Mashing together Ringo Starr and the Death Star from "Star Wars" to create their name, noise-pop group Ringo Deathstarr were one the "buzz" bands at last month's South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas. With 2,000 acts performing over the heralded bash's five days, this was no small feat for the hometown three-piece. Pre-fest accolades came from the likes of CNN, and Wired featured Ringo Deathstarr in their "10 Must-Hear Bands Ready to Shake Up SXSW" preview.
Tokyo psychedelic-garage rock stalwarts Zoobombs closed out Wired's list. And while Ringo Deathstarr would likely happily tour with Zoobombs, it's local wild rockers Guitar Wolf they are pining to play alongside. In interviews, Ringo Deathstarr have praised the leather-clad trio and expressed their desire to share a stage with them.
Ringo Deathstarr embarked on their first international tour in 2009 for concerts in Japan. The jaunt was to promote "Sparkler." The Japan-only compilation was released by local indie imprint Vinyl Junkie and included the group's 2007 eponymous EP and singles. The label issued the act's full-length debut "Colour Trip" in early February. Unapologetically borrowing from The Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine, Ringo Deathstarr's take on spacey, hallucinogenic rock 'n' roll is far from groundbreaking. A very strong album nonetheless, its great nostalgic nod to shoegaze's heyday is earning positive reviews.