stellastarr*
Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
Saturday, October 13 [tickets]
[buy from insound]

So, imagine you've discovered, in a box of old videos you were about to throw away, a copy of a John Hughes movie you're never seen - never even heard of - from, say, 1986. The soundtrack, rather than being a collection of hip contemporary tracks and the odd soul standard, is all by one group. It's '80s-y, of course, but it's also epic, and it's as adept at scoring the comic moments as the tragic teenage interludes. Welcome to "Harmonies For The Haunted".

... Overall, the effect is post-punk Cure with swathes of Ride in heady moments and, as overblown and unlistenable as these amassed elements might sound in your head, it's actually fantastic. [ dotmusic ]