CD REVIEW: StereoGoesStellar "StereoGoesStellar"

StereoGoesStellar
"StereoGoesStellar" (Independent, 2009)
Produced by Kevin Couvillon & StereoGoesStellar

2008 was a banner year for Windsor music. Led by now international sensation Neverending White Lights, whose albums continue to soar up charts across the country, collecting Juno and MuchMusicVideo Award nominations and accolades a plenty, followed by the alt. rock success of One Man’s Opinion in the U.S. and on Modern Rock radio, the acclaimed festival showcases of The Golden Hands Before God while touring for their North American wide release, the tireless tours and MuchMusic infiltration of Michou, the late year domination of the North American critics for Fiftywatthead’s latest offering, as well as the onward and upward skyrocketing of Pat Robitaille, Windsor has been striking gold more often than not with its musical ambassadors as they take their wares on the road and the airwaves.

With 2009 only a few months old, I’d like to offer a name for you to remember as a candidate for our Next One. StereoGoesStellar.

This five piece has been working hard on the local circuit for the past few years, releasing an EP in 2006 called Jumpin’ The Skull to local acclaim, while slowing building one of the scene’s most vocal and loyal fan bases. Built around the majestic piano and soaring vocals of singer Jeremy Coulter without being exclusive of the remaining four members, they have built a sound that is fresh and new while being altogether familiar.

On Saturday February 28, StereoGoesStellar will be holding a CD release party at Plush Lounge (375 Ouellette Ave.) to celebrate the release of their self titled full length debut, a 12- track collection that offers something for just about everyone. As Coulter mentions in their Press Release, the CD is “a great representation of the music our band creates...from fast upbeat songs to more somber slower songs.” It’s that diversity that marks the band’s strengths.

At first listen, the album almost comes across as a schizophrenic 16-year old, not sure whether it wants to jump on its bed screaming for just for fun or stare at the stars through a broken telescope. But on repeated listenings it becomes obvious that their influences run deep and wide and it’s their unbridled love for music that shines through. And if you aren’t a fan of one track, just skip to the next one...their sound is so varied that you’re bound to find one that sticks to you for days.

The album starts off with what could easily be their first single, a playful romp called “88 Keys”, that immediately will draw some comparisons to their scene siblings Michou. Although it may simply be because of the naked honesty of Coulter’s voice (it’s painful fragility is very similar to that of Michou’s Michael Hargreaves), StereoGoesStellar definitely deserves to be noted for their own musical voice and choice of directions. The second track, “Far Too Gone”, drew a whirlwind of recollections for me, almost sounding like a remastered gem from the 1980's from The Outfield, or perhaps a B-side from 90's indie rock band Idlewild. On tracks like “Night” they show they’re not afraid to sway from what predictable waters and try a different approach, not only to songwriting, but to actual musical delivery and it comes off damn near as good as anything Death Cab For Cutie has released lately (perhaps since Transatlanticsm).

But while their faster poppier songs are no doubt the highlights of their live shows (you can feel how good their shows probably are just listening to them), it’s on the slower tracks that StereoGoesStellar really shows what it can offer beyond what most of their local peers can do. An honesty in the song that revels in its simplicity and uses that to accentuate the poignant drama of the lyrics themselves. Ben Folds would do well to check this CD out as my favourite two tracks on the CD are “The Worlds Greatest Fadeout” and “Wish Upon A Plastic Star” are two classics that immediately brought to mind the soothing comfort I found in the haunting melody of Ben Folds’ 90's staple “Brick”.

The last track seems like a surprising addition as it’s a mellow take on the Pat Benatar 80's classic “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”, reinvented as a desperate plea to an ex-lover rather than the searing angst-laden rocker it started out as. Their version got such glowing approval from original songwriter Eddie Schwartz that he insisted on doing additional production and mixing on the track.

The album definitely has a few misfires but as an entire collection it’s a joy to listen to - the hits greatly outshine any of the misses. It definitely makes one long to hear the songs live and offers an eagerness to hear how this band will mature on future releases.

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As an added bonus, here's a short Q & A I did with StereoGoesStellar guitarist Mick DiMaio about the new album.

Do you think the CD captured the true live sound of SGS or is that an extension of the sound?

Mick: Before we started recording this album, we agreed that we want to present a better representation of our live sound than our first EP, Jumpin' the Skull. So, when we were tracking album we put a lot of time into generating the most authentic tones with each instrument. We spent countless hours playing with amps, pedals and drum sounds in an effort to most effectively articulate a typical SGS set.

You've recently picked up Toronto-based management in Dembroski/Denny. How has this helped the band?

Mick: Getting in touch with Dom Denny at D|D Artist Management was a huge step forward for the us. Since this working relationship was established we've had opportunities to work with some pretty fantastic individuals. For example, we were able to do our piano tracking at Doane Leblanc Studios in Toronto, and Creighton Doane later became involved with mixing the CD! We also did a cover of "Hit Me With your Best Shot" which was mixed by the song's original author Eddie Schwartz in Nashville, Tennessee. The biggest advantage of having a management team is the overall insight that's available around the clock. Dom has had a lot to do with helping us organize ourselves during the entire recording/ release process of this full length. There are a lot of aspects of the music industry that we just don't understand, so having a seasoned vet in our corner has been awesome.

You're not shy about playing all kinds of shows, from playing with the hardcore bands to playing with the indie pop bands. Why do you think SGS sounds have so accessible to such a diversity of crowds?

Mick: I guess our sound has turned out to be pretty universal. We each bring different elements to songs in the writting process that has helped to create a blend of somewhat aggressive, pop tunes. I think because of this we don't really c! ater to any specific demographic, which has helped to get a lot of dif ferent people out to shows. That being said, our moms are totally into the band, it doesn't get anymore badass than that, right?

What local bands have influenced or inspired SGS to continue their drive to make an impact on not just the local but national music presence?

Mick: Over the years we've developed some great relationships all over the Windsor music scene. Bands like One Man's Opinion, who are doing us a solid by playing our CD release which is happening February 28th at Plush Lounge. They're just a great rock band made up of the nicest guys around. They've had a huge response to their debut full length, scoring a ton of air time on 89X. Also bands, like BLURT and Holloway Roberts, who are no longer together had a huge impact on our band over the last four years, hooking us up with countless shows. Some other bands in Windsor that are drawing more and more attention are Amour Amour, Michou and My Son My Son. Windsor has been pretty quiet on the national scale, but hopefully in the next little while local bands will start turning some heads, because there's actually a pretty extensive pool of talent in this area, who have a lot to offer the Canadian art community.