Artist description On Stephen Clair’s Little Radio, the songs broadcast one story after another. With past honors like Alternative Musician of the Year* and Best Male Solo Acoustic Performer Of The Year**, Stephen Clair returns with Little Radio – the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Altoona Hotel, whose title track garnered airplay on both sides of the Atlantic and helped establish Clair as a highly respected songsmith, guitar player, and performer. After living in Austin, New Orleans, San Francisco, upstate NY, and the south of France, Clair has finally settled in New York City. The satisfaction of having a place to call home has never come easy to Clair, whose songs and records have often focused on a perpetual discontent in his own locale – wherever that happens to be. On Little Radio's opening track, “Blame it on Your Town,” with its blas� strut, Clair is at his tongue-in-cheek best: “Blame it on your town/Cos there’s another one down the road/And it can’t be as bad as this one/Until you call it home.” Clair thinks differently now. Many of the songs on Little Radio are New York-centric. The songs make it clear that Clair’s newfound satisfaction is in planting roots in New York City. In “Dancing in New York” and “Jen in Her Underwear,” Clair embraces the Gotham lifestyle, while in “Fatten Your Landlord,” he confesses that this city hasn’t exactly opened up its arms: “When you sign your name/they open up a vein/a lease can feel like your life/now some real estate mogul/is sitting’ on your dough/there’ll never be an option to buy.” Still, more of the songs are odes – to people (“Watching You,” “Lemonade”, “Record Sleeve”), places (“Dancing in New York”), and things (“Little Radio”). On the title track, with its powwow of plunking guitars, banjo, and spaghetti western guitar line, Clair earnestly pronounces his love for the AM/FM listening device he holds in his lap late into the night: “I’m sitting on the floor/hunched over my little radio/my forehead is practically touching it/I get the best sound/by putting my head down/next to the speakers.” Little Radio’s nonstop sonic and narrative eye-openers demand our attention from the rave-up rock and roll start to the washboard, kazoo and walking-bass mid-section, to the dreamy toy piano and feedback finish. The songs address everyday life while making the ordinary shiny and humming, lighting up the rust underneath. Everybody has been bored in his or her hometown. Everybody has wanted the party to never end. Everybody has fallen for a face on a record sleeve. Everybody has loved his or her Little Radio – although maybe not quite like this. Ian Stynes and Stephen Clair recorded Little Radio in the first third of 2002 at the Monkeyfarm in Queens, NY on analog tape. Clair wrote and performed all the songs, put voice to them, played all the guitars, cabinet doors, toy pianos, pipes & trash; Michael Farkas accompanied on harmonica, banjo & kazoo; Rick Watson provided the bass, Ian Stynes (formerly of Mendoza Line) played drums and shook things; and all the while Heather Brandstetter, Peter Hutchison and Jackie Linge provided backup vocals. Look for many of these folks in Clair’s live band. Scott Hull mastered the album at Classic Sound, NYC. *Hudson Valley Magazine, 1995 **Metroland Magazine, 1997

Similar Artists Lou Reed, Woody Guthrie, James McMurtry, Johnny Cash

Albums Little Radio, Altoona Hotel

Press Reviews “not just another folkie…tunefully verbose songs. Clair seems a smarter Jonathan Richman.” -- Alternative Press “AAAA rating…reminiscent of Michelle Shocked’s first album.” Aiding and Abetting “Moving, edgy, subtly humorous…and true to life.” -- Option “a stellar performer” -- Capital Area Music Association News “…like James McMurtry and Lou Reed mixed together.” -- Bangin’ & Screamin’

Location NYC, NY - USA

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