The Minus 5 meets the Monkees

Power pop purveyor Scott Mccaughey, famed for his days with Seattle's Young Fresh Fellows and collaborations with R.E.M., Wilco and Robyn Hitchcock, is paying tribute to a prime influence with a new Monkees-themed record.

Of Monkees and Men isn't a covers record, but includes a lineup of tunes inspired by and titled after the Pre-Fab Four's members. It's also got an awesome cover.

Here's the skinny:

Of Monkees and Men, McCaughey’s fandom has reached new heights, and of his obsession with ‘60s rock, AXS notes, “The Minus 5 always adds up to a good time for nerdy rock history buffs,” but adds, “It’s also fantastic, even if you aren’t a nerd.”

“I was eleven years old when I first heard ‘Last Train To Clarksville,’” McCaughey remembers. “And I became a lifelong Monkees fan in that moment.” With

The album features nine original songs, that pay heartfelt homage to the Monkees as well as other friends and artists influential to McCaughey’s musical psyche. Side One tackles each member of the Monkees in song, starting with the ten-minute epic “Michael Nesmith,” and ending with “Boyce & Hart,” which praises the songwriting team behind many beloved Monkees hits. Side Two bows to iconic actor Robert Ryan, the brilliantly literate Portland-based Americana band Richmond Fontaine, and, in “Blue Rickenbacker” and “Weymer Never Dies,” two lost comrades that loom large in McCaughey’s development into a rock and roll lifer.

Tracklist:
1. “Michael Nesmith”
2. “Davy Gets the Girl”
3. “Song for Peter Tork”
4. “Micky Is a Cool Drummer”
5. “Boyce & Hart”
6. “Blue Rickenbacker”
7. “Robert Ryan Is Among Us”
8. “Richmond Fontaine”
9. “Weymer Never Dies”