Marian Catholic and Dad's Dress Live at Martyrs' 2008
Bio
Basement Stories, the debut album from Chicago's Zerostars, is a carefully refined and gorgeously arranged ten song rumination on failure, hope, and redemption.
Recorded over a nearly two-year period at The Brill Basement Recording Studio (co-produced and engineered by Garret Hammond), Basement Stories finds singer/songwriter Jason Moody hinting at Ray Davies' styled storytelling poetics with bits of Morrissey's tuneful melodic wit.
Formed in 2001, Zerostars features Jason Moody on vocals, guitar and keyboards, Scott Kallstrand on bass, and Mikey Shin on guitar and harmony vocals. Garret Hammond, formerly of Kill Hannah, provided drums and assorted percussion on Basement Stories.
Prior to Basement Stories, Zerostars released The Good Can't Escape, a six song EP that garnered national attention when NPR featured the bossa nova inspired track Smoking in Bed on the weekly "Discover Songs Open Mic" series.
On reviewing The Good Can't Escape, pluginmusic.com wrote, "Zerostars step out with an understated sound that quietly makes its mark without forcing itself on the listener. The band’s light, poppy rock sound leaves plenty of room for expanding and increasing their sound to cover more and different ground. Zerostars will not escape."
Junkmedia.com called The Good Can't Escape, "A very promising EP," and called the title track, "a highlight, blending a skipping melody and lovely harmonies in a confection that echoes both Coldplay and the Pastels." Zerostars have received radio attention on local radio stations WLUW and WXRT.
Press for Basement Stories (a growing list)
A band is setting its sights pretty high when it lists its primary inspirations as those erudite pop sociologists Ray Davies and Morrissey. But if Chicago's Zerostars don't quite reach that bar yet in terms of witty lyricism--"You ask me how I feel/Well I don't know" the band sings in "Driving to New Orleans," falling a bit short of "David Watts" or "Hairdresser on Fire"--their newly issued debut album "Basement Stories" offers ample evidence that they eventually could get there, especially given the strength of their lilting rhythms and airy melodies.
Formed in 2001, the band made its recorded debut with a six-song EP called "The Good Can't Escape." Guitarist-vocalist Jason Moody, guitarist Mikey Shin and bassist Scott Kallstrand spent two years recording the follow-up as Kill Hannah veteran Garret Hammond filled in on drums, co-engineered and co-produced, and the effort pays off via with the exquisite sound of standout tracks such as the rollicking, horns-laced "Like the Daylights" and the dynamically shifting epic "Family Tree."
Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times
Belle & Sebastian fans will instantly fall in love with Zerostars, whose Basement Stories is a glittering collection of magical pop moments. Sweet-ly twee, with acerbic observations that make the honeysuckle melodies lusciously bittersweet, "I Put My Foot Down" and "Johnny" ring with memorable hooks and pitch-perfect vocals. "Dad's Dress" plays on the genre staple of sexual androgyny backed with luminous guitar sparkle and tumbling drums.
Patrick Conlan, Illinois Entertainer
Zerostars' first full-length album shows them growing into a more
complex sound. Whereas their 2005 EP was straight-up power-pop (and
tracks 3 and 4, here, are repeated from that EP), this album moves
toward chamber-pop, and end up sounding somewhere between The Smoking
Popes and Canasta. Jason Moody - singer and songwriter for the band -
has a great voice, and music he writes complements it well. If you
like songs with mixed time signatures check out the folky, moody track
6, or the more upbeat, lush track 9 (which I adore ceaselessly). Track
1 is also lush and upbeat. Track 7 starts out as chamber pop and rocks
out in the middle.
Tony Breed, CHIRP
Glasgow / Manchester via Chicago
Jason Moody (singer/guitarist/ songwriter) and Zerostars hail from
Chicago; their blend of music though owes more to Postcard Records
(Orange Juice, Josef K, Aztec Camera) and the Smiths. Indeed the
refrain 'So easily led' on 'Dad's Dress' (perhaps the title was a big
clue) could have come directly from the pen of Morrissey. Not that
everything is so burdened with the same influences; the stand out
'Family Tree' traces similar patterns to Death Cab for Cutie,
circular, lyrical, lovely - only think of Edwyn Collins covering Nick
Drake on vocals rather than Ben Gibbard. I did. it helps.
'Uptown' travels from the jangle of the Monochrome Set to almost prog
(well there are some flutes - let's be kind and say the bucolic folk
of the Kinks 'Village Green Preservation Society' instead). 'Driving
to New Orleans' completes the journey into classic territory, an intro
squirted down a drainpipe for a minute or so, a false end, a strummed
guitar bright and full, a mini ELO of instruments appear like the sun
from behind a cloud - a rich sound, important drums, inevitable organ,
you might have guessed they'd end up here. That's my problem with
these songs. Mostly I can tell where they come from and where they are
going but no idea as to why they're making the journey - the thing
that saves it is seeing something new in the familiar.
David Cowling, Americana UK
I finally got Zerostars' new album, Basement Stories — hot off the presses, I might add. I've been looking forward to it, and it does not disappoint. There are some great new tunes on it; I particularly like the moody, folky "Family Tree", which is something of a departure for them. The song I played today is more in their usual style, which is power-pop leaning toward chamber-pop. The song ("Uptown") also feature a great rock-out break toward the end.
Tony Breed, WLUW
Chicago's very own Zerostars are fresh off a couple of local shows playing tracks off their first full-length Basement Stories. Their fresh sound blends hooks, chords and smart lyrics. Think Moist meets Housemartins meets the Smiths meets Pulp. Let's just hope they are not meeting in a dark alley. But seriously, you'll love their sharp power-pop style with a little drama thrown in. Good luck with the new CD!
djbv.com, THEFT LIABLE TO PROSECUTION
It hints at 1960s pop, Latin and bossa nova-influenced jazz with a bit of Morrissey.
NPR, review of the song Smoking In Bed on Open Mic.
