with John Richards and the Cutting Room crew
photo by Heather Lewis
Longtime fans of the Morning Show will remember NY band Stellastarr*‘s quirky yet undeniably catchy 2003 debut with its strangled vocals paired with beautiful harmonies and hooky melodies. Songs like “My Coco” and “Jenny” were regularly featured on the show, and since then the band has made only two albums, the latest of which, Civilized, hit stores only last month. Stellastarr took their time to get the new album right, and while certain things have changed -- like Shawn Christensen’s vocals residing more consistently in a higher register and a fuller-sounding production with thick slabs of guitars -- their characteristic poppy melodies and Amanda Tannen’s instantly likeable background vocals remain.
Celebrating the release of Civilized, Stellastarr* performed an exclusive set on the Morning Show last month at the Cutting Room Studios NYC. Here’s the song “Freak Out”, filmed during that session:
