Terrorbird

Despite being smack in the middle of promoting her latest award-winning album 'Lights Out Zoltar!', Bronzerat Records will release a brand new and unexpected Gemma Ray album on May 31st, recorded spontaneously between Xmas and New Years 2009 at NY Hed in New York by Matt Verta-Ray of Heavy Trash. In 5 days Gemma Ray put 16 songs to tape, an eclectic collection of cover versions dragged from memory and spine-tinglingly executed in her own inimitable style.
The resulting album, entitled 'It's A Shame About Gemma Ray' is a raw, powerful and uncontrived cocktail of old and not-so-old songs ' Gun Club, The Cookies, Ella Fitzgerald, Obits, Mudhoney, Etta James, Gallon Drunk, Buddy Holly, Gershwin, Alex Harvey, Lee Hazlewood and more. It also includes the lyrics of Sonic Youth's 'Drunken Butterfly' performed to the music of Rosemary's Baby and a version of 'Bei Mir Bistu Shein' (a Yiddish classic whose German interpretation was Nazi-endorsed until they realized where it came from).

"Most of the songs on the album were covered by memory of the original track, but how I remember them, not necessarily how they were. This particularly applies to 'Hey Big Spender'. I'm not a fan of the famous version I had heard Shirley Bassey sing, but it's a tribute to my late best friend. It was played during her cremation and it stuck in my head in a very odd way.'

'It's A Shame About Gemma Ray' serves as a documentation of time and place, rather than her new album proper (although she has almost finished writing this and will be recording it during the summer). 2010 will see her taking her wares worldwide with performances at Germany's famous Rock Palast, SXSW, Canadian Music Week as well as shows in the US, Australia, South Africa and Europe.
'Lights Out Zoltar!' continues to dazzle, including recently winning Best Eclectic Album category in the Independent Music Awards, and acclaim continues to pour in from the press. See below for recent accolades, and if you need further convincing, listen to Jimmy Page: 'I recently went to see Gemma Ray in concert and was really impressed by her unique blend of songwriting, voice and musicianship. Not to be missed!'.

"Wondrous. A true alternative to the wan psychadelic folk of today's lady-pop troupe' ' MOJO

'Blowing sugary femme-pop out of the water. Gemma Ray is untouchable' ' NME

'An eerie aural kaleidoscope that conjures up thoughts of what an album by Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las produced by David Lynch would have sounded like. Though it echoes with references to mid-'60s melodramatic pop, it's of the moment and a delight.' ' Wall Street Journal

'Had Phil Spector forced his girl groups in a more noir-soundtrack direction, this might've been the result. Ray has a truly impressive feel for vintage pop flourishes, layered to lavish effect. And all those details are what you're supposed to be paying attention to, right up until the blade hits your back.' SPIN