Phoebe Kreutz
Encyclopedia
Phoebe Kreutz is a singer-songwriter
, primarily associated with the anti-folk
scene of New York City, but also known for her theater and television work.
Kreutz has been performing live since the early 2000s, and has released three independent albums, Pretty. Pretty Stupid., Big Lousy Moon (released July 2, 2007), and Bemusement Park (released in 2011). On Big Lousy Moon, Julie LaMendola (of fellow Anti-folk group Ching Chong Song
) also joined her as a guest musician.
She has also performed with groups Urban Barnyard and The Phyllis Newman Health Initiative Dancers. Her songwriting was featured on the Disney Channel
show Johnny and the Sprites
, and in the theater production of Alex Timbers
' musical Dance Dance Revolution.
Kreutz has toured extensively in the U.S. and in Europe, most recently supporting the Canadian band The Burning Hell
in spring 2011. She was also invited to perform at the Lawnya Vawnya art festival in St. John's, Newfoundland, where the Burning Hell's leader Mathias Kom currently resides. She is also a cult figure in Berlin, Germany, where she repeatedly plays the Fourtrack on Stage concert series and is featured on the Berlin Songs compilation.
Most recently, she has been working on writing a new musical, The Dirty Hippie Jam Band Project .
About her Edinburgh, Scotland performance, The Skinny wrote, "Following this buoyant beginning is the kookily cute Phoebe Kreutz and her jovial tales of lesbian cowgirls and Viking wannabes. Adorably quirky, her voice soars over spiky strumming like a countrified Regina Spektor, using craftily contagious songs to woo the heart of the audience."
The Daily Barometer
wrote: "Kreutz is a hilarious songstress, demonstrating the broad-base and sense of humor inherent to the genre. Citing Tiny Tim as inspiration, she sings about wanting to be a pirate, falling in love with a Taco Bell worker (specifically Gary) and a less-than faithful boyfriend."
The Stanford Daily
wrote: "It has been said that the third member, Phoebe Kreutz, sings like a lovechild of Joan Baez and Weird Al Yankovic. To me, she sounds like a female version of Adam Sandler, only more focused on the quality of her music than that renowned comedian-turned-songwriter. Working well within the Antifolk community, Kreutz also keeps true to her promise to never write about her feelings."
until 2007. She mainly worked as Puppet Wrangler, and was responsible for quickly changing the puppets in and out of their wardrobe between scenes. She also co-wrote a song (with Michael Patrick Walker
) for the cast/company recording, "The Holi-daze", found on the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
CD, Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 8. She is also joined by Avenue Q alumni (Gary Adler
, Michael Croiter, Mark Hartman, and Jen Barnhart) in the group, The Phyllis Newman Health Initiative Dancers, suitably named after The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative
.
Kreutz also contributed the songs "Francine" and "Fairyland" (both inspired by the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr book, Breakfast of Champions
) and the song "Straight Edge Kids" to the first Bushwick Book Club compilation.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, primarily associated with the anti-folk
Anti-folk
Anti-folk is a music genre that takes the earnestness of politically charged 1960s folk music and subverts it. The defining characteristics of this anti-folk are difficult to identify, as they vary from one artist to the next...
scene of New York City, but also known for her theater and television work.
Kreutz has been performing live since the early 2000s, and has released three independent albums, Pretty. Pretty Stupid., Big Lousy Moon (released July 2, 2007), and Bemusement Park (released in 2011). On Big Lousy Moon, Julie LaMendola (of fellow Anti-folk group Ching Chong Song
Ching Chong Song
Ching Chong Song are Dan Gower and Julie LaMendola, a vocal duo rooted in New York City's Anti-folk scene. Gower typically plays piano, while LaMendola plays singing saw. Their music is often experimental and off-kilter in nature, shifting from humorous to dark, serious, or thoughtful in tone,...
) also joined her as a guest musician.
She has also performed with groups Urban Barnyard and The Phyllis Newman Health Initiative Dancers. Her songwriting was featured on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
show Johnny and the Sprites
Johnny and the Sprites
Johnny and the Sprites is a musical television show aimed for preschoolers that airs every weekend on the "Playhouse Disney" program of The Disney Channel. The show was created for, is produced by, and stars John Tartaglia . The show's theme song was written by Stephen Schwartz...
, and in the theater production of Alex Timbers
Alex Timbers
Alex Timbers is a Tony-nominated writer and director and the recipient of Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards, as well as two OBIE Awards....
' musical Dance Dance Revolution.
Kreutz has toured extensively in the U.S. and in Europe, most recently supporting the Canadian band The Burning Hell
The Burning Hell
The Burning Hell is a 1974 film created by the evangelist Estus Pirkle. This film is Pirkle's interpretation of what the Bible has to say about hell. It is available in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The screenplay is by Ron Ormond....
in spring 2011. She was also invited to perform at the Lawnya Vawnya art festival in St. John's, Newfoundland, where the Burning Hell's leader Mathias Kom currently resides. She is also a cult figure in Berlin, Germany, where she repeatedly plays the Fourtrack on Stage concert series and is featured on the Berlin Songs compilation.
Most recently, she has been working on writing a new musical, The Dirty Hippie Jam Band Project .
Critical reception
Kreutz' musical style is often described as "joke-folk", and her songs are often inspired by diverse subjects, such as historical figures ("Oh, Elizabeth I"), literature ("A Bad Feeling About Anna Karenina"), relationships ("Disaster"), and the pitfalls of Rock'n'Roll excess ("The Ballad of Throat Culture"). About her style, the New York Times wrote "Phoebe Kreutz’s chanteusey delivery and comic writing were genuinely funny".About her Edinburgh, Scotland performance, The Skinny wrote, "Following this buoyant beginning is the kookily cute Phoebe Kreutz and her jovial tales of lesbian cowgirls and Viking wannabes. Adorably quirky, her voice soars over spiky strumming like a countrified Regina Spektor, using craftily contagious songs to woo the heart of the audience."
The Daily Barometer
The Daily Barometer
The Daily Barometer is an independent campus newspaper of Oregon State University, in Corvallis, Oregon. It is published five days a week during the fall, winter and spring quarters, and weekly during the summer.-History:...
wrote: "Kreutz is a hilarious songstress, demonstrating the broad-base and sense of humor inherent to the genre. Citing Tiny Tim as inspiration, she sings about wanting to be a pirate, falling in love with a Taco Bell worker (specifically Gary) and a less-than faithful boyfriend."
The Stanford Daily
The Stanford Daily
The Stanford Daily is the student-run, independent daily newspaper serving Stanford University. The Daily is distributed throughout campus and the surrounding community of Palo Alto, California, United States. It has published since the University was founded in 1892.The paper publishes weekdays...
wrote: "It has been said that the third member, Phoebe Kreutz, sings like a lovechild of Joan Baez and Weird Al Yankovic. To me, she sounds like a female version of Adam Sandler, only more focused on the quality of her music than that renowned comedian-turned-songwriter. Working well within the Antifolk community, Kreutz also keeps true to her promise to never write about her feelings."
Additional projects
Kreutz worked on the Broadway (and off-Broadway) productions of the popular musical Avenue QAvenue Q
Avenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
until 2007. She mainly worked as Puppet Wrangler, and was responsible for quickly changing the puppets in and out of their wardrobe between scenes. She also co-wrote a song (with Michael Patrick Walker
Michael Patrick Walker
Michael Patrick Walker is a composer/lyricist and musician as well as an arranger and orchestrator. He is best known for co-writing the musical, Altar Boyz with fellow composer/lyricist Gary Adler and book writer Kevin Del Aguila...
) for the cast/company recording, "The Holi-daze", found on the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the theatre community’s response to the AIDS crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the theatre community, on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States...
CD, Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols for a Cure, Vol. 8. She is also joined by Avenue Q alumni (Gary Adler
Gary Adler
Gary Adler is an American composer and musical director based in New York. He received two 2005 Drama Desk nominations for his music and lyrics for the off-Broadway show Altar Boyz, which had its premiere in the New York Musical Theatre Festival the year before...
, Michael Croiter, Mark Hartman, and Jen Barnhart) in the group, The Phyllis Newman Health Initiative Dancers, suitably named after The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative
Phyllis Newman
Phyllis Newman is an American actress and singer. She was nominated twice for the Drama Desk Award and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.-Early life:...
.
Kreutz also contributed the songs "Francine" and "Fairyland" (both inspired by the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr book, Breakfast of Champions
Breakfast of Champions
Breakfast of Champions, or Goodbye Blue Monday is a 1973 novel by the American author Kurt Vonnegut. Set in the fictional town of Midland City, it is the story of "two lonesome, skinny, fairly old white men on a planet which was dying fast." One of these men, Dwayne Hoover, is a normal-looking but...
) and the song "Straight Edge Kids" to the first Bushwick Book Club compilation.