Artist description yellowstars produces short, electrified pop songs, inherited from a genetic line of New Wave and Brit Pop in the new indie rock style.

Music Style Indie Pop

Musical Influences Badfinger, t. rex, The Smiths, Split Enz, Jellyfish, The Stone Roses, Guided by Voices

Artist History Conceived in 2001. Raised in Durham, North Carolina.

Group Members T. Alexander, K. Lai, A. Garrison, C.R. Reynolds.

Albums rainbow kisses

Press Reviews I'm taken with Rainbow Kisses, the debut album by yellowstars, AKA another unknown band that's made an excellent record that, sadly, is going unheard due to...well, I'm not going to launch into a "what's wrong with the music biz" rant mid-review again--I've been doing that too much lately. But one listen to this record is certainly proof positive that there's something wrong going on-this is a self-released CD-Rom that sounds like a million bucks, "Driving To The Water" should be a radio hit, and Yellowstars' fate deserves to be much more than pointless obscurity. But though we must bemoan the fact that these things aren't so, let's not take that to mean that Yellowstars are a lesser band. If there's one word that comes to mind when listening to Rainbow Kisses, it's potential. These guys are a pretty awesome little band right now, and they've got the world in their hands. Do they know it? Probably. Though they sarcastically label themselves as "bland alternative college new wave indie pop rock," they couldn't be any closer to the truth. Their sound is certainly in there, but it's in between the spaces of those words. Of course, somewhere between here and there, their particular sound-literate, intelligent, well-written pop, with a hint of keyboards, a dash of Britishness, and a whole heapin' of wit-fell out of favor. The inevitable backlash that fell on "Alternative Rock" isn't helping them, either. Too bad, too, because though their sound may be familiar, they don't take the easy way out, and they don't sound particularly generic; I really can't think of one band to adequately compare them to (a good thing!), though I'm sure it serves them no disservice to say that if you like the Eels, you'd like Yellowstars. That's not a comparison; that's an observation, so take that as you may; Tom Alexander's wit is certainly acidic, and his voice is soothing enough to hide the dagger he's going to place in your heart. Fun! But, you really can't go wrong with Yellowstars. From the funny though disturbingly honest bits of "Fair Weather Fans," the lovely piano moments of the (why-is-it) hidden "Think It Over," to the "Driving To The Water" and "Happy Puppet," yellowstars never really lets you get too comfortable in a groove, nor do they really let you get bored. I can't really pick one song to highlight, because they're all worth highlighting; they're all excellent, and they're all memorable. I guess I'm a sucker for their kind of music. Rainbow Kisses is a joy, and a welcome relief. It's good to know that some bands are willing to make good music, regardless of trends. They're a young band, and the world is theirs-let's hope it listens. --Joseph Kyle www.mundanesounds.com

Location Durham, NC - USA

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