originals. The album has been freshly remastered by Christopher Colbert from the original tapes and pressed on 180-gram vinyl. Liner notes by Lara Noel Hill (the band’s A&R rep at Elektra) and never-before-seen photos complete the package. CD and cassette versions are also available, all featuring the same care and detail. This is the version the album deserved in 1996.”

“The Aunt Bettys album has lived on as one of the most celebrated releases of Knott’s career. Lost in Ohio has had the pleasure of working with Mike Knott on prior reissues of his albums The Grape Prophet and Strip Cycle, and we’ve now decided to take on a deluxe reissue of this album as well, with the direct involvement of Knott’s family and band.

We will reissue the album on vinyl, in two stunning color variants. Each will be pressed on heavy 180 gram vinyl in a deluxe gatefold package, with liner notes and never-before-seen photos and memorabilia. We will reissue on glass-mastered CD, in a digipak with a full booklet, with the same attention to detail afforded the vinyl. For those still rollin’ the streets in their ’80s Camaro, we have a cassette option, with a large fold-out J Card (magnifying glass not included). All production will be handled by trusted partners that we have worked with multiple times for great, consistent results.

The iconic album artwork paintings are lost to time, as confirmed by artist Tim Okamura. We have chosen to work with another renowned painter Stephen Cefalo, who will be creating two brand-new 12×24 oil paintings for the release. The new artwork will be inspired by and an homage to the original art, designed specifically for the larger vinyl format. Like Okamura, Cefalo is a celebrated painter with a background in surreal life-like paintings. He has also done work in comics and as a staff artist for Nickelodeon, so he brings experience relevant to the unique demands of this project. And some fun facts for those in and around the Mike Knott scene:

• Stephen is fan of Knott’s work in the late ’80s and early ’90s, and is excited to be involved in the project.
• He went to high school with Blaster the Rocket Man, and painted the cover to their album The Monster Who Ate Jesus in his younger years.
• We have definitely heard him name Fluffy Luvs You as among his all-time favorite albums.

We will be working with Christopher Colbert to remaster the album, and hope to obtain the original master tapes for the highest quality results. (Warner Bros. maintains meticulous master archives and will begin the search and restoration process at the conclusion of the Kickstarter. Although we expect to have access to the master tapes, we will ultimately use the best available audio sources.)”

See the Kickstarter page for pledge levels, samples of Cefalo’s artwork, budget breakdowns, stretch goal statements, and more.

Have you been looking for a copy of Aunt Betty’s Ford Supersonic, and/or some rare Aunt Bettys songs? Head over to the Blonde Vinyl BandCamp and check out the deluxe edition of Ford Supersonic. Included on this edition are rare tracks like “Junkie”, demo songs like “Kill Me,” and Aunt Bettys versions of Knott songs like “Crash and Burn.” There is even a re-working of the Fluffy song “Guitars, Guns, and Girls.” While you are there, you can also get copies of Things I’ve Done, Things to Come or Live in Nashvegas as well.