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This Issue 02/15/2007

Also in this issue

• ashley tisdale
• VEGGIE DELIGHT
• *nstink
• k-os
• Armed and Hilarious
• Daytripper: Grocery

Philly rockers stellastarr* are back in town tonight for an appearance at North Star Bar. Street writer Alex Kwan sat down for a phone interview with lead singer and guitarist Michael Jurin and talked about New York's "Sixth Burough", stellastarr*'s new album and the state of the biz.

Street: Hey Michael, good to grab you in between sets. You guys are out in California, right?

Michael Jurin: Yeah, we finished San Diego yesterday and it was a long day man. I woke up at four o'clock in the morning, flew to San Diego, played the show, drove up to LA; 24 hour day of running around.

Street: Crazy. I heard you guys are going up to San Francisco. I saw you guys play there about two years ago at Popscene.

MJ: Oh Really? Right on. I remember that show. Small and sweaty. I liked it.

Street: A good night. I had "Sweet Troubled Soul" stuck in my head for about a week after. More importantly, you guys are going to be in Philly on February 15th, at the North Star Bar. Have you guys played there before?

MJ: Yeah, good old North Star Bar. We played there way back. I really like the place.

Street: Your from Philly right? I would assume Northern Liberties.

MJ: (laughter) No. I grew up right outside of the city and lived here for about 8 years at around 2nd and Bainbridge. Northern Liberties was a little pre-deco. (more laughter) This was back in like '92 to '99 and Northern Liberties was trying to give away apartments practically. You would look in the paper and it would be like "CHEAP RENT HERE", but you were like 'Shoot its in Northern Liberties.' But now you go there and there is this lively, active community.

Street: Yeah, that all changed with that 6th borough New Yorker article.

MJ: That's right. Philadelphia is the 6th borough. Yeah, we definitely feel the area. All the demos that we've done recently were recorded all down in Philadelphia.

Street: Really, so when can we expect a new album?

MJ: (Laughter) That's a good question. We have to A) finish recording and B) find a way to release it because we have just stepped away from our previous Record Label, RCA.

Street: So are you looking for a new label?

MJ: Well, I guess we are looking for a new way of doing things. RCA is good people, but we had to leave. So now we're looking for something else. Maybe a small indie label that will give us the money to tour and do all the things we want to do without all the hubub. Big record labels have way to much hubub.(laughs)

Street: So you left Philly and went up to Brooklyn and started stellastarr*?

MJ: Yeah, Brooklyn is basically where I learned how to advertise for a band. Back then, the internet wasn't what it used to be, so with stellastar* we had a guerilla tactic with advertising. We basically stickered the whole entire city and advertised everywhere to the create the effect of intrigue.