Customer Reviews

Band-Girls-Money

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Hey--If you like your Power-Pop heavy on the Power, then you'll love this release by TSAR. Though not as polished as their excellent debut CD in 2000, this collection of 10 tracks has more sing-along hooks than a bait & tackle shop. Take a listen to standouts like "Superdeformed" "Love Explosion" "Wanna Get Dead" or "Everybody's Fault But Mine" and try to remember the last time you heard songs that rock this hard with hooks as big as America itself! This CD has an intentionally rawer mix than their debut, and is closer to TSAR live. They're gonna' open some shows for the New York Dolls, and if that's not a kick-ass double-bill, I don't know what is. Have Fun.

Interesting to see the references to the Sunset strip in the reviews/plugs. If you live in LA, you know these guys are Silverlake fellas through and through and rarely make it out to the strip.

That being said, this album rocks!. New drummer and bassplayer in the line-up but I think this was recorded with the previous guys. Jeff, the leadd singer, is super dynamic live and has a fantastic voice as well as playing a good guitar. Lead guitarist smokes live and is good thought not showcased on this album. Lyrics on this album are fun but not terribly insightful.

Song writing and structire veers more towards bubble gum (in a good way with nice hooks and good vocal interplay from lead to back-up). I think the first album was broader in content - more mellow good songs/less Tsat formula - but this defines their sound a bit more. And that definition is good.

Get this album and go see them live if you can. Tsar (star?) does not fit the EMO mode or the heavy mode (like Mars Volta, Queens of the Stone Age). Instead they are just fun, hooky, rocking and do not fit any "modern" genre. Instead, they just rock....find out for yourself.

"Tsar" was a GREAT punk-pop album (though that isn't really saying much unless you like the genre), and although "Band-Girls-Money" isn't bad, it's not as great (Warning: it's cheesy and very much a guilty pleasure). Again Tsar delivers more punk-pop influenced Cheap Trick-sounding songs (though with more punk this time), but the highlights aren't as great as they were on "Tsar" (you'll still like them). The musicianship is, again, very good, and Jeff Whalen's vocals are still easy to listen to. Once again not every song is good, but the ones that aren't highlights are still alright ("Tsar" had three classic punk-pop songs, although "Wanna Get Dead" is arguably a classic). Tsar and punk-pop fans will love this album along with "Tsar"; highly recommended!

Highlights include:
"Band-Girls-Money"
"Wanna Get Dead"
"The Love Explosion"
"Superdeformed"
"Straight"
"Wrong"

One thing that can be said of Tsar that is inarguable is these guys are definitely high energy and put everything they've got into their music.
This is one great album. However, it doesn't measure up to their phenomenal debut album 5 years ago.
This album seems to have slid into more of a punk genre. There are way too few hooks and riffs in this one as the band seems to rely on more chunky power chords.
There are moments when their greatness shines through ie: Wanna Get Dead, Conquerer Worm as well as others.
Jeff's lyrics are still quirky and wonderful and there are a couple of references to their previous album (Cathy Fong/Monostereo).
The production quality of this album pales in comparison to the debut. Jeff's vocals are buried in the mix. The lead guitar has a hard time shining through as the rhythm guitar is a bit overpowering.
There are huge swaths of this album that sound like something from Cheap Trick's earlier recordings (which isn't a bad thing at all).
I certainly hope that it doesn't take another 5 years for Tsar to put out its next masterpiece. I also hope that they return to what made them great in the first place. The world needs another giant rock anthem like "Calling All Destroyers".
However, this still is a very good album and is far better than most of what passes for rock these days. I highly suggest that you, yes you, purchase both albums. This band needs support so they can stick around. Kudo's Tsar! I salute you!

This album just does not quit. It does not quit hammering solid, driven track after hook-filled track into your throat. It does not quit making you turn back to the stereo to turn it up just a little bit more. It does not quit going through your head, demanding you play it again. "Love Explosion" and "Superdeformed" key this album; "Conquerer Worm" and "You Can't Always Want What You Get" exemplify Whalen's range as a songwriter and singer. Dan Kern's guitar is rangy and majestic throughout, punk power at times, soaring counterpoint at others. The original Tsar rhythm section was tuned and tight when this was recorded, and the less polished production compared to Tsar's first album actually highlights the lockstep proficiency of this band through every hook and turn. If you like rock and roll with punch and panache, and this album isn't in your collection, on your iPod, whatever, get while the getting's good.

The second album by tsar is a little rougher than their debut as far as production but it's a better collection of songs in my opinion. The songs are just plain catchy and they all have hook filled riffs that will stick in your head all day. I first heard of this band by seeing them on some random Tv show on saturday morning, the lead singer had an american flag draped on his back like a cape and well initially their music sounded like all the other power pop bandwagon warp tour jumpers, but I decided to give them another chance after seeing their album at the local used cd shop. I was not disappointed because what seperates tsar is that they can really rock and write quality songs that are addicting. This whole album is really good, but my favorites have to be " I'm Straight" and "Conqueror Worm". I would describe their sound as 1970s glam rock along the lines of T Rex and 1980s rock like Guns and Roses. Tsar are a good band that play rock.

There was a long gap between the 2 Tsar Cd's, and perhaps that was the reason I had such a hard time accepting this one. "Love Explosion" is probably one of the most in common with the 2000 release. This one to me sounds rushed, and it confuses me since it came out around 5 years after the first CD...I'm sure there is a reason, it just has a more punk vibe to it, and I don't consider Tsar a punk band, maybe pop punk, or just power pop was more of the debut CD.

Starting out with the title track, and then into another fast paced song in "Get Dead" it charges out of the gate too fast, only "Love Explosion" and another fav "Superdeformed" remind me of a Tsar song of old. There are some good songs here, but they seem to be fast paced, bordering on punk, or at least pop punk when I had grown to appreciate their kinda power pop/spacey/electronic at times hard rock with a good deal of melody and quirky, sometimes dark lyrics that seemed to have a sense of humour. They seemed in the past and on certain songs on here to be more a hard rock first, pop punk second, and they can blend that sound and add some things like a guitar fill or some type of synth buried in the mix and it works better for me than the all out assault they lean too heavy on this disc for.

There is no "Ordinary Girl", and "Girl That Wouldn't Die" (from the debut) were very melodic and seemed to balance that record ...this one has the "Can't Always Get What You Want" that closes out the disc; but to me it isn't anywhere near as good as the former songs on the debut, and that is another part that misses the mark. I give it 4 stars for having some quality music, and most of the songs are memorable, but it lacks much of the appeal of the first release.

Saw these guys touring with social D. Who the heck are they? Got their first album which was great (lot to live up to). Then I got this one. I definately was skeptical that it could be as good. I wasn't as big a fan at first, but after spinning it a few times I think its a great CD itself. I like the guitar in the first album a little better, but this album is definately a good one and if you like TSAR at all get it. "Straight" is a great song.

Best band I never heard of.

As polished as the first album was with so many great songs I wished it was a little more rocking. This one is kind of the Yang to the Yin. Compared to most of everything else, it still definitely rocks. The songs are not quite as good during first listen, but who knows, these are obviously very smart kids who learn from the best of them while having to deal with the B.S. that is the Hollywood record industry nowadays. Give me a break, they were hot, signed with Disney's Hollywood Records and then Disney/Hollywood preceded to bury them and promote a bunch of crap.

When you put driving guitars, amusing but deft lyrics, lots of distortion and polished musicianship into a rock'n'roll blender and turn it up to eleven, TSAR is the result. Paying tribute alternately to 70's British heavy metal and early 80's American rock, TSAR have managed to update both sounds without losing any of their essential qualities, specifically: B*lls to the wall, take no prisoners rock. Turn it up and plug in your air guitar -- you will not be disappointed.