The Lucky Stars operate as a western hillbilly outfit conspicuously out of step with its era, occupying a stylistic middle ground among Uncle Tupelo, Brian Setzer, and Spike Jones inside the broader field of country & western. Their sound centers on energetic, danceable riffs delivered with an easygoing, approachable manner, allowing these young Southern Californians to arrive in ten-gallon hats while maintaining ample irony. Sage Guyton fronts the ensemble on acoustic guitars and upbeat vocals, taking particular satisfaction in his wayward way with words. Jeremy Wakefield handles steel guitars, Mooney Harding plays bass fiddle, and Whitey Anderson covers piano and accordion. Through this lineup the group has established itself among alternative country’s most prominent throwbacks, fusing the upbeat swing of pre-rock country with the detached, playful outlook of a younger hipster audience.
The band issued its debut EP in 1996 on Bucket-Lid Records; that initial release already suggested their promise, most clearly in the cover of Zeb Turner’s “No More Nuthin’.” Four years and numerous performances afterward they joined Ipecac Records, Mike Patton’s refuge for the musically eccentric, socially deviant, and outright ridiculous. Their first full-length album, Hollywood & Western, demonstrated that the move had not carried them too far afield. On the record they grow somewhat rowdy while retaining their characteristic tongue-in-cheek charm.
