The reign of Jellyfish was a devilishly short one. Yet with only two albums and a cataclysmic lineup change at the halfway point, Jellyfish’s output deserves a place in the edifice of power pop, alongside such luminaries as Badfinger, Cheap Trick and XTC. And now, fans will be able to enjoy those two albums on vinyl – one for the first time in the U.S. and one of them for the first time anywhere – thanks to the good folks at Omnivore Recordings.

Jellyfish was the brainchild of singer/drummer Andy Sturmer and keyboardist Roger Manning, both former members of San Francisco outfit Beatnik Beach desperate to perform their own songs. The duo hooked up with Manning’s brother Chris on bass and an underrated luminary on guitar: Jason Falkner, a member of underground L.A. band The Three O’Clock, whose final album, Vermillion (the only one he contributed to) was released two years prior on Paisley Park Records. (Prince, under the pseudonym “Joey Coco,” wrote the LP’s lead single, “Neon Telephone.”) Falkner and Manning had nearly joined forces on a musical project after the breakup of The Three O’Clock, but ultimately decided not to.

Though the band’s debut Bellybutton, released in 1990, was a moderate success, spawning a modest hit in bubblegum-sweet single “Baby’s Coming Back,” Chris Manning and Falkner would depart after the completion of their first tour. (Ironically, Falkner left because his songwriting contributions were not getting used – the same reasons behind Sturmer and Manning’s formation of the band in the first place.) A rotating cast of musicians filled out the band’s sophomore album, Spilt Milk (1993), including producer Jon Brion, Lyle Workman and T-Bone Wolk, but the band folded not long after finishing a tour to promote that record. Nonetheless, their popularity lasts among power-pop connoisseurs; an extremely sought-after rarities box set was released independently in 2002, and a proper hits compilation was released in 2006, not long before U.K. band McFly took “Baby’s Coming Back” to the top of the U.K. charts the next year.

Omnivore’s reissues of both albums (Spilt Milk making its vinyl debut) feature both albums in their entirety; the first 1,500 copies of each album will be pressed on translucent vinyl (blue for Bellybutton and purple for Spilt Milk) and, in the case of Bellybutton, those limited copies will also feature the original gatefold sleeve. Each are available on September 27 and can be ordered at Amazon after the jump.

Bellybutton (Charisma Records 91400-1, 1990 – reissued Omnivore, 2011)

1. The Man I Used To Be
2. That is Why
3. The King is Half-Undressed
4. I Wanna Stay Home
5. She Still Loves Him
6. All I Want is Everything
7. Now She Knows She’s Wrong
8. Bedspring Kiss
9. Baby’s Coming Back
10. Calling Sarah

Spilt Milk (Charisma Records V2-86459, 1993 – reissued Omnivore, 2011)

1. Hush
2. Joining a Fan Club
3. Sebrina, Paste, and Plato
4. New Mistake
5. Glutton of Sympathy
6. The Ghost at Number One
7. Bye, Bye, Bye
8. All is Forgiven
9. Russian Hill
10. He’s My Best Friend
11. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late
12. Brighter Day