Starbender is a Chicago-based rock band blending styles of brit rock & 90s grunge infused with ethereal space rock vibes thrust straight from the heart of an exploding nebula. Starbender’s songs harken back to a time when rock music felt like it had a soul, staying organic & natural while simultaneously striking every rock n' roll nerve of a body craving to escape its mind's cage. Not staying in any particular one sandbox, Starbender attempts to merge influences from legends like Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, & Muse to Pink Floyd, Beck, & Oasis. The musical vibe is a fusion of piss & vinegar with peace & love, a marriage of gut-wrenching guitar riffs with atmospheric melodies.... like a key designed for the musical doors of the cosmos.

Starbender’s concept albums skyrocket the listener’s consciousness to every corner of the universe so they can explore their true selves through an introspective journey of the soul. Infused with themes and lyrics dedicated to opening minds, and waking those who stay asleep while the 1% sways our society into focusing their hatred towards their neighbors.... rather than the elitists who control the machine.

Starbender has done the rounds playing at Chicago’s famous local rock venues including The Cubby Bear, Subterranean, Elbo Room, Martyrs', Underground Lounge, and many others.

UPCOMING SHOWS

• Thurs Nov 6th - Liar's Club - Chicago, IL

FEATURED SONGS

FULL ALBUMS

SOCIAL ENGINEERING
(2025)

BOXCUTTER
(2023)

JOURNEY OF THE SOUL
(2022)

COGS
(2022)

MEGA MEDIA STONE AGE
(2021)

REVIEW FROM ALT77

Starbender – A Knock at Your Cardboard Door

Similar artists: Incubus, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Kings of Leon, Muse

Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock

There’s far less grit in our modern world. It’s been replaced by horror. Your news outlets and even those responsible for your entertainment can’t help but ring the alarms every few days. Yes, some of the dangers might be real. But what of it? The ones that are real, the ones that are exaggerated and the ones that are fake all do the same things. They make the public terrified and make the media companies and their patrons richer.

Well, at least the music, movies and books will reflect that, correct? No, not exactly. As it turns out, in times of trouble, the general public turns toward softer alternatives to things that their minds don’t have to worry too much about solving. Pop music nowadays is usually devoid of any important ideas, and when performers have a political mission, they usually trumpet somebody else’s message.

Starbender are stuck in the past. As it turns out, this might be a good thing. “A Knock at Your Cardboard Door” echoes the inventiveness of late 1990s rock bands. It’s music of a time when distorted guitars could still be heard on hit songs.....

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REVIEW FROM
Expansión Radial

Starbender: Knock on the cardboard door or call for revolution?

From Chicago comes Starbender, an Alternative Rock band that will make you feel the nostalgia of the 90's and 2000's. Led by Andrew Karns, their musical proposal promises to inject you with that dose of energy and rawness that characterized the rock of those times. But Starbender not only comes to shake heads, but to stir consciences.

“A Knock at Your Cardboard Door” comes from their new album Boxcutter, just released in February, and is a direct punch to the media and political matrix. The lyrics are a social criticism that invites you to wake up from an artificial dream.

It also presents a reality where people are anchored to blind beliefs, fed by corrupt media and systems, a message to free us from the chains of manipulation. The song points out that since birth we have been “spoon fed lies,” creating “tribes” with biased views. Starbender becomes the seed sower, the one who wants to wake up the sleeping masses.

Starbender doesn't reinvent the alternative rock wheel, but its music is effective. “A Knock at Your Cardboard Door” will make you move your head and, at the same time, invite you to reflect on the reality that surrounds you.....

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REVIEW FROM FORKSTER

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CONTACT INFO

ANDREW KARNS

AKARN205@YAHOO.COM

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