Transister

The 90s did not lack for female-lead alternative bands. Garbage, Curve, Poe, Elastica, The Breeders and Veruca Salt come to mind with very little effort expended. In 1997-98, a vigilant music buyer might have noticed a CD by another such band, Transister, featured at the listening stations of Best Buy and other such stores.

Formed in late 1995 by three music industry veterans, Transister has much of what makes these bands appealing: a female vocalist as the foil to harder-edged music. Keely Hawkes is talented at using the voice she has, and Eric Pressly's writing is a cut above average with sly, clever lyrics. On the whole, the band's one eponymous album (released in 1997) is very consistent but never boring. Each song has a very distinct and complex sound.

"Falling Off the World" from the album Transister (1997):


Interscope/Virgin records took interest and released the album Transister after several self-produced tracks gained attention on KCRW in Santa Monica. Despite this initial popularity and inclusion on several movie soundtracks, Transister never hit it big. The group produced one official music video. While the song is a personal favorite, it does not do justice to the range of sounds that is presented on the album:



Transister is currently out of print and not being offered in digital form, but is available new used through various channels. While the members of the band have gone on to pursue other projects, Transister's MySpace has been updated in the recent past and includes some remixes and promises of rare tracks.