Phoebe Kreutz

Phoebe Kreutz
Phoebe Kreutz on stage portrait
Phoebe Kreutz 2012, photography by Justus Nussbaum
Background information
Origin New York City, United States
Genres Rock, anti-folk
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 2003–present
Associated acts Urban Barnyard, The Phyllis Newman Health Initiative Dancers, Two Kazoos, The Pizza Underground
Website phoebekreutz.com

Phoebe Kreutz is a singer-songwriter, primarily associated with the anti-folk scene of New York City, but also known for her theater and television work.

Kreutz has been performing live since the early 2000s, and has released five independent albums, Pretty. Pretty Stupid., Big Lousy Moon (released July 2, 2007), Bemusement Park (released in 2011), "The Age of Reasonableness" (2012) and "Nightlife Sentence" (2013)[1] On Big Lousy Moon, Julie LaMendola (of fellow Anti-folk group Ching Chong Song) also joined her as a guest musician.,[2][3][4]

She has also performed with groups Urban Barnyard and The Phyllis Newman Health Initiative Dancers. Her songwriting was featured on the Disney Channel show Johnny and the Sprites, and in the theater production of Alex Timbers' musical Dance Dance Revolution.[5]

Kreutz has toured extensively in the U.S. and in Europe, sometimes supporting the Canadian band The Burning Hell in spring 2011. She was also invited to perform at the Lawnya Vawnya Art Festival in St. John's, Newfoundland, where the Burning Hell's leader Mathias Kom currently resides. She is also a cult figure in Berlin, Germany, where she repeatedly plays the Fourtrack on Stage concert series and is featured on the Berlin Songs compilation.[6]

A review of her songs called "Awesomer & Awesomer" was produced at the Triad Theater in 2012 and featured Ann Harada, Gwen Hollander, Carey Anderson and Travis Morin. It was directed by Alan Muraoka.[7]

Recently, she has been working on writing a new musical, The Dirty Hippie Jam Band Project .[8][9]

She is also a member of the pizza-themed Velvet Underground parody band The Pizza Underground, featuring Macaulay Culkin and "Two Kazoos" – a band she formed with her husband, Matt Colbourn.[10][11][12]

Critical reception

Kreutz' musical style is often described as "joke-folk", and her songs are often inspired by diverse subjects, such as historical figures ("Oh, Elizabeth I"), literature ("A Bad Feeling About Anna Karenina"), relationships ("Disaster"), and the pitfalls of Rock'n'Roll excess ("The Ballad of Throat Culture"). About her style, the New York Times wrote "Phoebe Kreutz’s chanteusey delivery and comic writing were genuinely funny".[13]

About her Edinburgh, Scotland performance, The Skinny wrote, "Following this buoyant beginning is the kookily cute Phoebe Kreutz and her jovial tales of lesbian cowgirls and Viking wannabes. Adorably quirky, her voice soars over spiky strumming like a countrified Regina Spektor, using craftily contagious songs to woo the heart of the audience." [14]

The Daily Barometer wrote: "Kreutz is a hilarious songstress, demonstrating the broad-base and sense of humor inherent to the genre. Citing Tiny Tim as inspiration, she sings about wanting to be a pirate, falling in love with a Taco Bell worker (specifically Gary) and a less-than faithful boyfriend." [15]

The Stanford Daily wrote: "It has been said that the third member, Phoebe Kreutz, sings like a lovechild of Joan Baez and Weird Al Yankovic. To me, she sounds like a female version of Adam Sandler, only more focused on the quality of her music than that renowned comedian-turned-songwriter. Working well within the Antifolk community, Kreutz also keeps true to her promise to never write about her feelings." [16]

Discography

Albums and EPs

  • Big Lousy Moon (2007)
  • Bemusement Park (2011)
  • The Age of Reasonableness (2012)
  • Nightlife Sentence (2013)
  • Pretty. Pretty Stupid (2003)

Guest Appearances

  • African Dance Class (2006) by Don Lennon on the album Radical by Don Lennon [17]
  • Autumn, Winter, Spring (2010) by Boo Hoo on the album Afgahn Hounds [18]

Additional projects

Kreutz worked on the Broadway and Hallway (and off-Broadway) productions of the popular musical Avenue Q until 2007. She mainly worked as Puppet Wrangler, and was responsible for quickly changing the puppets in and out of their wardrobe between scenes.[19][20] She also co-wrote a song (with Michael Patrick Walker) for the cast/company recording, "The Holi-daze", found on the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS CD, Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 8. She is also joined by Avenue Q alumni (Gary Adler, Michael Croiter, Mark Hartman, and Jen Barnhart) in the group, The Phyllis Newman Health Initiative Dancers, suitably named after The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative.[21]

Kreutz also contributed the songs "Francine" and "Fairyland" (both inspired by the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr book, Breakfast of Champions) and the song "Straight Edge Kids" to the first Bushwick Book Club compilation.[22]

Kreutz also contributed with Macaulay Culkin cover band, The Pizza Underground, using a pizza box as instrument and supporting vocals.

References

  1. ↑ "( Big Lousy Moon > Overview )". allmusic. 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  2. ↑ "Ching Chong Song Biographies". Chingchongsong.com. Archived from the original on 2010-05-27. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
  3. ↑ http://www.syffal.com/phoebe-kreutz-caveman-caveman
  4. ↑ http://www.tantepop.de/2013/06/tante-pop-prasentiert-und-empfiehlt.html
  5. ↑ "Orwellian Dance Dance Revolution Premieres in NYC Dec. 3". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  6. ↑ "Berlin Songs". Retrieved 2011-09-11.
  7. ↑ http://www.timeout.com/newyork/music/phoebe-kreutz-awesomer-awesomer
  8. ↑ "The Dirty Hippie Jam Band Project Musical Reading Features Allen, Barnhart, Rosa and Summers". Playbill.com. Archived from the original on 2010-03-22. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  9. ↑ "The Dirty Hippie Jam Band Project - Home". Dirtyhippiemusical.com. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  10. ↑ Beck, Laura (8 December 2013). "Macaulay Culkin Has a Pizza-Themed Velvet Underground Cover Band". jezebel.com. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  11. ↑ http://allevents.in/berlin/roamin-tourgy-farewell-show-toby-goodshank,-phoebe-kreutz-guests/326328330753517
  12. ↑ Michaels, Sean (9 December 2013). "Macaulay Culkin forms pizza-themed Velvet Underground tribute band". guardian.com. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  13. ↑ How Does It Feel, Antifolkies, to Have a Home, Not Be Unknown?, Alan Light, The New York Times, August 11, 2006. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  14. ↑ "Queen Monica plus guests @ The Swamp Bar @ Caledonian Backpackers". The Skinny. 2006-06-15. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  15. ↑ "Public Approval Tour brings four NYC Antifolk artists to OSU - Diversions". Media.barometer.orst.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  16. ↑ "Stanford grad Lindsay and her Antifolk set to perform". Stanford Daily. 2003-04-18. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  17. ↑ "Credits of Don Lennon's song "African Dance Class" on Google Play". Retrieved 2016-07-22.
  18. ↑ "Credits of Boo Hoo's song "Autumn, Winter, Spring" on Bandcamp". Retrieved 2016-07-22.
  19. ↑ The Playbill Broadway Yearbook - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  20. ↑ "DIVA TALK: A Chat with Avenue Q's Stephanie D'Abruzzo Plus News of Egan, Holliday and MORE". Playbill.com. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  21. ↑ http://www.phoebekreutz.com/phyllistext.html
  22. ↑ "VOLUME 1". The Bushwick Book Club. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
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