When Moonage Daydream-era Bowie steeps in vintage L.A. pop by the likes of 20/20 and the Three O’Clock, the resultant brew is very good indeed. West Coast sextet Plasticene hand pick a bouquet of brightly flowering pop influences, from the ’60s to the ’90s, on what can only be described as a spectacular debut. That vocalist Roger Gisborne sings with a definitive British accent goes a long way towards endless comparisons. While a swirling surge of gender-bending psychedelia propels “Lemon Yellow” into the land of Nancy Boy and Suede, “Big Wheels” is as addictive and indelible as Spacehog’s “In the Meantime.” Plasticene’s rock star commentary dabbles in topical areas of alienation-despite-fame and rampant hipster one-upmanship. “It All Comes Down” is a sharp-edged “Strawberry Fields” on a double dose of Prozac, and “On Your Own Time” churns out a purple-hazed opiate of what Oasis might sound like if they were just hitting their ’20s. The musical arrangements, while avoiding the chaotic, are anything but minimalist. What makes the song craft of Seeing Stars work so well is Plasticene’s seemingly effortless ability to draw from the well many times and still manage to transcend their varied influences. Disciplined melodic invention is what it’s all about. That, as they say, is rock and roll. Mojo Records, 1453 14th St., Box 284, Santa Monica, CA 90404; http://www.mojorecords.com
Recently on Ink 19...
Garage Sale Vinyl: KISS, The Solo Albums
Garage Sale VinylThis week, cuddly curmudgeon Christopher Long finds himself feeling even older as he hobbles through a Florida flea market in pursuit of vinyl copies of the four infamous KISS solo albums — just in time to commemorate the set’s milestone 45th anniversary.
Borsalino
Screen ReviewsStarting with small-time jobs, two gangsters take over all the crime in Marseilles in this well-paced and entertaining French film. Carl F. Gauze reviews the freshly released Arrow Video Blu-ray edition of Borsalino (1970).
The Residents Visual History Book
Print ReviewsAaron Tanner delivers 400 pages of visual delights from the ever-enigmatic band, The Residents, in The Residents Visual History Book: A Sight for Sore Eyes, Vol. 2.
Weird Science
Screen ReviewsTwo teenage boys build a sexy computer girlfriend with an 8-bit computer… you know the story. Carl F. Gauze reviews Weird Science (1985), in a new 4K UHD Blu-ray release from Arrow Films.
City of the Living Dead
Screen ReviewsCauldron Films’ new UHD/Blu-ray release of Lucio Fulci’s City of the Living Dead (1980) preserves one of the best Italian horror films, according to Phil Bailey.
Broken Mirrors
Screen ReviewsMarleen Gorris’s first theatrical feature is a potent feminist look at the easily disposable lives of sex workers in Amsterdam. Phil Bailey reviews Broken Mirrors.
Thoughts on Jimmy Buffett
FeaturesLate bloomer Tony Bowman spins a tale of past decades with a Jimmy Buffett soundtrack.
