When Duran Duran were intently applying eye makeup without even a hint of irony, the members of Clear Static were using their mothers’ makeup to draw stick figures on their living room walls.
Despite being in their late teens, Clear Static are unabashedly riding the new wave like it was the mid-’80s, ignoring modern influences in favor of over-dramatic, keyboard-filled, echo-heavy songs that sound like they were actually recorded during that era of decadence. The opening track on their self-titled debut, “97 Lies,” would work well in the dramatic climax scene of nearly any ’80s teen flick, while “Careless Lies” could have provided the perfect soundtrack to Ducky pining over Andie in Pretty in Pink.
The band met while in junior high and began gigging around their hometown of Oak Park, California. By 2005, before they had even released an album, they were hand-picked to open for idols Duran Duran on seven dates. After hooking up with a pair of seasoned producers, Clear Static took to the studio to record a debut full of keyboard effects that swirl across every track and lusty, occasionally whiny vocals crooning lines like “I still remember the times when we were young / I still remember two hearts were better than one.” And even though they’re still young, at least now they’re old enough to buy their own eyeliner.
Clear Static tour dates:
3/28, Atlanta, GA (The Masquerade)* 3/30, Little Rock, AR (Downtown Music)*3/31, Tulsa, OK (The Venue)*4/1, Springfield, MO (Music and Culture Festival)*4/2, Lawrence, KS (Bottleneck)*4/3, St. Louis, MO (Creepy Crawl)*^4/4, Farmington, MO (Center Stage)*^4/5, Columbia, MO (Mojo’s)*^4/7, Detroit, MI (Saint Andrews)*^4/8, Cleveland Heights, OH (Grog Shop)*^4/10, New York, NY (Avalon)*^4/11, Hartford, CT (Webster Underground)4/13, Pittsburgh, PA (Rex Theater)*^4/14, Buffalo, NY (Showplace)*^4/15, Columbus, OH (Scully’s)*^4/18, Chicago, IL (House of Blues)*^4/19, Milwaukee, WI (The Rave)*^4/20, Madison, WI (The Annex)*^4/21, Des Moines, IA (Vaudeville Mews)*^4/22, Minneapolis, MN (Ascot Room at the Quest)*^4/25, Denver, CO (Marquis Theatre)*^4/26, Colorado Springs, CO (Black Sheep)*^4/27, Aspen, CO (Belly Up)*^4/28, Provo, UT (Valour)*^4/29, Boise, ID (The Venue)*^4/30, Seattle, WA (Crocodile Caf�)*^5/3, Portland, OR (Aladdin Theater)*^5/5, Reno, NV (Stellite)*^5/6, Roseville, CA (Underground Caf�)*^5/7, San Francisco, CA (Slims)*^5/9, Modesto, CA (Fat Cat)*^5/10, Santa Ana, CA (Galaxy Theater)*^5/11, Los Angeles, CA (Key Club)*^5/13, Ventura, CA (The Alpine Center)*^5/16, Phoenix, AZ (The Club House)*^5/19, El Paso, TX (Lucky Devils)*^5/20, San Antonio, TX (White Rabbit)*^
*w/ Shiny Toy Guns ^w/ Kill Hannah
