Starfucker

From bedroom recordings to Target commercials, Portlandian quartet Starfucker has had an interesting trip up the pop-culture ladder. In a perfect world, the group’s catchy hook-producing capabilities would make it a Top 40 shoo-in. But perhaps there’s something too deliberate in the act’s chosen moniker. A handful of earlier name changes proved fruitless, and Starfucker stuck, along with a desire to create a delightfully synth-heavy alternative to the regular radio grind. Starting off as the self-recorded one-man band of Josh Hodges, the project grew into a full-fledged four-piece that brings a dance party to every live show. Hodges is still the mastermind behind the band’s rock and pop compositions, and this year’s Reptilians sounds like the perfect extension of 2008’s self-titled release, carrying Starfucker’s glitchy happiness to what could be the next level: mass appeal.