STARFISHER

Review of In The DARKNESS by STARFISHER
Genre: Pop/Rock

Holy bass! Holy melody!
The intro kicks, and the song doesn't skip a beat from there!

Style-wise the sound reminds me of a few of bands, but doesn't really ape any one of them, which is maybe a roundabout way of saying that you could fit into the scheme of things with a number of established bands and not seem out of place...bottom line: this could/should get played on the radio! It's a much more rock sound built with elements similar at times to Phish & Rusted Root, Paul Simon, even Barenaked Ladies, but is cohesive, with strong production and top notch execution, and some really cool chromatic/not obvious chord progressions. Over top all that is a VERY strong melody that really locks the listener in.

It sounds like there's both a male and female voice doubling each other, and this works to great effect to create an "everybody dance to the beat without a care" vibe, minus the cheesiness that phrase might imply... The lyrics are terrific as well.

The rhythm section, simply put, kicks! That bassline is absolutely fantastic, and the drumming is absolutely perfect. The guitar doesn't do any more or less than it needs to for this tune, and even a horn solo creeps in, which gives the mixture even more color and flavor.

What can I say, great song, great production, great sound, great band!

Extra Credit: Male Vocals, Female Vocals, Drums, Bass, Production, Lyrics, Melody, Beat, Originality, Most Rocking Track.

- UnderTheEve
Buffalo, New York
June 10th, 2004 - Under The Eve of garageband.com

Starfisher floats energetic reggae pop

Craig Astwood
Special for The Republic
Jan. 17, 2004 12:00 AM
Changing the name of their band from Pomagic to Starfisher has helped an East Valley pop foursome create an identity that the group is much more comfortable with.

The band will debut its second CD, the first under the new name, at Alice Cooperstown in downtown Phoenix tonight. Hearing an abundance of pronunciations of Pomagic became tiring, according to band members. The guys also wanted to have one distinct sound.

The band said its previous CD as Pomagic ran the gamut from pop to hard rock. The feedback the musicians received was that people didn't know how to classify their music.

"We all had a moment where we all said, 'This name isn't going to work,' " said vocalist Woody Jarrett, 26.

Starfisher is Jarrett, Mike Fix, 23, on drums, and two band members who identify themselves with one name - Lion, 24, on bass, and Sparks, 24, on guitar.

Fix, a Phoenix native and North Canyon High School graduate, said he took an interest in drums when he saw a kid play Wipeout at a school assembly.

The young drummer told Fix, a gymnast at the time, if he taught him how to do back flips, he would teach him to play Wipeout.

"He did a back flip and smacked his head really hard. It was the last time he did it, and I kept on going (with drums)," Fix said.

Lion, a Tempe resident who grew up in Phoenix, said he played guitar and classical guitar at South Mountain High School.

"I was a drummer first," he said. "I wanted to be Tommy Lee, but I wanted to write my own songs. I wanted to learn how to read music so I learned guitar."

Sparks came into the band to audition for vocals but admits he was too shy to be a singer. "I sang a little bit, but then I started playing guitar."

He said he grew up listening to popular '80s vocalists like Sting, Peter Gabriel, Prince and David Bowie.

"U2 meets Sublime" is a good description of Starfisher's sound, according to Jarrett, who lives in Mesa.

"If there's a modern band that we're like, we sort of have an essence of the (Red Hot) Chili Peppers," he said.

Jarrett said the band's music has been described to him as "fun, floaty, energetic reggae pop."

According to Lion, "It really is pop rock: melodic, a lot of vocal harmonies going on. It's guitar, bass and drums."

"This (CD) has a sound to it, as opposed to the first record that has 10 sounds to it," Jarrett said.

Alice Cooperstown is at 101 E. Jackson St. The all-ages free show begins at 9 p.m. and features two other acts, Ahn and the Sciannas - Arizona Republic Newspaper

Some have described the "Starfisher Sound" as a blend between U2 and Sublime, others see it as a mix between the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Police. However you describe it, it's different, and different is good. The best way to sum up Starfisher: good old-fashioned song craftsmanship--hooks, melodies, vocal harmonies and great lyrics in a brand new package, one that the world will indeed love... Upcoming show--- 4/3/04 @ the Big Fish Pub at 9 P.M. Located on the North side of University between McClintock & the 101.

Members:Woody, Anthony, Fix, Sparks

Website: http://starfishermusic.com






















- AzCentral.com

Thomas Bond says...

With songs that meld psychedelic jam band grooves, terrific pop melodies and the intricate guitar playing of the singly-named Sparks, Starfisher (formerly Pomagic) have caught a sound all their own. Singer Woody Jarrett possesses a beautifully expressive voice, laying back and crooning or belting it out at the top of his lungs, with equal agility. Lyrically, the songs present an almost hippie-esque positivity, expounding on the value of relationships with frequent use of ocean metaphors that complement the rise and fall of their melodies and the free-flowing sound of the music. - Get OUt