Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments

Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Years active2007–2012
LabelsSparksFly Records
Past members

Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments was L7 co-founder Donita Sparks' solo project.[1] The band also featured Alan Santalesa on guitar, Dat Ngo on bass,[2] and former L7 drummer Demetra Plakas on drums.[1]

Their album Transmiticate was released on February 19, 2008 through SparksFly Records and produced by Ethan Allen and Donita Sparks. NPR's Fresh Air gave the album favorable reviews and cited the group's roots in 1970s punk music.[1] Ken Tucker, then editor at large for Entertainment Weekly, commented on the "fluid power" of Plakas's drum playing propelling the music and observed that lyrically "Sparks remains a feminist for whom romanticism doesn't mean sentimentality - it mean passion."[1]

Nuvo commented on the general danceability of the album with individual songs described as having a "bombinating swing" or with "quirky vocal styling".[3]

In October 2007, Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments went on a national tour with The Donnas, where they performed work from their forthcoming album at over 30 venues.[4]

Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments played at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas in March 2008.[5][6]

In an interview, former guitarist Alan Santalesa stated that the Stellar Moments are no more and that Dat Ngo joined him to form the Shiteland Ponies.[7] Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments were active from 2007 to 2012.[7] As L7 reunited in 2014, Sparks and Plakas continue to create music together.[8]

  1. ^ a b c d "Fresh Air Music Reviews: Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments". National Public Radio. March 11, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  2. ^ Walsh, Joan (June 12, 2008). "Reviews: Donita Sparks and the Stellar Moments "June 8, 2008"". PlugInMusic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  3. ^ Coggeshall, Wade (June 11, 2008). "NUVO Interview: Donita Sparks & The Stellar Moments". Nuvo. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  4. ^ "L7's Dontia Sparks To Release Debut Solo CD". PlugInMusic. January 7, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  5. ^ Loggins, Emma (February 20, 2008). "Interview: Donita Sparks". Fanbolt. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  6. ^ Powell, Austin (February 8, 2008). "Off the Record music news". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "2012 Music Memoriam: Well Known Musicians We Lost in 2012". Static. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  8. ^ Stewart, Allison (September 6, 2017). "L7 is Back, with Snarl, Riffs and Rage Intact". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 7, 2018.