The Star Spangles

Unlike their trend-conscious post-grunge peers, The Star Spangles match them in sheer presence, both onstage and off, as these New York hood rats deliver ample attitude and swagger through a garage-rock approach all their own. The lineup of vocalist Ian Wilson, guitarist Tommy Volume, bass player Nick Price and drummer Joey Valentine first formed after Wilson and Volume crossed paths in ninth grade. Boredom in the upstate hamlet of Brewster had grown unbearable once grunge’s moment passed, prompting the pair to take action. They relocated to Manhattan, scraping by on minimal means while crafting material and relying on borrowed amps and gear they did not yet possess. Their first show took place at the Gershwin Hotel in 1998. Three years afterward the band expanded with the addition of Czech-born Valentine and New Hampshire native Price. Fueled by a steady regimen of pizza, beer and The Ramones, the quartet assembled enough songs to cut a single. “I Can’t Be With You” surfaced on the Spanish imprint Muenster, after which the energetic group caught the attention of major labels. Capitol signed them in summer 2002. Following three U.K. tours, the band entered the studio with Ramones producer Daniel Rey. The sessions yielded their gritty, high-temperature debut Bazooka!!!, released in August 2003.