Certain Stars
Times Like These Call for Tambourines
© 2004 Certain Stars (747014496022)
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Indie power pop at its finest with musical nods to Superchunk and Guided by Voices.
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Formed in 2003, Certain Stars plays melodic indie rock influenced by bands such as Teenage Fanclub, Guided by Voices and Superchunk. The band has become a dynamic live force, playing shows with conviction, heart and energy!
The 2004 self-released debut "Times Like These Call for Tambourines" finds Certain Stars arriving with confidence. With contributions from three songwriters the band casts a wide net within the indie power pop and lo-fi framework; from the polished straight forward pop of "Everyone Now" and "Walk Away" to the more lo-fi "Wild Consumption" and "Opposites Are the Same". Imitation is not a form of flattery for Certain Stars, using their influences as a springboard to find their own sound.
In 2007 the band released "Wired For Sound" (Cuba Libre Records). The five song EP recorded on 1" analog tape puts the rock back in indie rock, bringing them closer to their exuberant live sound. Certain Stars believes in the motto "write good songs and play them well".
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Miles ahead of most indie bands
author: Maximum InkIt's been out for awhile, but it definitely deserves some attention, especially to help hype the new EP (vinyl terms are always cooler than digital terms) they'll be releasing in 2006. You can hear the Teenage Fanclub influence on their debut album and the brothers Hernandez (Kyle on bass and vocals and Chris on guitar) find their jangling melodies without wasting much time. Their lyrics are clever (“Ex-Members of a Band” has some good verses and the MacGuffin at the center of “Quite The Production” show that they're not afraid of complexity, even if the point isn't always made clearly.) It's garage-pop and miles ahead of most Wisconsin indie bands, and leaves the listener looking forward to the next (and hopefully a little less fuzzy sounding) Certain Stars record.
Certain Stars pull it off
author: Splendid MagazineThere's something to be said for bands that can squeeze various forms of power pop, lo-fi rock and even Nick Drake folk into a single album -- and make it sound like it was recorded in a garage. Wisconsin-based Certain Stars pull it off on Times Like These Call for Tambourines. Despite Certain Stars' sonic and lyrical inconsistencies, These Times is a subtle treasure.
I love the energy and indie pop.
author: Julie MorensteinTimes Like These rocks! I love the energy and indie pop and the instrumental lo-fi stuff too.