Stellastarr*’s new album, Civilized will be released on July 7, 2009. Here is what the band has been enjoying recently.

• Your Nature
  Equal parts atmosphere and catchy songs harkening back to Stone Roses and early 90’s Manchester.  One of the rare occasions that three different members will take turns singing lead vocals and you will actually enjoy each one doing it.
• O’ Death
  Punk rock kids who grew up to play foot stomping mountain bluegrass.   The drummer has a tambourine duct taped to his shoe and plays a gas can in his kit.  The whiney croaks and shouted backing vocals make for great live anthems.
• Ghosts In The Valley
  A three piece Philadelphia band fueled by Fugazi-esque bass lines, Dinosaur Jr. style vocals and a lack of attention span over three minutes.  The result is a ‘reckless fun’ in rock music somewhat lost since the likes of the Replacements.
• Wakey! Wakey!
  Michael Grubs works harder on writing ’songs’ than trying to front a cool band or fit into a particular format.   The result is sad songs led by piano and huge vocals, walking the after-hours streets of ambiguous genre-identity.
• Man Man
  This Philadelphia band has more fun doing somewhat advanced rhythms and changes than most people could muster.  Their Darwinian roots are Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits and cabaret punk.  Check out the album ‘Six Demon Bag’.