TSAR’s bitchin’ self-titled debut on Hollywood Records rocked my MONOstereo in a big way when it materialized in 2000. Like many before and after them, they suffered from a seemingly indifferent promotion team at Hollywood and made nary a dent on mainstream or college radio. Despite failing to make such crucial inroads, the album was a near-jaw dropping stunner, offering cheery, colossal hooks and amped-out guitar swaths. Think Silver Sun, or maybe Jellyfish on steroids. A little bit 'o glam doesn't do them a disservice either.Though the aforementioned debut failed to fly off shelves, Hollyweird Records saw it fit to put out a promo ep of TSAR non-lp goodies, i.e. outtakes, demos of completely unreleased songs, and some live cuts. In addition, I’m also tacking on a quartet of live songs from this period that the band recorded for a British SBN Session (whatever that is). Don’t look at me, I live in the States. I just download this shit.
King of the School ep
01. King of the School (demo)
02. Larger Than Life
03. Silver Shifter (remix)
04. You and Jim Will Hit It Off
05. Songwriter! (live)
06. Afraidio Pt. Two, Pt. Three, and Pt. Four (demo)
07. Smart Boys (demo)
SBN Session - March 2001
01. Calling All Destroyers
02. I Don't Wanna Breakup
03. Silver Shifter
04. MONoSTEReo
King of the School: http://netkups.com/?d=52415d5784bbf
SBN session: http://netkups.com/?d=7d2d485419f47
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7 comments:
hello!
i found your blog looking for olivelawn's 1st record, sap.
is there ANY way possible that you could upload it? if you've got it, of course... i had a copied cassette of it years ago and have been itching to hear it again for a long time, aside from their 2nd cd (which i've got)
man, THANKS for putting good tunes up like olivelawn.
d.
I think I have to ask again, exactly WHEN do you break into my house and copy some of my favorite "willfully obscure" recordings. Just recently the Fig 4 ep and now this Tsar CD ep.
By the way, you are right on about that first Tsar CD. If you like POWER in your power pop, it's one of the best.
Ace K.
The first Tsar CD suffered from being massively overproduced. There was a demo tape floating around prior to the band getting signed that blew away anything else they ever recorded. Someday I'll start one of these blogs and post it...
I have the demo tape somewhere and can't agree.
The demo tape was ace but the album hit it right, both are different, but the first four tracks of the album live up to anything around.
It went a bit pear shaped after that and live they were ordinary, but the album is just dandy.
SBN was the Student Broadcast Network that syndicated to Student Radio Stations until it closed in 2004.
Tsar were/are an amazing band. I always think if Cheap Trick had decided to be a glam band. The demo tape referred to in these comments has been released under the title "The Drugboy Tapes".
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