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by Keavin Wiggins
We hear a lot of bands these days that
offer up their own take on power-pop. Some mix it with elements of punk.
Others go for a more 80’s feel. But very few take those elements and also
reach back into the magic elements of 60’s power-pop, with its slightly
psychedelic feel and bring it into the 21st century. The Strokes tried
but don’t quite pull it off, but that is precisely what Stereo Three-Sixty
accomplishes. In fact, this group lands somewhere between The Strokes
and Weezer. And that’s a great thing.
The album starts off with “Superstar” and
you are immediately transported back to the late 60’s. Yeah, it’s retro
and all, but damned if it doesn’t sound great! There is a reason that music
is still popular today, and Stereo Three-Sixty seem to recognize that.
“Automatic” gives us a bit of the 80’s
new wave ala Split Endz. Some may consider it “emo” but it’s so much better
than that. In fact, this is what most of the “emo” by the numbers
band should aspire to create.
This disc is loaded with plenty of ear
candy. If you have a sweet spot of guitar driven power-pop with a heavy
emphasis on melodic hooks then you will find a lot of love with this group.
Stereo Three-Sixty is a testament to the
fact that you can look back to those who came before and adopt the best
elements of that music and make it all your own. This band does have what
it takes to go the distance and are definitely a group to keep your eye
on for great things to come.
Official Bio
The Los Angeles music scene is one of the
hardest markets in the country to be an honest self-reflecting music artist
in. Surrounded by musicians who either play in 3 or 4 groups at a time
or try to follow the trends to generate some momentary fleeting attention
for themselves and not necessarily their music, Stereo 360 is a notable
difference.
Focused and driven by the messages in their
songs, Stereo 360 builds upon the musical and songwriting influences of
past and present artists such as Nirvana, Cheap Trick, Split Enz and The
Cars. Artists who all emphasized melodic guitar-driven Alternative Pop/Rock
songs that featured an epic rock drama
to them. These elements can all
be found in their debut album, Enjoy Your Life Poolside.
This debut release, produced, engineered
and mixed by Ryan Greene (NOFX, Tonic, Lagwagon) acts as an introduction
into the group's philosophy and ideas. A message to take an honest look
as to where you are in your life. To question yourself about what is real
and what is not. These messages can be clearly seen in songs such as Superstar
and Sick Of You.
Superstar, a song which brings to light
the shallow and arrogant desire of some other artists to not use their
music as a source of communication with others but only as a source of
financial hunger.
While the song, Sick Of You, questions
why you choose at times to live in a state of depression. One in which
you hate everything about your life including the people around you.
In a time when we are flooded by a resurgence
of one hit wonders, it is refreshing to see that a group like Stereo 360
not only cares what is in their music, they make sure that it comes out
loud and clear.
CD Info
Stereo
Three-Sixty – Enjoy Your Life Poolside
Label: BABYpea
Rating: 
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