Stephaniesid

stephaniesĭd is a self-described pop/indy/soul musical band out of Asheville, NC. [http://www.myspace.com/stephaniesid] Singer Stephanie Morgan and keyboardist Chuck Lichtenberger comprise the core of the group with other performers joining the duo. [http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=999960912017] The band’s name comes from Ms. Morgan’s first name and the Freudian concept of personality associated with instinctive self-indulgence. [http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/stephanie_s_id_finds_balance_between_genres/Content?oid=313302]

Quote attributed to the band: "we always play with heart and lust and gusto, because there's no point in doing anything else. We care about things in the world. We often brood about them. But not for terribly long or for too many songs, as there is no long-term gain in taking the human condition too seriously. The music, like life itself, is striving, searching, inconclusive, and (hopefully) beautiful." [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87860927]

The sound of stephaniesĭd has been likened to: Portishead, Björk, Massive Attack [http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:nD5pG2eDLGIJ:www.lovetheloft.com/links.shtml+stephanie%27s+id&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=107&gl=us] ; Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. [http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:Ei0mbXnhU48J:upcoming.yahoo.com/event/92644/+stephanie%27s+id&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=93&gl=us] ; Imogen Heap [http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:ifAmMxQbI-0J:mog.com/moovyphreak/blog_post/80312+stephanie%27s+id&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=87&gl=us] ; Garbage and Aretha Franklin [http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/stephanie_s_id_finds_balance_between_genres/Content?oid=313302] ;and another article claims that the band has different sound for nearly every song, yet maintains its identity throughout "Grus americanus". [http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:kTAxqdPXTVoJ:www.charlotteobserver.com/166/story/111670.html+stephanie%27s+id&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=84&gl=us]

Chronology

The band formed in 2001, and their first released recording was "Reel", a live album featuring “creative interpretations of jazz standards.” (2003) [http://cdbaby.com/cd/smq]

After "Reel", they created songs with Vic Stafford that later became "Spiral In".(2005) [http://www.praterpublicity.com/stephanies_id/index.html] ANNA: A Rock Ballet (the Asheville Ballet) uses music from "Spiral In". [http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:Urp0Zhg-82oJ:www.bandvillage.com/labels.php%3FId%3D242%26ArtistId%3D3460+stephanie%27s+id&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=54&gl=us]

The band released an EP titled "This EP is MONEY" (2006). [http://www.praterpublicity.com/stephanies_id/index.html]

stephaniesĭd also is listed as performers with the band Mingle on the tune "One and the Same" on the Mingle album "Breaking Cycles" (2006). [iTunes]

Stephanie & Chuck married in Iceland in 2006. [http://www.praterpublicity.com/stephanies_id/index.html] The two live with their dog, Coley, in Asheville. [http://cdbaby.com/cd/smq]

While scouting sites for Idfest (now POPAsheville), Stephanie entered an art studio with a sculpture of a whooping crane that inspired the title for the second full-length album. "Grus americanus" came out in 2007. [http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/stephanie_s_id_finds_balance_between_genres/Content?oid=313302]

Awards & Mentions

stephaniesĭd earned honors as the Best Indie Band of Asheville in 2006 and again in 2007. [http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:xaaOa9aWVb4J:www.summersounds.com/bands/index.cfm+stephanie%27s+id&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=97&gl=us]

Spiral In

The album reached #89 on WNCW’s top 100 national albums and #8 for the region in 2005. [http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:CfJeymAdHe0J:www.wncw.org/top100archives.html+stephanie%27s+id&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=116&gl=us]

"Popsicles" was on JANE magazine’s compilation CD for 2005. [http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:Urp0Zhg-82oJ:www.bandvillage.com/labels.php%3FId%3D242%26ArtistId%3D3460+stephanie%27s+id&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=54&gl=us]

This EP is MONEY

"White Guys Selling Cars" won third prize in the Unisong International Song Contest in the social/political category. [http://www.praterpublicity.com/stephanies_id/index.html]

Grus americanus

"Cold Cold" used in the Weather Channel’s Epic Conditions series, episode: Kiteboarding Cape Hatteras. [http://forum.songfacts.com/showtopic.php?tid/145288/]

"Unmistakably Love" was Paste Magazine.com’s video of the day Jan 25, 2008, and that magazine claims it was the December (2007) OurStage.com winner. [http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:9NKPTLgisRsJ:www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2008/01/stephanies-id-unmistakably-love.html+stephanie%27s+id&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=71&gl=us]

The album reached WNCW’s top 100 in place #85 for national albums and #10 for regional albums in 2007. [http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:Q4yGTRx7_rkJ:www.wncw.org/Top100_2007.html+stephanie%27s+id&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=94&gl=us]

References