Search - Har Mar Superstar :: Har Mar Superstar

You cannot deny this is serious

montythemongoose | 11/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The indie-hipster horde that attached itself, in its nonchalant, hating-everything-but-itself-but-still-doing-other-peoples'-music-&-not-its-own-but-only-to-parody-those-others'-music-to-show-how-stupid-it-is way, to the hulking sex that is Har-Mar would love to think that Sean - aka - Harold Martin Tillman is "offering a deconstruction of the contemporary commodified teen-pop & bubble-rap music soundscape"... But sadly (sadly, for them, that is), the Great White Hope of the Twin Cities' Suburbs is serious. He legitimately enjoys the style that he is dishing on this record. Whether it's the Beasties- (&, perhaps coincidentally but probably not, indie-rock-) style namedropping for namedropping's sake (the already referenced "I bought this shirt at TJ Maxx - Double X - Earlier this year") or the R. Kelly soundtrack submission style orchestral flourishes of "Brand New Day" or the "I'm a lover, not a fighter, so don't front - just let me be with my woman" mentality that you can find on, say, a Keith Sweat disc that the song "R-E-S-P-He-Sees-Me" is all about, this is love. Sean - aka - Harold Martin did this record, & even if he did end up putting it out (no pun intended) on the hateful-indie-hipster's ivory-tower Kill Rock Stars, because he loves this type of music. I mean, he obviously poured much blood, sweat, tears, & come into the recording process, perfecting beats, having short-lived flings with groupies (probably future burningangel.com models) to provide lyrical source material, & spending days on end at strip-malls across the fruited Brooklyn Park plain, to make this record so perfectly r&b. & if that is what this record is, it is clearly not proving how stupid r&b is by being regular r&b shoddily redone by people that hate it. No, it is instead straight-ahead r&b & straight-up good music. & no deconstruction whatsoever therefore. So, to all you indie-rock hipsters: take this Cd & love it. & everybody else: put this Cd on & make some love to its strains. Indeed."

Dance Til Your Baby is a Playa

12/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Har Mar Superstar's debut is the funniest album of the year. How it made it onto the uber-hip Kill Rock Stars label I'll never understand, but whoever is responsible for making this merger happen is a mad genius.Sounding alternately like Prince, R. Kelly and a Beastie Baby, Har Mar rocks some truly novel beats.With lines like "I already sold your ring on eBay?" or "I saw that shirt at TJ Maxx -- Double XX -- earlier this year," it's impossible not to love these songs.I've seen Har Mar live several times and can recommend no other show more highly. He's rude, crass and 100% hilarious.If you're a hip-hop fan and have had your fill of lyrics about guns, Gucci and G's, look no further. This cornfed wunderkind will keep you dancing and guffawing long into the night."

Har Mar Superstar: The Great Divider

Jeff | San Diego, CA | 02/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first saw Har Mar open for The Strokes.
Talk about cajones! The man sang white-boy R&B with
a straight face while disrobing until he was down to
black briefs. Genius.Wannabe gang-bangers and other assorted human wastrels
kept falling for his taunts and became frustrated by
their lack of power, something Har Mar brilliantly
exploited. Mr. Superstar had me laughing
uncontrollably throughout, so, after the show, I went
to the merch booth and bought his album.Har Mar's schtick is a courageous deconstruction of the
manufactured boy-bands and hip-hop acts which dominate
modern radio and MTV. The level of vitriol from the last
reviewer suggests that -- on some level -- he even managed
to connect with detractors. It's almost like people are
angry because -- even in parody -- HMS traffics in a
musical style that a lot of self-consciously hip
music fans actively try to disassociate themselves
from.Sean Tillmann is the man behind the grotesque Har Mar
Superstar and "Sean Na Na" is his other act. A
striking combination of melodic melodic pop hooks
and bitterness, Tillmann's other project is very
different from the cheekiness of Har Mar Superstar.While Har Mar's live show is admittedly provacative and vulgar,
the album is pure fun. Old school beats abound and the
playful lyrics are clever and sometimes silly. "I Admit,"
for instance, has the over-sexed Har Mar crooning
about vasectomies, and "I Can't Take It" tells how he
"already sold [his ex-lover's] ring on eBay." With it's
catchy samples and wall-to-wall intensity, "Cry 4 Help"
is a dance party caught on disc! The album highlight,
"Brand New Day," is a song that could have been penned
by R. Kelly. The track's enthusiastic energy and "up
with people" vibe will leave you tapping your feet,
even as you're second-guessing the sincerity of the
message.Har Mar Superstar's album is one-of-a-kind. While his
tongue-in-cheek style is admittedly not for all tastes, check
it out if you consider yourself open-minded or a fan
of the bizarre."