Three Imaginary Girls - Wind-Up

Stars of Track and Field tour... with Smashing Pumpkins (?!)

imaginary dana — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:57:28 +0000

HOLY SHITE they are playing with the EFFING SMASHING PUMPKINS for part of their tour.

Them vs. You vs. Me

JimiC — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:57:10 +0000

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000M3452Y/wwwthreeimagi-20

Wow. Just… wow. The month of April always has a way of kicking me in the hind quarter, but listening to this on repeat for several hours while I was writing this… well, April, you have bested me again.

I don’t know if you, gentle reader, frequent the imagi-blog here on TIG (you should, it’s chock full of interesting anecdotes, humorous asides, and various other pop culture detritus that is of-the-moment), but lately in the comments on a few postings there has been a debate raging about “indie” music and how it “sucks” (comments frequently lead by a guy called, oddly enough, “IndieSucks”). I’m not entirely sure what someone who hates “indie” music with such pronounced bile and vitriol is doing hanging around this site. Mr. Sucks is not the kind of fellow who just complains, though; he offers alternatives. Amongst the offerings: The Deftones, Coheed & Cambria, Wolfmother, Tool, Thursday, Muse... you get the idea. While I find these suggestions risible at best, they do seem relatively representative of an audience of some size; again, one I would not have thought to be fans of this site (and I don’t think Señor Sucks is a “fan” so much as he is a reader), but just in case, let me address him and his ilk on the topic of the new Finger Eleven album, Them vs. You vs. Me.

You’ll love it! This album rocks! These guys sure do know how to write a modern rock hit! Seriously!

To the rest of you, oh typical interwebs indie-reader, please, opt out on this one. I don’t think you guys were meant for each other.

Here’s the short of it: pretentious, angst-ridden, MTV2 Mallpunk garbage recommended if you like, well, anything that’s been mass marketed as “rock” or “emo” or “alternative” by a major label in the last five years. Allow me to expand; here’s some of the nit and the grit of it, from the top:

Imagine a Korn/Velvet Revolver supergroup doing songs from the first Franz Ferdinand album. You’d rather not? Yeah, me neither. And thanks to lead song/single “Paralyzer,” you don’t have to imagine it. It exists. You can actually sing the lyrics of “Take Me Out” as the song opens/choruses. Not that you’d want to. The fact that they’re throwing a little funk into their typically nü-metal stew is not that surprising, considering they started out as a funk rock band called Rainbow Butt Monkeys, and, really, I probably don't need to tell you anymore than that to help you decide whether or not you should purchase this gem. Moving on...

You get a good dose of the aforementioned angst on “So-So Suicide” with its metallic leads and lyrics like, “Don’t bother pretending I seem fine/ I like that I’m a mess/ I can’t stand it much longer in my head/ I think it’s time for bullets.” So do I, my friend, so do I. Obligatory ballad “Window Song” follows. It’s about windows and rain and fog and all those things he never said to her. Groundbreaking stuff, I tell you, groundbreaking. “Talking to the Walls” is a treeeeemendous Stone Temple Pilots pastiche, and everything that STP did was essentially a pastiche, so... you know how when you use a copier then copy the copies, then copy the copies of those copies each subsequent copy gets weaker and less understandable (especially on older copiers)? In short, that’s these guys: copies of copies of copies. Made on a very, very old copier.

Truth be told, as I intimated in the beginning, there’s probably a big audience out there for Finger Eleven (I think they call them “lowest common denominator” or possibly “middle-school students”), and it wouldn’t surprise me to see this record go gold or better. But I’m definitely not part of that audience, and I’ll lay dollars to doughnuts that you’re not either. I gather they’ve already got a top 40 hit under their belts ("One Thing" from their third, eponymous album), though I'll be damned if I ever heard it. And in spite of my general left-of-the-dial (notice how I deftly avoided using the word “I” word) music snobbery, I attempt to keep up on the stuff that the kids are grooving to these days, but somehow these guys and their gold record have flown under my radar. I'm glad my radar isn't that good...

You know, I take no pleasure in tearing apart bands I don’t like... eh, who am I kidding?

I don’t need eleven fingers to comment on this record. I only need one. Guess which one it is.

Jason Bell of Stars of Track and Field

Diana Salier — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 08:00:00 +0000

{Imaginary writer Diana is a *huge* Stars of Track and Field fan — and who can blame her? We've been following the Portland trio for years, especially since their debut EP You Came Here for Sunset Last Year placed in the Top 5 in our Top Northwest Releases of 2005 Readers' Poll.

The band has since signed to Wind Up Records (home to Evanescence and Creed {!}), and officially released the full-length Centuries Before Love and War this week. Frontman Jason Bell took some time from his busy rock and roll schedule to answer a few questions for Three Imaginary Girls. Thanks Jason, and congrats!}

Three of the five tracks from You Came Here For Sunset Last Year made the cut for your debut album. How did you decide to include the songs you did? Why did you decide to leave out "Let Ken Green" and "Foreign Snow"?

The songs that were included for the album -- "With You," "Arithmatik," and "Say Hello" -- were selected simply by the three of us voting. We felt they were in line most with the other songs, and since we didn't have the budget to record all new songs, we decided on those three to complete the theme of Centuries Before Love And War.

Where do you get your ideas for lyrics? Are they usually personal or do you ever make up characters?

I really have no idea where my lyrics come from. Moreover, I really don't want to know. I usually write the music first and begin writing lyrics based on whatever emotion the progression brings out of me.

On a related note, and mostly out of sheer curiosity, who is Ken Green?

A few years back I was at an estate sale in Portland, OR, and found this cool old tape recorder, very early. Ya know, like early eighties elementary school kind of thing. I noticed a cassette tape inside and immediately bought the thing. When I got it home, I freaked. The voice identified itself as Ken Green. He was an elderly man who would make these tapes talking about his daily life or recording conversations with friends. The voice over sample on the song "Let Ken Green" comes right from that tape.

For a studio recording, Centuries Before Love And War has a very huge and present feel to it and sounds as though it could have been recorded live. Why is this? How did you achieve that in the studio?

That's cool you think it sounds that way. Trying to make something raw and polished is a contradiction in terms, but of course that was what we tried to do. A lot has to do with the production and engineering by both Tony Lash and Jeff Stuart Saltzman. Using weird mics and filter passes to degrade tones. Trying to pair big sounds with small tones. The whole record seems to be a contradiction. Vintage, modern, acoustic drums, drum machines etc.

When I saw you perform, I noticed that you have some bass lines programmed in digitally with the drums. What do you feel the advantages are of simultaneously lacking a bassist and essentially having two drummers? Would you ever consider including a bassist?

In fact we sequence all our bass lines. The most obvious advantage is not having to tell a bassist to stop soloing. Just kidding, but keeping the opinions limited to three artists is a real advantage for this particular group. I would definitely be into a bassist at some point. I feel like when the time is right, we will expand by multiple members, not just a bassist. As it stands now, each of us has a ton of responsibility and relaxing the workload on stage would free us up and allow us to entertain the crowd and ourselves a bit more. We recently had our friend Jeff Klein play with us at Doug Fir in Portland for New Year's Eve and it was great watching Kevin have the freedom to command the stage as a singer/front man instead of having to continually play an instrument. Plus he has mad dance moves.

Is the songwriting process pretty collaborative or does one person bring in most of the music and lyrics?

Kevin and I write the music and lyrics. We generally alternate, which kind of happens naturally. While the band is working on say my new song, Kevin will be finishing his new song to be ready for the group when mine is done and vice a versa. Once the music and lyrics are completed, one of us will bring the song to the band and the three of us hash it out from there. However, Dan writes nearly all the programming and most of the bass lines plus his drum parts. All three of us work on the arrangements together.

Were any specific songs easier or more difficult to finish?

"Lullaby for a G.I." was the most laborious. It originally had this really huge chorus with big guitars etc. But it just pissed me off. Sounded too lunk headed. I decided it should be mellow and Dan rallied the mad programming and Kevin wrote the bridge both in the studio which saved the song from the dustbin.

I've read that besides the themes of loss, Centuries has a lot to do with the current war – what was your original purpose in writing these songs? Was it meant to be a sort of concept album?

The "concept" thing happened in a peculiar way. When we started thinking about what songs to include for the record, Kevin and I took a look at what we were writing and realized there were these three dominant themes, the cost of war, love lost and maligned memory. So when finishing up the last songs for the record we took that into account and realized that Centuries Before Love And War encapsulated a message we felt needed to be communicated. It is rare to have two songwriters in one band and I think more rare that our themes are so similar on this record.

What, if anything, was your biggest concern about releasing Centuries, in terms of critical reception? Did you ever worry about it not being "mainstream" enough for the mainstream critics, or was that never really a concern for you?

Unfortunately, I tend to worry about what the "hipster" crowd thinks. A habit I'm desperately trying to break. So far we have garnered great reviews from Billboard and Amplifier as well as cool indie publications that the band actually reads like yours. Now that we have been touring a lot and meeting so many different kinds of musicians I'm trying to step out of my shell, there is just too much cool music that doesn't get a chance in that hipster scene because it doesn't meet these strict guidelines of underground or cool music. Time to stop being so painfully self-aware.

Centuries was recently named VH1.com's Must Hear Album; you've been interviewed for Gothamist, and written about in Amplifier Magazine. How do you feel about all the attention that the band has garnered in 2006 in the wake of You Came Here For Sunset? Has it changed anything within the band, or about your musical or artistic goals?

Well the private plane, gobs of blow and supermodels have been nice. Really, I think we naturally have adjusted our ambitions accordingly. When we started the group and released the EP. We thought it would be fucking great to get some good press and some good shows. Thankfully, Dana and the ladies at Three Imaginary Girls were one of the first important music sites to actually listen to the songs and praise them publicly. Then we thought it would be cool to get a deal and make a record. Well, we got two deals and so on and so forth. I think we are learning how to appreciate our limited success so far and not get caught up with the "next step" while also trying to play to bigger crowds and write better songs.

It's probably safe to say that the band has set a very melancholy course for itself – do you think this will continue in your next release? How do you feel about being labeled melancholic or sad?

I wouldn't say that we are sad people, but our music sometimes comes across that way. The pairing of anthemic major chords with downtrodden melody and lyrics has always interested me. It's so bittersweet and introspective. Maybe it's the weather? I would like our next record to present something more raw and personal. Strip down the production. For my own part, start writing lyrics that are a bit more literal. I have always written in metaphor, setting moods instead of describing personal events. I'm feeling myself needing to be a bit more personal and let people in a bit more.

Who would you list as your top five musical influences?

I am too far in the forest to see the trees on this question... so how about I list the top five artists that are inspiring me right now: Andrew Bird, Jeff Klein, Robert Altman, Anna Maj Michelson and Willie Nelson.

The band is named after a Belle and Sebastian song, but sounds nothing like them. Is there anything of their influence in the way that you think about the songwriting process?

Not really. They are a great band and hope they appreciate the homage and don't think we are bunch of wankers. But as you know music is riddled with bands taking their name from songs of other artists.

You toured in support of Jeremy Enigk in 2006, and there is a hint of Sunny Day Real Estate in older songs like "Movement," from your 2003 self-titled release. There's also a lot of heavy but sparse guitar work on Centuries with big drums -- was the band ever influenced by the old wave of emo bands like Sunny Day, Christie Front Drive, or any of the others?

No. I had never heard a Sunny Day song until we heard we were going out with Jeremy and I downloaded a few. I know that's total sacrilege in the Northwest, but there is a whole period of my life where I didn't listen to music and focused on my painting. Once we toured with him, I couldn't stop listening to Return of the Frog Queen. Of course 10 years after he released it, but what an amazing record.

What, if anything, has changed about you guys as a band and as musicians between the release of You Came Here for Sunset and Centuries?

We are lucky enough to not have day jobs for the time being. It has been really awesome to just work on music. It is also a bit nerve wracking. I want to do this as my job forever but that is just so unrealistic.

Which song do you think best sums up the album, and why?

I think the first song "Centuries." It's lyrically haunting, has intricate programming and a big, epic end to it -- kind of like great sex. I wish I could claim I wrote it, but Kevin did and I will hate him forever for it.

sotafinterview07jan.jpg

He was an elderly man who would make these tapes talking about his daily life or recording conversations with friends. The voice over sample on the song "Let Ken Green" comes right from that tape.

Centuries Before Love and War

Jeremy Downing — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 08:00:00 +0000

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000FBFTIM/wwwthreeimagi-20

starsoftrackandfield06oct.jpg

For those of us who have been avidly following Stars of Track and Field since their You Came Here for Sunset Last Year EP days, Centuries Before Love and War is a composition of euphonious delight, with a slight tinge of disappointment. I'll start with the slightly disappointing news: three out of the ten songs are duplicates from the EP. I know it's a bit selfish of me, but I can't help but get that feeling — you know the one — where all of a sudden, I as a fan am not quite so special for having heard all of a band's original classics, because now everybody can listen to them. I guess I'll just have to latch onto "Let Ken Green" and "Foreign Snow," the precious two remaining EP originals, with all of the selfish elitist oober fan-ness I've got left.

Now on to the good news: The album is amazing.

I may be biased (with my self-proclaimed oober fan-ness) but hear me out. Throughout the history of Western culture, many of the greatest works of music, theatre, and literature have followed a certain formula. They begin unassumingly, to introduce themselves and establish context; then they build slowly upon themselves, adding new elements and emotions; and finally these elements build to a climax, leading ultimately to a resolution. Stars of Track and Field songs encapsulate this formula. Of course, I by no means intend to aggrandize Stars of Track and Field to the level of history's greatest, but they are certainly in good company. I have not heard a contemporary band show a greater aptitude toward building a song from the ground up, save but for Coldplay in "Fix You" — and that was a one-time accomplishment even for them.

In stark contrast to the formulaic build of the music is the record's theme. The lyrics constantly allude to loss — specifically, loss of love by means of heartache, loss of life by means of war, and loss of faith by means of betrayal. They are poetic to the point of ambiguity, but not so much as to make them completely obscure. The spectral vocals of Kevin Calaba and the harmonies of Jason Bell seesaw gently between the loss of the lyrics and the build of the music, but never get swept too far to either extreme, while the percussion/programming of Daniel Baker Orvik provides a beautifully consistent framework for the music to construct itself upon.

Amid all of the contradictions in Centuries Before Love and War, there is balance, and there is progression.

The lyrics constantly allude to loss — specifically, loss of love by means of heartache, loss of life by means of war, and loss of faith by means of betrayal.

AstroPOP! for September 2003

chilly c — Mon, 01 Sep 2003 07:00:00 +0000

Imaginary rock and roll astrology CD reviews by Chilly C for September 2003

Virgo {August 23-September 22}
Earth to Virgo: everyone knows your "leave me alone" vibes are vain attempts to mask a desperate-puppy "pet me please" need for attention. This month, just go for it. That's right: curl into a ball, howl for love, and wag that freaking tail until you're knocking vases off tables. When the porcelain shatters on the floor over your screaming, you'll probably sound a lot like the Divorce. The Seattle trio's noisy debut release There Will Be Blood Tonight (Fugitive) whips up quite the stir, buzzing eardrums and curdling blood. But the Divorce don't just cry for attention, they earn it. To wit: hooky guitar pop isn't usually this danceable—imagine the Faint if they were inspired by Hüsker Dü and the Foo Fighters instead of Manchester new wave. Second, the Divorce writes some of the smartest pop songs out there. Catchy and complicated, the album's ten songs twist and turn in unexpected ways from the jumps and breaks in "The Force of the Iron Cobra" to the surprise ending of "Redcoats." Third, there's that stellar band name. Fourth, they're curled up on the floor screaming and carrying on. Wait, no, that's you Virgo. But look—you got my attention!

Libra {September 23-October 22}
Your balanced personality often puts you in the role of arbiter and mediator for the less-than-flexible. What to do, though, when your friends want you to tip that balance and take sides? Simple. Explain that Even the Villain is the Hero of His Own Story. That's the album title of the new release by the Small Change (Unsmashable), and this cd is bound to both solve arguments and get everybody dancing. Sure, your friends may disagree about philosophical matters, but everyone can boogie to raucous guitar pop. "Collided" recalls Twin Cities slop-punks Soul Asylum; other songs conjure the Black Crowes, Thin Lizzy, and the Jam. Greg Collingsworth's shredded vocals give the impression that he's shouted his way through plenty of arguments himself. And remember, Libra, you're balanced, but you're also bright. If the arguments don't subside after you've tried, just turn up the volume and start dancing!

Scorpio {October 23 - November 21}
Hang on for the ride, Scorpio. Your soaring confidence steers you through a breakneck crash course of up's and down's this month without so much as an emotional scratch. I'd warn you if you were threatening to careen into maniacal territory, but so far you're impressively grounded: self-assured and self-aware. stellastarr* must be channeling your inner poise: this post-Interpol NYC art band delivers their variant on a hip retro-flecked sound (the Fixx/ Pulp/ Imperial Teen) that only a dizzying confidence could enable them to pull off. Their smashing self-titled debut release (RCA) smartly mixes loud-quiet guitars, boy-girl vocals, and serious-ironic lyrics such as "if I decide to rule the world / I'd still be coming after you…" This is what I mean about confidence: ruling the world isn't something Stellastarr* needs to work for. They just need to decide whether they want it. And Scorpio, so do you.

Sagittarius {November 22-December 21}
So. There have been a coupla big parties lately that were (supposedly) off the proverbial heezy. And you weren't invited. Not to worry. Picture the following scenario like a teen-movie montage, Sagittarius: your parents go out of town for the weekend. You decide to throw your own party and show those hipsters that you're not one to be ignored. You plaster flyers all over town. Pass out handbills to all the cool kids. You and your friends laugh and make a big mess trying to turn your house into a full-on French disco. All the while, Seattle's United States of Electronica plays in the background. Their self-released 3-song ep has more dance power than most full-length albums. Ultra-sincere about having a good time, USE turn Daft Punk's masked vocoder sarcasm into joyous, positive delight. In their ode-to-Seattle parties "Vamos a la Playa," when USE say "everyone come on," they really do mean everyone. Sagittarius, people will be talking about your party for weeks. And then, when your parents come back unexpectedly early? Again, not to worry. Once they hear USE, they'll throw down their luggage, unfurrow their brows, and start dancing too!

Capricorn {December 22-January 19}
You're great at making casual hook-ups, Capricorn, but not so great at turning them into something more enduring. Listening to the new cd by Seattle's Terror Sheets, Street Corner Fields (Sad Robot) will help you change all that. Step One: put on the cd and dim all the lights. The slow tempos will soothe you and your partner, and the mysterious sonic textures will spark some great conversation ("wait, is that a piano?" "what are they saying right there?") Step Two: when you finally head to bed, say "let's kiss for one more song." Have that song be the sweet-sounding album-closer "Until You Glow." The plaintive hidden bonus track after four minutes of silence will provide just enough surprise to keep things exciting—without spoiling the mood. Step Three: master Joe Syverson's breathy vocal style (start with the melancholic "Gravel Specs"). Use this hushed voice in morning-after conversations to guarantee a call back after you've each gone your separate ways. Repeat on the second date, this time with the songs in shuffle play mode. Time for bed, Capricorn!

Aquarius {January 20-February 18}
Even the most fervent of emotional pack-rats would acknowledge that your cluttered psychological attic needs some thinning out. In short, Aquarius: clear your head. This month, give a listen to Noba's debut cd Man With A Briefcase (self-released). Release the long-held feelings that you no longer need, and let this NYC four-piece collect the junk for you. Dexterous genre-jumpers, Noba shift gracefully from Son Volt-inspired sleepy Americana ("Bye Bye") to Jellyfish chamber pop ("Losing What's Already Lost") to twisted Elvis Costello-style bile ("The Deepest Red"). Noir keyboards and conversational lyrics will make you feel like you're eavesdropping—or at least rummaging through someone else's stuff. A vicarious thrill that's all payback and no baggage. Sometimes, Aquarius, the best voices to listen to are not the ones in your head.

Pisces {February 19-March 20}
Let's talk about that new acquaintance of yours, Pisces: the quiet, brooding type who doesn't give much away at first. Your overtures have gotten you nowhere, and now part of you, understandably, wants to give up on the potential friendship. I'm here to officially reinforce the part of you that wants to keep trying. For additional support, listen to How Not To Get There (Blue Tree), the delicate new cd by Mount Vernon WA's Mindhead. It's a challenging but rewarding listen: quiet, brooding songs that don't give much away at first. Steering clear of obvious hooks, the songs build instead on simmering, repeated phrases and on the importance of the detailed, narrative lyrics. Best of all, the last two songs are the best—and most emotionally powerful—songs on the record: "6 Months, 3 Days" is heartbreaking, and the organ-drenched "Fear" is expansive and inspirational. Had you given up on Mindhead, you'd have never made it to these great songs at the end of the cd. So when it comes to your new acquaintance, please keep trying, because 6 months and 3 days isn't really all that long for something so worthwhile.

Aries {March 21-April 19}
Lately you've felt the tug of spirituality, Aries, and you don't know how best to express it. Well, that stuff's a little out of my league—I gaze at the stars, not beyond them. But you're definitely not alone in your nascent journey into the mystic. Your unlikely fellow traveler is Evanescence, the fish-out-of-water goth band from Little Rock, Arkansas. Their debut cd Fallen (Wind Up) is breaking out like crazy with its of-the-moment riff-rock churn. Single-handedly saving the band from cliché is singer Amy Lee, who sings like Tori Amos might after watching Edward Scissorhands 100 times in a row. Lee's so-called 'dark' explorations (blood and screaming are involved, often) are about as convincingly wicked as Willow Rosenberg's vampiric doppelganger on Buffy; she shines brighter when she puts aside the gloomy posturing and tackles the bigger questions. "Am I too lost to be saved?" she asks on "Tourniquet" and it sounds like a legitimate plea. And when her Linkin Park-derived bandmates slow down on the piano-based "Imaginary," Lee belts out "I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge." Quite a mouthful, but she sure sounds like she means it. I can't say where your spiritual pursuit will lead you, Aries. But keep asking questions, and steer clear of the blood and screaming.

Taurus {April 20-May 20}
Your usual ability to eschew unnecessary attention somehow eludes you, Taurus. And when all eyes are finally fixed on you, you'll notice that the spotlight certainly doesn't use the eco-friendly, lo-watt bulbs. Exaggerated and hyperbolic, your month will play out like tasteless tabloid headlines, reducing your complexities into one-dimensional screeches: Supercharged Libido! Problem Drinker! Uses Work Phone For Personal Calls! This month, however, Oakland CA's Winfred E. Eye is burning right alongside you. Their new release, third full-length The Dirt Tier (Luckyhorse Industries) is a complex, detail-rich collection, but look what people are saying about them: "Sounds like Captain Beefheart!" "Sings like Tom Waits!" "Hits Metal Pieces, Not Real Drum Kit!" Of course there's more to this band than soundbites can capture. "Grey Ghosts" sighs like an old boxer during his retirement-deciding final fight, and the title track gives off sonic shivers like it's a vintage music-box in a horror movie. The difficult-to-categorize often run the risk of over-simplification. Insist on letting your complexities shine as bright as the spotlight you're under. As Winifred E. Eye says, "let's get back to living well."

Gemini {May 21-June 21}
The stars spell out kindness for you, Gemini, but to tell you the truth, I can't tell if that means you should be kind to others, or if someone's going to be kind to you. Luckily, your Gemini-twins nature makes me think: why not work both angles? It can't hurt to plink some silver into tip jars, and to quit calling your friends during "The Real World" (especially when Leah's in the booth, but I digress). And after all, good things often happen to people who do good. That's why nothing good happens to the characters in the songs on Rodeo Sauvignon (self-released), the new cd by Seattle three-piece the Reluctants. Between all-night fighting, all-night drinking, and sneaking out with lover's best friends, these tales of woe are strictly about the dirty and the down-and-out. Luckily, good things do happen to the Reluctants themselves: their snappy, distorted alt-country (equal parts Old 97's and Meat Puppets) is beginning to attract some enthusiastic media attention. The band members must tip well at espresso carts and let their friends watch Leah in peace! Hew the honorable path yourself, Gemini, and who knows what good will come of it.

Cancer{June 22-July 22}
I look at the stars so much, Cancer, that I sometimes find myself re-imagining the shapes of the constellations. Who's to say the stars of your zodiac sign look like a crab? Personally, I think they look more like a Gibson Les Paul: with the smaller stars as the frets and the Beehive Cluster as the volume knob, turned all the way up to 10. Think big this month, Cancer. Really, really big. Listen to Led Zeppelin's How The West Was Won (Atlantic). This isn't just any old 3-cd live set, it's a gigantic monument to a larger-than-life band at the peak of its powers. Featuring literally enormous performances of "Dazed and Confused" (over 25 minutes) and the 20-minute drum solo "Moby Dick," the live versions on this long-overdue release are a testament to a band that attempted heroics, defied enemies, and became something much bigger as a result. According to mythology, Cancer the crab became a constellation in honor of his valiant attack on the unbeatable Hercules. Also according to mythology, Led Zeppelin became the biggest band on the planet by being unafraid to play their songs in the biggest ways possible. And while we have no actual proof of Cancer's legendary battle, "How The West Was Won" stands as physical evidence that there was a time when Led Zeppelin really did rule the earth. So think big, Cancer, and when you look up at the sky at night, look for the guitar, and start tellin' your friends you want to be a star.

Leo {July 23-August 22}
Well, Leo. Here you are. But where is here? After successfully reaching a significant milestone in your life, sometimes it's hard to know what to do next. You finally got that promotion, or bought that new house, or got engaged to your sweetheart. So now what? Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional must be asking himself that same question. On new release A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar (Vagrant) the emo poster-boy sounds like he's reached a similar crossroads: he's outgrown his persona as acoustic balladeer with the broken heart of gold, but he's a little unsure of where to go next. And while the new cd offers no radical changes, the subtle shifts in tone are almost more revealing, coming from a guy who knows that his every emotional detail will be fanatically analyzed. Lead single "Hands Down" boasts a full radio-friendly sound but relatively little romantic anguish. The sparse "Ghost of a Good Thing" sounds like Ben Folds both musically (the nasal harmonies) and lyrically, trading Carrabba's heartfelt empathy for a glib resignation. Still, on other songs he illustrates an awareness of his turning-point position, as on "Rapid Hope Loss" which contrasts bitter put-downs with genuine regret in such lyrics as "so much for so much more." There is nothing wrong with airing out your indecision, Leo. But if your recent achievements leave you a little lost, there's always something else to aim for.

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Read AstroPOP! to see what's in the stars -- and the record stores -- for you for September 2003, featuring reviews of Terror Sheets, Dashboard Confessional, the Divorce, United State of Electronica, and more.