Stewart to release new album in June

Tales of sordid relationships, friends turning against friends and broken promises aren't typical fodder for fun and energetic pop rock songs, but STEWART's Andrea Tarka isn't your typical songwriter. Acupuncturist by day, Tarka is as enthusiastic as her music suggests, proving that even the most difficult subject matter is no match for a sunny disposition. Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Stewart is set to release their latest album, KICKS independently on June 15, 2010.

“Kicks can mean having a great time. You can kick someone, or something. You can relax and just kick it. Or kicks can refer to excitement, a ball game, or shoes. Anything really,” Tarka explains.

That sort of anything goes ethos can be seen in the album’s diversity. Tarka says that though Kicks was recorded almost entirely live, as were their previous releases, this time around Stewart changed their focus, opting not to lean only on fast, hard-hitting punk rock, but to create a variety of tempos and moods.

“Our older songs are all really fast and full of words, (which I love too, there is a time and place for everything), but with this one we tried to give each song more space,” Tarka says.

As a result, you get songs like “Consider Me Gone,” a dangerously catchy tune featuring sizzling guitar work from Tarka and bandmate John White, coexisting peacefully alongside tracks like “Gone,” an ode to a dead ex-boyfriend, shimmering with sparsely plucked guitars and hushed vocals before slowly building in intensity. “This album has a lot more pop influence in terms of layers and dynamics than our other songs,” Tarka asserts.

Stewart formed in 2004 when Tarka moved from Los Angeles to New York in order to study acupuncture. She met lead guitarist White at a party and the two have been playing music together ever since. An accomplished jazz musician, drummer Kevin Cerovich joined Stewart in 2009 after finding the band on Myspace. Over the past six years, Stewart has released numerous recordings, including two other full-length albums — Jawbreaker in 2007 and Part iV: A New Hope in 2008. Stewart plays extensively around New York and surrounding cities, including shows at CBGB and The Continental before the legendary venues closed, CMJ Music Festival in 2007 and 2009, a couple of self-booked tours in the Northeast and Midwest, and a slot at the Chicks Rockfest in Cincinnati, Ohio.

To celebrate the release of Kicks on June 15th, the band is playing a record release party at Arlene’s Grocery in Manhattan’s Lower East Side on Saturday, June 12th. In the meantime, fans of the popular Rock Band video game series can rock out along with Tarka and company via the Rock Band Network. Originally the theme song for a comic by Marvel illustrator Jacob Chabot (a newer version of the track appears on Kicks), “Dance With Me” can be downloaded for play on the Xbox 360. Stewart plans to play shows this summer in support of the album.

STEWART is also offering a FREE download of the first track "Dance with Me" from their upcoming album KICKS :
www.reybee.com/Stewart_Dance_With_Me.zip

STEWART tour dates * more to be announced *
4/24 - The Rusty Nail (Ardmore PA)
4/26 - Angels & Kings (NYC)
5/7 - John's Big Deck (Kansas City, MO)
5/8 - John's Big Deck (Kansas City, MO)
5/21- The Rusty Nail (Ardmore, PA)
6/12 - Arlene's Grocery (NYC)

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www.stewarttheband.com