Donita Sparks & The Stellar Moments - Transmiticate (2008)

Transmiticate is the 2008 CD by Donita Sparks & The Stellar Moments. Sparks is the lead vocalist of L7 and this is her first and so far only album under her own name. It also features fellow L7 mate Dee Plakas.

Think Donita Sparks, and raw and raunchy grunge-punk would come to mind for many rock music fans – as evidenced by her work with L7. But Sparks' 2008 solo debut, Transmiticate, shows that the singer/guitarist is not going to merely follow in the expected sonic path. While there are indeed a few L7-esque elements spotted throughout, her previous band never embraced the electro-pop and dance styles that Sparks does here. And while the majority of pop music in the early 21st century has become so computerized and perfect that it oft-times sounds like it was composed/played by a bunch of androids, Sparks succeeds in incorporating a human element into the proceedings. Pop music sounding like it's actually being played and sung by real people – what a novel idea! And it works well – as Sparks is well aware of her musical comfort zone, and doesn't venture far outside of it. The result is smartly penned pop with a hard rock edge, as evidenced by such standouts as "Fly Feather Fly," "Infancy of a Disaster," and "Curtains for Cathy." Transmiticate should manage to appeal to both Sparks' longtime fans, as well as fans of melodic rock and hard-edged pop.

1. Fly Feather Fly
2. Dare Dare
3. Infancy Of A Disaster
4. Headcheck
5. My Skin's Too Thin
6. Curtains For Cathy
7. Creampuff
8. He's Got The Honey
9. Need To Numb
10. Take A Few Steps
11. Into The Hi-Fi

Produced by Ethan Allen and Donita Sparks
Mixed by Ethan Allen
except "Take A Few Steps" mixed by Ethan Allen and Brian Haught
Mastered by Dave Collins
Recorded and engineered in Los Angeles by Donita Sparks, Ethan Allen, Jim Watts, Paul Figueroa, Miles Wilson, Abby Travis, Brian Haught and Dee Plakas
Package designed by David Narcizo/LAKUNA, Inc.
Photos by Robert Fagan and Donita Sparks

Guitars: Donita Sparks, Alan Santalesa, Ethan Allen, Jason Shapiro
Bass: Donita Sparks, Dat Ngo
Drums: Dee Plakas
Synths & Keyboards: Ethan Allen

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