Off the Stooks

We’re hearing the term “old, sad bastard music” thrown around quite a bit. Could this be a burgeoning genre? If so, JD Stooks – who openly admits to ripping the descriptor from High Fidelity and further labels his music as a little country, a little rock, and a little singer-songwriter – may have pioneered this style.

The local solo artist is known for his nine-year stint in punk band No Gimmick. And while we wouldn’t go so far as to call him a sad bastard, he’s certainly surly-sarcastic. When asked what he gets out of being a musician, Stooks says, “Drink tickets, lonely nights, and the ever-persistent question from family members, ‘So what are you doing for a job nowadays?'”

Cute.

Stooks will show off his most recent work – a limited-edition two-track single featuring the local talent of Dakota Jeane, producer Bob Hoag, and Lou Kummerer (full disclosure: Kummerer contributes to Night & Day and is dating another New Times’ writer . . . man, that guy is everywhere!) – during a CD-release show at Modified Arts, 407 East Roosevelt Street. For only $8 at the door, you’ll receive a complimentary disc as well as Stooks’ charm, wit, and self-deprecating stage presence, all of which makes his brand of sad-bastard Americana well-worth seeing.

Sat., June 20, 8 p.m., 2009