History Music / Starflyer59

# ''IAMACEO'' (scheduled for 2013)

In 2011, Starflyer 59 parted ways with Tooth & Nail Records. Currently, Jason is working on album #13 independently, after successfully raising funds for the album via Kickstarter.

** ''Ghosts of the Future'' (2007-2008) A boxed set of ten 7" vinyls, featuring demo versions of songs from ''Dial M'' plus cover songs, instrumental tracks, and remixes as b-sides.

* Gene Eugene: keys, producer (from ''Gold'' to ''Everybody Makes Mistakes'')

->''I'll change my mind and I'll be true\\
cause blessings come by the black and blue.''
-->-- "Bicycle Rider"

The debut album, ''Silver'', was reverb- and distortion-drenched pop-rock--either one of the final first-wave {{Shoegazing}} albums, one of the first post-Shoegazing albums. Sf59's subsequent albums leaned more towards lounge (''Gold'') and hard rock (''Americana''), but the shoegaze label stuck, despite Jason's reluctance.[[note]]In [[http://web.archive.org/web/20060109122655/http://www.velvetbluemusic.com/starflyer59/jm1.html Jason's own words]]: "Shoegazer music has been dead since 1991. The only shoegaze music we ever did is maybe "The Zenith" from ''Silver''--even that wasn't current when it came out." And his default reaction to the inevitable Music/MyBloodyValentine comparisons was a dismissive, "We're not nearly as brilliant as they were."[[/note]] After three albums (and some songs intended for a fourth album that were ultimately shelved), Jason decided that he'd finished saying everything he wanted to say with guitar distortion, so it was time to do something different.

** Music/DamienJurado's ''Happy Birthday John", on ''Can't Stop Eating EP''.

'''The Brothers Martin''' saw Jason reunite with [[JoyElectric his brother Ronnie]] for the first time since the Dance House Children days. Both brothers' love for New Wave resulted in their collaborative album attempting to out-80's the 80's themselves. Now that Ronnie has relocated to Ohio, a follow-up album is very unlikely.

* UnpluggedVersion: Martin's song "Mr. Martin" started off as an electric guitar-heavy demo on the ''Ghosts of the Future'' boxed set, with a softer version on piano and acoustic guitar recorded as a B-side. Then when it came time to re-record the demos for the album ''Dial M'', the band decided they liked the B-side better, so the unplugged version became the official version. And then the next EP featured two more tracks from the album--"The Brightest of the Head" and "I Love You Like the Little Bird"--and a cover version of The Church's "Under the Milky Way", all performed in the same unplugged style.

* BookEnds: The liner notes of ''Silver'' (Sf59's first album with Tooth & Nail Records) include a black-and-white photo of an unidentified neighborhood, from a hilltop. The liner notes of ''The Changing of the Guard'' (their last album with Tooth & Nail) have a similar black-and-white photo from a similar angle. It could very well be the same neighborhood in both photos, but it's unknown if this is true.

* FadingIntoTheNextSong: "I Like Your Photographs" and "...Moves On" off ''Leave Here a Stranger''.

* IdiosyncraticCoverArt: The ''Ghosts of the Future'' vinyl sleeves.

* LastNoteNightmare: "First Heart Attack".

* SelfTitledAlbum: The first two albums were both officially named ''Starflyer 59''. ''Silver'' and ''Gold'' were the {{fan nickname}}s, which were eventually used as the official titles for the re-releases.

'''The Brothers Martin''' saw Jason reunite with his brother Ronnie for the first time since the Dance House Children days. Both brothers' love for New Wave resulted in their collaborative album attempting to out-80's the 80's themselves. Now that Ronnie has relocated to Ohio, a follow-up album is very unlikely.

'''Neon Horse''' is an AnonymousBand playing a mix of hard rock and synth-pop; fans suspected that it was a collaboration between Mark Salomon (lead singer of The Crucified and Stavesacre) and Jason Martin from the very beginning. This was confirmed to be true at the band's first live show.

* BookEnds: The liner notes of ''Silver'' (Sf59's first album with Tooth & Nail Records) include a black-and-white photo of an unidentified neighborhood, from a hilltop. The liner notes of ''The Changing of the Guard'' (their last album with Tooth & Nail) has a similar black-and-white photo from a similar angle. It could very well be the same neighborhood in both photos, but it's unknown if this is true.

The debut album, ''Silver'', was reverb- and distortion-drenched pop-rock--either one of the final first-wave {{Shoegazing}} albums, one of the first post-Shoegazing albums. Sf59's subsequent albums leaned more towards lounge (''Gold'') and hard rock (''Americana''), but the shoegaze label stuck, despite Jason's reluctance.[[hottip:*:In [[http://web.archive.org/web/20060109122655/http://www.velvetbluemusic.com/starflyer59/jm1.html Jason's own words]]: "Shoegazer music has been dead since 1991. The only shoegaze music we ever did is maybe "The Zenith" from ''Silver''--even that wasn't current when it came out." And his default reaction to the inevitable Music/MyBloodyValentine comparisons was a dismissive, "We're not nearly as brilliant as they were."]] After three albums (and some songs intended for a fourth album that were ultimately shelved), Jason decided that he'd finished saying everything he wanted to say with guitar distortion, so it was time to do something different.

->''Does it matter what my age is, Lord?\\
Am I the dust from a swept-up floor?\\
I had a song for the ages,\\
forgotten in the pages.''
-->-- "I Had a Song for the Ages"

Under the influence of the producer and keyboardist Gene "Eugene" Andrusco, Starflyer made an abrupt GenreShift to a lighter, Music/NewWave-influenced sound with lighter guitars and melodic keyboards. Fans and critics were surprisingly receptive to the NewSoundAlbum ''The Fashion Focus'' and its even lighter followup. Then, in 2000, Gene Eugene died.

The production was finally dialed back to Gene Eugene-era levels for ''My Island'', while the speed was cranked up. Subsequent albums continued in the same vein, while adding acoustic guitars and SynthPop influences (simultaneously) to the mix.

In 2011, Starflyer 59 parted ways with Tooth & Nail Records. Currently, Jason is raising funds via Kickstarter to produce the next Sf59 album (and he managed to meet the $10,000 goal within the first day of the fundraiser).

* D. Brotherton: drums and percussion (on ''The Changing of the Guard'')

* Trey Many: drums (from ''My Island'' through ''Dial M'')

* DoingItForTheArt: Both Jason Martin and the record label. Jason has a day job; he's in this because he loves the music, not because he needs cash. And Tooth & Nail Records keeps putting out the albums, even though they're losing money on them.[[hottip:* :They're hardly hurting for cash, either, thanks to all the pop-punk and emo-hardcore they're selling.]]

* TheCoverChangesTheGender: When Bon Voyage covered TheSmiths "Girlfriend in a Coma", they didn't change the lyrics at all.

The debut album, ''Silver'', was reverb- and distortion-drenched pop-rock--either one of the final first-wave {{Shoegazing}} albums, one of the first post-Shoegazing albums. Sf59's subsequent albums leaned more towards lounge (''Gold'') and hard rock (''Americana''), but the shoegaze label stuck, despite Jason's reluctance.[[hottip:*:In Jason's own words: "Shoegazer music has been dead since 1991. The only shoegaze music we ever did is maybe "The Zenith" from ''Silver''--even that wasn't current when it came out." And his default reaction to the inevitable Music/MyBloodyValentine comparisons was a dismissive, "We're not nearly as brilliant as they were."]] After three albums (and some songs intended for a fourth album that were ultimately shelved), Jason decided that he'd finished saying everything he wanted to say with guitar distortion, so it was time to do something different.

The debut album, ''Silver'', was reverb- and distortion-drenched pop-rock--either one of the final first-wave {{Shoegazing}} albums, one of the first post-Shoegazing albums. Sf59's subsequent albums leaned more towards lounge (''Gold'') and hard rock (''Americana''), but the shoegaze label stuck, despite Jason's reluctance. (Jason didn't like the label because he knew the shoegazing scene was dead or dying, and if it meant being compared to MyBloodyValentine he knew he could never measure up, dismissively saying "We're not nearly as brilliant as they were.") After three albums (and some songs intended for a fourth album that were ultimately shelved), Jason decided that he'd finished saying everything he wanted to say with guitar distortion, so it was time to do something different.

In 2011, Starflyer 59 parted ways with Tooth & Nail Records. Currently, Jason is raising funds via Kickstarter to produce the next Sf59 album.

In 2011, Starflyer 59 parted ways with Tooth & Nail Records. Jason clarified that he may (or may not) retire the Starflyer 59 name, but he still has every intention of continuing to write and release music.

* OnlyKnownByInitials: First on ''The Fashion Focus'', then on ''Leave Here a Stranger'' and every album since, the band members are only credited by their first initial and last name.
* RockstarSong: Very common, ever since ''Everybody Makes Mistakes''. Jason doesn't view being a rock star very romantically at all.

* Jeff Cloud: bass (from ''The Fashion Focus'' to ''I am the Portuguese Blues'')

Jason Martin pressed on, recording a series of albums which all employed wall-of-sound production in different ways. 2001's ''Leave Here a Stranger'' evolved the prior albums' pop into a synth-orchestrated BaroquePop tribute to ''[[TheBeachBoys Pet Sounds]]''. 2003's ''Old'' was an energetic, effects-drenched mix of Space Rock and DreamPop. 2004's ''I am the Portuguese Blues'' was a weird throwback--the shelved post-''Americana'' demos re-recorded as UpToEleven blues-rock. 2005's ''Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice'' was a mellower follow-up to ''Old'', backed by a live string trio.

# ''I am the Portuguese Blues'' (2004)

Under the influence of the producer and keyboardist Gene "Eugene" Andrusco, Starflyer made an abrupt GenreShift to a lighter, NewWave-influenced sound with lighter guitars and melodic keyboards. Fans and critics were surprisingly receptive to the NewSoundAlbum ''The Fashion Focus'' and its even lighter followup. Then, in 2000, Gene Eugene died.

The debut album, ''Silver'', was reverb- and distortion-drenched pop-rock--either one of the final first-wave {{Shoegazing}} albums, one of the first post-Shoegazing albums. Sf59's subsequent albums leaned more towards lounge (''Gold'') and hard rock (''Americana''), but the shoegaze label stuck, despite Jason's reluctance. (Jason didn't like the label because he knew the shoegazing scene was dead or dying, and if it meant being compared to MyBloodyValentine he knew he could never measure up, dismissively saying "We're not nearly as brilliant as they were".) After three albums (and some songs intended for a fourth album that were ultimately shelved), Jason decided that he'd finished saying everything he wanted to say with guitar distortion, so it was time to do something different.

The debut album, ''Silver'', was reverb- and distortion-drenched pop-rock--either one of the final first-wave {{Shoegazing}} albums, one of the first post-Shoegazing albums. Sf59's subsequent albums leaned more towards lounge (''Gold'') and hard rock (''Americana''), but the shoegaze label stuck, despite Jason's reluctance. (Jason didn't like the label because he knew the shoegazing scene was dead or dying, and if it meant being compared to ''MyBloodyValentine'' he knew he could never measure up, dismissively saying "We're not nearly as brilliant as they were".) After three albums (and some songs intended for a fourth album that were ultimately shelved), Jason decided that he'd finished saying everything he wanted to say with guitar distortion, so it was time to do something different.

* TheNotRemix: The 2005 remasters of ''Silver'' and ''Gold''. Criticized by a vocal segment of the fanbase for falling prey to the RecordOfLoudnessWar.

* "Blood Red" (12" maxi-single) (2011)