Bio

STARK STARK is a New York City rock trio with old school roots and original tunes! We make purgatory fun by sleazing up the NYC rock scene embracing our bad luck and traumatizing people everywhere we go! The party band with feelings. STARK calls it Punk-try! Lani Ford--Lead vocals, bass, main songwriter of STARK 3 time ASCAP Plus Songwriter Award winner. Slinging poetic hillbilly angst. Rocking it like a man, selling it like a woman. Sweet Rob Endemann--drums and backing vocals The powerhouse drummer with the big smile! Josette--guitar Our little shredder, this Jersey girl kicks ass!!!!!! Lani Ford (of Fox 5 traffic reporter and WPLJ DJ notoriety…and yes, that's the girl you met at the bar—maybe behind it or leaning on it) is one of those girls who guys want to take home after the gig, but they're afraid she'll write a song about them. She doesn't mind perpetuating that. She also loves to give the other girls in the room a platform to let their wild sides reign free. That alone makes STARK compelling to watch. What makes them a great f-ing band is that the songs are songs, the guitar rocks and the lyrics are more than interesting. Lani laughs, cries, hollers, wiggles, writhes, smokes, drinks, passes out sweets, all the while rocking her P-Bass and singing her ass off. Then, you've got Josette wailing on her Les Paul, with her wild hair flowing and blowing around like a wild-woman's. She supports Lani, antagonizes her, leads her deeper into her frenzy while playing kick-ass guitar leads that make your jaw drop. In the meantime, Sweet Rob Endemann is rocking out the drums with a big smile and a solid stare, like he just might barrel over the drum set and start dancing or beating on the heads of the sweaty, sexed-up, drunken, stoned audience. Well, yes, there was the topless incident at Piano's, the smoking fiasco at Grand Central Bar, and the shattered bottle as Pyramid, but all in all STARK's rowdiness is nothing compared to the in-your-face rock and roll the band pours out of it's soul at every show for every audience member every f-ing time! The sparse arrangements and honest lyrics will make you laugh, cry, dance, drink and get nasty. Influenced by blues, country, punk and metal, STARK can't be labeled as easily as most, but they play straight-up rock and roll, mostly described as Pretenders meets Patti Smith…or if the B-52's and The Stooges had babies. Not of woman borne, STARK blasted onto the NYC scene in 2003, Before that, it's 3 original members, Lani Ford (lead vocalist, bassist and songwriter of STARK), Dylan Grewen and Greg Schiff spent a year and a half kicking around together at open mics and playing together in a couple of other bands. STARK then played the NYC club scene for 4 years with Lani always out front, busting up the norm and lifting hearts everywhere with her dirty, intelligent, harsh, honest, and funny lyrics and huge voice. In 2004, the band recorded its debut CD "The Curse", instantly making fans out of big players in the NYC rock and roll scene and beyond from Patti Rothberg to Handsome Dick Manitoba with the music they call Punk-try. With the backing of Frank Wood/Destiny Productions/Brent Thorn at JBTC Entertainment, and Zoomoozik.com, plus a growing support base, international airplay, and sheer determination, Lani has teamed up with Josette and Sweet Rob Endemann. Be on the look-out for STARK's sophomore record "Put It To Your Head". It's harder, more punked out, and has fun, dark, groove-based songs that will blow your dress up! "STARK featuring Lani Ford has style. Lani has a wonderful, deep sexy voice. This is a knockout CD. Rich and heartfelt that reflects her cool Texas heritage. You can hear a wonderful twang in the painful lyrics. "The Curse" brings it all home. A definite must in any sound station."-- New York Waste STARK is a New York City rock trio with old school roots and original tunes! We make purgatory fun by sleazing up the NYC rock scene embracing our bad luck and traumatizing people everywhere we go! The party band…with feelings. STARK calls it Punk-try! Discography: "Put It To Your Head" Release January 26, 2008 Tracks with airplay: 18 Again "The Curse" LP, released May 15, 2004 Tracks with airplay: Cryin' In The Mornin', Somewhere, White Trash Rock & Roll Diva, Summer Girl, Look at Me, Beautiful Mistake, Slut , The One "The Morgue The Merrier", LP, Poptown Records (2005) Compilation CD of New York City Bands--featuring STARK's song "Slut" "Live at CMJ", EP, limited release 2005 "Lani Ford Acoustic Live", EP, limited release 2006 STARK's CD "The Curse" is available at: CDBaby.com Apple itunes Virgin Megastore Subterranean Records and Cds Bleecker Bob's NYC Hardcore Tattoos Amazon TowerRecords May 2004 New York Waste magazine–Starr Tucker: "STARK featuring Lani Ford has style. Lani has a wonderful deep, sexy voice. This is a knock out CD. Rich and heartfelt that reflects her cool Texas heritage. You can hear a wonderful twang in the painful lyrics. The Curse brings it all home. A definite must in any sound station." AWARDS: ASCAP Songwriting Award 2007 (Lani Ford) ASCAP Songwriting Award 2006 (Lani Ford) ASCAP Songwriting Award 2005 (Lani Ford) Featured Artist on Treblenation.com 2007 CMJ/Loud Rock report 2004 CMJ/Top 30 (2004) The Deli, Summer 2004 "Leading lady Lani Ford, nursing a serious Chrissie Hynde infection, has got an impressive set of pipes. Ranting female orgasm slut speak, she has the kind of mouth that Tipper would love to slap a sticker over. A little bit honky-tonk, from the Lone Star state."-- Maria Schettino SA Express-News, March 9, 2007 "There's nothing subtle about STARK. Led by Texas-bred, New York-based singer, songwriter and bassist Lani Ford. The trio plays all-out brassy rock. STARK's 'The Curse' includes songs such as 'Wrong Guy' and 'Slut' that won't get aired on commercial radio (or non-commercial radio, for that matter) but will fire up crowds."-- Jim Beal, Jr. PRESS: The Big Takeover Magazine The New York Waste Magazine The New York Post The New York Daily News The Deli (NY) Village Voice (NY) More Sugar (NY) San Antonio Express-News (TX) WNYW, Fox 5-TV, New York WGBB, Long Island WPLJ-FM, New York Go Girls Music Website Bassgirls Website WXPK-FM, Westchester New York Sugarzine Black Angel Promotions Horrorwood Babbleon Website Earbuzz Website RADIO: Sirius Radio--Goldie's Garage with Genya Ravan (Underground Garage) WBAB's Homegrown show with Fingers (Long Island, NY) The Drop Zone/KTWL (Houston, Texas) WGBB (Long Island, NY) ISON LIVE RADIO (ILR), Australia WXPK (Westchester, NY) WDTS in Georgetown, DE (CMJ/Top 30) WRPI in Troy, NY (CMJ/Loud Rock report) College/non-commercial radio: Cuts from "The Curse" can be heard on over 50 stations throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia INTERNET RADIO: The Big Red One Street Blast Zing!Flip! Squash! (Waterplanet Radio) Indie Limelight Show (Indie Artist Radio) www.wnyu.org Crystal Blue Radio www.streetblast.com Local Music Now Radio Podrama (DJ Burnout) 'nette radio (Dallas) Roots Rock Radio Radio X RadioJ The Drop Zone (KTWL.com) Radio Gets Wild (UK) Music-Islands (Japan) Wild West Rocks Radio TV: Manny In Manhattan (Ch. 57, MNN, NYC) WNYW, Fox 5-TV (New York City) Be Yourself As Well As Art (MNN, NYC) Mark After Dark (NY) Mango TV (NY) Vidocity (NY) Indigo TV (NY) ILR (Australia) From Mango-TV's Peter Barnard: "Check out STARK tonight at CBGB's to hear cool songs about death, pot and fucking." FILM: STARK's song "Cryin' in the Mornin'" has been released in the independent feature film "Fillbilly" (2007) Lani Ford co-wrote "I'm Evil" for Zombie Cult Massacre (1998) "'Explicit lyrics' and 'hard rock' don't begin to cover Stark's full-length CD, 'The Curse'. Scorching guitar licks, screaming yet melodic vocals, and driving bass lines make this an irresistible CD. The CD covers the gamut of feelings a sexually liberated woman feels over the course of a bad relationship from horny to angry to sad to glad-to-be-free. A couple of tracks show the band's softer side and its wide range. Pick this one up if you want to let out your wild child and cruise around with the girls." --GoGirlsMusic.com SHOWCASES: CMJ 2005 Battle of the GoGirls 2006 Girls Rock and Girls Rule 2006 GoGirls Invasion of SXSW 2007 Go Girls Music Fest 2007 Licensing: Octobertunes (Canada) Pump Audio (USA) Distribution: www.Zoomoozik.com Turmic Records (Sweden) Summer 2004 New York Waste magazine: "CD Release parties! The best one so far, this year, has to have been for STARK's new release, The Curse. Lani Ford bounced back from an emergency appendectomy with energy and life to spare, giving a really burning performance. If Debby Harry had been there she could have satisfied herself that the rock music she believed in was in good hands."—Mighty Aphrodite March 2004 New York Waste magazine: STARK, fronted by the tremendous Lani Ford, was a wet and down deep, dirty-sweet sound experience."—The Mighty Afrodite SPONSORS & ENDORSEMENTS: Sam Ash GoGirls Music Woman Rock Bass Girls Girls Rock and Girls Rule Rock Star NEW YORK CITY CLUBS (selected few): CGBG's Don Hill's Arlene's Grocery Continental Club Midway Meow Mix Otto's Shrunken Head Knitting Factory Kenny's Castaways Pianos Snitch Scenic Tobacco Road Hogs & Heifers More Sugar, March 2007 "In a nutshell, if you combine Joan Jett and Shania Twain and a dash of NYC attitude, you have Lani's vocals. Meanwhile, Josette with her Les Paul just plays some of the best licks I have heard."-- Bob Schaffer TOURS: United Kingdom (upcoming) Amsterdam, Netherlands New York State New Jersey Long Island Maine Texas CHARITIES: Habitat For Humanity WSPA Women Build SuffolK County Red Cross Caring Bridge The Kids Rock Hep-C Awareness Blank-Fest X 2006 Blank-Fest XI 2007 Porn4Peace Darfur Benefit 2007 Princeton Hospital June Fete Benefit 2007 Mighty Mutts BANDS (or members of bands) WE'VE LOVED SHARING THE STAGE WITH: 3 Kisses The X's Statues of Liberty Bantam New Professionals I.C.U. Warrior Soul She-Wolves Lenny Kaye (of Patti Smith Group/Nuggets) Patti Rothberg Dougie Needles and Thommy Price (of Joan Jett's Blackhearts) Sammi Yaffa (New York Dolls, Hanoi Rocks, Mad Juana) Syl Sylvain (New York Dolls) Joy Rider Gin Blossoms Billy Ficca (Television, The Waitresses) Richard Lloyd (Television, Duncan Sheik) Ellen Foley (Meatloaf) J.D. Malo and Honey 86%er (Cycle Sluts from Hell, Smashed Gladys) ASCAP (Kicking and Screaming Music) SAG/AFTRA (Lani Ford) www.starknyc.com © 2008 STARK