11061 - JUNE STAR - PULL AWAKE (2015)

JUNE STAR
''PULL AWAKE''
MARCH 31 2015
33:39
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1 Tether 03:09
2 Feathers 04:21
3 House Call 02:02
4 Wonders 03:07
5 Walk Away 03:12
6 Passed Over 02:24
7 Proof 02:25
8 Coma 02:29
9 Atrophy 02:41
10 Apollo 04:36
11 The King Is Dead 03:08
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Andrew Grimm - vocals, guitars, banjo, harmonica, songwriting
Dave Hadley - pedal steel
Kurt Celtknieks - drums
Andy Bopp - backing vocals, guitars, bass, percussion
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OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
June Star (formed 1998) plays music. No kidding. The Baltimore based Americana type band has been playing in the Mid-Atlantic region for over 15 years and 9 studio recordings. They have toured as far as San Francisco, and they have played as locally as their own kitchens.

The core of June Star is singer/songwriter Andrew Grimm and pedal steel/alchemist David Hadley. Their shows are intimate, intense, and worthwhile. Grimm's rough edge baritone clearly delivers the message while Hadley's slippery steel hugs curves and navigates the melodies.

There have been many other members of the band and every once and while you can catch Kurt Celtnieks on drums and Mark Tuminello on bass.
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WEBSITE
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TO THE TOP
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1477 - JUNE STAR - Slow Dance (2012)

JUNE STAR
''SLOW DANCE''
2012
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1. saint/3:33
2. time /2:19
3. slow dance/3:31
4. last lock/4:37
5. leaned/3:12
6. second time/4:47
7. drive all night/2:35
8. undertow/3:47
9. 1-2-3/2:24
10.still believe/2:54
11.back to the valley/4:13
12.shaking off/3:01

1476 - JUNE STAR - Lower Your Arms (2010)

JUNE STAR
''LOWER YOUR ARMS''
OCT 2010
DANGEROUSLY DELICIOUS RECORDS
45:30
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1. Breakdown/3:56
2. If You Leave/2:54
3. Slow Hours/3:21
4. Sweet Division/2:53
5. Somehow/2:27
6. Arrows and Rocks/3:20
7. Pope of Mexico/4:24
8. Inside/2:15
9. Local 48/2:36
10. Wolves/4:57
11. Declare/3:10
12. Without You Now/4:01
13. Thunder/5:16

1475 - JUNE STAR - Sugarbird (2004)

JUNE STAR
''SUGARBIRD''
2004
TOADFISH
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1. Shaked/4:47
2. Sugarbird/2:14
3. Giants/2:37
4. Baltimore/2:42
5. Acetone/3:41
6. My Sweetheart/2:16
7. Home/3:51
8. Ohio/3:20
9. Mexico/4:29
10. Once Knew/3:05
11. Belly/3:32
12. Way Down/2:15

Andrew Grimm is the star of June Star, in that he wrote the music and lyrics, produced and helped mix the album, sings lead and plays electric/acoustic/bass guitars, mandolin and banjo. While Grimm may seem to have superhuman abilities, he does admit being accompanied by "satellite affiliates" Chris Plummer, John Tenney, Jay Filippone and Tom Scanlan.

There are plenty of great things about Sugarbird. All of the songs, even the "OK" ones, are very accessible and affable. One reason for this could be the common themes of all the songs -- love and loss -- to which anyone can relate. In my opinion, the highlight of the album is "Baltimore," a great narrative of promises, failure and optimism.

Another reason for June Star's accessibility is Grimm's vocals. While the instruments, background vocals and lyrics could be all across the board, it won't matter because Grimm's vocal style (a monotone baritone -- monobaritone?) actually acts as a conduit/cohesive device for all the elements.

It's not all about Grimm's vocals, though. Check out the surprisingly energetic instrumental "My Sweetheart." It's a little over two minutes -- a bit short for such an interesting tune. But, like any good performance, you're left wanting more.

The downside to this album is, well, it has a down side. There are some songs like "Acetone," "Mexico" and "Home" that take such a slow and somber pace (in tempo as well as in the lyrics) that they border on depressing. However, that's not to say that slow=bad; check out "Way Down" for a solid well-crafted song that keeps it slow. But, as I mentioned before, even the "OK" songs are of a sufficient quality to keep your interest in the overall album.

If you are looking for an album that instantly piques your interest and retains it, I recommend Sugarbird by June Star.

written by C. Nathan Coyle
published 9 April 2005

1474 - JUNE STAR - Songs From An Engineer's Daughter (2000)

JUNE STAR
''SONGS FROM AN ENGINEER'S DAUGHTER''
2000
48:01
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1. Imogene/2:49
2. All The Flowers/4:17
3. Mountain Top/4:58
4. 8 Dollars/3:13
5. Tonight/4:11
6. Faithless/4:48
7. Find My Way Home/2:54
8. Texas Summer Nights/5:52
9. Brighter Stars Shine/4:14
10. Tornado/4:05
11. North/3:41
12. Untitled Bonus Track/2:59

Andrew Grimm/Guitars and Vocals
David Hadley/Pedal Steel
Timothy Bracken/Bass, Guitar, Backing Vocal, and Drums.
Michael Ward/Keyboards.
Mark Tuminello/Bass

Biography
June Star, formed in 1998 by Andrew Grimm, is an Americana, roots-rock band. Literate and accessible, Grimm’s songs meditate on subjects from falling in or out of love, being all right no matter what, to playing in the local music scene. These are stories that need to be told, need to be heard. The voice in these songs speaks loneliness and redemption, jump starts and slow fades, both separation and discovery. However, sonic epiphanies travel only as far as the music will allow. Singing electric guitars and slippery pedal steel frame the lyrics with vibrancy as Grimm’s distinctive nasal baritone allows the lyrics to unfold, a thinking man’s country music.

To date, June Star has seven releases to its catalog. June Star (1998), Songs From and Engineer’s Daughter (2000), Telegraph (2001), Sugarbird (2004), Cora Belle (2008), and Shift, Engage, and Initiate (2009). 2010 Marked a shift with the band recording Lower Your Arms with producer Jason Rubal. The effect was clear, tight sounding album. In 2011 the band went back into studio, this time, self engineering, producing, and mixing the 12 songs on Slow Dance. With each release the band mines deeper sounds, combining old Appalachian melodies and electric energies bringing an updated rock and roll sound to the surface in each performance.

The personnel of the band seems to turn around to the extent that the audience is never sure who will show up to play, including the band. At any given moment, June Star could be: Andrew Grimm (songs, vocals, guitars), Timothy Bracken (bass, vocals), Mike Ward (keyboards), Dave Hadley (pedal steel), and most recently, Mark Tuminello (Bass)

1269 - JUNE STAR - Telegraph (2001)

JUNE STAR
''TELEGRAPH''
NOV 2001
FEB 2001
SAFE HOUSE
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1/Thrown/Grimm/4:06
2/If I/Grimm/1:43
3/Wedding Girl/Grimm/3:24
4/New Jordan/Grimm/3:40
5/Felled/Grimm/2:59
6/Shoot Down That Monkey/Grimm/2:58
7/Leaving/Breathing/Grimm/3:51
8/Follow Me/Grimm/2:29
9/Telluride/Grimm/3:11
10/Telegraph/Grimm/3:08

Timothy Bracken/Bass, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Andrew Grimm/Banjo, Guitar, Harmonica, Organ, Producer, Vocals
Eric Heywood/Pedal Steel
Tommy Scanlan/Mandolin
Alan Zepp/Drums, Percussion, Vocals

REVIEW
by William Meyer
On their sophomore release, Safe House Records' June Star offers a satisfying blend of atmospheric twang, hard-driving humbucker folk, and "Wayfaring Stranger" bluegrass. Mixing the overdriven, alt-country sounds of Son Volt with the heady, metaphorical lyricism of Fables-era R.E.M., Telegraph is musically and lyrically meaty. Polished acoustic guitar, banjo (Tim Johnson), mandolin (Tom Scanlan), and overdriven pedal steel figure prominently on most tunes, giving them a rich sonic texture. The album's palette is diverse as well. Expect heavy alt-country tunes, including the album's growling opener, "Thrown," and closing title track, "Telegraph," the most fully realized example of the band's sound. There also are more hushed country ballads and jaunts, including "Wedding Girl" and "Follow Me," which have an old-timey authenticity without being dated and contrite. Lead vocalist Andrew Grimm -- who also plays guitar, harmonica, and banjo -- pens the band's tunes. Lyrically dark, abstract, and sparse, they largely focus on the desolation of small-town life, the journey from innocence to experience, and the disillusioning power of truth. Grimm recasts these common themes more effectively in some songs than others. "New Jordon" is the standout. Grimm isn't beyond humor, though, as in the whimsical "If I": "By the time I try/You'll say I forgot." Grimm's limited vocal range and somewhat affected delivery do take some warming up to. That aside, Telegraph is a rock-solid release from a promising band.