The Starvations

Conceived from a crippled, alcoholic den mother they refer to as "Queen Bee" (immortalized in their song "Queen Bee's Lament"), THE STARVATIONS have staggered through a blurry 6+ year history with their unique brand of moody, abrasive, atmospheric, and always unpredictable roots-punk, something not even remotely seen of this honest a caliber since the days of classic Slash/Ruby Records bands of the early 80's. And while lazy rock journalists will continue to compare the band to the untouchable rep of THE GUN CLUB (a flattering compliment any way you slice it), THE STARVATIONS actually have more in common with their own ill-serving memories, tainted livers, panic attacks, and that special dimly-lit time of dusk where you involuntarily start hallucinating... influencing a sound that's unnerving yet somehow instantly sentimental.THE STARVIES' (as their close friends refer to them) live experience has been described as "stunning with attractive eccentricity", "fast, slow and weird", and "a rock medicine show by gypsies from Mars (?)". From the first chord of "This Is What You Wanted?" to the last disintegrating note of "One Long Night", a certain schadenfreude drives all eyes towards the stage and all ears to the speakers. So what is it about this band that holds our attention for the eternity of a half-hour? Simply that THE STARVATIONS haunted Americana taps the pulsing, diseased vein of Los Angeles herself, a city whose comforts are poisons and whose luxuries are ever-fleeting. They take the resulting despair, escapism, and alienation and dilligently distill it all into a true rock n' roll version/vision of a coyote howling at the moon.