Pop*Star*Kids Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
The Pop*Star*Kids keep on keeping on with their third album, finding a blend of snot-pop sass and technology that actually sounds, strange to say, a bit retro. But perhaps that's more a matter of perception than anything else -- in a time when the even more self-consciously forward-into-the-past sounds of say, the White Stripes or the Darkness get all the attention, who is to say what is too out of time? No question, either, that the band's gotten darned good with the resulting puree of a slew of English influences from the '60s to the '90s; in a world where Gary Numan and Menswear mean more than the Beatles and the Stones, and where crediting one member with ProTools is a recognition that it's the 21st century, regardless. The synth riffs that open up "People Make Me Lonely" is either delicious Pleasure Principle-snarl, or loving electroclash homage -- or both -- but the high overdubbed vocals and bubbly guitar snarls bespeak something else, specifically the type of pop/rock catchiness that isn't in the post-blink-182 vein. Many songs focus more on the rocked-up end of things, but with their own specific high points -- the solid, slow glam thwack of Clancy's drums on "Fan Club" (as well as the percussion breakdown at the end), the bell-like chimes under the chorus of "Kelly Scale Down," the near-industrial verses on the appropriately titled "Dance Like the Dead." The giddy rush of vocals on many songs becomes its own reward -- the cascade of "yeah yeah yeahs" on "Love Is Burning in Yr Garden" -- the way the voices almost glaze into the guitars on "Did You Do Something Cool?" Bit it's the trading-off of the sometimes swaggering and sometimes winsome singing between all the members that might actually be the band's secret weapon. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
'The Rise and Fall of pOp*stAr*kiDs'
Release Date 1/1/2001
Tracks 12
Label Playground/Amazon
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
This album, the second from New York City's pOp*stAr*kiDs, is cut from the same sonic cloth as its predecessor; using the modern recording techniques and programming concepts of electronica to flesh out their gleefully unusual power pop anthems, the band delivers hooks and ear candy galore. Lurking under the deceptively simple songs are real musical smarts and songwriting sophistication that never diminish the immediacy of the material. Otherwise, pOp*stAr*kiDs explore a broader range of tonal and emotional colors this time around that make The Rise and Fall a more balanced listen than the debut; fist-in-the-air anthems like "Let's Get Ready" and "Do the Crash" are tempered with more unusual and complex ideas like the autumnal "Witchlight" and the bizarre but sweet "Let's Get Close." Great stuff. ~ Daisy Ridge, All Music Guide
'This Is: Pop*Star*Kids'
Release Date 4/24/2000
Tracks 11
Label Playground
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The debut album from New York City's quirky pOp*stAr*kiDs is a refreshing gem. Recording as a duo, band members Andee and Anthony produced and performed the album themselves, playing all the instruments and programming all the electronic parts. The result is a highly infectious, unapologetically buoyant set of short pop songs that rely on big guitars, dance beats, vintage synthesizer effects, and the unusual voice of Andee. The material recalls such disparate influences as the Cure, Daft Punk, Jane's Addiction, the B-52s, and even Prince. This Is: Pop*Star*Kids, released independently on the band's Playground imprint, was a college radio success in 2000, charting on CMJ's Top 200 for nine weeks, and the song "Break Yr Bones" was featured on MTV's animated Daria series. Early releases of the CD came with a printed "manifesto" from the idealistic band promoting individualism and nonconformity. Followed by the equally good The Rise and Fall of pOp*stAr*kiDs in 2001. ~ Daisy Ridge, All Music Guide
