Artist description "Oh! Turpentine", Koester's debut CD, is currently available at www.pitch-a-tent.com.This is Steve Koester produced by Alan Weatherhead, with a cast of Richmond Virginia's finest, including members and ex-members of Maki, Tweaker, Drunk, Tanakh, Soda, Richmond Crime Log, Punchdrunk and many more.

Music Style good

Musical Influences l. cohen, the for carnation, pink floyd, pink moon, plastic ono band, miles davis, skip spence, richard davies, pj harvey, john paul jones, richmond crime log

Similar Artists koester = [(reo speedwagon - cronan) + the for carnation][(cat power - pretense)(bad company + pretense)][(beck + tom petty) - success)(flaming lips/gbv)]

Artist History Mr. Koester was a singer, songwriter and guitarist for Punchdrunk. This, his first outing since leaving the band, features some chillier, lyrically-driven, tasty-souding rock songs. Look for a fall release of the cd, tentatively entitled "Oh! Turpentine", on Pitch-a-Tent records.

Group Members Koester

Instruments Drums: Miguel Rodriguez; Bass: John Daniels; Snakes & Ladders: Al Weatherhead; T. Rex & Gary Richrath: Tim Buckley; The Ultimate Wizard: Pedar Hedman; cellos, accordians, jews harps, sequencers, electronic drums, etc.

Albums Punchrunk catalogue: Bird Bird (1998), A Message from the Cockpit (1996), From Dad (1994).

Press Reviews If Elliott Smith rings your bell when you're in the mood for something delicate and doleful, you'll be pleased to hear that Steve Koester has released an impeccable album that’ll make Mr. Smith reach for his own hanky. Those of you looking for some warranted "cred" for the mysterious Koester need not look any further than the illustrious Punchdrunk, who rained down unstoppable indie rock during the 90s.Koester’s gated voice reeks of pain. The opener, "Bucktown," belts out some stunning words of loss as the low-key musical accompaniment smartly keeps a perfectly relaxed pace that’s unobtrusive, yet glaringly manifest. Koester’s lyrics are surprisingly lush, echoing an unusual warmth that is not only immediately identifiable, but also convincingly applicable to your own twisted life. A sentimental piano-based journey that trembles with the hollow restitute that was once Koester's constitution, "Out to Pasture" is the pinnacle of post-breakup, feel-like-shit depression anthems; it'll either remind you of the pain that you've gone through, or finish chiseling your heart in two if you're still in the process. However, it’s not all about convincing you that you should take the plunge off the bridge -- "Dear Mr. Tweaker" is an upbeat number that merges dense guitars and erratic sounds with a barrage of rhymes and a superb sing-a-long chorus. But what truly makes oh! turpentine spectacular is its imperfection. Koester misses notes and occasionally sings off-key, yet he explicitly directs your listening attention to his world, employing austere hooks, naked realism and an uncanny ability to dissect topics that affect us all. This is a perfect pre-Valentines Day present that'll leave you thankful for who you've got, who you had or simply get you sobbing for what's no more. -- SplenddidezineKoester is Steve Koester, the former guitarist/vocalist for the rock combo Punchdrunk. For his debut solo effort, Oh! Turpentine, Koester assembled a cast of musicians from Richmond, Virginia to help produce an immediately hummable collection of musically sparse, lyrically vivid rock tunes. Many of Turpentine's tracks are stripped down to their barest essentials: simple, chronic beats and lazy guitars. But current and former members of Drunk, Verbena, Punchdrunk and others add spice to Koester's vocal insights, offering a pinch of jews harp here, or a dash of a cello there. The album shines brightest when Koester waxes poetic along the lines of "Got put out to pasture/With all the cows and shit/And every time she comes around/She sticks my face in it." Right on! -CMJ

Additional Info email koester: jlrskk@earthlink.net

Location New York, New York - USA

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