21st Century Music: Ringo Deathstarr
21st Century Music are playlists and profiles that focus on artists that have released their music since 2000. These profiles highlight new(er) acts that continue the sound and spirit of the older acts that are the focus of Ceremony. Click on the streaming service of your choice below to listen to the playlist as you read along.
One of the most compelling and consistent modern shoegaze and dream pop acts of recent years has been Ringo Deathstarr. Indeed, the band’s name is a portmanteau of Ringo Starr and the Star Wars’ dreaded, Death Star, chosen in the same spirit as influencing acts, The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre. I have been a more recent convert to their sound and have been delighted to discover the band’s growing and exhilarating discography. Shoegaze was never a highly popular genre, but after its most popular period in the early ‘90s it has receded into the deeper niches of the music world since, but bands like Ringo Deathstarr have been keeping the torch burning in a highly competent fashion.
The band was formed by guitarist and singer, Elliott Frazer, who started out in Beaumont, Texas in 2005 before firming up the band’s line-up after a move to Austin. Joined by guitarist, Renan McFarland, drummer Dustin Gaudet, and female bassist, Alex Gehring, they managed the 2005 release of a self-titled EP via British label SVC Records, not surprising given England is where the shoegaze sound was born and has flourished. Indeed, from the start on the first EP, the band effectively channeled the core sounds of shoegaze pioneers such as My Bloody Valentine, Jesus & Mary Chain, and Ride. “Swirly” was a track that could have fit comfortably on MBV’s Isn’t Anything LP.
Over the next six years, leading up to their debut LP, Colour Trip, Ringo Deathstarr issued a series of singles that continued to explore the various modes of shoegaze, mixing electronics, layered guitars, catchy pop twists, and dreamy vocals. The singles were compiled into the engaging compilation, Sparkler, in 2009. Over that period the line-up changed, with Daniel Coborn replacing Dustin Gaudet on drums and guitarist McFarland also departing, leaving the act as a trio.
Ringo Deathstarr: Alex Gehring, Daniel Coburn, and Elliott Frazer
Through the debut LP and the EP, Shadow, which quickly followed, the consistent quality of band’s music was made clear, with one highly listenable and intriguing track after another. They scored an opening slot with Smashing Pumpkins for a 2011 tour, which also helped boost their profile, though the band has never been destined for breakthrough success. Their reliable adherence to the caustic, sometimes opaque styling of shoegaze will certainly keep mass audiences at bay.
Still, over their ensuing four albums released between 2012 and 2020, the polish and quality of the band’s music has evolved, with something to offer to fans of any elements of their genre. The self-titled 2020 album was their best yet, expanding their sound and catching some of the dream pop sounds of a band such as, Lush, as heard in a song like, “God Help the One’s You Love.” Frazer and Gehring’s male-female harmonies capture the quintessential, in the mix vocal styles of core shoegaze. “Be Love” recollects American electro-dream pop sounds from the likes of Supreme Love Gods.
I had the pleasure of seeing the band in a small venue in Toronto in late 2019, joined by another strong act in the genre, Blushing. It was a really good show (despite some guitar issues for Frazer), and it was wonderful to hear the full-on power of shoegaze in the small confines of the converted Tavern.
Ringo Deathstarr’s consistency in style and sound means that if you like shoegaze, it’s hard to imagine you wouldn’t become a strong fan of the band. Likewise, if you aren’t warm to the genre’s vibe, there’s not enough to Ringo’s sound to draw you in past the wall of guitars and washes of feedback. Regardless, for a fan like me, they’ve been a wonderful, contemporary addition to my regular listening and especially for the oft-needed fix of layered guitars and dreamy, sonic soundscapes.
The Playlist (song\album (year)
Swirly \ Ringo Deathstarr EP (2007)
In Love \ non-album single (2009)
Rats Live on No Evil Star \ Sparkler compilation (2009)
Do It Every Time \ Colour Trip (2011)
Kaleidoscope \ Colour Trip (2011)
Other Things \ Colour Trip (2011)
Shadow \ Shadow EP (2011)
Drag \ Mauve (2012)
Fifteen \ Mauve (2012)
Do You Wanna \ Mauve (2012)
Flower Power \ God’s Dream mini-LP (2013)
Chainsaw Morning \ God’s Dream mini-LP (2013)
Heavy Metal Suicide \ Pure Mood (2015)
Stare at the Sun \ Pure Mood (2015)
Big Bopper \ Pure Mood (2015)
God Help the One’s You Love \ Ringo Deathstarr (2020)
Gazin’ \ Ringo Deathstarr (2020)
Be Love \ Ringo Deathstarr (2020)
Cotton Candy Clouds \ Ringo Deathstarr (2020)
