Independent Music Awards Presents: Story Songs – May 7th, 2009

On May 7th, The Independent Music Awards will be presenting “Story Songs”, an evening of music featuring Richard Julian (3rd Annual Independent Music Awards: Album of the Year Winner), Kristy Kruger (6th Annual Independent Music Awards: Album Americana Winner) and Amy Speace (6th Annual Independent Music Awards: Song Country Finalist & 6th Annual Vox Populi Winner & 9th Annual Independent Music Awards: Album Folk, Singer/Songwriter Finalist).

The event is called “Story Songs” because each artist will be performing songs that either tells a story or inspired by their own unique experiences. To fit the story telling motif, the event will be hosted at the Broadway’s Symphony Space Theatre, home of NPR’s Selected Stories and hosted by Anthony DeCurtis, author of In Other Words.

Tickets are available now for May 7th and are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. The event begins at 7:30 pm with free drinks.

Information About the Performers

Richard Julian  – Brooklyn-based, Richard Julian is renowned for writing pop/jazz-infused tunes and melding music and lyrics to create cinematic masterpieces.  His talent has earned him the attention of fans around the world including Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt and Norah Jones (Julian also tours and records with Jones as The Little Willies). His most recent album Sunday Morning In Saturday’s Shoes, produced by Mitchell Froom (Elvis Costello, Los Lobos), spans the human condition, from the ruminative morning after title track that speculates about a debutante’s late night out, to the satirical  “God III,” which sympathetically explores the trials faced by children of over achieving parents, in this case, the all too human son of Jesus Christ.

Kristy Kruger – Singer-Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Kristy Kruger, is touring the US on a mission -to honor the memory of her brother, Lt. Col. Eric Kruger, who was killed in Iraq just days after being deployed.  Since the tragic loss, the Texas native has hit the road performing riveting memorial concerts in each of the 50 states her brother gave his life for.  Channeling Billie Holiday and Johnny Cash, Krueger is an engaging storyteller and essayist, her appearance on Public Radio International’s “This American Life” has endeared her to fans the world over, including the series host, Ira Glass.  Hailed as a “female Tom Waits,” Krueger’s latest release, Songs From a Dead Man’s Couch, is a quirky blend of her Texas Americana roots and her love of New-Orleans style jazz.

Amy Speace – Jersey City-based Wildflower Records recording artist, Amy Speace, is already receiving widespread critical acclaim for her soon to be released, The Killer In Me which mines the mystery and heartbreak of relationships gone wrong, borne largely out of the dissolution of her 10-year marriage.  Written during a self-imposed retreat to an isolated cabin in upstate New York, Speace wrote the songs in between hiking and chopping wood for the stove. Blending the best parts of Lucinda Williams with Roseanne Cash, Amy sings Americana influenced pop songs for grown ups and exudes an earthy urban hipness that resonates with men and women alike.