close

Marnie Stern brings guitar-fret chaos and self-titled album on November 2010 UK tour

Posted: 13 years ago

You may or may not know the name Marnie Stern, but you should. Signed by experimental alt-rock label Kill Rock Stars in 2006, the New York guitar-virtuoso released her acclaimed debut the following year. Her music is an muddy amalgam of (right, let's see - deep breath) jazz-rock, Zappa, Rush, Throwing Muses and early Dinosaur Jr., but her guitar technique is a frantic blend of finger-tapping and fret-picking that, without sounding too 'muso', is a bit special.

It ain't easy-listening, believe me, but it is rather engaging full-on stuff. Try the video above (it's for the 2008 single "Transformer") and see what you think - there's a whole bunch of her stuff on You Tube to ogle at.

Meanwhile, it's 2010 and Stern has a forthcoming new album, a self-titled set, due out on Kill Rock Stars (home of Deerfoof, Xiu Xiu and Mecca Normal amongst others) in October, plus a few UK dates lined up a month later.

The guitarist will hit Nottingham, Brighton, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and Manchester and tickets are available now from around £7.50 plus fees, surely a bargain for anyone needing a serious guitar lesson.

Paul Pledger