Improbably hailing from the dry town of Zion, Illinois on the banks of Lake Michigan where not even bikinis were permitted Shoes were formed, like a lot of rock bands, by three kids who were just looking for something to do. The difference? Very few bands none actually come to mind write and perform perfectly crafted power pop songs for 35 years and counting. Indeed, Gary Klebe and brothers John and Jeff Murphy reign as deans of the entire power pop scene, and now, concurrent with the release of Ignition, their first new studio album in 18 years, and Boys Don't Lie: A History of Shoes, a behind-the-scenes biography detailing their odyssey through the musical industry, Shoes and Real Gone Music have teamed to release the first-ever career-spanning retrospective of the band. 35 Years the Definitive Shoes Collection includes 21 tracks chosen by Shoes and taken from all eight of their studio albums that saw an official release, starting with the DIY masterpiece of 1977, Black Vinyl Shoes, through the three albums (Present Tense, Tongue Twister and Boomerang) released on Elektra, the three albums (Silhouette, Stolen Wishes and Propeller) the band self-released in the '80s and '90s, and culminating in a newly-released track, "Say It Like You Mean It," from Ignition. The liner notes feature fresh, exclusive interviews with Shoes and pictures from the band's private archives. Whether you re a long-time fan or new to this band s sublime power pop pleasures, 35 Years the Definitive Shoes Collection 1977-2012 is essential.