Sometimes when life hands you lemons you simply need to make lemonade. Due to the disbanding of his former bands, Perry Farrell found himself a star without a home but still was determined to still succeed in the alternative rock music scene when he created his new band Satellite Party . Though some artists might simply hang up the guitar and call it career, Farrell was determined to still prove to the music world that he has what it takes to continue to put out good music and a well produced album.

Satellite Party's debut album Ultra Payloaded is an intense work that is well produced and brings an enjoyable and fresh sound to the world of alternative rock. With the same emphasis paid to the intricate details of his music, Farrell's latest release perhaps proves beyond a reasonable doubt that Farrell's talent is worthy of continuing and that his new act is capable of the same greatness his prior bands had achieved.

Members of Satellite Party include Perry Farrell (lead vocals), Nick Perri (guitar), Carl Restivo (bass), Jordan Plosky (drums) and Etty Lau Farrell (backup vocals).

Hard Life Easy has a catchy and riveting sound to it. There are some pretty funky twangs of the guitar infused into the track and the pace of the track varies greatly from start to finish. A powerful electric guitar mini-solo toward the end of the track ties together the song nicely and is a great way to finish out a powerful song.

Farrell brings an almost techno sound to the track Kinky which complements his alternative sound in a unique and interesting way. There seems to be a more electronic sound to this track and hints of bands such as perhaps Blur can be heard in the music. It seems as though perhaps Kinky is the best example of what the music of Satellite Party is all about. Although it is classified as alternative music, the music if Satellite Party it is not your ordinary flannel shirt wearing, hanging out in coffee shops kind of alternative music. Rather, Farrell brings an almost danceable feel to his variety of alternative music and the fresh sounds might be welcomed by a broader audience.

Insanity Rains starts off with a very fast paced vocals coming into a hard pounding instrumental sound that relies heavily upon the symbiosis of the guitar and the drums. Although the music is perhaps the loudest on this track, Satellite Party ensures that the music still maintains a high quality and is not simply loud simply for the sake of being loud. The consistency of the polished instrumental sound whether it be on this more heavy pounding track or on a tad softer of a track is testament to the fact that the band is not willing to sell themselves short and sacrifice their professional sound for no reason at all. This track illustrates the commitment that Satellite Party puts toward not only creating music that is enjoyable to listen to but also to crafting a sound that is of the highest musical caliber.

Track listing:

1. Wish Upon A Dog Star
2. Only Love, Let's Celebrate
3. Hard Life Easy
4. Kinky
5. The Solutionists
6. Awesome
7. Mr. Sunshine
8. Insanity Rains
9. Milky Ave
10. Ultra-Payloaded Satellite Party
11. Woman In The Window


Perry Farrell certainly perhaps has made more of name for himself with the bands of his past like Extreme, Porno for Pyros and Jane's Addiction. However, Farrell is perhaps the antithesis to the theory that you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

The music that Farrell has helped to create for his new band Satellite Party and on the album Ultra Payloaded is a brilliant display of a musician that is willing to put aside what "should be done" and instead focus on "what can be done". The music on this album is certainly different and some might criticize it for not being alternative enough. However, Farrell and Satellite Party as a whole deserve much credit for putting forth an album that defies the norm and instead is solely focused on providing listeners with good music. And after all, shouldn't that be the goal of all musicians?

The album was produced by Perry Farrell, Nuno Bettencourt and Steve Lillywhite. The album is on the Columbia Records label.

For more information about Satellite Party, check out the website at www.satelliteparty.com.