AustinExperience.com - Small Stars: Tijuana Dreams

The Small Stars

XTC had the Dukes of Stratosphere. Garth Brooks had Chris Gains. And two members of Fastball (with a couple of friends) have their alter-ego as well--The Small Stars, a collection to Reno lounge singers. If Reno lounge singers had the talent of this crew, SXSW would move to Reno. Fortunately, we've got these guys close to home in Austin. The latest release, Tijuana Dreams, is a solid album with many tracks that could have easily been slated for the next Fastball album. But it also includes a few numbers that may have seemed a little out of place. A couple of tracks really play up the lounge singer persona, but even with some cheesiness thrown it, these guys can't escape their talent.

Miles Zuniga (Guy Fantasy) and Jeff Groves (Buddy Llamas), both from Fastball, teamed up with John Bush (Brick Masterson), Jeff Johnston (Godfrey McCambridge), and Landis Armstrong (Richard Steele). Bush from the New Bohemians, Johnston from Li'l Cap'n Travis, and Armstrong from El Orbits provide a solid foundation for Zuniga and Groves to do what they do so well, belt out tunes with just enough pop-jingle in the chorus for it bore inside ones head without a likely chance to escape.

I first heard the Small Stars on a Texas Music magazine CD compilation. "Otra Vez" was one of the highlights of the CD. Of 20 or so artists on the CD, the Small Stars was the first band that motivated me to purchase their CD. The self-titled album was well worth it. Very unique. Humorous at times. I was wondering if I should expect more of the same with Tijuana Dreams. More of the same would have been fine, but I discovered that these guys kicked it up a notch. Tracks like "Love is Grand" and "Sweet Sweet Sweet" present a unique problem for these guys. They will get out and eventually find a large audience. If the point of this alter-ego is to allow the band to perform with any anonymity and throw Fastball fans off their scent, it won't last long. I expect long lines outside any club the Small Stars play.

Check out AustinExperience.com's musician/band links.