Tsar (band)

Last updated
Tsar
TsarImage01.jpg
Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres
Years active1998–present
Labels
MembersJeff Whalen
Daniel Kern
Jeff Solomon
Steve Coulter
Past membersDerrick Forget
Chuck Byler

Tsar is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, United States, with Jeff Whalen on lead vocals and guitar, Daniel Kern on vocals and guitar, Jeff Solomon on bass, and Steve Coulter on drums. They have released two major-label studio albums, two EPs, and a self-released demos collection. Citing their primary influences as Guns N' Roses and the Monkees, Tsar's music is a hybrid of glam rock, power pop, garage rock, punk rock, arena rock, and bubblegum music.

Contents

Career

Tsar formed in 1998. After a monthlong residency at Silver Lake's Spaceland club, they released their self-titled debut on Hollywood Records (2000), produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (U2, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna). The album garnered critical acclaim but was commercially disappointing. AllMusic describes the album and its fate thus: "Tsar is a bit of a glam pop/hard rock hidden treasure that still sounds fresh and thrilling years later. Loaded with hooks, humor, and innocent charm, and coming across like the starry-eyed child of Cheap Trick and Sweet . . . [t]he album was an exciting, hook-filled modern power pop record that nobody bought, despite (or perhaps because of) the band's subsequent opening slot on a Duran Duran tour."

Director James Gunn used the album's opening track, "Calling All Destroyers," to score the animated opening sequence of his 2010 action film Super.

The band won "Local Album of the Year" and "Local Band of the Year" at the L.A. New Times Music Awards. [2] [3] Rock critic Bob Mehr wrote, "Every song glistens and glimmers with gargantuan hooks and stadium-size riffs . . . With this irresistibly catchy debut—and an onstage presence to match—Tsar is my nominee as the band best equipped to save rock 'n' roll from its postmillennial doldrums." [4]

The band performed on the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Pajama Party. The band's music has also appeared in the TV shows Veronica Mars, Freakylinks, NCIS, Party Down, and the feature film In the Land of Women. The songs "Ordinary Gurl" and "The Girl Who Wouldn't Die" were also featured prominently in the movie American Psycho 2 .

Tsar has toured with the New York Dolls, Social Distortion, Eve 6, the Marvelous 3, Duran Duran, Juliette and the Licks, and Nerfherder.

Tsar recorded their followup, Band-Girls-Money, in 2003 with producer David Katznelson (founder of Birdman Records). After leaving Hollywood Records, Tsar released the album on TVT Records in 2005. The title song was included in the soundtrack for the racing games Burnout Revenge and its PSP and DS spin-off Burnout Legends . The band's lineup shifted, with Chuck Byler replacing Steve Coulter on drums and Derrick Forget replacing Jeff Solomon on bass. The band performed in a TV ad for Nestle Crunch Bar and Napster and filmed two videos: "The Love Explosion" and "Band-Girls-Money."[ citation needed ] The band also appeared on the cover of L.A. Weekly . [5]

In late January 2010, Tsar's original lineup (Whalen/Kern/Solomon/Coulter) reunited. They released The Dark Stuff EP on Aderra Records (US) and LoJinx Records (UK/Europe) and shot a video for "Police Station." In 2011 Tsar self-released The Drugboy Tapes, a collection of early demos and live performances from 1998. A split 7-inch featuring the Olsen Twins song "Pool Party" was released by Aderra Records in March 2012.

Albums

Tsar – 2000

  1. Calling All Destroyers
  2. I Don't Wanna Break-Up
  3. Silver Shifter
  4. Kathy Fong Is The Bomb
  5. The Teen Wizards
  6. MONoSTEReo
  7. Afradio, Pt. One & Pt. Two
  8. Ordinary Gurl
  9. Disappear
  10. The Girl Who Wouldn't Die

King of the School EP – 2001

  1. King of the School (demo)
  2. Larger Than Life
  3. Silver Shifter (remix)
  4. You and Jim Will Hit It Off
  5. Songwriter! (live)
  6. Afraidio Pt. Two, Pt. Three, and Pt. Four (demo)
  7. Smart Boys (demo)

Band-Girls-Money – 2005

  1. Band-Girls-Money
  2. Wanna Get Dead
  3. The Love Explosion
  4. Superdeformed
  5. Straight
  6. Wrong
  7. Everybody's Fault But Mine
  8. Conqueror Worm
  9. Startime
  10. You Can't Always Want What You Get

The Drugboy Tapes (Demos 98) – 2011

  1. Afradio
  2. The Girl Who Wouldn't Die
  3. Ordinary Gurl
  4. Kathy Fong Is The Bomb
  5. Sun Of Light
  6. The Glower
  7. I Don't Wanna Break-Up
  8. Silver Shifter
  9. Calling All Destroyers (Live on KXLU)
  10. Monostereo (Live on KXLU)

Split 7-Inch – 2012

  1. Janitor by Suburban Lawns (Killola)
  2. Pool Party by The Olsen Twins (TSAR)

The Dark Stuff – EP – 2012

  1. Punctual Alcoholic
  2. Police Station
  3. Little Women
  4. White Lipstick
  5. Something Bad Happened to Me

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duran Duran</span> English band

Duran Duran are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled in May 1980 as Rhodes, Taylor, singer Simon Le Bon, guitarist Andy Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farrah (band)</span> British indie rock band

Farrah are a British indie rock band. They have released four studio albums since 2001 and toured internationally since their formation.

<i>Duran Duran</i> (1981 album) 1981 studio album by Duran Duran

Duran Duran is the debut studio album by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 15 June 1981 through EMI. Produced by Colin Thurston, it was recorded in London and Oxfordshire between December 1980 and January 1981. The instrumental tracks were recorded quickly, but vocalist Simon Le Bon initially struggled to sing in the studio, leading to discussions about replacing him before EMI employee Dave Ambrose intervened.

Frehley's Comet was an American rock band formed and led by ex-Kiss lead guitarist Ace Frehley. The group released two studio albums and one live EP before Frehley left the band to release his 1989 solo album, Trouble Walkin'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bebe Buell</span> American model and singer

Beverle Lorence "Bebe" Buell is an American singer and former model. She was Playboy magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. Buell moved to New York in 1972 after signing a modeling contract with Eileen Ford, and garnered notoriety after her publicized relationship with musician Todd Rundgren from 1972 until 1978, as well as her liaisons with several rock musicians during that time and over the following four decades. She is the mother of actress Liv Tyler, whose biological father is Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Todd Rundgren is Liv's legally adoptive father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pretty Boy Floyd (American band)</span> American glam metal band

Pretty Boy Floyd is a glam metal band from Hollywood, California, formed in 1987. They are most famous for their 1989 debut album Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz and the two singles from it; "Rock and Roll " and "I Wanna Be with You". The band broke up in 1994 but reformed in 1995, releasing several new records since that time, and continue to the present.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Click Five</span> American rock band

The Click Five was an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. The original members, most of them students at Berklee College of Music, started on January 1, 2004, and played in various local venues. They then quickly got the attention of talent scout Wayne Sharp. The Click Five made their first recording, a two-song demo session, in early 2004 after successful local touring. They released their debut album Greetings from Imrie House in 2005. After vocalist Eric Dill left the group, he was replaced by Kyle Patrick who debuted on their second album Modern Minds and Pastimes in 2007. Their third album, TCV, was released in Asia in 2010 and to the rest of the world in early 2011.

<i>Desolation Boulevard</i> 1974 album by Sweet

Desolation Boulevard is the third studio album by the British glam rock band Sweet, originally released in the United Kingdom in November 1974. Two noticeably different versions of the album were released: one by RCA Records in Europe, and another by Capitol Records in the United States, Canada and Japan.

<i>Extreme</i> (Extreme album) 1989 studio album by Extreme

Extreme is the first studio album by the American glam metal band Extreme, released in 1989 by A&M Records. The album reached No. 80 on the Billboard 200, and produced the minor Mainstream Rock hit "Kid Ego". The single "Play with Me" is featured on the soundtrack for the comedy film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, an opening episode of season 4 of Stranger Things, and the 2007 rhythm game, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s.

<i>Still Climbing</i> (Cinderella album) 1994 studio album by Cinderella

Still Climbing is the fourth and final studio album by the American rock band Cinderella, released on November 8, 1994, by Mercury Records. The release of Still Climbing was delayed due to lead vocalist Tom Keifer losing his voice in 1991.

Black 'N Blue is an American glam metal band from Portland, Oregon. The current members are lead vocalist Jaime St. James, bassist Patrick Young, drummer Pete Holmes, and guitarists Brandon Cook and Doug Rappoport. The band is best known for their song "Hold On to 18" from their eponymous debut studio album, Black 'n Blue, released in August 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Scruffs</span> American band

The Scruffs are an American power pop group formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1974 by writer/guitarist/vocalist Stephen Burns along with guitarist David Branyan, bassist Rick Branyan, and drummer Zeph Paulson. Although their line-up has changed many times over the years, The Scruffs, centered around Burns, have continued to release records up through the 2010s.

<i>Bad Reputation</i> (Joan Jett album) 1980 studio album by Joan Jett

Bad Reputation is the debut solo studio album by American recording artist Joan Jett. It was originally released independently in May 1980 as a self-titled album after her previous band The Runaways disbanded. After Jett signed with Boardwalk Records, the album was re-released worldwide with the new title on January 23, 1981. The album was positively received by critics and reached number 51 on the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chic (band)</span> American disco band

Chic, currently called Nile Rodgers & Chic, is an American disco band that was formed in 1972 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It recorded many commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " (1977), "Everybody Dance" (1977), "Le Freak" (1978), "I Want Your Love" (1978), "Good Times" (1979), and "My Forbidden Lover" (1979). The group regarded themselves as a rock band for the disco movement "that made good on hippie peace, love and freedom". In 2017, Chic was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the eleventh time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cherry Pie (Warrant song)</span> 1990 single by Warrant

"Cherry Pie" is a song by the American glam metal band Warrant. It was released in late August 1990, as the lead single from the album of the same name. The song became a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 10 and also reached number 19 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks. The song has been cited by many as a "hair metal" anthem.

Further was an American indie rock band from Los Angeles that evolved from an earlier band, Shadowland. They released several albums during the 1990s.

Dance Club Massacre was an American deathcore band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 2004, the group originated as a simple recording project between founding members Nick Seger and Kurt Latos. After recording three songs described as "Halloween-core" and distributing them to friends, the project became a complete band when friends began rehearsals with one another all while attending college.

Susan Hyatt is an American singer, songwriter, and recording artist. She is the lead vocalist and co-founding member of the alternative pop-rock bands: Stimulator, Pillbox, Sizon & Glitter Symphony, and Sirens of Soho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wig Wam</span> Norwegian glam metal band

Wig Wam is a Norwegian glam metal band formed in Halden in 2001. Wig Wam's lineup—consisting of vocalist Glam, guitarist Teeny, bassist Flash and drummer Sporty —has remained unchanged since the band's formation. The band's style mixes glam metal and hard rock with humorous lyrics and imagery.

<i>All Across This Land</i> 2015 studio album by Blitzen Trapper

All Across This Land is the eighth studio album by Blitzen Trapper, released on October 2, 2015.

References

  1. ↑ "Tsar – The Dark Stuff EP (Lojinx)". Lojinx.com. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  2. ↑ "Band-Girls-Money – Tsar – Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  3. ↑ "Tsar – Biography & History". AllMusic . Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  4. ↑ "Critical Mass 2000". Phoenix New Times . 28 December 2000. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  5. ↑ Payne, John (1 December 2005). "Blam Blam Blam!". L.A. Weekly . Retrieved 13 December 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.