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Magstatic
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Terrance D.H. – vocals, guitar
Chelsa Vaun – bass, vocals
Wim Becker – guitar
Jesse Mills – drums
The new Magstatic CD
She's Just a Buzz is now available! (Release date was March
22, 2005).
The Country
vs. City CD is now available on
iTunes! If you only buy one
song on iTunes ever, make it "Gotta Get Away" by Magstatic.
Since 1997, Salt Lake City’s Magstatic has
made a science out of crafting taut, infectious, melody-laden
rock songs. These, they’ve bottled (in a sense) and distributed
on hot little platters such as their latest, the aptly titled
She’s Just a Buzz.
Although the title references a line in a song about a girl,
Magstatic is in itself a buzz. Singer-guitarist Terrance D.H.
founded the band after the demise of Salt Lake City punk legends
The Stench and Bad Yodelers. Magstatic quickly rose in esteem on
the Salt Lake music scene and beyond; two of their first
releases were a 7” on Sub Pop and a track on Deep Elm’s Emo
Diaries #2 compilation. With the release of 1999’s
Cruiseliner and 2001’s Wristrockets and Rollercoasters
(both on Guapo Records), their star began to sparkle a bit
more as the band stepped away from a hard-edged “emo” sound (the
term never really fit them) and into an intense-but-hooky power
pop context.
Alas, personnel changes would plague the
band and delay its inevitable break. With their Pop Sweatshop
debut Country vs. City (2003) Magstatic had changed out
several members (everybody but D.H., actually) but still hit a
confident stride. The album, as with each before it, was hailed
as their best yet. The band seemed reinvigorated—and they were,
for a moment. Personnel changes again popped up as drummer Garry
Ventura defected to Evil Beaver and guitarist Jason Horn
returned to his previous band. Only D.H. and bassist Chelsa Vaun
remained—and neither of them was prepared for Magstatic to call
it a career.
"I
can't even imagine not playing in a rock band,” says D.H. “It's
been part of my life for a decade."
D.H.
feels that She’s Just a Buzz is his fully-realized
version of Magstatic—and he should. New guitarist Wim Becker is
the band’s best soloist to date (dig his intense, sinewy workout
as he harmonizes with D.H.’s vocals in the bridge on “Long
Road”) and drummer Jesse Mills is a perfect complement to Vaun’s
sultry bass lines, providing power and subtlety in all the right
spots. Most stunning, though, is D.H.’s songwriting.
Already an established master of blending the loud with the
beautiful—musically and lyrically, D.H. proves his way with
words on the plainly vivid “Bitchin’ House,” the conversational
“This Suicide,” the road-trip story “Cop Stop It” and the
rapid-fire love-my-girl rocker “Downtown Girlfriend.” Throughout
these tunes, D.H. and Magstatic engage the listener in an
exhilarating exchange of energy that leaves both parties wet
with sweat.
"Moments from this album still give me chills,” D.H. says. “And
I've listened to it almost a million times.” Thus, Magstatic
can’t wait to get out on the road and pass along the chills. “We
can't wait to get out on the road,” says D.H., make new friends
and bring the rock back to the people.”
That, and create a buzz for themselves.
“Hell, we’re going to be huge in Europe,” D.H. jokes. “We’re
doing it right this time."
Discography:
1997 – Sub Pop 7”
1998 – Emo Diaries comp (Deep Elm)
1998 – Kung Fu EP (Running Records)
1999 – Cruiseliner (Guapo Records)
2001- - Singles Ward (the movie) Guapo Records)
2001 – Wristrockets and Rollercoasters (Guapo Records)
2003 – Country vs. City (Pop Sweatshop)
2005 – She’s Just a Buzz (Pop Sweatshop)
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