| Star Maps | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 9, 1996 [1] | |||
| Recorded | Spring 1995, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 42:25 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Producer | Tim O'Heir [2] | |||
| Possum Dixon chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [2] |
Star Maps is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Possum Dixon. [5] It was released in 1996 on Interscope Records. [1]
Robert Levine of Trouser Press called the album a "more mature effort [that] 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." [6] 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." [7] 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." [8] 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." [1]
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. [9]
All lyrics by Rob Zabrecky; all music by Zabrecky, except where noted. [10]
Credits adapted from CD liner notes. [10]
Possum Dixon
Additional musicians
Technical
Rubberneck is the debut studio album by American rock band Toadies. It was released in August 1994 on Interscope Records and attained RIAA gold and platinum status in December 1995 and December 1996 respectively. The album produced the band's most popular single, "Possum Kingdom". The song's master track is featured in the Xbox 360 version of the video game Guitar Hero II. It was also released for the video game Rock Band 3 in a pack that contained "Away" and "Tyler" as well.
Pottymouth is the debut studio album by American punk rock band Bratmobile, released on June 8, 1993, by Kill Rock Stars.
Freak Magnet is a studio album by Violent Femmes, released in 2000. It contains the single "Sleepwalkin'".
Possum Dixon was an American rock band, which existed between 1989 and 1999. Fronted by singer-songwriter and bassist Rob Zabrecky, the group's neo-new wave pop and post punk style first appeared among a string of early independently released 7 inch singles and on their self-titled debut on Interscope Records in 1993. Zabrecky's lyrical content often described love lost and slacker life in Los Angeles.
Robert Zabrecky is an American actor, author, magician, and songwriter. His career began as a musician while being the front man for the band Possum Dixon. In the later years of his career, he has found success as a magician, actor, and author.
Ass Ponys was an indie rock band based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their sound combines rock and country into an off-kilter blend of Americana music. They have gone on national tours with bands such as Pavement, Throwing Muses, and Possum Dixon. Among other periodicals, they have been featured in Rolling Stone, CMJ, and The Cincinnati Post.
Songs For The Terrestrially Challenged is an album by Pittsburgh's The(e) Speaking Canaries, released in 1995. It is the first Speaking Canaries album to be released on compact disc, and the first to see worldwide distribution; therefore, it has often been erroneously attributed as The(e) Speaking Canaries' debut album. Songs For The Terrestrially Challenged is notable for its long songs, its long total running time, and its multiple album versions.
Greed is the third studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in 1986, through record label K.422. Greed marks the slow turning point for Swans away from the harsh, brutal noise rock of prior releases, and is also the first Swans album to contain contributions from Jarboe.
Don't Tell Me Now (1996) is the second studio album by the American indie rock group The Halo Benders.
New Sheets is the third and final studio album by the American alternative rock band Possum Dixon. It was released in 1998 on Interscope Records. Many of the songs were co-written by outside musicians, including Jane Wiedlin, Fred Schneider, Dave Stewart, and producer Ric Ocasek.
El Producto is the third album by the American alternative rock band Walt Mink, released in 1996. On release, it received a 10/10 rating from Pitchfork Media.
Start Packing is the debut album by Run On, released in 1996 through Matador Records.
Boneyard Beach is a 1995 album by Raleigh, North Carolina band Dish, led by singer and pianist Dana Kletter, on Interscope Records. The album was produced by John Agnello at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Interscope's VP, Tom Whalley, told Billboard magazine that "the high quality of songwriting in Dish and the sound of Dana's voice are two things that set this band apart."
Pantomime is a 1996 five-song EP by Minneapolis alternative rock band Polara, released shortly before their second full-length C'est la Vie, their major-label debut for Interscope Records.
Jetpack Blues is a 2002 album by Minneapolis alternative rock band Polara, their fourth full-length record, and first after breaking with Interscope Records and going independent. It was released on bandleader Ed Ackerson's Susstones Records label, and produced by Ackerson at his recording studio, Flowers, which he founded by reinvesting the money from the band's Interscope deal as well as an otherwise unsuccessful deal with Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures.
Thank the Holder Uppers is an album by the American band Claw Hammer. The band's first major label album, it was released in 1995 via Interscope Records. Claw Hammer supported the album with a North American tour.
That's What Love Songs Often Do is an album by the American band Fig Dish, released in 1995. "Seeds" and "Bury Me" were released as singles. That's What Love Songs Often Do was a commercial disappointment. The band supported it with a North American tour.
...finally is an album by the American alternative rock band Too Much Joy, released in 1996. Its first single was "The Kids Don't Understand".
Possum Dixon is the debut album by the American band Possum Dixon, released in 1993. The first single, "Watch the Girl Destroy Me", was a minor hit.
A Ma Zone is an album by the group Zap Mama, released in 1999. The group supported the album with a North American tour. The first single was "Rafiki".
