A KOOP DJ challenged us today
to decide for ourselves whether Jasmine Star's "cult" is real,
manufactured or a hoax. I say it's a hoax: the grainy b&w photos of a
faceless woman in a hospital gown artily posed with a guitar and tanpura
resemble nothing so much as a ripoff homage to John
Lurie's Marvin
Pontiac schtick. The band's one-line Narcopop
blurb doesn't convince me otherwise. And since I find no other web
buzz for the band at all, the imputation of a "cult" sounds like the
DJ's generosity to a new Austin band.
As for what the band sounds like, I hear nice but listless vocals, whiny slide guitar meandering and a not inappropriate drone from the tanpura. Something like Morphine's later slow numbers. Well done if you like that sort of thing, but not my cup of tea.
/ Usenet thread