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“…a voice as distinctive as a thumbprint…if only more songwriters—and more people—had his balance of wit and fortitude.” – Jim Farber, New York Daily News

“One of the best songwriters and record makers I’ve heard in a very long time.” – Randy Newman

“…aphoristic folk-rock songs packed with sly, joking wordplay. Keen social observation is tinged with a hipster’s sarcasm.” – Stephen Holden, The New York Times

“…appealing, unassuming acoustic pop colored with shades of folk, country, blues and jazz.” – Chuck Arnold, People

 

Richard Julian began releasing albums in 1997 on Billy Lehman’s (son of the infamous Wall Street trader Ivan Boesky) label, Blackbird. During that time he recorded Richard Julian and Smash Palace and toured Europe with Suzanne Vega. When Blackbird folded, the label-less (and broke) artist made his third record, Good Life, with Brad Jones (Smash Palace), who let Julian record in his home. Julian then released and promoted Good Life on his own to rave reviews and was invited to open Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me” tour in North America. Slow New York, his EMI/Manhattan debut, cemented Julian’s reputation as one of the keenest voices in songwriting and, in 2008, was followed by the critically-acclaimed Sunday Morning In Saturday’s Shoes also on Manhattan. Richard Julian lives in Brooklyn, plays Santa Cruz guitars, and loves good tequila. He is currently filming and starring in an upcoming television and web series about the best food, drink and music finds in NYC.

Richard’s latest album, Girls Need Attention is a musical atonement: vulnerable, honest, and painfully direct as it chronicles a break-up. “I don’t know how to not write confessionally… the songs always feel like a shopping cart that veers in that direction no matter which way I try to steer it.” Recorded at Norah Jones’s home studio, the record features stellar accompaniment from Nels Cline (Wilco) on guitar, Jolie Holland on box fiddle, and Sasha Dobson on vocals. The backing band, who was “essentially paid in fine tequila”, says Julian, a self-professed food and drink aficionado, contains such luminaries as Lee Alexander (who also produced the album), Tim Luntzel (bass) and Dan Rieser (drums), and is sparingly augmented throughout with keyboards (Dred Scott), baritone guitar, (Steve Elliot) french horn (Louis Schwadron), tuba (Marcus Rojas), and bass clarinet (Doug Wieselman).

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