07/22/10 – The Sun Herald (Biloxi-Gulfport and South Mississippi)
Memphis-based folk act Star & Micey have fallen in love with South Mississippi.
It’s OK, they’re not the first touring band to do so. The band passed through our area earlier this year while on tour and enjoyed fantastic crowds from Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula. They return to South Mississippi this week for three performances sure to be remembered.
Star & Micey are a folk and soul trio unlike anything we’ve seen here in a very long time. Their songs are powerful for their understated tones.
* * * * *
04/16/10 – Ryan’s Smashing Life
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.
* * * * *
03/18/10 – Austin360.com
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.
* * * * *
03/15/10 – Spinner.com
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-instrumentalist are poised to break. Preparing for their first trip to Austin, TX for SXSW, bassist Geoff Smith spoke with Spinner about his excitement to play the festival.
* * * * *
03/05/10 – listen, dammit.
The band makes smart, solid rock with agile pop hooks and a deep undercurrent of soul — it is Memphis, after all.
* * * * *
12/29/09 – Riverfront Times (St. Louis, MO)
Star & Micey are not a duo; they’re not even Star and Micey. The young trio of Joshua Crosby (24), Geoff Smith (25) and Nick Redmond (26) took their name from a random encounter with a homeless man who inspired Crosby to get his shit together, form a band and turn his talent into more than just fodder for Memphis open mic nights. The group’s self-titled debut is an earnest and folky (but lively) Southern-soul revision of emo, as if Conor Oberst had stopped taking the universe so seriously and dialed up Luther Dickinson and Jody Stephens to heal that never ending heartbreak. Lead singer and songwriter Josh Crosby spoke to the RFT about the origin of the band and the making of the album.
* * * * *
12/23/09 – Times of Acadiana (Lafayette, LA)
So Much Pain, the album’s second track, hits that sweet spot perfectly. It’s got the musical hook of an old-time folk tune (the guitar line puts you in the mind of an old country uptempo tune), but the band takes it and upends it, adding a rich melody line and a few indie rock touches. What emerges is a modern rock song with some soul — a welcome thing in the prefabricated world of modern rock.
Other tracks on the album to pay special attention to: Carly, a mournful ode to a love lost, My Beginning, a bouncy, upbeat tune that will get your head bobbing and On Your Own, a sweet and emotionally satisfying ballad that does a lot with some simple instrumentation.
My favorite track on the album: I Am The One She Needs, a bluesy track that sneaks up on you with a catchy melody and some serious heart. It’s the sort of song that’ll make you fall in love with this band.
* * * * *
12/16/09 – Jackson Free Press
Star & Micey are multi-instrumentalists whose intricate harmonies and dynamic melodies are electrifying. Lead singer and primary songwriter Josh Cosby plays acoustic guitar and sings with a lilting Conor Oberst-esque vibrato. He sometimes gets on the floor to pound out a beat on the bass drum.
Geoff Smith can groove out a bass line while singing harmony vocals; or he can play the organ, plink out notes on a glockenspiel and simultaneously keep time with an orange shaker – the equivalent to patting your head and rubbing your stomach. Nick Redmond churns out guitar licks and sings harmony while playing the harmonica strapped around his neck. And he can play the keys, too.
* * * * *
12/12/09 – offBeat
From the blues influence of Beale Street and the country atmosphere of Tennessee comes an indie band that melds these traditional styles with the catchy, upbeat nature of pop. Joshua Cosby (lead vocals, guitar), Geoff Smith (bass, vocals), and Nick Redmond (lead guitar) make up Star and Micey, the latest band to come out of Memphis’ Ardent Studios and its mainstream label, Ardent Music.
* * * * *
12/06/09 – An Ocean of Noise
On first listen it is apparent that a lot of Star & Micey’s sound can be traced back to the southern roots tradition, however, subsequent listens prove a sound that is expansive and incredibly diverse. The opening track, “Salvation Army Clothes,” comes straight from the heart via the Mississippi Delta… “My Beginning” is a throwback to the Motown pop hits of the 60′s while, “On Your Own,” is a beautiful, contemplative tune that explodes into the type of anthemic chorus… There are even moments on their self-titled record where a Brit-Pop influence sneaks in and Star & Micey come off like apocalyptic noise-makers, Muse, but mercifully, without all the noise. Every ounce of fat has been trimmed off of these songs so that what you’re left with is very tasty indeed. “Carly,” a radio-ready Poptart that clocks in at 4:38, is the longest song on the album by a full minute.
* * * * *
11/17/09 – Hyperbolium
Cosby’s lyrics are like pages taken from a lovelorn writer’s diary. There are songs of being held at arm’s length, getting dumped, simmering in anger, rediscovering one’s independence, and letting oneself fall back in love… The blend of musical flavors adds a winning Memphis twist that sets this apart from the guitar jangle that typically accompanies such romantic strife.
* * * * *
11/05/09 – Decibel Blog
Memphis, Tennessee…lives up to its reputation again with Star & Micey. Combining elements of folk, soul, and pop, Star & Micey create music that is both easy to listen to and entertaining. Overall, the band tends to stick to an acoustical groove, but they have no fears working in different instruments which rarely appear in a coffeehouse jam.
* * * * *
11/04/09 – Nashville Scene
Blending contemporary indie folk trends with a gritty Southern groove, the band breaks out melodies that recapture the power pop essence of the ’70s with the power coming out of the hooks more than in the amplifiers. Guest appearances from the likes of Big Star’s Jody Stephens, Black Crowes’ Luther Dickinson and Lucero’s Rick Steff add an extra layer of an icing to an already perfectly light, upbeat and edible pop gem.
* * * * *
10/22/09 – Tucson Weekly
These lads—vocalist/songwriter Joshua Cosby and his cohorts Geoff Smith and Nick Redmond—really know their way around a deeply felt, catchy pop hook, and tracks like “So Much Pain,” “I Am the One She Needs” and “Late at Night” are as good as pop gets in 2009. Following Memphis tradition, they also have some pretty great pals sitting in, including Luther Dickinson from North Mississippi Allstars, Rick Steff (Lucero, Cat Power) and, most tellingly, Jody Stephens from ’70s power-pop avatar Big Star.
* * * * *
10/22/09 – [here] Magazine
In Conversation With Star and Micey (Geoff Smith interview)
* * * * *
10/19/09 – Robert Frost’s Banjo
These guys are young and brimming with optimism, and that’s what makes their gorgeously produced album such a fresh surprise. It has an old school sound and vibe with a 21st-century alt-folk-rock sensibility.
* * * * *
10/15/09 – The Commercial Appeal
Like some sort of ancient Peloponnesian warriors, the members of the Memphis art folk trio Star & Micey have an abiding faith in oracles, their term for the individuals who have popped up at key moments in the band’s history to offer an introduction, a bit of inspiration, or just an encouraging word.
* * * * *
10/15/09 – The Memphis Flyer
Star and Micey’s Debut Disc
* * * * *
10/12/09 – CountryNY
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.
* * * * *
9/24/09 – The Daily Times (Knoxville, TN)
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 outfit Big Star, the band has delivered a record that hums with unflappable faith. (Josh Cosby interview)
* * * * *
9/24/09 – The Daily Beacon (Knoxville, TN)
The group’s early roots lay in the Memphis pop-soul sound that has been so prevalent since the days of Stax Records. Over the last year, though, the band has incurred several lineup changes and has since adapted its sound to a much folksier feel.
* * * * *
9/21/09 – The Current
Star & Micey are the new century’s hope-filled inhabitants of the city. Carrying on in the tradition of their predecessors, the band infuses sounds that built the city into a collaborative form.
They produce a pleasing and vibrant expression that nods respect to the gods of Memphis. It is a groove bursting with soulful pop vocal harmonies, melodic strums of folk, smooth, infectious bass, and the grit and wail of blues.
* * * * *
9/17/09 – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Star & Micey is actually a quartet (trio on this tour) of young Memphis dudes who play soulful folk with a heavy Southern influence. (Geoff Smith interview)
* * * * *
9/15/09 – Sync Weekly
The Memphis group Star & Micey crank out sparkly slices of self-described soulful folk pop: shimmering guitar rhythms with heart-on-the-sleeves lyrics and infectious, playful pop melodies
* * * * *
09/11/09 – Times of Acadiana
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.
* * * * *
09/11/09 – The Shreveport Times
While their unusual name already stands out, newcomers Star & Micey hopes their music has the same effect.
* * * * *
9/08/09 – Inside Vandy
It has only within the last six months or so that Star & Micey have finally begun to make headway in the local community, but in this time they have exploded onto the scene, crafting their own brand of infectiously catchy music. Recently signed to newly reactivated local label Ardent Music, this threesome (joined live by a rotating crew of guest drummers) is set to release their debut album in October. Star & Micey have not only worked to find their own place in the Memphis music, but have embraced the scene, including such local music royalties as Luther Dickinson (The Black Crowes, North Mississippi Allstars), Jody Stephens (Big Star) and Rick Steff (Cat Power, Lucero) on their upcoming album.
* * * * *
09/04/09 – Oxford American
(Star & Micey’s) 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.
* * * * *
9/03/09 – St. Louis University News
Q & A with Josh Cosby
* * * * *
08/31/09 – The Athens Blur
* * * * *
8/11/09 – LagniappeMobile.com
Star & Micey is one of the freshest sounds coming out of Memphis.
* * * * *
02/19/09 – The Memphis Flyer
Ardent Music has added a second Memphis act to its roster, emerging local outfit Star and Micey
* * * * *
EPK
starandmicey.muxtape.com
