I began playing the Boston open mics in early 2006 and completed my first full length album in 2007. Folks packed the All Asia Bar to capacity for the CD release party.
Here's what the Northeast Performer has to say about the LP...
"A generous helping of strident craftmanship, the self-titled release from singer/songwriter Justin Shorey conjures up images of dusky dirt roads and woodsy campfires. This eclectic collection of coffeehouse ballads captures the restless calm of American folk veterans Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. Shorey's sharp lyricism keeps his material fresh, though, with verses such as: "Don't bring up Bush or Uncle Sammy / Tell me why you did time in the slammy / Get high or low drive with Orphan Annie / Buy a house with the Mickey Mouse operation."
His jangly guitar recalls the chipper edge of Pete Seeger and has the aerial swing of a brisk Indian summer day. The somber hook of "Oldest Man Alive" provides an unexpected tinge of grunge dissonance. "Shake the Treetops" surges ahead with a hypnotic shuffle layered with dead-on vocal warmth. With gentle delivery, Shorey's elevated tenor shines through shrewd commentary on the subjects of politics, love, religion, and human frailty. The purposefully pitchy, spoken-sung style of certain tracks, such as "Talkin' T-Mobile" and "Forsaken Soldier," shows evidence of Dylan's influence on the singer/songwriter's ethos. All the while, Shorey demonstrates a flair for creating blithe, flirty melodies that evoke joy and thought."
I was in Ourstage.com's advertisement in Relix Magazine as one of their "most intriguing uploads yet." This past Spring WERS 88.9 FM invited me over for Local Music Week. Here's what they had to say about 2007/2008...
"This year has set the foundation for Shorey to walk in the footsteps of some the greatest artists."
I just put out an EP called Sky Line Radio. The CD Release show at the Middle East Upstairs with SuperVolcano, Kid:Nap:Kin and The Shills sold out in the second biggest show that room's ever had. Morphine beat us by ten tickets. Then I toured the eastern US in May. I played 10 shows and a bunch of open mikes from here to Orlando to Nashville to Montreal. Now I'm back in the Northeast and playing and writing more. I'm booking more shows for the Fall, so let me know if you wanna see me some time.
Here's a video of me talkin' at 'em at the historic and legendary Club Passim in Harvard Square...
Thanks to Dr. Krankheit for the footage.
You ROCK! Thanks for being a friend and for all your hard work. Hope to see you at the 3rd annual Utica Music and Arts Fest. Over 250 performers in over 20 venues for 3 DAYS! Including the Utica Tattoo Fest and the Utica Greens Fest!
First 50 performers to submit and get accepted will receive special VIP passes to next year’s event! Visit our site for more info and performer submissions. Have a great day!
www.uticamusicandartsfest.comwww.twitter.com/uticamusicfest
Hope to see you in September!
You ROCK! Thanks for being a friend and for all your hard work. Hope to see you at the 3rd annual Utica Music and Arts Fest. Over 250 performers in over 20 venues for 3 DAYS! Including the Utica Tattoo Fest and the Utica Greens Fest!
First 50 performers to submit and get accepted will receive special VIP passes to next year’s event! Visit our site for more info and performer submissions. Have a great day!
www.uticamusicandartsfest.comwww.twitter.com/uticamusicfest
Hope to see you in September!
thanks man, you sounded great yourself! We played until about 12:45 so it was a really long night; we actually had a few more songs but we didn't have enough time. I'm gonna try to come to one of your upcoming shows. You sound better than most of the other bands we've played with, easily.
Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun! Yeah, I found out on Friday night that one of my best friends back home in Washington committed suicide. It's been a really sad weekend and even leaving the house has been hard for me. BUT I'm flying back on Wednesday and it's going to be so comforting to be around my friends and family. I can't wait to see my niece either, that's muh girl.
Justin im coming into BEDford tnight call me if u live anywhere near there?? 407-430-2564. I am not sure how long I will be there!! It would be great to cya
Hey Justin, thanks for the request. I enjoyed your music this morning, my favorite was "Shake the treetops" Nice stuff, thanks for turning me on to it!
Hey dude!!! Your tunes sound great. And Elephant Gun is sweet. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be in town that day. Let us know next time you hit NYC!!
hi would love to see one of your shows soon.. Im leaving for Australia on Sunday for 10 days then doing a road trip from West Coast back to East Coast...Im excited about it all.
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