Sleep-Rocking: Stars of the Lid

 Clarendon 

BAND NAME FACTOID: Stars of the Lid refers to the dream movie projected against eyelids. And Adam Wiltzie's 14-year collaboration with college pal Brian McBride provides the soundtrack.

SOTL, playing a rare D.C. show, has been described as "divine classical drones without the tedious intrusion of drums or vocals." We are pleased to declare that Simon Cowell would hate them.

Yet their seventh album, "And Their Refinement of the Decline," earned raves. But "we maybe get a lot more press than we deserve," says Wiltzie. "People can only handle music with drums and vocals. There's not so many young hipster kids," in the audiences.

Hey, man, tell it to Wagner (a confirmed Wiltzie influence). Or Ennio Morricone (ditto). Those guys needed Metallica comparisons before they had any street cred. Is there any way you could be more macho?

"I'm a really big sports fan," says Wiltzie, causing the reporter to cough up Diet Coke from surprise. Wiltzie reels off his teams: the Cubs, the Spurs, the Dallas Stars (hockey = very macho). There's tennis, which he played competitively. And English Premier League football — soccer to you. Wiltzie likes that "there's a finality to it. We could always have two different opinions about music but in sports there's a winner and a loser."

But with venues selling out, Stars of the Lid would seem to be winning. "Honestly, I'm a little torn about what I'm doing in general," he says. "Every time I go on tour, I'm like, 'Why am I doing this?' The thing I love most is recording at home and putting out a piece of music. But I'd be lying if I said I make music just for myself," Wiltzie says. "It feels good to get a response like we do."

So what does he hope will happen to audiences? "I'm trying to create a beautiful moment of bliss for someone; a beautiful piece of sadness. I guess I'm melancholic at heart." Ever just pound out a Metallica song to work it out of your system? "We're more apt to hammer out a Judy Collins song."

» Iota, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; Sun., 8:30 p.m. $14; 703-522-8340. (Clarendon)

Written by Express contributor Bob Massey
Photo courtesy Kranky Promotion