Marnie Stern the album mirrors Marnie Stern, the woman. Birthed during a challenging period in her life, the self-titled Marnie Stern is a compendium of life stories both bitter and sweet.

From ballads to her signature pop guitar-tapping style, Stern and long-time co-conspirator Zach Hill have churned out (for lack of a better word) an enormous album that will further cement Stern as a rising star in today s progressive music landscape. Stern also enlists the bass talents of psych-rock Canadian musician Matthew Flegel (of the band Women & boyfriend of Stern) and up-and-coming mixer Lars Stalfors (Mars Volta, Funeral Party) resulting in Stern stepping up her sonic game and revealing a mature and more focused side of herself. I wanted to pay more attention to the delicate and subtly layered spaces in between sound and just make things louder and fuller where I didn't on my last 2 records. When asked to sum her album up she maintains, It's direct and honest and real. I m no longer taking cover under guitar lines or yelping vocals.

Marnie's third and latest LP, while clearly containing her strongest songs ever, had its fumbles on the way to the finish line. She laughs when describing how the initial recording files were lost and ultimately retrieved through a series of trials-by-fire (upon which many a cigarette was lit) and in one complete statement, she quips: Holy Doodle! You will find both the artist and the album to be brighter, louder, and bustling with confidence as the end result.

Clearly, Marnie Stern's life and music are not easily separated; which is why Marnie Stern the record and Marnie Stern the person have REAL personality. Upon hearing her last two albums, In Advance of the Broken Arm (2007) and This Is It And I Am It And You Are It And So Is That And He Is It And She Is It And It Is It And That Is That (2008), it s quite evident that Stern lives in between the lines of chaos and harmony. While Stern s previous efforts garnered much critical acclaim, highlighting Stern s dexterity with both guitar playing and songwriting, she still remains the underdog of contemporary celebrated female musicians.
Three albums into her career, this certainly leaves her exposed. Yet, within that exposure, we find something more relatable and familiar to us all; vulnerability and resilience. And with this collection of songs, all you hear is... Marnie Stern ...which is destined for greatness.

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Ok. Let's get this out of the way. Marnie Stern can shred. She's a better guitar player than you, or me, or probably 99% of the people who have ever looked at a guitar. There. That's done.

Marnie came out of nowhere, or the Upper East Side of Manhattan to be exact. She didn't listen to 'good' music (her words) until she was 23. The first thing she heard that made her head spin was Sleater-Kinney, followed a few years later by Hella, Boredoms, Melt Banana, etc. A Don Caballero video introduced her to the finger-tapping technique she now uses expertly. For the last several years she has played guitar for 'at least' three hours a day because she feels guilty when she doesn't play. Marnie is one of the rare artists who was signed to KRS after sending in a demo tape.

Her debut record, In Advance of the Broken Arm, is culled from songs written by herself in her bedroom over a two-year period, with production and drum work by Hella's Zach Hill. Her songs are of the earth, birthed in an organic process where the finished product is much more striking than the individual parts: created in solitude, the songs contain a staggering number of layers, each one winding its way around the others, then counterpointed by Marnie's feminine, echoing, powerful vocals. Despite the artful pretensions of some of her influences, Marnie's lyrics are her secret weapon... every line has an understated elegance floating above the mindnumbingly complex guitar work.

What makes Marnie better than any of the other hundreds of nameless and faceless tech guitar wizards is her uncanny ability to somehow transform the most complicated guitar acrobatics into beautiful and concise 3 minute pop songs. Hers is an inspired, forward-moving art that you can take home to mom, and play for your kid sister. In Advance of the Broken Arm transcends any gimmicky 'recluse' label because it is so present and immediate, and is certainly the most vibrant, original, empowering, and groundbreaking record released in a long time.

Marnie Stern the album mirrors Marnie Stern, the woman. Birthed during a challenging period in her life, the self-titled Marnie Stern is a compendium of life stories both bitter and sweet. From ballads to her signature pop guitar-tapping style, Stern and long-time coconspirator Zach Hill (Hella) have churned out (for lack of a better word) an enormous album that will further cement Stern as a rising star in today's progressive music landscape. Stern also enlists the bass talents of psych-rock Canadian musician Matthew Flegel (of the band Women) and up-and-coming mixer Lars Stalfors (Mars Volta, Funeral Party) resulting in Stern stepping up her sonic game and revealing a mature and more focused side of herself.