Joe Rut

“Joe Rut flies under the radar but is probably the best “unknown” singer-songwriter in the Bay Area. [Stolen Tools & Stereos] should give him some notoriety “ 

-Amoeba Records Best Albums of 2016

 

“Amazing, amazing work from this local Oakland laddie. I haven't enough superlatives for this. Truly subversive - iconoclastic isn't a strong enough word - this cuts far deeper. A country style with a punk sensibility & a few great jokey-yokel moments here and there.  Greatness comes in many dimensions. This man and his cohorts deserve to be household words in this culture and in these times.”  

-Lou Guru, KALX 90.7 FM, Berkeley

 

“Miraculously, this recording starts to spills generous amounts of brilliant Americana-Country-Roots music….tight originality…crafty and well arranged…a musical cuisine.  Love it. Turn it up. Play it again.   Jerry Garcia, Guy Clarke and Townes Van Zandt.  They would all be gracious in welcoming this young man to the tattered carpet stage… The kind of song that Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings would have fought over…a classic in the making…. "humor spiced with poignancy." That’s Rut’s forte whether he is aware of it or not. He has cornered the market already.” 

-John Apice, No Depression

 

"Joe Rut wields an impressive toolkit of wit, lyricism and musicianship. His latest CD, Stolen Tools & Stereos exemplifies this winning combination of inspired writing and base in alt-country, folk and Americana music." 

-Deborah Crooks, No Depression

 

"Joe Rut is one of the wittiest songwriters I know. He puts on a great show, too!!!"

- David Gans, Host of the Grateful Dead Hour, KPFA

 

"It's always a pleasure to spin Joe Rut on Undercurrents because he's smart, deeply funny and musical. We always get email..not the 'what the hell was that' variety, but the 'where can I find it?" kind."

-Gregg McVicar, host of nationally syndicated Undercurrents

 

"If I could grow another hand I'd give this three thumbs up."

-Performer Magazine

 

"Joe Rut has a finesse for finding humor in life's inane moments...the lyrics to [Injured While Faking Own Death] are abruptly hilarious....But lyrics are just half of Rut's charms." 

- Kathleen Wentz, "Ear Bud", East Bay Express

 

"Funny songwriters are rare. Profound songwriters are rarer. A profound funny songwriter is a miracle. For his fifth solo album, Injured While Faking Own Death, multi-instrumentalist Joe Rut sings of our inability to know our own hearts with perfect comic timing. When Rut sets you up for the joke and primes you with the rhyme, I defy any listener to predict what the next line will be.  His verbal associations are astonishing.    .....the best way to sum up the theme of Rut's record: Being human is painful, paradoxical, and hilarious. And if you ever meet the Buddha, he just might sing like Joe Rut. Listen to this record and laugh, because the joke's on us."

—Joe Quirk, Caught in the Carousel

 

"...not unlike Gram Parsons' best albums and the classic collaborations of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, it's terrific, and in Rut's case often humorous, sometimes poignant - songwriting that provides an unshakable foundation for all the other musical charms. If Gram Parsons and Kinky Friedman had a baby, it might have been joe Rut."

-Derk Richardson, Peghead Nation

 

"OK, so we fell in love with this guy before we even had our first cup of coffee today. Usually it takes a few beers and a shot for this kind of true love!"

-Nicole Gluckstern, SF Bay Guardian

 

"Joe Rut had the throng convulsed."

-Gar Smith, Berkeley Daily Planet

 

"Joe Rut may not be a household name, but fans of alt-country, Americana, and folk will quickly find themselves drawn to the creative ramblings of this quirky character."

-Glide Magazine

 

"Don't Miss Joe Rut.  Rut sings the praises of a girlfriend with Barbie Feet, a drug-addled ex ("Dosey Doe") and a woman fascinated by "Fantasy Island" star Herve Villechaize...It might sound like folky rock but it's pure comedy" 

-Andrea Abney, San Francisco Chronicle

 

"Bruising alt-country." 

-Dan Strachota, SF Weekly

 

"pushing the boundaries of space and time and especially spaciness.  Trippy soundscapes, experimentalism...but nothing self-indulgent.  All very listenable if not downright hypnotic and acid flashback inducing. 

-Your Imaginary Friend, KZSU 90.1 FM

 

"If you need a soundtrack to make the drive through the big, wide spaces of the Western US., this is your album. Trust me, I've done it...more than once. Joe is the best shotgun passenger you'll ever have." 

-Tom Fout, CD Baby.com

 

"I don't know why he has to play so loud is all."

-Joe's mom