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OK, I admit it. I'm a sucker for ladies rocking the mic. After seeing the Stellas live, I picked up their Felt EP and played it quite often. Then I got word that Music for Umbrellas was out with the Chainsaw Kittens' producer at the helm. I knew that I had to get it.

The lineup of The Stellas has been in constant flux since I first learned of them slightly more than a year ago. At the time of this recording, the band consisted of singer/songwriter Raechel Duncan, who also handles guitars and keyboards, and John London, who handles the drums and synth programming.

The Stellas describe themselves as a blend of pop, rock, punk, and New Wave; this album attests strongly to that description. Producer Trent Bell brings a firm hand to the production of this album; it's sonically tight, with a superb mix. This album sounds like something a major label could produce, not a tiny imprint in a not-so-large Oklahoma town.

Highlights on the album include "When He Says He Loves Me," written for the Stellas by Tyson Meade of the Chainsaw Kittens, and the band's cover of The Cars' "Just What I Needed." Also worthy of mention are two cuts from the Felt EP that make a bigger impact here, "Fluff My Aura" and "Yours Alone." The Stellas walk the line between talking about their human relationships ("When He Says He Loves Me," "Girlfriend") and their heavenly one ("Yours Alone").

Beautiful black and white packaging with pink accents completes the presentation. The only minor complaint I could have is the length (at 36 minutes, I've waited in lines longer than this); but the music you get in those 36 minutes is excellent, and the low selling price makes this one easy on the checkbook as well as the ears.

Josh Marihugh 8/10/03