Donita Sparks & the Stellar Moments

Transmiticate (SparksFly)

Donita Sparks is no dummy. The former L7 frontwoman knows there’s room for more rock & roll Runaways. “Infancy of a Disaster,” centerpiece of the L.A. blogger’s first solo album, whiffs traces of her former onslaught’s brick-heavy “Pretend We’re Dead,” but its fattened fuzz-tone guitar and a lockstep backbeat toll righteously Joan Jett. Shimmering 1950s soda-fountain riff-pull “Headcheck” spells out its l-o-v-e of crimson and clover, while “Curtains for Cathy,” cuts in on Patti Smith’s “Dancing Barefoot.” Transmiticate often comes up codeine (“My Skin’s Too Thin,” “Creampuff”), material clearly a problem. There simply isn’t enough “Infancy of a Disaster,” and a few too many “Need to Numb,” though Sparks’ sarcasm on “Take a Few Steps” goes a long way. Live, the tempos pump aerobic, and Sparks’ goth cheerleader charisma dazzles, so take comfort in Transmiticate as only the beginning of Donita Sparks’ stellar moments.

**

This article appears in March 28 • 2008.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US

San Francisco native Raoul Hernandez crossed the border into Texas on July 2, 1992, and began writing about music for the Chronicle that fall, debuting with an album review of Keith Richards’ Main Offender. By virtue of local show previews – first “Recommendeds,” now calendar picks – his writing’s appeared in almost every issue since 1993.