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Review: Starlight Mints' The Dream That Stuff Was Made From
by Jordan Hoffman

published 8/14/00

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Jordan Hoffman is LeisureSuit.net's Queens-based Senior Editor.



MOST RECENT YAK ABOUT THIS ARTICLE:

Subj: Wow.
I first discovered this as I was hitting a bowl in my friend's car, and she had a mix with this album on the first half and a Robot Ate Me album on the second, but this really blew me away. I got unbelievably stoned and was thrown into a test of sonic resistance. This album is completely brilliant in every single way. Why can't The Starlight Mints be famous?

-- John
Jun 21, 2006 at 3:15PM

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Is there an audience for an indie band that blends the ornate chamber pop sounds of Bowie's Eno-era work and XTC's "Apple Venus" with the scappy faux-diffidence of the Violent Femmes or Pavement? The answer is yes: me. "The Dream That Stuff Was Made Of" by Starlight Mints is the indie gem of the summer (in a summer filled with indie gems,) and I give it a tremendous tremendous thumbs up.

This is music that reaches for the big sound in the big super-producer way, no question. "Valerie Flames" is recorded such that the rhythm guitars are rolled through miles of Dave Davies filters before they ever make it to your ears; harmonies are practiced for pitch, but extemporized for emotion; and the tympanies and strings float by to remind you of the scope of this perfect pop creation. The album opens with "Submarine #3" (it can be heard on their Web site), spritely strings shattered by tremelo bent guitar, whizzes, swoops and a belted out "Holy Shazaam!" If Syd Barret ever sang with They Might Be Giants (and Adrian Belew sat in) it would sound something like this.

Enough of the name dropping! "Submarine #3" clocks in at one minute and fifty-five seconds, there's just an instant to catch your breath, and we kick into the "The Bandit." Whistles all around, as catchy a hook as should be allowed by law, call and response between the band and the lead singer, Allan Vest, who quavers in the best Robyn Hitchcock way (sorry, I'll stop, I swear) and next thing you know this tune's wrapped up at two minutes fifty-five.

There's a tambourine shake and a striking "ai ai ai" guitar riff straight outta' the Pixies' "Doolittle" (damn it!), and track three dazzles with guitar effects and groovy psychedelic settings anchored by the weight of the orchestra's frequent re-appearance. You don't mind if I cut in, do you? You think anyone would notice. We do.

"Cracker Jack" makes the vibrato on Chris Isaak's guitar seem flat. The vocals are tweaked a bit in the Oasis direction, to good effect. So this is what Travis would have sounded like if they had a sense of humor. There is humor in the Starlight Mints. I mean, they're from Oklahoma, like Butch Hancock and the Flaming Lips. I've not bothered to try and figure out what any of these lyrics are (two reasons–one: they're obscured by layers of shimmer, and Vest's delivery is wonderfully affected, two: I'm having far too much fun listening to the music.) But I can tell there's humor here. Sometimes wit is measured in ways other than being clever.

All summer I've been recommending good indie pop/glam pop/power pop records. And I don't have to fear being the boy who cried wolf: this has been a great summer for this genre. But this album really does stand out. This is by far the craziest, most original, most adventuresome, most experimental. And the whole thing is only thirty-five minutes.

I've no doubt that the Starlight Mints will be miserably ignored. No one seems to be into this shit but me and Bill Repsher these days. When I see the idiotic yaks posted to Roy Opochinski's review of Eminem's absurd album (the very one I had to bite my lip while publishing--"Hoffman, once in a while print a review of a disc someone's actually heard of")--they make me wanna holler and throw up both my hands. Why does mediocrity (and calling Eminem mediocre is an insult to mediocre artists) do well? Why, why, why? If we can accept that The Masses (those lifeless fools) just buy records because big-money marketing campaigns tell them to, why can't Starlight Mints be pushed by execs instead of Eminem?!??! It makes no fucking sense! People would like Starlight Mints if they just heard it--they have to! They can't really like Eminem, can they?

Where was I? Oh yeah, "Margarita," the second to last track on the album, has a harp (not harmonica, a harp,) church vocals, and a trombone that sounds like a Marc Ribot's guitar breakdown. "The Dream That Stuff Was Made Of" is a remarkable stew of enthusiasm and talent.


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Name: John
Subject: Wow.
-- Jun 21, 2006 at 3:15PM
I first discovered this as I was hitting a bowl in my friend's car, and she had a mix with this album on the first half and a Robot Ate Me album on the second, but this really blew me away. I got unbelievably stoned and was thrown into a test of sonic resistance. This album is completely brilliant in every single way. Why can't The Starlight Mints be famous?

Name: Nichole
Subject: I love this band!
-- Aug 29, 2005 at 4:36PM
I really love this band. I found it totally by accident. 'Black Cat' is my fav. I can't find their website. I would like to buy all of their cds.

Name: John
Subject: TOTALLY AGREED
-- Jan 24, 2005 at 9:25PM
The starlightmints are amazing, and show not only a craftful medley of old styles but an infustion of new ideas, with those frequent cello and fiddle interludes.
But sadly you are also correct in that no one will hear this alblum, where in not for word of mouth i would have never even heard of this band. Big media is pushing the wrong people, and it is simply because there is less risk in following suit than pushing the limits.

Name: esther
Subject: they kick yo izass!!!
-- Mar 13, 2004 at 6:38PM
damn straight these bitches rock...and anyone who thinks otherwise has zero taste...

Name: kati
Subject: hell yes
-- Dec 17, 2003 at 10:42PM
Oh yes. I love this album just as much, maybe even more hten Built On Squares (as if that is possible). I won't take it outta my Cd player...ever,

Name: KlayMudd
Subject: cant stop it
-- Dec 3, 2003 at 11:02AM
I got the cd 2 years ago and i cant stop listening to it weekly today.

Name: Twisterjane
Subject: cracker jack addict
-- Aug 28, 2003 at 11:22PM
so grateful that the album trickled down through the cracks to shake up some monotony in smalltownsville, kansas... for anyone else out there, keep creating.

Name: Lauren
Subject: wowza
-- Aug 14, 2003 at 6:30PM
I am in love.

Seriously, this is probably the best album I now own. I bought it yesterday and now can't imagine living without it. It remnds me of a mix between modest mouse and soul coughing. Man. Addiction. But I agree with some others on this list--I want them all to myself! Here's to hoping they never go mainstream.

Name: Meghan
Subject: Guitar tabs
-- Jul 3, 2003 at 2:18PM
Hey, does anyone have any Starlight Mint guitar tablatures? I tried figuring them out myself, but I found it to be very difficult. Please someone post a site. Thanks.

Name: Mr Chips
Subject: ecard
-- May 29, 2003 at 5:00PM
so you all should check out their ecard I found
http://www.vh1.c om/artists/az/starli ght_mints/artist.jht ml

Name: girlfromvancouver
Subject: concert last night in vancouver
-- May 26, 2003 at 9:18PM
oh yeah? well, i made out with the drummer (great kisser)

Name: girlonthestairs
Subject: concert last night
-- May 26, 2003 at 5:51PM
oh yeah? well, i made out with the new bassist (good kisser).

Name: rickisha
Subject: i want a picture
-- May 17, 2003 at 4:19PM
would someone please tell me where i could find a picture of these guys i mean have been litining to them forever but i dont know what they look like! i am going to see them open the flaming lips concert in oklahoma city june 9th i cant waite!!!

Name: markisha
Subject: wicked cool
-- May 16, 2003 at 9:14AM
yea starlite mint is one of the best bands i have heard in a LONG time!! yea they are just great...one of my favortie songs is submarine #3!!! ^_^

Name: Emma
Subject: Love it!
-- May 12, 2003 at 9:36PM
I accidentally found this band somehow, and i love 'em, now. Awesome unique music!!!!

Name: rickisha
Subject: awsome
-- Apr 8, 2003 at 8:47AM
starlite mints rock your face off!!!!!!i love them sooo much and its great to finally find a place where other people like them to.i introduce them to people at my school all the time and everyone thinks they rock!!!!!!i mean who wouldnt like them with songs like Submarine #3?!?!?!?!!?i just wanted to say these guys are awsome!!! :)

Name: Ryan
Subject: YaY
-- Feb 20, 2003 at 11:10PM
When i first heard this band, during the pinnacle of Napster, i thought it was Pop-Punk crap. Recently i listened to them again, and they are such a fresh new sound. You have to love a band that is a mix between Weezer (on Crack) and Sonic Youth (without Crack).

Name: Victor B. Bicycle
Subject: timid young goldfish
-- Feb 18, 2003 at 11:58PM
i tell everyone i know about these guys. ive listened to them sense they have exisited and i feel mighty proud to have found out about them. i suggest that everyone do the same, they deserve our money. Right...anyway, Allen Vest e-mailed me and this made me wonderfuly, wonderfuly happy. whee. tizz it for now.. doot bye.

Name: miguel
Subject: lyrics
-- Oct 30, 2002 at 3:14PM
if someone really has their lyrics..or knows where i can find..please tell me something!!
miguelmm40@yahoo .it
help miguel!!!!

Name: alex
Subject: lyrics
-- Oct 22, 2002 at 5:31PM
will someone please email the starlight mint lyrics...i can't find them anywhere

prodigy068@yahoo .com

Name: Ruby
Subject: the mints
-- Aug 7, 2002 at 5:03AM
The Starlight Mints ARE the stuff that dreams are made of.

Name: Kreisten
Subject: :oD
-- Jan 9, 2002 at 6:46PM
awesome band!! the lead singer has a very sexy and unique voice!
-kreisten

Name: jonatan
Subject: pictures
-- Jan 5, 2002 at 3:21PM
hey!!!!

I'm Jonatan from the netherlands and I bought the dream that stuff was made of 2 days ago and now I wonder how the band looks like???
can somebody send pictures of the band to this adress nirvanatrui@hotmail. com????

thanks a lot!!!

o yeh and does somebody knows when the starlight mints play in the netherlands?????

Name: Snakebite
Subject: Lyrics
-- Dec 1, 2001 at 10:08AM
l've just realised that the page on which I posted the lyrics is wrongly spellt... it's:

http://www.lyric sengine.com/

Name: Snakebite
Subject: Lyrics
-- Nov 8, 2001 at 8:56AM
I have just posted the lyrics on that page:
http://www.lyric sengine.com/

l know it takes some time for the lyrics to be printed on that page so it might take a couple of days before you can read them all...

Please feel free to e-mail me if you notice some mistakes:

florian_levesque @hotmail.com

Starlight Mints live forever !!!

Name: Snakebite
Subject: Lyrics
-- Nov 8, 2001 at 8:54AM
I have just posted the lyrics on that page:
http://www.lyric sengine.com/

l know it takes some time for the lyrics to be printed on that page so it night take a couple of days before you can read them all...

Please feel free to e-mail me if you notice some mistakes:

florian_levesque @hoymail.com

Starlight Mints live forever !!!

Name: glitzpixie
Subject: lyrics
-- Nov 5, 2001 at 7:53PM
I need the lyrics to the song Blinded By You
pleaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaase e-mail them to me I'll be your best friend :D

Name: Descartes
Subject: Cogito Ergo Sum
-- Sep 18, 2001 at 1:18AM
Starlite Mints=Rad

Name: oliver
Subject: lyrics
-- Jun 3, 2001 at 7:07PM
If someone already had read lyrics...please..... mail them to me

Name: Jesse
Subject: Starlight Mints album
-- May 5, 2001 at 11:39AM
I am a recording engineer and i was really impressed that such a quality recording was done in Oklahoma not to mention that the musicians were very skilled and creative..I went to see them play last night at VZD's in Oklahoma City ..they really stole the attention of the audience.. props to the band

Name: widow who?
Subject: rock on
-- May 2, 2001 at 1:05AM
as someone that lives in norman, ok. let me say, thank god the mints are finally getting the recognition they deserve from people outside of norman. maybe this will help people in norman give a shit about local bands, but i dobut it.

Name: valerie
Subject: this rocks
-- Apr 16, 2001 at 10:57PM
hey jordan, i lived in oklahoma for 6 years and didn't think anything good could come from that boaring state... i guess the starlight mints showed me what was up. keep it real and keep touring.

Name: josh
Subject: Review: Starlight Mints' The Dream That Stuff Was Made From
-- Apr 3, 2001 at 12:58PM
hey Jordan, you should review the latest Blake Babies album...they kicked ass on their latest tour and i think they'll be touring again in the summer...what do you say?

Name: sarah
Subject: grrreat!
-- Mar 27, 2001 at 7:22PM
wow, i just discovered these guys on napsta-napsta and im way diggin' it.

Name: bhavesh patel
Subject: whimsically singing along
-- Mar 20, 2001 at 1:01AM
I saw these guys open up for BlakeBabies in Birmingham, and I bought the record there for 10 bucks after I heard the second song from their set. I was totally hooked. It was about time I ran into another great CD to keep listening to over and over and over and over until the next great CD. I wish I had taken my minidisc to the concert!!! I am going to spread the word... They need to get their own independent site as well - also lyrics!

woohoo!

Name: Jordan Hoffman Responds
Subject: Re: guitarist is hot
-- Mar 14, 2001 at 12:51AM
I was going to go to this show, but I was rolling with a buddy who isn't really into rock shows. Next time, i guess

Name: hot for guitarist
Subject: guitarist is hot
-- Mar 13, 2001 at 9:41PM
i saw these guys at the 9:30 club opening for the Blake Babies and was very into them...could not keep my eyes off the hot guitarist who played two guitars and made cute little faces to his bandmates...

Name: bradley bongwater
Subject: star lite mint's
-- Feb 14, 2001 at 11:09AM
they get air play every day on wnur and wzrd here in chi-town. when are they going to come and play live ??

Name: Mark
Subject: Starlight Mints
-- Feb 13, 2001 at 6:05PM
I saw and heard the Starlight Mints for the first time last weekend in Norman. By the end of the concert, I felt like it was the kind of concert I should have been pushing the whole time to get close to the band. I drove to Dallas this weekend from OKC and listened to the anything but Norman norm Starlight Mints all the way down. A bit extreme, I know, but when something this goods comes out of OK you just gotta celebrate it.

Name: ash
Subject: starlight mints
-- Feb 6, 2001 at 5:01PM
This has to be the best cd that has come out in the longest time! It has everything i want to listen to and none of that bubblegum pop crap! :) I've never hit reply so many times on one cd! You're review says it all, they have what it takes. Indie music kicks #$%!

Name: Melissa
Subject: Starlight Mints
-- Feb 4, 2001 at 1:30AM
I also pulled this cd at random and I am so happy I did. It reminds me totally of Pavement mixed with Neutral Milk Hotel, which is an awesome mix. Good music=good review.

Name: matt
Subject: starlight mints
-- Dec 30, 2000 at 11:28PM
I found this cd as a random pull at the store and oh my gawd. This blew my mind. Your review is dead on. You just left out the cool artwork that got me to buy it.

Name: abefroman
Subject: starlight mints
-- Dec 13, 2000 at 10:04PM
i found out about these guys thru the CMJ website - they are ^&^&^#@in excellent!! can't wait to see them if they come thru nyc...

Name: Swanko
Subject: SeeThru
-- Dec 12, 2000 at 11:29PM
Your link to the SeeThruBroadcasting website is wrong, you need a g at the end

Name: goon
Subject: wow
-- Dec 11, 2000 at 12:06AM
I also had a chance to check out the salt lake show. They made the little shack they were playing in seem like the coolest place on earth. Black Francis would be proud.

Name: charlesatlas
Subject: oh dear...
-- Dec 9, 2000 at 6:52PM
I saw the starlight mints last night at a tiny little venue in salt lake and was stunned. The cd's great, but the real deal was even better. They've definitely got something that not every little indie band has.

Name: GoldenRainbowKid
Subject: Stralighted
-- Dec 8, 2000 at 5:13AM
This album it's addictive
i can hear it thousands of times

Name: dustyhaze
Subject: exactly!
-- Dec 5, 2000 at 3:25PM
an excellent article... sums up my exact feeling for this amazing album. but in a way i hope this band is ignored and remains our little secret... i wouldn't want hoardes of LimpBizkit fans suddenly swamping the little club where i intend to watch StarlightMints here in Seattle later this month - i want them all to myself! easily my favorite new band - and i have what i consider impeccable taste.

Name: Bill Cosby
Subject: Starlight Mints
-- Nov 7, 2000 at 9:04PM
This is the best album that I have heard in a long time. Margarita is probably my favorite song.

Name: Daveed
Subject: a-wacha. want.
-- Nov 3, 2000 at 5:12AM
very good, muy bueno. =)

Name: Maggie
Subject: Holy Shazamm
-- Oct 24, 2000 at 6:34PM
It's great. I had never heard of the Starlight Mints till' a friend of mine introduced me to it. I am planning on seeing them here soon.

Name: Ryan
Subject: Mints Live Show
-- Oct 23, 2000 at 11:22AM
I fell in love with this album the minute I heard it (found by accident). If you have a chance to see them live...see them. They're JUST as tight and together live as they are on the album. From tap-dancing percussions (really..) to the rhythm guitarist having an accoustic and electic slung on his shoulder together, violently switching between the two. They were awesome, sounded great and rocked the house.

Name: Daryl B.
Subject: Phenomenal!!
-- Oct 6, 2000 at 1:37PM
This is the best album
that I have bought in
a year!!!

Name: bill g
Subject: mints
-- Sep 8, 2000 at 1:29AM
starlight mints response:EVERYONE SHOULD BUY THIS ALBUM..trust me


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