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Star Maps (album)

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For other uses, see Star map (disambiguation). 1996 studio album by Possum Dixon
Star Maps
Studio album by Possum Dixon
ReleasedJanuary 9, 1996
RecordedSpring 1995, Los Angeles
GenreAlternative rock
Length42:25
LabelInterscope
ProducerTim O'Heir
Possum Dixon chronology
Possum Dixon
(1993) 		Star Maps
(1996) 		New Sheets
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide

Star Maps is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Possum Dixon. It was released in 1996 on Interscope Records.

Critical reception

Robert Levine of Trouser Press called the album a "more mature effort lacks some of its predecessor’s raw energy," writing that "though the stylistic expansion is admirable, Possum Dixon can’t disguise the fact that its basic strength remains stripped-down art-punk." Hobart Rowland of the Houston Press wrote that the album "tears down the Southern California myth with a finality reminiscent of L.A.-bashing works such as X's Los Angeles and the Eagles' Hotel California -- though in a context and style more akin to the tense intellect of the Velvet Underground and early Talking Heads." Rick Reger of the Chicago Tribune wrote that the band "garnishes its unassuming rockers with vibes, electric piano and mellotron to generate some unfashionably fun, tuneful bashing." Allison Stewart of CMJ New Music Monthly felt the album was "more of a good time than revisited new wave usually allows for", noting its "so-dark-they're-funny songs" and concluding that it was "an airless and dark, almost eerily self-contained piece that consistently undersells itself."

Spin included the album on its list of "The 10 Best Albums You Didn't Hear in '96," its annual review of relatively below-the-radar releases.

Track listing

All lyrics by Rob Zabrecky; all music by Zabrecky, except where noted.

  1. "Go West" – 3:04
  2. "In Her Disco" – 2:43
  3. "Radio Comets" (Zabrecky, O'Sullivan, Chavez) – 4:19
  4. "Party Tonight" – 3:52
  5. "Emergency's About to End" – 2:36
  6. "General Electric" (Zabrecky, O'Sullivan) – 2:39
  7. "Crashing Your Planet" – 3:01
  8. "Personals" – 4:40
  9. "Reds" – 2:07
  10. "Skid Marks" (Zabrecky, O'Sullivan) – 2:18
  11. "Artificial Sunlight" (Zabrecky, O'Sullivan, Chavez) – 3:15
  12. "Apartment Song" (Zabrecky, O'Sullivan, Chavez) – 7:51

Personnel

Credits adapted from CD liner notes.

Possum Dixon

Additional musicians

  • Rich Treuel – drums
  • Josh Freese – drums
  • Byron Reynolds – drums
  • "Sneaky" Pete Tomlinson – additional percussion

Technical

  • Tim O'Heir – producer, engineer
  • Phil Kaffel – additional mixing
  • Chuck Reed – additional mixing
  • Rob Zabrecky – design
  • Robert O'Sullivan – design
  • Kim Holt – design

References

  1. ^ Stewart, Allison (March 22, 1996). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Graff, Gary; Durcholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p. 888.
  3. "Star Maps - Possum Dixon | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  4. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6 (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 608. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  5. "JULIE & SHELLEY BENEFIT". The Austin Chronicle. February 16, 1996.
  6. Levine, Robert. "Possum Dixon". Trouser Press. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  7. Rowland, Hobart (February 15, 1996). "Static". Houston Press.
  8. Reger, Rick (August 2, 1996). "JAWBOX-ING". Chicago Tribune.
  9. "The 10 Best Albums You Didn't Hear in '96". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. January 22, 1997 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Star Maps (CD liner notes). Interscope Records. 1996. 92625-2. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
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