Dusty Stray

Artist Information

Biography

Dusty Stray's music has been described as a wolf in sheep's clothing, a bleak world illuminated by sparks of dry wit, sunny harmonies retracing the grim path of fate with a spring in their step.

At a Dusty Stray show you might laugh, cry or find yourself singing along to a story about a little girl falling down a well, a sea creature romance, alien abduction or reincarnation.

The man behind Dusty Stray is Jonathan Brown. Born in Taiwan. Raised in Texas as son of a preacher man. Raised on songs about death and resurrection. Went to college. Discovered vast archive of early American folk music from the 20s and 30s. Began writing his own songs. Moved to Austin where he first performed his music. Traveled with guitar through Central America where he met a Belgian woman and followed her to Europe. Met a Spanish woman. Moved to Barcelona. Formed a bluegrass band, a psychedelic rock band and a freak folk band. Met a Dutch woman.
Moved to the Netherlands where he remains today (with the same Dutch woman). Wrote, produced and performed in Amsterdam and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival “LHO: LEE HARVEY OSWALD The Musical” in 2005. Wrote, recorded and co-produced Dusty Stray's debut album “Tales Of Misfortune And Woe” released on Basta Records in 2009. Wrote and performed the 2nd Dusty Stray album “Light Years Away” released on Basta in 2011. Dusty Stray supported Noah And The Whale on their tour in the Netherlands and performed at numerous clubs, festivals and radio shows in the Netherlands and the UK.

Brown’s many influences include Harry Smith (Anthology Of American Folk Music), writer/illustrator Edward Gorey, The Handsome Family, Bill Callahan, Bonnie Prince Billy, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Gillian Welch, The Velvet Underground, Pavement and The Flaming Lips.

When not on stage, he can be found in junk shops and flea markets searching for discarded 8mm home movies and diverse materials for his artwork which in turn serves as inspiration for the music of Dusty Stray.

Instrumentation

Jonathan Brown - Banjo, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, cow noise toys
Jesje De Schepper - tambourine, voice, Melodica, Toy xylophone
Mario Ramirez - Bass, Guitar
Jonathan Ramirez - Electric Guitar, ukulele
Fabio Galeazzi - Percussion

Discography

The third Dusty Stray album -- "Family Album" will be released in April 2013. Produced by legendary American producer Kramer (Low, Ween, Galaxie 500).

Dusty Stray's 2nd album "Light Years Away" (2011) was produced by Ken Stringfellow (The Posies, REM, Big Star) and JB Meijers (De Dijk, Solomon Burke, Carice van Houten). It received great reviews, radio airplay in NL and the US and was streamed on VPRO's Luisterpal with top rankings.

Dusty Stray's critically acclaimed debut "Tales Of Misfortune And Woe" (2009) was billed by top Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant as one of the TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2009. Most of the songs on the album have had radio airplay in the Netherlands and some international airplay as well. The single from the album, WINTER'S DAY, was released on vinyl in 2010 by UK label Autumn Ferment Records enjoying more great reviews from around Europe as well as further airplay.

Dusty Stray's Christmas song "Don't Cry, It's Christmas Time" was released on the Basta Records Christmas Sampler "A Catchy Christmas" in December 2010. It enjoyed radio airplay and was streamed in December 2011 on VPRO's Luisterpal.

Official Website

http://www.dustystray.com

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Last.fm
• MySpace
• soundcloud
• YouTube

Audio

• 03_To Love You Only Leaves Me Lonely
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• 10_Henry's Room
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• 08_No Not Me
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• 02_Begin Again
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• 06_A Someone
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Lyrics

• To Love You Only Leaves Me Lonely
• Henry's Room
• No Not Me
• Begin Again
• A Someone

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Press for "Tales Of Misfortune And Woe" [+ Show ]
  

  "It’s all delightfully dark and the trick of allying beautiful and tapalong music to dark words has ..."It’s all delightfully dark and the trick of allying beautiful and tapalong music to dark words has rarely been performed as well" AMERICANA.UK
  
  "Makes the eyes cry not because of sorrow but joy" MAVERICK
  
  "ONE OF THE TOP TEN BEST ROOTS ALBUMS OF 2009" "...with Tales of Misfortune and Woe, [Jonathan Brown] performed a miracle...it can be compared to the best of what America produces in the folk ballad genre. Brown’s songs about murder and misery sound intimate, almost cozy. The arrangements are ingenious and controlled, there are beautiful harmony vocals sung by [Marjolein] Van der Klauw and Brown himself excels on a number of instruments." DE VOLKSKRANT
  
  "The music is beautiful, but you’re guaranteed to get disturbed by the stories that accompany it: topics include depression, suicide, falling into wells, losing loved ones, and freezing to death in the forest while the animals scavenge your parts. This stuff is vital." Nathan Foster, WUAG 103.1 FM North Carolina
  
  "The concealed bitterness of Tales Of Misfortune And Woe lifts the already excellent songs to a higher level." HEAVEN
  
  "Prima de luxe: Tales of Misfortune and Woe is home to a dozen delicate, high quality murder ballads…. Though Dusty Stray can sound child-like at times, the composition of the songs is extremely sophisticated." ALTCOUNTRY.NL
  
  "Folk noir wows crowds at Wimborne festival" THE BOURNEMOUTH ECHO, UK

Setlist

I have original Dusty Stray material to play two hours (or more!). Here's a typical set:
1. Winter's Day 2. Hard Times 3. Other Way 4. Brother
5. The Girl 6. Sad Song 7. Cindy In The Well 8. In My Memory 9. Wendy And The Creature 10. Down Below 11. Little Birdie 12. When I Scared You 13. Light Years Away 14. Begin Again 15. To Love You Only Leaves Me Lonely 16. You Lost Me 17.Happy Song 18. A Someone 19. It Happens 20. No Not Me

Basic Requirements

Calendar