Star & Micey
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Star & Micey

Memphis, Tennessee, United States | INDIE

Memphis, Tennessee, United States | INDIE
Band Folk Americana

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"Star & Micey - Festival Gem SXSW 2012"

All the big names in spite of (as Springsteen, Norah Jones, The Cult, Train, Jack White and others), it was Dan Eskil and I nonetheless agreed that the most interesting, funniest, hottest - well, simply the most memorable the name of this year's South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, where three happy guys from Memphis, which operates under the name Star & Micey.
Total unknown to us in the beginning of the festival - and we found them by chance, when we happened to see them perform in the exhibition hall at midday. But even then radiated the joy of a player who is a rare luxury. And they were simply compelled to stop and gape. (Here it should be added to gigs in an exhibition hall for the casually passing professionals is the most thankless available.)
The three guys in the Star & Micey plays a kind of - well, how can one describe it? - Country-boogie with a twist of 60's rock and folk. The lyrics are clever and all about life (un) seriously. The guys also looks like they already had passed middle age: worn, ragged and life experience. They do not really like the musicians: bassist looks like a geek, who has a poorly paid job in a hardware store where he sells nails, lead-guitarist looks like a guy who works at a construction site - yes, even his clothes ( dirty jeans and a worn dirty under shirt) looks as if he would have come to the concert straight from work, and we have the singer, bastrummisen and the acoustic guitar that looks like a leftover hippie from the Roaring 60's, although he dirty jeans and a t-shirt.
The music comes however with complete precision: it is tight, samspelat and terribly catchy! It will only be happy, you can not stand still and you just want more! Thank you, Star & Micey, for being there and dare to do what you do. I can guarantee you that the two discs with your material, that I have with me in my suitcase back to Finland, will be played for pleasure and lead spring I get a chance!
Over and out, from the South By Southwest 2012th
Marten Black Power
Austin, Texas - Hitmen Texas


"Pitchfork Review for Jack Oblivian's Rat City. The record features Star & Micey as the band behind Girl on the Beach which "may be the album's greatest payoff""

...His greatest reach may be the album's greatest payoff: Local indie-pop outfit Star & Micey back him on "Girl on the Beach", which sounds like boardwalk-era Springsteen and Dexys Midnight Runners kicking over Wavves' sandcastle. It's an adult summer anthem with a fall release, a discrepancy that more or less sums up the song's sense of wistful frustration with unattainable people and unreachable places. - Pitchfork


"Star & Micey Voted Best Band In Memphis with Lucero and North Mississippi Allstars"

Best Local Band
1. North Mississippi Allstars
2. Lucero
3. Star & Micey

Has any band ever been more appropriately named? Luther Dickinson strokes his Gibson ES-175, teasing out Hill Country blues riffs and thrilling solos. Cody Dickinson's electric woogie washboard solos bring down the house. Chris Chew's fat-bottomed bass weaves it all together. To borrow a line from Luther and Cody's dad, the late, great Jim Dickinson, "World boogie is coming." And these guys are bringing it. - The Memphis Flyer


"Star & Micey Back to the Night + Dockside EP Review"

Joshua Cosby and Geoff Smith have been playing music together since their elementary years growing up in Memphis. Much later, Josh and Geoff met Nick Redmond at a local pub and began an appreciation and admiration for each other’s songs. The three troubadours began making music together as Star & Micey, a name they derived from an inspiring homeless couple. Nick introduced the band to his co-workers at the world famous Ardent Studios and they – just like anyone who comes across the band – quickly fell in love and signed Star & Micey to their independent label, Ardent Music. Add multi-talented singer/songwriters Jeremy Stanfill, Adam Woodard and the incredible Memphis Symphony Orchestra violinist Jessie Munson, one is knocked on their ass.

The single “Back To The Night” is a very catchy tune with an awesomely cute video that shows the imagination this group has (available for view at starandmicey.com). The four cut Dockside EP shows how eclectic this troop truly is. Take a bit of folk, add a pop hook and baste it all with some sweet Memphis soul and you have “I Love You,” “There Is A Love,” “Taylor,” and “I Think So.” Once played, you’ll find yourself humming these tunes later in the day without immediately noticing it. They are that good. Check them out on iTunes.

On a personal note, Star & Micey stole my heart on Day One of SXSW and I found myself comparing every act through the conference to their music and their enthusiastic performance. There is no brooding lead singer or guitarist. They smile. They honestly love what they are doing and that is a damn refreshing change that I haven’t witnessed in quite some time. They are the kind of band any city would be proud to say “Star & Micey are based here.” Their show is a must when they hit your town. Tell the family you’re already booked. Hell, bring them along. Yup, that good.
- Twisted South Magazine


"Star & Micey Live @ Paste"

If you're looking for a super-hip band fronted by the brooding and troubled poet type, this is not your band. Star & Micey, is a band that dances, bounces, and even backflips around while providing an energetic All-American sound with a variety of Appalachian instruments, and yes an accordion! We weren't kidding about the backflip either.

"...One of the best acts I have seen here, and that is a lot of bands." Jaz Dixon

- Paste Magazine


"Star & Micey | Discoveries from SxSW 2010: Someone You Really Need to Know"

The Scene: Barbarella
615 Red River St, Austin, TX
March 18, 2010 for SxSW

Here is another in the series of great bands we discovered on our trip to SXSW. As mentioned in our previous posts, there is no way we can review all the great bands who were there, since there was no way to see all the great names and all the promising acts. We will be sharing as many as we can. Enjoy!

Things started out heavy-hearted at the Barbarella Bar for their Memphis showcase. Before Star & Micey took the stage, Jody Stephens from Big Star came out to say a few words about his friend Alex Chilton who had passed away the day before. Stephens also sat in for the last song with guys.

Star & Micey is a three-piece group who have found some creative ways to work around their challenge finding a permanent drummer. (Spontaneous combustion is reportedly not the problem) They actually use a series of drum pedals and share the duties among the three of them. It creates a very interesting effect.

This band has an engaging combination of folk, blues, gospel with a dash of country. They also have a pop sensibility that pulls together these various influences into a musical package that is a joy to hear. When these guys play you can feel the love for the music come through and they had the crowd enthralled by the end of the first song.

I highly recommend checking out Star & Micey's self-titled debut album. You can download three of their songs for free here. - Ryan's Smashing Life


"SXSW (2010) review: Star & Micey"

Memphis trio Star & Micey are proteges of Big Star drummer Jody Stephens and record for Big Star’s old label, Ardent, where Stephens now serves as studio manager. Their 9 p.m. Thursday showcase at Barbarella was billed as “featuring Jody Stephens,” and Stephens came out before them to offer a tribute to his bandmate Alex Chilton, who passed away Wednesday, saying “he’s been part of my creative soul” and thanking everyone for the outpouring of support. The scheduled Big Star show Friday and discussion panel Saturday would go on in tribute to Chilton, he announced.

Big Star is not actually an obvious influence on Star & Micey, although Stephens was one of the guests on their 2009 self-titled debut. Singer-guitarist Joshua Cosby, guitarist-vocalist Nick Redmond and bassist-vocalist Geoff Smith, all in their mid-20s, have more of an indie-pop/Southern rock sound, with a little bit of folk and soul thrown into the mix. Vocal harmonies are their strong suit.

Cosby has a strong tenor, and he and Redmond have a tight blend that makes them often sound like the “two brothers without the same last name” they claim to be in their bio, while Smith frequently adds the third part for an element of the unexpected.

The bluesy “So Much Pain” was the obvious crowd favorite, drawing loud applause when the band announced it. Redmond’s nifty electric solo rode nicely atop Cosby’s acoustic rhythm guitar. The poppy “Carly” could have been a lost ‘70s soft-rock hit, with its catchy, broken-hearted chorus, although Smith’s toy xylophone part, which cleverly shaded into “Frere Jacques” and back, might have been a little much for FM programmers of the day.

Having no regular drummer, the band played most of its set with a drum kit divided between the three of them, working the kick drum, tambourine and cymbals with pedals. That seemed to work fine with the trio’s easy-going sound, but when Stephens joined them on drums for the last song, “Nelson,” the energy level increased exponentially. - austin360.com | Austin Music Source


"Star and Micey Interview: SXSW 2010"

Star & Micey had a big year in 2009 with the release of their self-titled debut album. The Memphis, TN trio have experienced a few rough patches, but since finalizing their lineup and honing their soulful, indie pop sound, the multi-instrumentalists are poised to break out. Preparing for their first trip to Austin, TX for SXSW, bassist Geoff Smith spoke with Spinner about his excitement to play the festival.

How did Star & Micey form?

Me and Josh [Cosby] grew up together; we've known each other since we were 14 or 15 years old, and we've been best friends for 11 or 12 years now. When we were about 17 or 18, Josh began writing songs and I always helped him out with the arrangements. We'd always have a drummer, but our drummers would constantly quit, so it would always go back and forth [between being active or being on a hiatus].

Josh met Nick Redmond in a bar in Memphis, and it turned out Nick was an engineer at Ardent Studios. Josh gave him a burned CD of 24 songs, but they were songs he wrote, they weren't Star & Micey songs yet. Over time, Nick brought us to Ardent to work with producer/engineer Cary Weather, and Cary really liked it so he pitched it to the studios. At this time, we had no ambitions, we had no idea what we were doing and then Ardent gave us permission to fully record three songs. After those three songs, Ardent ended up signing us to their label and giving us permission to record the whole label. Our drummer ended up quitting during the recording of the album, and as we started to introduce percussion instruments, it ended up developing into this thing where we split up the percussion between the three of us. Nick put down most of the guitar work on the album and slowly but surely he started creeping his way into the band -- in a good way -- and he's very innovative and smart and has a lot of good ideas. Nick pretty much joined the band while we still had a drummer, but after the drummer quit, he stuck with it.

Describe your sound in your own words.

It's as if the Violent Femmes and Michael Jackson had a baby and the Fleet Foxes were there watching it while Sigur Rós were in the other room and Hank Williams Sr. happened to be the godfather. That kind of sums it up but more generally -- folk, soul, pop with a lot of Memphis soul and some country influence, but definitely there's a pop element that we've always had.

What are your musical influences?

I grew up listening to the Beatles, the Dead, Led Zeppelin, classic rock like that. Of course there's a huge pop influence, and Dirty Delta Blues Memphis sound. Otis Redding, Gillian Welch, David Rawlings ... Jimmy Eat World's vocal harmonizing and arrangements definitely were a huge influence too.

How did you come up with your band name?

It's a funny story that happened to Josh. He was walking home in midtown Memphis, he hears this, "Hey hey sir hey," and he thinks he can do two things -- keep walking or stop and hear the sob story. Josh talks to everyone, he's very approachable, so he turns around and the guy goes, "Hey man, no bother, you have a guitar, are you a musician?" He starts telling Josh that he's a musician too, which is the truth to an extent, and he asks Josh to play him a song. Josh played him 'Late at Night' and the guy loved it, he said that it melted him and touched his heart, and then he started singing Josh a song. He says his name is Star and the song he was singing was about his ex-fiance, Micey. Josh told him he loved it so much he wanted to use their names as his band's name.

Have you played SXSW before?

No we haven't. We've been prepping for it for the past few weeks. We're absolutely besides ourselves that we got the opportunity to play. It's a blessing, we cannot wait. I cannot even express the excitement. It's one of those things I'll never forget.

Do you have any fun stories about meeting your musical heroes?

We are good personal friends with Jody Stevens from Big Star. He's the studio manager at Ardent, and we're opening up for them here in Memphis. I didn't know about Big Star until I actually got involved with Ardent, but then I realized how important they were to pop music and how many people love them and it's pretty overwhelming ... to have Jody be supportive of our music and to love us to death, I'm extremely humbled. Luther Dickinson from North Mississippi All Stars -- I painted his house and got to know him pretty well, he's an absolutely amazing guy, down-to-earth. He played on our second track and to have someone of that stature play on your debut album, it's like, "What are you doing?!"

What would the lineup be for your ideal show?

I think our ideal show as far as bands to play with, we are huge fans of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings -- they are some of our favorite biggest influences and they are mind-blowing, absolutely mind-blowing. Two acoustic guitars, two vocals, it scares me how amazing it is. Somebody like the Fleet Foxes, they're also a big influen - Spinner


"Memphis comes to Mobile"

Star & Micey is one of the freshest sounds coming out of Memphis. Their name is derived from a chance meeting between front man/guitarist Joshua Andrew Cosby and a homeless man after Cosby left a rehearsal. After the man described a song he had written about his ex-wife (Micey), the two began to trade songs on the street, and afterwards, the man divulged his name: Star. After Cosby and his brother Geoff Smith (guitar/percussion) crossed paths with Nick Redmond (guitar), Star & Micey was born as well as their innovative sound, which they classify as “Soulful Folk Pop.”

This classification is a perfect description of their music, and they seem to be taking Southern rock through an evolutionary phase. As they make their way across the States, they are gearing up for the release of their self-titled debut, which features Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi All-Stars/Black Crowes) and Rick Steff (Cat Power).
- Steve Centanni Music Editor - Mobile Lagniappe


"Your New Favorite Band"

This indie folk/pop outfit picked up steam in the past year after founder/vocalist/guitar player Josh Cosby met Ardent Studios engineer and musician Nick Redmond. Redmond joined the band as lead guitar player, and soon Star and Micey were recording at world-renowned Ardent Studios, becoming the second band on the newly reactivated Ardent Music label (which launched power-pop pioneers Big Star).

With Geoff Smith on bass, Doug Walker on organ and keys, and a revolving cast of local drummers, Star and Micey wrapped up their first studio album (to be released later this fall). Included in the album are special guest appearances by some of Memphis' most recognizable names -Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, North Mississippi Allstars axman Luther Dickinson, and Dave Cousar, guitar virtuoso and one of Memphis' best kept secrets.

Star and Micey continues to be a fixture of the live music scene in Memphis, with future gigs planned regionally.
- Amanda Dent - Athens Blur Magazine


"Memphis trio Star and Micey riding high on faith, hope and love"

For whatever reason fate compelled him to stop that night, Memphis musician Joshua Cosby is grateful.

It was late, and he was tired -- but the homeless man wasn't the stereotypical vagrant, begging for change, and his approach got Cosby's attention.

"Instead of being like, 'Hey, where are you from, can I get some change,' he said, 'I see you have a guitar, so I'm assuming you must be a musician. Will you play me a song about heartbreak?'" Cosby told The Daily Times this week. "I said OK, and then he took the time to sing me a song about what he had been through, about this girl named Micey. He never asked me for any money; it was just about an exchange of friendship."

The man said his name was Star -- and from that encounter, Cosby had the band name for his developing project. It was a chance encounter, but over the years, Cosby and his bandmates have learned that when fate nudges them in a particular direction, they shouldn't fight it. After all, it was fate that brought the guys together in the first place.

It was a rather gloomy night, Cosby remembers -- living in Memphis, he couldn't quite bring himself to leave his place and pay a visit to Neil's Music Room, where an open-mic night would give him the opportunity to play three of his songs.

"I was completely uninspired and down on my luck -- I just didn't want to play any music that night," he said. "But then I thought, you never know, so I put my shoes on, went down there and played my three songs. I sat down for a little bit, and out of nowhere a guy walked up and grabbed me and shook my hand and told me that those songs blew him away."

That "guy" would turn out to be Nick Redmond, who would become lead guitarist for Star and Micey as well as a Memphis musician with connections to fabled Ardent Studios. Redmond, and later bassist/vocalist Geoff Smith, would encourage Cosby to sell his songs, but he couldn't bring himself to part with them, believing that no one would be able to play them the way he heard them in his head.

"That's when the guys said, 'Well, do you want to sit on your porch and play them, or do you want to work really hard and go for it?'" Cosby said. "And that was the start of it."

In the studio, magic happened -- the band's self-titled debut, which will be released next month, is a blend of Memphis soul, lo-fi indie rock and singer-songwriter introspection. Cosby's wide-eyed optimism shines through like chips of ice flecking a windowpane in the deep still of winter. With help from Luther Dickinson of the Black Crowes and the North Mississippi Allstars and Jody Stephens of the pioneering college rock outfit Big Star, the band has delivered a record that hums with unflappable faith.

"It does seem that there's this unseen force making it all work out," Cosby said. "One piece happens, and then the next piece happens, and really it just all takes integrity and spirit and faith. With all of those things, everything seems to work out. Even the other night, we played a show with just one person in the crowd, but I got something out of it! It may have been the most perfect I've ever played this one song, and I could take that with me to the next show."

Saturday night, Star and Micey will come to the Bistro at the Bijou in downtown Knoxville. It's the band's first tour, but already Cosby has the bug to keep pushing forward, no matter what. Whether his optimism and zeal will remain untarnished is a question for another time, and really, it doesn't matter in the here and now. He believes, and the music he and his bandmates make reflects those beliefs.

"Really, we haven't had any kind of success, but our guitar player put it best -- we've reached the amount of success we'll ever really need to reach, in a sense, because we're satisfied with what we're doing," he said. "We're just looking for inspiration wherever we can find it and trying to have a grateful attitude about it all. That really helps us keep our heads on straight. That, and giving out hugs instead of handshakes. Things like that go a really long way."
- Steve Wildsmith - The Daily Times


"Star & Micey embodies all of these sweet Memphis flavors while mixin’ in some Indie and finger-snappin’ pop. In other words, feel-good music."

What makes up the Memphis sound? The stomping ground of Howlin' Wolf, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Justin Timberlake includes an amalgam of intense flavors leaving one wrapped up in a bevy of questions. Not to mention soaked in bubbles of hours of delicious research. The essence? A BBQ mix of blues, rock and soul mixed with a dash of grit and a whole lotta lip-smackin', boot-kickin' style.

With a name birthed one dark Memphis night from a chance encounter with a homeless man, the band Star and Micey embodies all of these sweet Memphis flavors while mixin' in some Indie and finger-snappin' pop. In other words, feel-good music.

Comprised of band members Joshua Cosby (guitar, lead vocals, kick drum), Geoff Smith (bass, vocals, percussion, pump organ and glockenspiel), and Nick Redmond (lead guitar and cymbals), Star and Micey's self-titled debut album to be released October 20, 2009 through Ardent Music features a wide range of star-studded musicians: Luther Dickinson (The Black Crowes, North Mississippi Allstars); Jody Stephens (Big Star); and Rick Steff (Cat Power, Lucero), just to name a few. Young and fresh, their lyrics are sweet yet sorrowful and invite you to take your partner by the hand, swing 'em around, look into their eyes, and just... 'feel so grateful.' - CountryNY


"Star & Micey serve music up Memphis style this weekend"

Star & Micey is actually a quartet (trio on this tour) of young Memphis dudes who play soulful folk with a heavy Southern influence. They will perform tonight at PLAY:stl festival and throughout the weekend here as well.

They are enjoying their first extended tour even though they are sans drummer. All three will play various forms of percussion, sometimes with their feet.

The band has already signed with Memphis label Ardent Music, the re-activated label that launched power-pop pioneers Big Star. They have the networking thing down as well, as a variety of top musicians contributed to their self-titled debut album, out next month.

I caught up with co-founder Geoff Smith as the band travelled through the deep South.

RC: How has the tour been treating you?
GS: It’s a bit harder than we thought it would be, making sure everyone gets to the gig, putting up with no shower and no sleep, jerks eating the pizza you’ve been waiting all day for, too much alcohol, falling asleep on the beach… We’re getting a taste of what real bands do, though.

RC: How did the band form?
GS: Me and Josh (Cosby) were close friends and started doing music at 16 for the fun of it and the hot chicks, of course. We went through our metal phase and then started listening to Jimmy Eat World, The Beatles and Van Morrison. I have to say that Jeremy Stanfill (Crippled Nation., Streetside Symphony) was one of our biggest influences and still is.

RC: How does Memphis’ musical heritage affect your music?
GS: It has a huge influence on us. We have a lot of our personal heroes back home, David Cousar, who played on two tracks on our album and all of the Stax and Sun musicians. Otis and Booker inspire the soul feel of our songs.

RC: Are you all acoustic live?
GS: We have electric guitars, but we can fit in any space. We could stand side by side in a closet and feel comfortable or we can fill a bigger stage and play pretty loud.
- Matt Fernandes - St. Louis Post Dispatch


"(Star & Micey's) music is bubbling with various pop tunes and intimate lyrics."

Star & Micey...is new to the folk pop scene. Their music is bubbling with various pop tunes and intimate lyrics. One of the CD’s best songs, “I Am The One She Needs,” opens with soft vocals and catchy guitar and makes you want to be the girl with a carefree loving nature being sung about.

If Star & Micey is anything like the Format in that they are even better live than recorded, their show in North Little Rock on November 20 (Reno’s Argenta Café at 8:00 pm) should be monumental, epic, classic, and any other synonym for remarkable. If you like their sound and aren’t close to North Little Rock in November, try to catch them on tour at a venue near you.
- Natalie Ramm - Oxford American


"What will you get from Star & Micey? Terrific folk-infused pop music that’s melodic and infectious."

What will you get from Star & Micey? Terrific folk-infused pop music that’s melodic and infectious. Their tunes feel like intimate personal missives, but the personal touch is always light and upbeat. These guys are singing their blues and sending them out into the world, and the song that emerges is worth checking out. - Times of Acadiana


"While their unusual name already stands out, newcomers Star & Micey hopes their music has the same effect."

While their unusual name already stands out, newcomers Star & Micey hopes their music has the same effect.

The soulful folk band, which includes Joshua Cosby on guitar and lead vocals, Geoff Smith on bass and vocals, Nick Redmond on lead guitar and Doug Walker on organ and keys, will release their self-titled debut album Oct. 20 on the legendary Ardent Music label.

The album promises to be a collection of songs that reflect a churning emotion in the heart with guest appearances by notable Memphis musicians including Jody Stephens on "Nelson," Luther Dickinson on "So Much Pain," and Rick Steff on "She's on Fire." - The Shreveport Times


Discography

Emerge Memphis Sessions - EP
Jesus and the Devil - Single
Mississippi Wine ~ Alabama Whiskey - LP
Fort Worth Texas - Single
Gogol Bordello - Single
The Dockside EP
Hallelujah - Single
Back to the Night - Single
Crazy Jean - Single
Cold Hard Truth - Single
Star & Micey - LP

Photos

Bio

It was a dark night, like many before it in Memphis, Tennessee. Joshua Andrew Cosby walked home from rehearsal with his guitar, case-less, slung over his back. A local homeless man flagged him down, not for money but for a story. He explained to Cosby how he had written a song about his ex-wife Micey. There, on that dimly lit street occurred an exchange, two men playing each other songs of heartbreak and the ultimate sacrifice. Upon parting ways, this man revealed his name to be Star. That name became the fixture for one of Memphis’ most inventive bands: Star & Micey. Its core members are listed as two brothers without the same last name, Geoff Smith and Joshua Cosby. It was merely coincidence that Cosby later met Nick Redmond at a local pub and began a relationship based on music and above all, brotherhood.
Star & Micey’s self titled debut album features a revolving door of fantastic musicians including Luther Dickinson (The Black Crowes, North Mississippi Allstars), Jody Stephens (Big Star) and Rick Steff (Cat Power, Lucero), just to name a few. However, when the sun sets, it is Cosby, Smith, and Redmond that work relentlessly night after night. Hopefully, the music they make can transcend material possessions, and exhibit something that is always tangible between these three troubadours; that thing is love.