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Twinstar
Since their debut performance in January of 1999, Twinstar have proven themselves as one of the most promising bands to emerge from Milwaukee, WI in some time. Their unique brand of indie power-pop, intelligent lyrics and spirited live sets have gained them a wide range of comparisons and fans, but the group has always stayed true to their distinctive wordplay and stellar songwriting.
Twinstar began when singer/guitarist Jim Hanke and guitarist/pianist Jeremy Benishek decided to continue writing songs together after their previous group, a goofy high-school act called The Late Dexter Wurby, fizzled out. They started as a three-piece (Jeremy's kid brother Josh played drums) and went through several line-up changes in the years that followed. In February of 2001, the band released a self-titled EP (with then drummer Luis Santana) and later hooked up with bassist Dan Siercks, formerly of Manitowoc, WI band The Shockers. In the summer of that year, Santana left and was replaced by Adam Holly, also an ex-Shocker. In late 2002, Siercks parted ways with the band and was replaced by Michael Wojtasiak, previously a member of Sault Ste. Marie and currently the leader of his own project, The Five Mod Four, which brings us to the Twinstar’s current line-up.
Although this is Twinstar’s debut full-length, the band aimed to give the album a sound and feel of something far beyond that. Recorded and produced by Steve Ruppa and Matt Miller (both formerly of Double Zero Records act Notaword), Dovetailing gives a stunning example of the band’s wide musical tastes and abilities: Upright basses sway and grind; sporadic guitar feedback and vocal distortion deliver tension when appropriate; tambourines and shakers season Holly's tight backdrops; pianos and organs add serene textures. With all that in mind, it would seem that Twinstar's ambition alone would outweigh their limited studio experience. Yet while listening to this album, chances are you’ll realize what many already know: These guys sport both the mature, orchestrated sound of future elder statesmen and the unabashed enthusiasm that comes with being rookies.
Another approach the band took in the studio was inviting several friends to participate in the recording of Dovetailing. Garrison Latimer (ex-Notaword, now in Polymer), Nate Hanyzewski (ex-Sig Transit Gloria, Retro Morning) and Walt Lontkowski (of Neenah, WI band Honor Amongst Thieves) each contribute vocally to the album, while cellist April Allison supplies a beautiful atmosphere on some of the album’s slower tracks. “Even though they’re all good friends of ours and in bands that we’ve played out with, it was still pretty amazing that they admired our music and jumped at the chance to help us out,” says Hanke. “I’m a firm believer that a person outside the band is sometimes the key to making a good song a great one. They often hear something that the band originally didn’t and they bring that something out. For our first album, we felt it was important to have that factor because it offers some variety. It gives each song its own charm. The funny party line we used in the studio was that if the album rocked, it’d be a collective piece that everyone involved could take pride in. If it sucked, there were more people to share in the blame.”
Not only does Dovetailing not suck, it lays the groundwork for what is sure to be a bright future. Whether it’s the lyrics, the music or the energy, this record has a little something for everyone, yet it never sounds put on or forced. That's rare for a debut these days, especially one as captivating and mature as Dovetailing is.
JET BLACK RECORDS PRESS RELEASE (May 2002)
BANDS WITH WHOM TWINSTAR HAS PERFORMED:
Absinthe Blind, Alkaline Trio, The Anniversary, The Benjamins, Cadillac Blindside, Camden, Dillinger Four, The Firebird Band, Har Mar Superstar, Hey Mercedes, The Honor System, IfIHadAHiFi, The Ivory Coast, Joan of Arc, Liars Academy, Manplanet, Mock Orange, North By Northwest, Notaword, Owen, Paper Moon, Pele, Radio 4, Rainer Maria, The Red Hot Valentines, Selby Tigers, Showoff, Sig Transit Gloria, Superdrag, Troubled Hubble, The Weakerthans, Whippersnapper, Woke Up Falling, Wolfie, Yesterday’s Kids
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