When is the last good band going to come out of NYC? Itís gotta happen sometime, right? I mean, every band being shot out of the Big Apple canít be great, can they? Probably not, but the City That Never Sleeps is still producing quality and The Star Spangles are proof of that. The young quartet drop their debut album either this month or next, dependent upon whether you are the UK or US, and the first offering from that set of gems is ìI Live For Speed.î Coming across like a garagey version of Ash or a reggae-free Clash, the Spangles rip through the album-opener like a band possessed and even throw in a Chuck Berry-esque guitar riff at the end for good measure. Punk urgency, garage rock guitar tones and thrift-store chic all combine into one tightly knit package and one that should be opened again and again. ìI Live For Speedî may be the song title, but it seems like the mantra for this crew of in-the-moment musicians. A perfect single for release in the week of our countryís birth. All salute The Star Spangles.
JEREMY P. GOLDSTEIN

The Star Spangles
Parlophone/Capitol

1. Live – Jet Fly Through Chicago At Light Speed, No Stop In Sight
2. Mission of Burma’s The Sound, The Speed, The Light Streaming
3. Sleep At Your Own Speed
4. Video – Speed Racer Movie Trailer
5. Coldplay Live DVD/CD Sure To Be Under Many Xmas Trees