Artist description J. Walker has a great pop voice with rich, buttery undertones, and she knows how to sing.

Music Style alt. pop

Musical Influences Shirley Manson, Deborah Harry, Chrissie Hynde, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Versus, Jim Morrison, Luna, The Ramones, Mazzie Star, Radiohead, and The Pixies.

Similar Artists Shirley Manson, Deborah Harry, Chrissie Hynde

Artist History It was fall of ’97. J. Walker was sick & tired of seeing all of her other friends in bands and feeling like she was just as good. How come she wasn’t in a band singing her heart out? Could it be that she was absolutely terrified of getting up on stage and singing in front of people? Not to mention auditioning! Yes, that might have had something to do with it.The horror of auditioning for a band seemed out of the question, so what was a girl to do? She grabbed her talented guitar-playing boyfriend (real name: Rick Shaw) and started her OWN band. Most of her friends were surprised. “What do you DO? Can you even sing? You don’t play anything… do you?”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . She had kept it under wraps, but J. Walker was secretly a rock star. Albeit mostly in the shower. And, she did play keyboards. So, she and her boyfriend wrote a couple of pretty good songs, found themselves a drummer & bass player, and they were all set. Now, the hard part. Yep, the stage-fright thing. They booked themselves a Wednesday night gig at the popular Cambridge club T.T. The Bear’s Place. Now, J doesn’t remember much about the night… being so nervous. She was told that she had a look of pure terror on her face as she belted out the songs, but that she could sing, dammit! “Like a sultry Deborah Harry.” Chris Muther from The Boston Globe happened to be walking by the club that night, was impressed with what he heard, and wrote an article about the band. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In time, J lost the terrified look and even began to enjoy herself on stage. After about a year, KrebStar got themselves a new bass player, and J was feeling constricted on stage playing keys. She got herself a guitar (she had had some lessons a few years before), brushed up on her playing, and was soon jumping around the stage, playing like a pro. This was living! KrebStar began playing out regularly on weekend nights at Boston’s most popular clubs. They completed 2 CDs which garnered very favorable reviews, mostly with regards to J’s singing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . After that, it was hard to get J off the stage. She played a Transyvanian in a live stage performance of The Rocky Horror Show, produced by The Boston Rock Opera. Then, KrebStar performed one of their songs, “Soylent Green (is people!)” as well as staged The Who’s “Go to the Mirror” at The Boston Rock Opera production “A Night @ the Opera”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . KrebStar ended amicably in April of 2000 when J decided she wasn’t happy with the direction the band was going in. It was becoming more and more punk and although that was fun, J wanted to sing in a more vocally oriented, perhaps electronic-type project (“I want to be in a band like Garbage!” she was heard to say). Plus, she and Rick had decided to move to Los Angeles in October 2000. J performs out regularly at acoustic & open mic nights around Boston, and books an acoustic show now and then at T.T. the Bear’s place. J is also working on a solo project.

Group Members J. Walker

Instruments Vocals, guitar, keys

Albums Sampler/A Town of Strangers

Press Reviews March 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . On stage, Walker looks like she was born to be a rock star. Donned in black leather jacket, short skirt, & high heel boots, Walker has long dark hair and exotic facial features that light up with a playful smile. Her cool, charismatic stance and girlish sex appeal, however, masks a good mind and an articulate spokesperson for her band. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Metronome Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Walker has a great pop voice with rich, buttery undertones, and she knows how to sing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -The Noise, Rock Around Boston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walker has quite a set of pipes and blends nicely with the rest of the band when she picks up other instruments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jess Walker and Rick Shaw are true hams and enjoy flirting with the audience and occasionally even framing rock-star poses. . . . . . . . . . -Boston.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February 1999 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Singer J. Walker quietly leads us through a hazy world of isolation, imploding relationships and insecuritys with her seductive and at times reluctant vocals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -Don Law Company Live . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Walker tempts you with her intimate, yet playful vocal approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -The Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sounding oddly akin to Deborah Harry and Blondie, KrebStar initiates post-punk rhythms combined with J. Walker’s feminine vocal wiles in convincing manner. Walker sounds just as sassy and naïve as a young Deb Harry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -Metronome Magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 1998 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . With its maudlin but weirdly perky changes and singer J. Walker’s playfully desperate (desperately playful?) vocals, this edgy fun-loving quartet evokes no one more than LA’s late, lamented Motels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -The Boston Globe

Additional Info Formally of the band, KrebStar

Location Los Angeles, CA - USA

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