The Dead Stars On Hollywood
(introducing the band)

Kneel Cohn
(vocals, guitars, selling the razzle)

weapons of choice
• Roland G-707/GR-700
• Fender Jaguar
• Vox AC30
• Moog micromoog
• Pistols at high noon

favorite quote
"A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal". - Oscar Wilde






Annie Halo
(synth, bass and EFX)

weapons of choice
• Roland Juno 106
• Alpha Juno 1
• Emu Emax II
• 7 kinds of hairspray





Terry Taylor
(drums and thunder)

weapons of choice
• Pearl custom series
• Vic Firth sticks
• 64 ounces of navy rum

favorite quote
"It takes hard work to reach this static".
- Rev. Don "Magic" Juan


with:



Bryan Maher
(live bass, pulse and backing vocals)

Profile
(the dope)

From NYC come The Dead Stars On Hollywood, melodic and seductive post-glam that plays like T-Rex meets Love & Rockets watching the director's cut of Blade Runner.  With a new album on the way and a music video in post production, the Dead Stars are poised, ready and armed to the teeth.

The original 4-track demos recorded in Kneel's basement and bedroom in Portland, Oregon attracted the attention of British producer Fran Ashcroft known for his work with Blur and Lords Of Acid.  The band recorded it's first two singles "Flaunt It Like This" and "Prozac Smile" with Ashcroft and studio engineer and producer Steve Sundholm at the now defunct Columbia West Studios.  Soon afterward, the songs began getting attention from Los Angeles based radio trade magazine The Album Network and garnered both college and commercial radio rotation.  As a result of the buzz, a few record labels began to take notice.  A TV producer from the Fox Network wanted to use "Flaunt It Like This" in an extreme sports program and "Prozac Smile" was chosen by a New Line Cinema music supervisor to appear in the movie Blast.

With a handful of new songs, they continued working with Steve Sundholm in the studio on the recordings known as the Strongbox Sessions.  Psyche-pop darlings the Dandy Warhols’ guitarist Peter Holmstrom also wanted in on the act and offered up the other-worldly guitar on the spaced out lullaby Planet Girl.  This collection of A-sides from these recordings were released as Anthems For The Friendly-Fire Generation on the Apocalypstick UK label.

The band began performing in local venues as they found their place amongst PDX faves at the time, The Dandy Warhols, Quasi, Elliott Smith, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Everclear.  Early line-ups included drummer Todd Bryerton (Consolidated), guitarist Jef Warner (Black n' Blue) and bass player TJ Hamilton (Written In Ashes). After making the rounds in the local clubs they soon found themselves as an opening act in larger venues with bands Placebo, Gwar, Idlewild, The Dragonflies and Deathline International.

With larger aspirations in mind for the Dead Stars, Kneel moved back to New York City in the aftermath of the music scene left by The Strokes, Interpol, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and a certain terrorist attack. The songs themselves were the only certainty in the most uncertain of times.  Over the next few years the group saw inevitable member changes including the addition of Terry Taylor on drums, synth player Annie Halo and Bryan Maher of Black Suit Youth filling in on bass and backing vocals.

As the group began to further define their sound and re-establish themselves performing in NYC music mainstays The Knitting Factory, Luna Lounge, Don Hill's, Mo Pitkin's, Crash Mansion, Trash Bar and Galapagos, opportunities began to present themselves.  By falling into strange and intriguing company and situations that could only be found in New York City, the band met countless musicians, DJs, artists, actors, models, roller derby girls, burlesque performers, clowns and other eccentric characters. 

Chance encounters with music scene icons David Johansen of the New York Dolls, Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs, Patti Smith, Sami Yaffa of Hanoi Rocks and the (new) New York Dolls, Billy Squier, Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode ,PK and producer Tony Visconti only reaffirmed the vision that started with that Tascam 4-track back in Portland.

Idols were met, alliances were formed, hearts were broken, bullshit was detected... experiences that spanned from miraculous successes to dismal disappointments which is the norm in both the music industry and life.  The highs and lows include a cameo appearance on MTV's "The Hills", a live taping for another bullshit Fox Network related music show (which never aired), a new band manager, a brush with John Carpenter's LA Gothic, an opportunity to work with musician and producer John Roome of The Orb & Witchman, a Finnish beer commercial and interest from UK record labels Some Bizarre and Parlophone. 

Recently the band filmed a music video for "Bang Bang Love" which will debut simultaneously with their new release "Sexy TV Trash" in 2010.  And they say success is a job in New York.

Konfidential
(the dirt)

Kneel Cohn