Exciting things are happening for S&S! On Saturday, May 19th, we celebrated the band’s sixth anniversary with a show and party at one of our favorite NYC venues Arlene’s Grocery.

The room was packed with friends, family, fans, and rubber light-up frogs (you had to be there) and the love in the air was truly overwhelming. Thank you so much to our supporters. Seeing you at the shows means the world to us!

In addition to fueling the high energy of our show, the crowd’s warm enthusiasm caught the eye of a promoter from the Knitting Factory when she walked in. So, she suck around, and, luckily, she dug the sound coming from the stage, which leads us to our next big announcement: We’re playing at the Knitting Factory on Friday, June 29th, at 9pm!

Wahoo! We are beyond excited about this gig. We’ve never played at a venue that sold tickets before the show (fancy, huh?! - get yours here!). Tickets are only 8 dollars and, as always, our listeners will be in for special treats, gifts, and surprises. So folks, let’s show the Knitting Factory how we do it, and we really mean “we,” because without your support, S&S could not continue to on this journey that we love so much - thank you, thank you, thank you.

We look forward to singing for you and your loved ones on June 29th!

xoxox, D&Z

Not To Be Missed:

Don’t miss our annual S&S Big Spring Gig: Saturday, May 19, 9 PM @ Arlene’s Grocery. We’ll be celebrating 6 years in the life of Starnes&Shah!

RSVP on Facebook

My how time flies. It seems like yesterday that we celebrated our 5th anniversary at the Bitter End (see photos here). You don’t want to miss this show folks, it will be a treat for your ears. And, of course, merriment will continue late in the evening after the set is over!

…And boy are we glad it has! S&S do not like the cold weather and when the sun returned, we hit the ground running with shows, shows, and more shows!

Quick Recap:


In early March, we visited our favorite local Radio Station WDFH for a live performance and a chat with most excellent host Vinny Cohan. We rounded out the month with a gig and a cupcake at the Lower East Side’s rock bakery Cakeshop. We ushered in April with a gig at our alma mater SLC, hosted by their radio station WSLC, and we’re note done yet!

Coming Up:

On Friday, April 20, come see us at Spike Hill in Brooklyn as we kick off a mini-tour weekend. The next morning we head to lovely Burlington, VT to play Radio Bean Coffeehouse (don’t be fooled by the name, this place has mean mojitos on Saturday night!) On our way back to NY, we’ll pull over for some chowda in Boston and an acoustic set that night at the Burren in Somerville, MA. Check our website for tour videos and updates from the road!

Not To Be Missed:

And then there’s May. What can we say about May besides: we love you! The weather is perfect!. Don’t miss our annual S&S Big Spring Gig: Saturday, May 19, 9 PM @ Arlene’s Grocery. We’ll be celebrating 6 years in the life of Starnes&Shah!

RSVP on Facebook

My how time flies. It seems like yesterday that we celebrated our 5th anniversary at the Bitter End (see photos here). You don’t want to miss this show folks, it will be a treat for your ears. And, of course, merriment will continue late in the evening after the set is over!

Yes, yes, exciting things are happening and more music is in the works!

In the meantime, here’s a video of us singing “Sick July” from Red Brick Tide on a rainy night in March:

Winter Thaw: And for those of you who missed it, here’s “Tantrum,” also from RBT, at our show on January 22.

View photos from the night:

Check out latest review of Red Brick Tide in The Noise: Rock Around Boston from Julia R. DeStefano:

“Poet, rock ’n’ roller, and storyteller Dania Abu-Shaheen and songstress Zilpha Starnes are at it again, once more putting forth an effort that is both introspective and influential…The interplay of exquisite, often choral harmonies results in a magical listening experience. Musical fusion is the most fitting way to describe it…The girls have never been more reminiscent of Ryan Adams and the Cardinals and Hazeldine.”
- full article »

Thanks to everyone who came out to our show at Arlene’s Grocery on January 22! Check out photos from Manal Abu-Shaheen.

Tonight we head to Kingston, NY to play Kat Larios’ Birthday Extravaganza at The Lounge at BSP! Woot!

8PM, Sunday, January 22
Arlene’s Grocery
95 Stanton Street
Between Ludlow and Orchard
NYC


Announcements:

Red Brick Tide gets 4 out of 5 on Skope Mag. Read Review »

Starnes&Shah ranked 213 on The Deli’s Top 300 NYC Indie Rock Bands. Check it out! »

Lucinda
Watch our music video by samantha stark:



Pick up a copy of our latest release:

Red Brick Tide


Available on:
iTunes
CD Baby
Amazon

On November 12th, we released our third album Red Brick Tide, and we celebrated the occasion with a rockin’ record release party at one of our favorite NYC venues, Kenny’s Castaways in the west village. The night was loaded with good energy as fans, friends, and family cheered, danced, and sang along (with the help of signature S&S lyric books). By 8pm, the main listening area was ‘standing room only’ and shortly after that, the staff at Kenny’s opened up the balcony for the crowd. THANKS to all who came out for making this show our biggest ever!

The set list was a tour of Red Brick Tide. We played all 12 songs on the record with Nick LaBate on bass and Scott Morehouse on drums. While the audience was familiar with some of the material on Red Brick Tide from recent performances, some songs - including Tantrum and Think Twice - were brand new to the stage. We were thrilled to debut these tunes to such a warm crowd. Pick up your copy of Red Brick Tide from iTunes or CD Baby.

Halfway through the set we took a little intermission to screen our brand new music video for “Lucinda.” This video was directed by the lovely and brilliant Samantha Stark whose unique vision and keen attention to detail produced a whimsically poignant film that is the perfect visual accompaniment for “Lucinda.” Seriously folks, this video is eye candy - watch here and share it with your friends!
Lucinda from Starnes&Shah on Vimeo.
Directed by Samantha Stark | Music by Starnes&Shah
Featuring: Liz Clark: Woman at Dinner | John David: Man at Mirror | Autumn Gonzalez: Girl with Chalk | Crista Johnson: Woman with Window Cleaner | Cathy Smith: Woman at Mailbox

Shooting this music video was a blast, and we were thrilled to collaborate with other artists in the process. Special thanks to the talented actors: Crista Johnson for showing us how cleaning can get a little crazy, John David for letting us cover his face with stars and put him in the shower fully clothed, Cathy Smith for not taking any crap from a crooked mail box, the adorable Autumn Gonzalez for making “Lucinda” her acting debut, and the hilarious Liz Clark for eating all of the weird food in Westchester and making us laugh hysterically throughout the shoot. Check out our photos from the day on Flickr.

We’d also like to send big hugs to Dania’s grandparents Jidu and Carol for letting us shoot in their home and for coming to the record release party!

The new album, Red Brick Tide, is done! After spending the summer (and early Fall) at Riverworks Recording in Dobbs Ferry, NY with co-producers Matt Noble and Roy Matthews, S&S are very excited to share new track, “Cardinal Marks.” LISTEN—>.

The full record will be released and available for purchase on Nov. 12. Stay tuned for updates and links.

As you know these ladies love to party, and the new record is definitely cause to celebrate! S&S invite you to the Record Release Party and Show on Saturday, November 12 at Kenny’s Castaways at 8pm. There will be CD’s, t-shirts, live music, and more! Bring friends, coworkers, cousins, landlords, lovers, hairdressers…well you get the idea… to help get the word out about Red Brick Tide. RSVP on Facebook or by email to starnesandshah@gmail.com. S&S send many thanks to the amazing musicians who played on this record: Nick LaBate on Bass, Heinrich Kruse on Drums, and Scott Morehouse who stepped in as drummer on the tune, “All that Love.” To their co-producers Matt Noble and Roy Matthews, Dania & Zilpha send big hugs and a lifetime supply of Mexican food (seriously, this record was fueled by chili, tacos, and burritos from this place (TRY IT).

Last but certainly not least, a thank you smooch and cuddle to friends, family, and fans for their support. S&S are firm believers that it takes a village, so help them keep doing what they love by clicking the thumbs up “Like” button on their Facebook page. Share the music with your networks and encourage them to give the Arab and Texan the ol’ thumbs up, too! In return, S&S will always keep up their end of the deal by providing entertaining shows and music that makes you want to move, think, and sing!

One of the best parts of being in a band is making connections with people and places. S&S are excited to be heading back to their old hometown, Boston, for a show at PA’s Lounge on Friday, November 4, at 11 PM.

The first time we went to PA’s Lounge was to see Texan folk/country duo The O’s (Z recorded with Taylor from The O’s when she was in high school, and their paths crossed again ten years later in Boston - yep! The world of indie music is tiny.) We were instantly charmed by PA’s grit and down-to-earth crowd. The drinks are affordable, and the people there are genuine fans of live music. So, it’s no surprise that the band is stoked to get back on the road to play PA’s.

If spending an evening in Boston slurping clam chowder and maybe some J.P. Licks ice-cream (if you can stand it in the cold) isn’t enough, you will be very pleased with the line up. The evening kicks off with at 9 PM with the poignant folk songs of Kaitlin Dibble’s Delusions of Grandeur followed by the funky jazz/pop of bassist/singer/songwriter Cilla Bonnie at 10 PM. S&S will bring the quirk-rock/folk-pop at 11 PM and Suit of Hair will end the evening with a rocking set at midnight. RSVP on FACEBOOK.

After Boston S&S head to another super cool Massachusetts town, Northampton, for a show at the Yellow Sofa on Saturday, November 5, at 8:30 PM. Northampton is the kind of place you want to call home, and S&S can’t wait to get cozy at this hip little spot right on Main Street. RSVP for this event on FACEBOOK.

Monday, September 12—S&S returned to a favorite NYC Venue, The Living Room, for a high-energy performance of “firsts.” The group debuted new tunes from the upcoming record “Red Brick Tide,” (available November 2011), including a new ballad, All That Love, and an upbeat pop/rock number, Cardinal Marks.

Bassist Nick LaBate and drummer Scott Morehouse brought the groove, and Dania played a hot rod fender strat — another S&S first!

S&S shared the bill with singer/songwriter Allison Tartalia and her band Allison’s Invention. Among the crowd were fellow musicians Julia Barry, Sarah Amina, Nehemiah Luckett, and Hannah Fairchild of Hannah vs. the Many who played next door at Pianos later that evening. Also in the audience were producer Matt Noble and engineer Roy Matthews who have been working with S&S on the new record.

The next S&S show in NYC will be a special record release show and party for “Red Brick Tide” in early November…more details soon. In the meantime, the band will be finishing up the record and playing gigs in Boston and Northhampton, MA. Look for news from the road!