Marlon Rabenreither began his solo project as Gold Star in 2013 and releases his third album, Uppers And Downers. The process began at LA’s historic Valentine Studios, a space recently renovated by Rabenreither’s producer friend Nicolas Jodoin . Valentine hadn’t been touched for decades but captured some of the greatest artists ever, including The Beach Boys, Frank Zappa, and Jackson Browne). Jodoin was key in ensuring the songs formed a seamless soundtrack via lush arrangements and vintage-sounding keys and chords. Uppers And Downers is a collage that winks at classic eras, but with a modern bite and twist. The one thing connecting the songs is the city of Los Angeles. Now residing in MacArthur Park, Rabenreither feels the wave of excitement following the mass exodus of creative types from the more expensively priced San Francisco and New York City. His friends are similarly minded musicians and artists; they all believe in the everlasting power of rock’n’roll. For once in his life, he’s starting to feel less like a lone wolf, more part of a collective movement. Guest musicians include Cameron Avery and Cole and Sumi of Black Lips.
