WINNER of the Best Song category (Curved Nerves) in the 2012 Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll
WINNER of the Best Song category (Weathered Homes) in the 2011 Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll
-Nominated for Best Local Act in the 2011 Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll
-Nominated for Best Band in the 2011 Motif magazine Music awards
-Nominated for Best Album and Best Song in the Providence Phoenix 2010 Best Music Poll
-Nominated for Best Band in the 2010 Motif Magazine Music Awards
-Nominated for Best Local Act and Best Album in the Providence Phoenix 2009 Best Music Poll
-Nominated for Best Album in the Motif Magazine 2009 Music Awards
-Nominated for Best Local Act in the Providence Phoenix 2008 Best Music Poll
-Nominated for Best Loud Act in the Providence Phoenix 2007 Best Music Poll
An INTERVIEW with The Noise – May 2017
Motif Magazine – 3/18/14
A review of our album “Hair Supply”.
The Providence Phoenix – 2/ 12/14
An article on our latest album “Hair Supply”.
Six Star General – Hair Supply (75orLess Records)
Six Star General has had a difficult year that forced them to be on the sidelines for several months due to various medical maladies. In the meantime, they managed to finish another album, Hair Supply. In addition to being my motto, “I Don’t Know Where We’re Going (But I Know That It’s Not Good)” is a return to form noisy rocker that has been missing from the last couple of Six Star records. “Christopher Walken” and “I’m Expanding Slowly” are like stoner indie rock powered by hypnotic grooves. “Way Out of Control” is a noisy fun punk romp. “Life in Vain” is an infectious ditty powered by a cool hook and probably the closest thing to a single on Hair Supply. I look forward to hearing the new tunes live at the CD Release for Hair Supply at The Parlour on January 4.
The Providence Phoenix – 3/15/12
An article on the release of our new album, “Splinter”.
The Providence Phoenix – 1/25/12
Check out the an article on our vinyl release split with The Blood Moons.
These Woods Smell Like Grape Review by Motif Magazine 11/17/11
Six Star General’s half of the split, titled These Woods Smell like Grape, kicks off appropriately with a track titled “Sonic Boom.” The track features all the staples of Six Star from Kyle Jackson’s air siren guitar raid, the thumping bass and yelps from Mark “Slick” MacDougall, and the skin shattering drumming of Dan Ulmschneider. This time out Six Star General was also joined by Kraig Jordan to further buttress their wall of sounds. Six Star General continue a trend from their last album, Six (75orLess Records), by including three instrumentals amongst their 7 tracks. The instrumentals work because sonically Six Star General is interesting enough to pull it off by virtue of Jackson’s guitar assault. Standout tracks here include the pounding “No Knows No” and an ethereal cover of T Rex’s “Life’s a Gas, the latter of which features guest vocals from Jodie Treloar. Six Star General has been particularly busy as of late as they also have their annual full length album due to come out before the end of the year.
– Marc Clarkin
Live Review by The Noise 8/29/11
Six Star General is one of the great hidden gems of Providence. Not only does the band write great songs, you can tell the members are having fun up there and are great friends beyond the stage. Let me tell you, this is certainly not always the case! With an added moog player for the night to round out their sound, they absolutely kill it. A Hüsker Dü sounding band with keyboards? Bet your bottom dollar that you wish to see them tomorrow. (Eric Baylies)
“Six” review by The Noise – 6/11
Early Dinosaur Jr. goes to TGI Friday’s. A thirsty and not-so-miserable Thurston Moore turned up— he was girl-drink drunk and horny for Black Sabbath—sat in on a couple of tunes. Then the bar’s only Hawkwind fan finagled his way onstage with his Epiphone to go “wsshy” for a bit, as well as sing. A probably not-at-all approximate description of Six Star General’s music—but close enough to make me look like I know what I’m talking about… seriously though, that’s what’s painting the picture for me when I hear it. I got worried a bit when I saw some of the silly song titles and the picture on the back of the case of them playing at a bar (is that Dodge Street in Salem, MA?). Fact—they do sound like a bar band, but a bar band that actually has good taste in music, writes their own stuff, and who wouldn’t sell out and cover Sublime or 311 or some crappy band like that. I’d totally go to this bar. (Tony Mellor)
The Providence Phoenix – 1/11
Check out an article on our latest album, “Six” HERE.
“Six” review by Motif Magazine – 1/6/11
On their sixth and appropriately titled release, Six, Six Star General veer slightly away from their trademarked sonic thudstaff thump creating a sonic nor’easter. You know, it’s not your typical Six Star General when the term ballad sort of fits to describe one tune (“Messenger”) — granted in a spacey Hum meets later day Archers of Loaf sort of way. Another new wrinkle with Six is the inclusion of three instrumentals, with one named after the weirdest occurrence in professional sports in my lifetime (“George Brett’s Pine Tar”), which work thanks to guitarist Kyle Jackson effects ridden guitar heroics. In a lot of ways Six is to the Six Star General discography what Experimental, Jet Set, Trash, and No Star was to Sonic Youth. A little quieter and more refined but still plenty on vintage Six Star thunder with tracks like the homage to the singer of the diePods, “Mark Janes Blues,” featuring singer/bassist Mark “Slick” MacDougal trademarked yawl. New drummer Dan Ulmschneider cements the anchor on standout rockers like “Best isn’t Good Enough” and “Face Hurts.”
– Marc Clarkin
“Six” makes the top 10 albums of 2010 according to The Providence Phoenix – 12/22/10
The spaceship that blasted Six Star General to Planet Cookie a few years back has crash-landed in a swamp somewhere in Warren. Guitarist Kyle Jackson and bassist/vocalist Mark “Slick” MacDougall scooped up drummer Dan Ulmschneider (also of Coma Coma and the Propellers) and their latest release (album no. 6) is yet another masterful sludgefeast. This time around we’re treated to zooted, psych-rock cuts (“Mark Janes Blues,” “Face Hurts”) and triumphant instrumental jams alike (“Guns n Moses,” “George Brett’s Pine Tar”). Tough to say if it tops last year’s Take Your Teeth Out, but an indie-rock must-have nonetheless.
Read the full article HERE.
The Providence Phoenix 12/09
Take Your Teeth Out has made the top 10 albums of 2009:
SIX STAR GENERAL | TAKE YOUR TEETH OUT | 75ORLESS
Rock album of the year right here. Sounds as if singer Mark MacDougall has been slamming shots of battery acid for this sludgefeast, with guitarist Kyle Jackson scribbling all over his fretboard a la J Mascis on “Paint Throw” and “Bad Jokes for White Folks.” The thunderous opening track “Half Flat,” “One Way Walkie Talkie,” and their stoned rendition of Cat Power’s “Metal Heart” are among the many highlights (75orlessrecords.com).
Read the full article HERE.
Motif Magazine 12/16/09
Lately, it seems like every column I’m writing about a new release from Six Star General. I thought I was in the clear for at least a few months after covering their epic tubthumping 26-track live record, Do You Want Them to Dance, Then They Will Remember You (75orLessRecords). However, after watching them roar through a blistering set closing cover of the Flaming Lips’ “Jesus Shooting Heroin,” singer/bassist Mark MacDougall slipped me an un-mastered copy of Take Your Teeth Out (75orLess).Reviewing any band so continuously poses its own set of problems in terms of coming up with new ways to describe them and avoiding the appearance that I’m on the 75orLess payroll. This time, a new problem came into play with my laptop being stolen with the CD in it, so a track-by-track synopsis is impossible here folks. That should please MacDougall since the 75orLess moniker comes from writing reviews in 75 words or less and I just wrote a 400 + review of another band on his label. What I can tell you, from listening to Take Your Teeth Out a few times before the terrorists came is it’s my favorite sounding release from Six Star General. Guitarist Kyle Jackson shreds like Thurston Moore. MacDougall yelps out the lyrics while pounding the thud staff in a manor that would make Mike Watt proud. Drummer Jason Almeida provides the steady beat that makes the noise punk work. Standout cuts include “One Way Walkie Talkie” with it’s meteor shower blast off over Jackson’s riff and “Half Flat.” I like the mix on this better than some of the earlier releases because the guitars seem a little bit more up, drenching these songs like a monsoon while the rhythm section steers the ship. Take Out Your Teeth is an appetizing bite. Six Star General celebrate the release of Take Out Your Teeth with Coma Coma, and The Jesse Minute at Houlihan’s in East Providence on December 26th.
The Providence Phoenix – 12/09
Check out an article on our latest album, “Take Your Teeth Out” HERE.
Motif Magazine 9/09
Local record label 75orLess Records presents another showcase of their deep roster, headlined by flagship band Six Star General. Six Star General pump up the volume in an 80’s indie guitar swing manner that recalls bands like The Minutemen, early Dinosaur Jr., and Black Flag. Six Star General hit heavy, kicking up a tsunami of guitar over Watt-like rolling bass lines that tend to blow the air out of the room. I don’t know which label mates will be coming along for the ride for this show but with 75orLess’s ever expanding roster of talent, it’s a safe bet that it will be worth getting there early. 75orLess is so prolific, as far as discovering and putting out records by local bands, that they’re like Rhode Island’s version of Greg Ginn’s legendary SST Records in the late 80’s.
Spaceship To Planet Cookie Review – March 2009
Spaceship to Planet Cookie is the fifth studio release from barroom rock trio Six Star General, and their affinity for sub-two minute jams a la Minutemen and a predilection for Husker Du and Dinosaur Jr is way apparent; on cuts like the opening Amperes are Live, Tree Partner and Dan Halen (each clocking in under 90 seconds, and the entire album under 28 minutes), one would assume that bassist (and 75orLess Records CEO) Mark MacDougall was sporting one of Mike Watt’s sweaty flannels in the studio. The album’s centerpiece arrives with Ode to Cheryl Ladd andFixin’ The Fan With Bo, both of which clock in closer to the four-minute range, which allows time for the track to ascend, and of course are well-complemented with plenty of wah-wah and drunken fuzz. Hell, referring to Six Star General as ‘garage rock’ may seem too formal; Six Star General is like a wobbly, weed-and-PBR stained awning housing a pristine ’78 Gremlin. (7/10)
– Chris Conti – noripcord.com
Spaceship To Planet Cookie review – March 2009
The DNA of this likeable band seems rooted in the American indie rock detailed in Our Band Could Be Your Life. Strains of Fugazi, Dinosaur Jr and Mission of Burma can all be heard in this trio’s brand of heavy rock. As is often the case with those bands, the bass is quite prominent and the vocals are often treated as just another instrument, buried deep in the mix, allowing the guitar to create the landscape and carry the melody. It’s generally when the guitar stands out that things work the best, such as the Mascis-like explosion of noise in “Drowning in Garbage.” The album suffers when the lyrics, seemingly an afterthought in many cases, get pushed to the fore during the quieter moments. Whoever is penning the words in this band ain’t exactly a Strummer or a Bragg. Still, there’s an energy and an enthusiasm to these songs that make Six Star General worthy of some room on your iPod.
-Kevin Finn – The Noise
-Motif Magazine 2/09
“Spaceship to Planet Cookie” reminds me most of the Minuteman with its bass driven tonality. Six Star General pulls heavily from the ‘80s SST Record roster. Live they are one of the most exciting rock ‘n’ roll machines in town that fuses the pre-pop Dinosaur Jr. with a touch of “Sister” era Sonic Youth.
-Marc Clarkin
–December 2008
“Splendid Sludgefest” – An article about our newest CD release “Spaceship To Planet Cookie” by The Providence Phoenix.
Fairhaven Navigator July 2008
-Three guys who have no business being in a band that has played over one hundred shows…..the sound guy had them lower their amps after every song until they were off…..the best band in New England.
-Before I ever listened to the sloppy, (mostly) instrumental rock of Providence’s Six Star General, I liked them. They play covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Butthole Surfers, and Jonathan Richmond and influences include Mudhoney, Spacemen 3, Silkworm – equal parts punk, quasi-metal and distorted pop. Unlike a lot of the garbage that publicists and label folks offer up, these assessments and observations totally match up with the ten minutes of music available for download. Who cares if these guys can barely play their instruments?
-WFMU’s Beware of the Blog 6/9/08
Three hard-working dudes playing basement rock. Their straightforward instrumentation and blunt Our Band Could Be Your Life-inspired sound seems out of place amidst Providence’s Wunderground world, but bassist Mark MacDougall is building a coalition of like minded local artists through his 75 Or Less record label.
-Motif Magazine * 11/07
Six Star Generalharkens back to the noisy indie 80’s rock power trio format made famous by Dinosaur Jr and Husker Du. Already On One, their 2007 release, showcases their fusion of indie guitar swing, punk and a bit of Crazy Horse-era Neil Young.
–Providence Monthly Ice Machine Review * 04/07
A pure-power trio, Six Star General delivers jagged, angular riffs in the vein of Wire, but with the swagger and punch of Black Flag. The simple lyrics beg to be chanted loudly in bars and the songs don’t hang around long enough to indulge in solos, but for fans of powerful guitar rock, this is definitely one to check out.
-Providence Phoenix Ice Machine Review by Bob Gulla * 12/20/06
Old school indie rock that hearkens back to the time when indie rock had balls. Recorded in four hours with no overdubs, this 11-song monster is a groove-a-rama in the vein of early Minutemen and Yo La Tengo, with lots of wah-wah, savage bass-drum rhythms, and angular brawn.
Read the full article HERE.
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