Saturday August 14, 2010 [10 PM ]

Thriving Ivory

The San Francisco quintet Thriving Ivory came together when Clayton Stroope (vocals) and Scott Jason (pianist and songwriter) met at college. They were soon joined by Drew Cribley (guitar), Bret Cohune (bass), and Paul Niedermier (drums) and, inspired by U2 and Coldplay, began playing gigs for their fellow students, as well as recording their self-funded, self-titled independent debut with Jellyfish's Chris Manning, who acted as their producer. While building a fan base with their shows and album, the band also got a boost from local radio station KITS, which put their song "Angels on the Moon" in full rotation; listeners soon made it one of the station's most requested tracks. After signing with Wind-Up Records in 2007, Thriving Ivory worked with producer Howard Benson on a new version of their debut album (including new and re-recorded tracks). It was released in June 2008. --allmusic.com

Ryan Star

As the title of the New York rocker’s Atlantic debut provocatively suggests, Ryan Star’s whole life has been building to this point. The songs on 11:59 play out in real time, the stories spin out in narratives that resonate with urgency and truth. Star’s often stripped-bare vocals give the songs an added resonance.

“There have been a million hopes and let downs to get here,” Star says. ”I don’t think you really choose the time as an artist, I think the time chooses you. This album is who I am.” And now that he’s here, as track “Right Now’ stresses, he is going to seize the moment. Thoughtfully and meticulously created, 11:59 proves well worth the wait. Throughout much of the album, Star seamlessly melds traditional rock elements with captivating rhythms.

For more than half his life, Star has been a fiery performer. Born and raised in Long Island, N.Y., by the time Star was 14 he regularly traveled to Manhattan to play clubs, including the legendary CBGB’s.