Over Stars & Gutters Release Debut Album

Over Stars & Gutters Release Debut Album

Over Stars & Gutters will release their debut album, Consider This Your Curse, tonight at The Conservatory in Oklahoma City. The album was produced by Stephen Egerton of Armstrong Recording.

SHOW INFO:
• Where: The Conservatory, 8911 N. Western, in Oklahoma City
• Openers: The Pretty Black Chains, Ali Harter & Legs Dead and Well

Tracklisting and an article from Urban Tulsa Weekly after the jump.

01. Written in Green Ink
02. Less is Moore
03. Treading Water
04. Pit and the Pendulum
05. Anthem on Sheridan
06. Never Again
07. I’d Rather Be Dead
08. Between Sinners & Saints
09. Irish R&B Singer
10. All We Have

Blessing or a Curse?
Punk rockers Over Stars and Gutters pave the way with new CD
BY G.K. HIZER

Do you need a wakeup call? Have you been dispassionate about local shows lately? Or, are you just looking for something different? Don’t fret–we all go through it now and again. It’s the curse of the local music fan: indulging or over-indulging to the point of finally becoming tired or apathetic. You just need something to shake you out of it, something to rattle and bless your soul.

If that’s been your curse lately, you need to shuffle down to The Monolith this Friday night, June 19, for the CD release of Consider This Your Curse from Over Stars and Gutters. It’s loud, it’s brash, it’s passionate and in-your-face. In other words, it’s a much needed breath of fresh air.

For me, Over Stars and Gutters is a gift from the heavens. While local music continues to flourish, alternating between new bands and ongoing creativity in established ones, economic conditions have caused a handful of our already limited number of live music clubs close their doors (more to come–I’ll touch on that later). With the closing of venues, we’ve lost a little steam in our local rock scene, so having a relatively new band jump out with a disc as raw, yet polished and complete as Consider This Your Curse is a surprise.

After a little digging, I was able to find out what’s behind this explosion of sound. As it turns out, the firestorm is a group of buddies from Norman, finding their way and exploring life as post-college graduates.

After being formed by Matt McHughes in August of 2007 with three other members, the group has transformed under his watch, finally settling in with its current lineup over the past eight months. Rounded out by Taylor Hale on guitar and background vocals, Derek Lahman on bass and Jerry Jump on drums, Over Stars and Gutters has found its groove with McHughes fronting the band on vocals and guitar in one of the strongest punk bands to come out of western Oklahoma in quite a while.

A testimony to that proclamation is the band’s debut disc, which was recorded in Tulsa with Stephen Egerton at Armstrong Studios. Packed with muscular guitars and thought provoking lyrics, Over Stars and Gutters is a far cry from the commercial pop-punk of radio ready banks like Blink 182 or Sum 41.

This isn’t about pretty hair, white belts and posing. No songs about girls, how school sucks or teen angst. Instead, McHughes looks life’s challenges in the eye and stares them down. Admittedly taking inspiration from Florida and Chicago-based punk bands like Hot Water Music and Jawbreaker, he melds his inspirations with those of his band mates to create something both inspiring and unsettling.

When he sings “Do you ever feel worthless, do you ever feel alone?” in “Between Saints and Sinners,” it’s more than just a pity party–McHughes is just beginning to touch on something that rings as true for 40-year-olds as 14-year-olds.

When asked about the band and record, McHughes said, “When I formed Over Stars and Gutters, I was trying to pinpoint where my other band (3rd Grade Scuffle) was falling apart. I was graduating college and trying to decide what to do with my life.

“I finally made the decision to continue to playing music and not follow the status quo of the average college graduate,” he continued. “That’s really the point of Over Stars and Gutters and what a lot of this record is about.”

Although the band has only played Tulsa a handful of times, reception has been strong enough to warrant a Tulsa CD release party at one of the band’s favorite venues, The Monolith. “Unfortunately, we found out that Monolith will be closing at the end of the month, so we’re glad to be able to do it there before they close,” McHughes explained. “It’s a really cool DIY place that has always been supportive of us. Every city needs a club like that.”

Support for the show will be provided by John Moreland and the Black Gold Band, which has gone through a membership change over the past few months as well. “John Moreland is probably one of our favorites to play with,” McHughes said. “John and Wayne played with us a few times during the time when we were going through lineup changes,” he continued, explaining the camaraderie between bands.

Also on the bill are openers Thunder Tusk, Violent Crime and The Science Club. As always at the Monolith, cover is only $5 and you’ll be able to pick up the new disc at the show. Don’t miss your chance to see Over Stars and Gutters, bid farewell to one of its favorite clubs and get your taste of their Curse — especially if you’re looking for someone to snap you out of a musical haze.

from oklahomarock.com