Count Your Lucky Stars Records - Sampler [Album]

Count Your Lucky Stars

July 20, 2009, 08:37 AM

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Count Your Lucky Stars Records is a small record label based in Michigan, USA with a love for unknown, underground bands with weird names. Representing bands from all over the world [the US, Canada and Germany in this case] although most of them are in fact from Michigan and the German band isn't even mentioned on their website! The acts on this label aren't that different from the usual garage rock bands, with the label typically naming the bands either honest, passionate or a reminder of the indie scene of the nineties.

Though a lot of people think of it as music you rather play than listen to, the small following of garage bands is usually extremely passionate and fans tend to not be interested in the latest, or hottest band, but in the best unknown bands period. For those who recognize themselves in this description, welcome to Count Your Lucky Stars.

Best represented on this sampler is Michigan foursome Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) with four songs, starting with their latest 7" single ‘Year of the Rabbit’. It’s the typical unconventional garage song; no melodies, no direction and no poppy structure, just two guitars, two vocalists, bass, drums and emotions that finally get out of the system. ‘Our Love has Made us Pariahs’ and ‘K.O. K.O. (the Most of My Worries Are the Least of Your Concerns)’ represents the band during their introspective moments, while ‘IDK, my BFF Jill’, is especially worth mentioning because the female singer is obviously influenced by the Friends character Phoebe Buffay, who’s singing technique (or the chronic lack of it) she has made her own.

Driving on City Sidewalks, from Canada, goes one step further on the garage path, not only showing their disapproval of the existence of rhythm on ‘Where Angels Crowd to Listen’, but also showing their sense of originality by using grunge background vocals and a Mariah Carey sound-a-like at the end of the song.
It is hard though to judge this band, as ‘And Ever Since’ mainly shows there is a fine line between meaningless ever-repeating riff based instrumentals of feedback quality and muzak, as it is basically both.

Of all the artists on this sampler, Brave Captain and I am the Branch, both are from Michigan though not from the same town, are the most conventional and structured bands. Brave Captain seem to have found his final destiny on the borders of mainstream alternative rock and punk, while acoustic loner I am the Branch prefers the singer/ songwriter style, though even the Branch doesn't care too much about playing the typical singer/ songwriter songs.

Last name on the bill is Wishes on a Place, a German band who, strangely enough, isn't even mentioned on the label’s website. Called a mix of classic emo, indie and post rock by one reviewer, the main conclusion here is that our German friends have most fun repeating an unremarkable riff over and over again, until the clock strikes eight, minutes that is.

Most of the bands featured on this sampler sound like they have just started out and prefer passion and energy over music. They instead kind of sound lost in confusion and on the potential road to nowhere.

For garage rock followers, the Count Your Lucky Stars website is definitely worth visiting. Just don't expect the next musical revolution coming out of Michigan.

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