GENERATION BLUE, the fascinating new Vinyl-and-Book project revisiting the '90s Hollywood Geek Rock scene, is out Friday, April 26 from Big Stir Records and SpyderPop Records. We're celebrating by releasing a new single from the collection on the same day it hits streaming services and copies of the limited-edition bundle begin shipping. “Touch My Fuzz” by CHOPPER ONE, in the newly recorded 2024 version created by the band exclusively for the project, exemplifies the Geek Rock sound and traces its roots to the original lineup of the scene's progenitors, Weezer.

Like the whole treasure trove of Geek Rock nuggets on GENERATION BLUE, “Touch My Fuzz” immediately evokes the sound and stance of the scene: big guitars, big hooks, big riffs, and a dose of the kind of humor lacking in so many other '90s rockers. CHOPPER ONE was the musical vehicle of Jason Cropper, the original guitarist for Weezer, and while it's not surprising to hear echoes of that band here, the track has an energy all its own. It's exactly the kind of song you would have cranked up if it hit the radio during the era – and indeed you might have done so. The original version of “Touch My Fuzz” was released as the lead single from the band's debut album Now Playing in 1997, and the very clever video -- prime artifact of the Geek Rock visual aesthetic as well as the sound – can still be found on YouTube.

The version of “Touch My Fuzz” featured on the GENERATION BLUE album and the single is an all-new recording, with Cropper faithfully recreating the original. It's one of several exclusive tracks on the compilation, which also includes demo versions, alternate takes and many vinyl debuts. Jason Cropper is also one of the many scene luminaries contributing first-hand accounts of the Geek Rock heyday to the Oral History book that's such an integral part of the GENERATION BLUE experience, joining (among others) fellow Weezer vet and Rentals main man Matt Sharp, Rod Cervera (Supersport 2000/The Rentals), Adam Orth (Shufflepuck), Mike Randle (Baby Lemonade/Love), Parry Gripp (Nerf Herder), and Ridel High's Steve Coulter, a.k.a. S.W. Lauden, editor of the book and curator of the album.

On the LP, CHOPPER ONE rubs shoulders with many of those same Geek Rock scene veterans, and more: Shufflepuck (with the collection's recent lead single “Where The Hell Is She”), Cockeyed Ghost, Ozma, Campfire Girls and Psoma are all included with tracks demonstrating the diversity of sounds and approaches of this vibrant but nearly-forgotten scene. Taken together, and accompanied by the stories in the Oral History, they're a strong argument that the '90s alt-rock movement might have gone in a very different direction, and in 2024 – with geeks having arguably inherited the earth – they sound as fresh as ever. GENERATION BLUE is a chance for a new generation of guitar pop fans to discover them.