The first concept-double album of its kind by a Filipino-American band is finally available after a year in production.
School Tales by the Jersey City rock quartet The Happy Analogues can now be ordered on the band’s website at  www.thehappyanalogues.com.

The double album is part of the exclusive School Tales Lunch Box Set, which includes the band’s debut album, Lilacs and Politics released in early 2007, and a special CD called The Happy Analogues: Singles and Bootlegs, a collection of the band's singles and rare unreleased songs as well as School Tales outtakes and demos. All three discs are encased in a blue Happy Analogues lunch box.
The School Tales Lunch Box set is very limited– only 44 boxes are available and can only purchased at the Listening Party on March 28 or online orders before March 28. After the party, only the double-album School Tales will be available to the public.
School Tales is built around the concept of school life in the Philippines. It contains 20 all-original songs in Filipino and English, which are meticulously produced by the band.

“We began working on the album in October of 2007. Our final tracking date was on January 15, 2009,” said Ted Reyes, the band’s guitarist and composer/producer. “It has been a long journey, but we are all happy with the result. We hope the public will be just as happy.
It is important to note that School Tales was produced in a mostly analog environment. The band tracked on a 16-track analog tape machine and the songs were mixed using an analog console and outboard effects, very different from the all-digital productions that are commonly employed today.
“We were after a certain sound,” said Ronnie Lao, the band’s bassist/producer. “ A sound that only analog gear could provide. It is all part of the album that we conceptualized.”
The decision to work on analog was a tough decision for the band because analog is more time consuming than digital.
“We had to deal with mixing without the benefit of a computer which that recall mixing settings on the fly,” Reyes added. “With analog mixing, no mix will ever be the same. Once you are done and happy with the sound, you have to let go without the comfort of having all the settings intact in case you want to remix.”
Such bold decisions are typical of the Happy Analogues, a band known in the scene to push boundaries and try unpopular methods.
“It was a trade-off we were willing to accept,” said Paul Zurita, the band’s guitarist and composer/producer. “ But it all paid-off. I love the sound of this record.”
While the band decided to take the analog path less traveled by, it was not through high-end studios that still record on tape.
“We produced this record ourselves and had to work on the gear that we have,” added Rich Saguirre, the band’s drummer and art director. “We had to nail each take all the time to avoid too many edits. We didn’t have that luxury. But all in all, it made us better musicians.”
The School Tales Lunch Box Set is available for only $20.
School Opening Party
On Saturday, March 28, 2009, the band will host a listening party in, one of the hottest lower East Side rock venues, Fat Baby NYC. The club is located at 112 Rivington St. New York, NY 10002. The party will start at 7:00 PM.  Everyone is invited. Admission is Free.
Meanwhile, School Tales is also scheduled to be distributed in the Philippines this year.