Biography All Music Guide Wikipedia
Group Members: Paul Dempsey
All Music Guide:
The garage band the Flaming Stars came together in 1994 under the guidance of ex-Gallon Drunk drummer Max Decharne (vocals/keyboards). Joining him are Paul Dempsey (bass), Joe Whitney (drums), Mark Hosking (guitar), and Huck Whitney (guitar). The Flaming Stars, who spark a haunting swagger similar to Nick Cave and the Tindersticks, spent the next year wowing European audiences while honing a dark, guitar-driven sound. In March 1995, the Flaming Stars issued their debut EP, Hospital, Heaven or Hell. U.K. radio personalities John Peel and Steve Lamacq were instant fans of the first single, "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye," and praised the song on their respective radio shows. Several John Peel session releases would be issued throughout the remainder of the '90s. In spring 1997, the Flaming Stars recorded and released Bring Me the Rest of Alfredo Garcia while Sell Your Soul to the Flaming Stars appeared three months later. Tours of the U.K. were massively successful, gaining the Flaming Stars momentous airplay in England. They weren't exactly superstars, but fans quickly absorbed the band's sinister rock appeal. The band issued the dramatic, epic A Walk on the Wired Side in winter 2001. It was an angry, cynical record, but equally passionate and sultry. "Some Things You Don't Forget" was a moderate hit in Europe, but the Flaming Stars remained practically unknown in America. Still, the band trudged on; they inked a deal with Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label, giving the Flaming Stars an outlet to introduce themselves to America. The theatrical performance of Ginmill Perfume appeared in October 200, tantalizing tales of exotic travels were found on the Sunset & Void album in fall 2002, and the down-and-dirty saga of Named and Shamed arrived in 2004. Soon after, the group's longtime label in the U.K., Vinyl Japan, folded and they moved over to the Big Beat label, which wasted no time in releasing the excellent career retrospective London After Midnight: Singles, Rarities and Bar Room Floor-Fillers 1995-2005. The band's eighth studio album, Born Under a Bad Neon Sign, followed in fall 2006.
Wikipedia:
The Flaming Stars are an English underground garage punk band. The Flaming Stars can be compared to artists such as the Tindersticks and The Bad Seeds.
History
The band was formed in 1994 by lead singer and Ex-Gallon Drunk drummer Max Décharné, guitarists Huck Whitney and Mark Hosking, bassists Paul Dempsey, and Joe Whitney on the drums. The band was signed to the London-based, but Japanese owned, Vinyl Japan UK Ltd. The band first gained attention in Europe when they released their EP "Hospital, Heaven or Hell" which received praise from well-known English radio personalities John Peel and Steve Lamacq, respectively. Because of this, they recorded six John Peel Sessions which were released throughout the 90s and eventually released together in 2000 on a double album, The Six John Peel Sessions.
In 1996, the Stars released their first album, Songs From the Bar Room Floor, which was followed by Sell Your Soul to the Flaming Stars in 1997. In 2001, The Flaming Stars released A Walk on the Wired Side, a slight departure from their previous works. The album took less from 1960s style garage rock and instead focused more on creating their own unique sound. The Stars gained a minor hit in the UK from their album A Walk on the Wired Side with the song, "Some Things You Don't Forget". The band received considerable attention in the UK's underground scene while remaining fairly unknown in the United States. The Flaming Stars released their fifth studio album, Sunset & Void, in 2002.
Two years later in 2004, the Flaming Stars released Named and Shamed, their 10th anniversary album. In early 2006, Vinyl Japan went into receivership and the Stars were signed to Big Beat Records, which is owned by Ace Records. On 16 March they released their first effort on Big Beat, a 42 track compilation album London After Midnight: Singles, Rarities and Bar Room Floor-Fillers 1995-2005. In September 2006, they released their seventh studio album, Born Under A Bad Neon Sign.
