REX PLAYBOY 6/30 Douglas Corner Nasvhille, TN

Introducing...REX PLAYBOY

Several years ago, I found myself with a record in the can and no real desire to put it out just yet. My long-time bandmates had other stuff going on in their lives (like leaving town for new horizons) and I was faced with the challenge of doing something new. So - I immersed myself in all things GUITAR and started playing alone, and with others, almsot daily in search of the pure joy that I experienced as a kid through the pursuit of making noise.
I revisited all of my influences again. I got new influences. I have listened to more music than most mortals could ever tolerate. Why? Because it brings me great joy.
I have said all of this before on these pages and I may say it again - I'm getting older and I forget exactly what I have rambled on about; but it still seems relevant to the unveiling of my electric band - Rex Playboy.

On June 30th - I will finally make my way out of the jam sessions, house parties, and rehearsals with some close musical friends in tow. We are called Rex Playboy. We play rock, blues, and country influenced music. Some of it is original and some of it is from our collection of influences that we have amassed over the years of playing that we have all done on our own. We like kitschy stuff. We like pseudo underground stuff. You probably won't hear "Proud Mary", but you might hear "Maybelline". Chuck's a big influence, you know?

So there you have it....simple and sweet. A new band with one focus...one pure, innocent, child-like focus - to have fun making noise. Soon there will be a website with more information and artwork and the like; but for now it is a lo-fi, grass roots, beautiful thing. With all of that - I give you Rex Playboy.

rs

Sorrow and Joy

Several years ago, the name "Sorrow and Joy" leapt from some other place into my head. It has stuck ever since. The concept from the beginning was that it would be a double EP. I wanted it to be a FREE digital download. I like to believe that I have almost stuck to my original plan on this one. Well, kind of.
I took apart the material and put it together as 2 EPs on 2 different download sites (NoiseTrade and Internet Archive).
These are songs that I made at my most relaxed. I can honestly say that the overall feeling when hearing these songs is that of being with friends and playing songs that sound familiar. All of this material is original. The musicians are RS - guitar and vocals; John R Crowder - bass and vocals; and Jordan Burris - guitar and vocals.

I am happy to have found another, more modern approach to putting out my music. I do hope you enjoy it and please drop me a line or come by and see a show sometime. I would love to hear from you.

rs

THE LINKS -
http://noisetrade.com/richardstooksbury SORROW AND JOY EP

http://archive.org/details/RichardStooksbury-MoreJoy MORE JOY EP

"More Joy"

"More Joy" is a companion to Richard Stooksbury's "Sorrow and Joy". All songs were recorded between 2010 and 2012 except for "Adventues in the Ghetto" which was recorded in 2003. These are lo-fi, unaltered recordings.
"More Joy" shares music made purely for the sake of making music and having fun. These recordings were made with no pressure, nor any intent necessarily of a release. Adventurous paths were taken and something was learned. There are flaws in there too; but who cares? This is music to enjoy and share with your friends.
Like "Sorrow and Joy", "More Joy" is being offered exclusively as a FREE download via this link:
http://archive.org/details/RichardStooksbury-MoreJoy

GIGS, GIGS, GIGS

I know...you're still waiting on the release of "Sorrow and Joy". That's good. The wait is almost over. In the meantime, I am busy booking gigs and wanted to share a few with you.

4/7 Douglas Corner Cafe - Nashville, TN - I will be joined by mandolin master Mike Compton and upright bassist Bill Baldock for an evening of songs and stories. Showtime 8PM/Cover $5

5/24 Barley's Taproom - Knoxville, TN - I will be part of a split bill between myself and the Sons of Bluegrass (featuring "Sorrow and Joy" collaborator Jordan Burris). Showtime 8PM/More Details to come. ****JUST ADDED: WDVX Blue Plate Special at 12 noon in Knoxville same day as Barley's Show!*******

6/30 Douglas Corner Cafe - Nashville, TN - I will be debuting my long-awaited ELECTRIC band at my favorite Nashville venue. Showtime 8PM/Cover $5

So there you have it. There should be more coming along...I will share them as they develop.

See you there.

rs

Coming Soon!

Patience, my pretties!

I am running about a week behind on the release, but wanted to assure you that music is coming and I am finally prepared to give you a little bit more insight regarding the project.
Soon - I will release "Sorrow and Joy" - the third installment of Richard Stooksbury songs. It is essentially an EP with some additional demos that I am throwing in because they are fun and it never hurts to flesh things out a bit to give you an idea of what I have been up to during my time away.
"Sorrow and Joy" will be available as a free download via NoiseTrade - a Nashville based company. I will share all of the links and availability status as soon as I know more.

I have been suffering through a cold for about a week and it got me off of my game. Plus I have been putting two different bands together and generally burning the candle at both ends - well, ok, an end and a half; but who's counting...right? Tomorrow and all weekend - I will put the finishing touches on "Sorrow and Joy". My next update should include more info about the release as well as some appearances that we have coming up in the near future.

Thanks for your patience and I do hope you will give the new tunes a listen. I really like them and I hope you do too.

rs