The Goldstars

As 2/3 of the internationally renowned trash and thrash rock outfit, The New Duncan Imperials, Skipper (keyboards/occasional bass) and Goodtime (drums) continue to litter the world?s stages with their crunching, countrified collision of highbrow references and lowbrow arena rock gestures. As Pravda Records' anchor act, they've created an overripe catalog of sly, slamming rock tunes, dressed in a protective coating of schlock, but underneath reveal themselves to be casually brilliant satire, dexterous and deftly executed.

Though he finds himself at the front and center of The Goldstars lineup, vocalist/bassist Sal first made his mark on the local stage as the hard-hitting drummer for the defunct but still highly-regarded Krinkles. Growing restless during The New Duncan Imperials' ever-increasing downtime, and The Krinkles no longer in operation, Skipper, Goodtime and Sal decided to finally make good on their long-kicked around notion to get something musical started between them.

Something that reflected their collective desire to return to a no-frills brand of rock and roll that would cull from their record collections, and their own personal musical calling cards: Goodtime's legendary drumkit muscle, Skipper's grinding Farfisa, and the unbridled rock instincts of Detroit-bred frontman Sal.

After a couple of guitarist misfires, the trio turned to their longtime friend, Dag Juhlin. One of Chicago's most versatile guitarists, Juhlin has fronted the loose-limbed pop rock quartet The Slugs & more recently The Greenwoods, while finding a decade within that time to play, tour and record for revered club and radio favorites, Poi Dog Pondering. Juhlin's "grip it and rip it" style found a perfect home in the context of The Goldstars, and the band's live shows immediately took on a new spontaneity and energy.

Soon The Goldstars began relying less and less on the Nuggets box set for material as more and more of their highly charged three-minute/three-chord scorchers began populating their sets. They make there roaring return to the record rack with the release of their second long-player, "Purple Girlfriend" (Pravda). This ten-song set not only confirms the band's considerable skills as purveyors of hard-hitting blasts of lusty rock, but also sees the foursome raising the stakes musically.

Having honed their act through tireless performances and ample roadwork, "Purple Girlfriend" finds The Goldstars at the top of their musical game. Bassist and vocalist Sal is at his primal, swaggering best on revved-up cuts like "DMV" and "All About You" as well as their slash and burn cover of The Sparkles' classic "No Friend of Mine". Goodtime's drums tumble like runaway thunder on crucial cuts like the tremolo-soaked "One Plus One" and Sal's hilariously bitter "Angry Eyes".

Guitarist Dag Juhlin steps up to the microphone for a pair of numbers ? the caffeinated Stones riff-o-rama of "Fire" and the album's most blatant and engaging musical departure, the muscular West Coast psychedelia of "Go Baby Go". And his moaning guitar squall adds a suitably nightmarish accent to the instrumental title track. Through it all is the amped-up keyboard work of band co-founder Skipper. Whether he's rolling through a nasty, Farfisa-laden blues solo in "Always Late" or channeling an after-hours Ramsey Lewis in the band's stunning reworking of the Mel Torme-sung chestnut, "Comin' Home Baby" it's Skipper's handiwork that adds the right touch of garage grit to every track.

Loud and fast, though loaded with subtle extras and bona fide world-class musicianship, "Purple Girlfriend" delivers a welcome jolt of straight ahead rock and roll that goes for the throat like a cold Pabst in a smoky club. Ladies and gentlemen, The Goldstars are back.