Barnes & Barnes (“Fish Heads”) prep new album: watch “American History” video

Judy Moreno

Barnes & Barnes, the cult duo of Art Barnes (Bill Mumy who played Will Robinson on '60s-era Lost in Space) and Artie Barnes (Robert Haimer), hold the distinction of creating the most requested song in the Dr Demento Show history. That song is "Fish Heads," which still sounds shockingly weird some 42 years after being released. While none of their other songs hold quite as much cultural cache, Mumy and Haimer have continued to make music together as Barnes & Barnes since and will release a new album, Pancake Dream ,this Friday (11/5) via Dr. Demento's label, Demented Punk.

As fellow Demento vet Weird "Al" Yankovic notes, Pancake Dream "definitely ain’t 'Fish Heads,'" and "finds the brothers Barnes at their most hypnotic and avant-garde, creating lyrics and soundscapes that will forever plague my dreams and haunt my every waking moment." It's a more mature Barnes & Barnes, but no less strange. The album also occasionally draws back the curtain, for something a little more serious and direct, which is the case with "American History."

"Inspired by current events, I wrote American History as a 'social studies' song," Mumy tells us. "It’s a reflection of American politics and the divide that causes so much trauma and drama in our country and it’s also a personal report regarding friends lost during this heinous global pandemic. I wish I hadn’t been inspired to write it. But… it’s an honest and a personal song, which in itself, is a rarity for Barnes & Barnes.”

The video for "American Dream" also pays tribute to "old friends with sad ends" like Bill Paxton (who directed the "Fish Heads" video), Devo's Bob Casale, Miguel Ferrer, Gilligan's Island's Dawn Wells, and more. The video premieres in this post and you can watch it below.

Pancake Dream is available on CD, vinyl and digital, as well as deluxe editions with elaborate packaging, a video/DVD version of the album and merch bundles. (Pre-order yours.) The video version of the album will also be available to stream via Nite Flight Plus soon.

Check out Pancake Dream's artwork and tracklist below.

TRACKLIST:
1.) I Have So Many Friends in Heaven (3:13)
2.) American History (2:49)
3.) Worry (4:32)
4.) All Mine So Fine (3:51)
5.) Peace of Mind (3:51)
6.) Little Bobert Sunshine (4:18)
7.) Ode to Dire Pain (3:00)
8.) It's Not In My Mind (2:52)
9.) Go To Sleep (3:17)
10.) Take Your Money and Go in the Rain (4:41)
11.) Trust (6:26)
12.) Pancake Dream (4:14)
13.) Billy Haimer's Dead (2:09)