Chuck Stern
{{Short description|American musician, writer, and artist}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Chuck Stern
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| birth_name = Charles Baker Stern
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1979|06|22}}
| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.
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| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|12|10|1979|06|22}}
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| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|keyboards|multi-instrumentalist}}
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| current_member_of = Time of Orchids, Sculptress, Stern
| website = {{URL|https://sterntheband.bandcamp.com/music}}
}}
Charles Baker Stern (June 22, 1979 – December 10, 2023) was an American composer, musician, writer, and visual artist known for his work in experimental music.{{cite web |last1=Manning |first1=Todd |title=Stern |url=https://burningambulance.com/2020/01/07/stern-2/ |website=Burning Ambulance |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=7 January 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Currin |first1=Grayson Haver |title=Stern: Bone Turquoise Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20917-bone-turquoise/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=14 August 2015}}{{cite web |last1=Murphy |first1=Scott |title=Stern – Missive: Sister Ships |url=https://www.heavyblogisheavy.com/2018/08/10/stern-missive-sister-ships/ |website=Heavy Blog is Heavy |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=10 August 2018}} He was frontman and composer of Time of Orchids,{{cite web |last1=Mason |first1=Stewart |title=Time of Orchids |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/time-of-orchids-mn0000508956 |website=AllMusic |access-date=19 December 2023}} played in Sculptress,{{cite web |last1=Weingarten |first1=Christopher |title=Download: Tracks By Charlie Looker's Extra Life And Sculptress |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/download-tracks-by-charlie-lookers-extra-life-and-sculptress/ |website=The Village Voice |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=21 June 2011}} and released solo and band works under the name Stern. He was born and lived in New York City. He died on December 10, 2023, at the age of 44.{{cite web |last1=Anderl |first1=Timothy |title=Stomping Grounds: Chuck Stern (Stern) on New York, New York |url=https://ghettoblastermagazine.com/features/stomping-grounds/stomping-grounds-chuck-stern-stern-on-new-york-new-york/ |website=Ghetto Blaster Magazine |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=12 August 2015}}{{cite web |title=Charles Stern |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/charles-stern-obituary?id=53866584 |website=Legacy.com |access-date=19 December 2023}}
Career
Stern was a programmer for public-access television station Manhattan Neighborhood Network.{{cite web |title=It Changed :( wins Hometown Video Award |url=https://www.mnn.org/blog/it-changed-wins-hometown-video-award |website=Manhattan Neighborhood Network |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=3 August 2011}} He co-created Roboshithead, which The Village Voice called "the best public access show in New York,"{{cite web |last1=Torgovnick |first1=Kate |title=Even Among a Sea of Cable Channels and the Explosion of YouTube, Public Access Remains Vital |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/even-among-a-sea-of-cable_b_64341 |website=Huffington Post |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=13 September 2007}} and It Changed :(, which won the 2011 Hometown Video Original Teleplay Award.
From 1999 to 2007, Stern was the frontman and composer for experimental band Time of Orchids.{{cite web |title=The Porcelain Throne: Time of Orchids |url=https://toiletovhell.com/the-porcelain-throne-time-of-orchids/ |website=The Toilet Ov Hell |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=3 June 2015}} Over the band's tenure, its lineup included Eric Fitzgerald, Jesse Krakow, David Bodie, Kim Abrams, Will Redmond, and Charlie Looker, with guest performances from Tim Byrnes, Maryanna Hansen, jazz pianist Marilyn Crispell, Kate Pierson of The B-52's, and Julee Cruise of Twin Peaks.{{cite web |title=Time of Orchids: Sarcast While |url=https://www.tzadik.com/index.php?catalog=8013 |website=Tzadik |access-date=19 December 2023}}{{cite web |title=Review: Time of Orchids "Sarcast While" |url=https://www.aversionline.com/view/time-of-orchids-sarcast-while-cd |website=Aversion Online |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=19 May 2005}}{{cite web |title=Time of Orchids |url=http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/artist/time-of-orchids |website=Metal Music Archives |access-date=19 December 2023}} Time of Orchids released six albums; two were self-released, with others appearing on Relapse, Epicene, Tzadik, and Cuneiform.
In 2008, Stern and Charlie Looker formed a duo project, Sculptress.
Also in 2008, after announcing the end of Time of Orchids, Stern began a new solo project releasing music under his last name. "Stern" eventually grew into a quartet including former Kayo Dot members Abrams, Byrnes, and Toby Driver, with releases by the band formation including Bone Turquoise (New Atlantis, 2015) and Missive: Sister Ships (Sleeping Giant Glossolalia, 2018).{{cite web |last1=Bellino |first1=Emily |title=Video Premiere: Stern – ‘Missive: Sister Ships’ |url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2018/07/10/video-premiere-stern-missive-sister-ships/ |website=Decibel |access-date=19 December 2023 |date=10 July 2018}}
Stern later returned to solo project status with Sunder Hawk (2020).{{cite web |last1=Grella |first1=George |last2=Cohan |first2=Brad |title=March Listings |url=https://brooklynrail.org/2020/03/music/March-Listings-2020 |website=Brooklyn Rail |access-date=19 December 2023}}{{cite web |title=Sunder Hawk |url=https://sterntheband.bandcamp.com/album/sunder-hawk |website=Bandcamp |access-date=19 December 2023}} The album features guest performances from Abrams, Erin Mount, and Stern's mother, Ellen Stern, who died in 2023.{{cite web |title=Ellen Stern |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/nytimes/name/ellen-stern-obituary?id=52970062 |website=Legacy.com |access-date=19 December 2023}} Stern's final release was Black Votive (2022).{{cite web |title=Black Votive |url=https://sterntheband.bandcamp.com/album/black-votive |website=Bandcamp |access-date=19 December 2023}}
Discography
= As leader =
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{discogs artist|Chuck Stern}}
- {{IMDb name|8153950}}
- [http://web.archive.org/web/20230611173202/https://stern.band/ Archive of stern.band]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stern, Chuck}}