Star Maps (album)
| Star Maps | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 9, 1996[1] | |||
| Recorded | Spring 1995, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 42:25 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Producer | Tim O'Heir[2] | |||
| Possum Dixon chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [2] |
Star Maps is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Possum Dixon.[5] It was released in 1996 on Interscope Records.[1]
Critical reception
[edit]Robert Levine of Trouser Press called the album a "more mature effort [that] lacks some of its predecessor’s raw energy," writing that "though the stylistic expansion is admirable, Possum Dixon can’t disguise the fact that its basic strength remains stripped-down art-punk."[6] Hobart Rowland of the Houston Press wrote that the album "tears down the Southern California myth with a finality reminiscent of L.A.-bashing works such as X's Los Angeles and the Eagles' Hotel California -- though in a context and style more akin to the tense intellect of the Velvet Underground and early Talking Heads."[7] Rick Reger of the Chicago Tribune wrote that the band "garnishes its unassuming rockers with vibes, electric piano and mellotron to generate some unfashionably fun, tuneful bashing."[8] Allison Stewart of CMJ New Music Monthly felt the album was "more of a good time than revisited new wave usually allows for", noting its "so-dark-they're-funny songs" and concluding that it was "an airless and dark, almost eerily self-contained piece that consistently undersells itself."[1]
Spin included the album on its list of "The 10 Best Albums You Didn't Hear in '96," its annual review of relatively below-the-radar releases.[9]
Track listing
[edit]All lyrics by Rob Zabrecky; all music by Zabrecky, except where noted.[10]
- "Go West" – 3:04
- "In Her Disco" – 2:43
- "Radio Comets" (Zabrecky, O'Sullivan, Chavez) – 4:19
- "Party Tonight" – 3:52
- "Emergency's About to End" – 2:36
- "General Electric" (Zabrecky, O'Sullivan) – 2:39
- "Crashing Your Planet" – 3:01
- "Personals" – 4:40
- "Reds" – 2:07
- "Skid Marks" (Zabrecky, O'Sullivan) – 2:18
- "Artificial Sunlight" (Zabrecky, O'Sullivan, Chavez) – 3:15
- "Apartment Song" (Zabrecky, O'Sullivan, Chavez) – 7:51
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from CD liner notes.[10]
Possum Dixon
- Rob Zabrecky
- Robert O'Sullivan
- Celso Chavez
Additional musicians
- Rich Treuel – drums
- Josh Freese – drums
- Byron Reynolds – drums
- "Sneaky" Pete Tomlinson – additional percussion
Technical
- Tim O'Heir – producer, engineer
- Phil Kaffel – additional mixing
- Chuck Reed – additional mixing
- Rob Zabrecky – design
- Robert O'Sullivan – design
- Kim Holt – design
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Stewart, Allison (March 22, 1996). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Graff, Gary; Durcholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p. 888.
- ^ "Star Maps - Possum Dixon | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6 (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 608. ISBN 978-0195313734.
- ^ "JULIE & SHELLEY BENEFIT". The Austin Chronicle. February 16, 1996.
- ^ Levine, Robert. "Possum Dixon". Trouser Press. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
- ^ Rowland, Hobart (February 15, 1996). "Static". Houston Press.
- ^ Reger, Rick (August 2, 1996). "JAWBOX-ING". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "The 10 Best Albums You Didn't Hear in '96". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. January 22, 1997 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Star Maps (CD liner notes). Interscope Records. 1996. 92625-2.
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