Melding the pop power of 70s groups like Cheap Trick with the snark of 80s garage bands like The Replacements, Ultimate Fakebook play a brand of power pop that resulted in some under-the-radar cult classic albums. When the trio reunited in 2020 for The Preserving Machine, their skills were undiminished. The band crystallized in 1996 in the town of Manhattan, KS when the duo of guitarist/vocalist Bill McShane and bassist Nick Colby hooked up with drummer Eric Melin of Truck Stop Love and began playing shows, honing their power trio sound to a fine point and recording 1997's Electric Kissing Parties. After issuing the indie This Will Be Laughing Week in 1999, the band was signed by 550/Epic Records, which reissued the album in 2000. The band toured nonstop with the likes of The Get Up Kids, At the Drive-In, Nada Surf, and Motion City Soundtrack, and in 2002 released Open Up and Say Awesome for their new non-major label Initial. They released one more record, 2003's EP Before We Spark, before they split up. The band reunited for a few shows in 2008, and in 2010 self-released a record of rarities called Daydream Radio Is Smiling Static. After that they were quiet for a decade before reuniting in a more permanent fashion to record their fourth album. The trio recaptured the powerful pop sound of their early records and added some well-earned maturity to the lyrical content. The Preserving Machine was released by Sonic Ritual Recordings in April of 2020.