Jangly psychedelic folk rock band centered around multi-instrumentalist Robert Cumiskey and vocalist-guitarist-songwriter John Stefan (aka Stefan Myers). The Mooncalves augmented live and in the studio by Brian Baker (bass), Les Lentz (drums), Shawn Heming (guitar), Martin Chytil, Ann Shimizu, Scott Douglas, The Captain K., and Chris ‘Manhandler’ Fowble (drums).
From their Merkin Records profile “The Mooncalves (duo) combine traditional American music with tightly arranged progressive pop. People are always constricted by an art form called rock and roll,” Stefan says, “we don’t feel we have to limit ourselves to one style.” “Whether it’s pickin’ on a mandolin or turnin’ up an electric guitar, it’s all great to me,” says Cumisky, who also plays acoustic, slide, and lap steel guitar, piano, bass, and banjo. In his very large and capable hands, the instruments resonate with Cumisky’s deft interpretive abilities.
Cumiskey draws from the emotive qualities of country music and blues, while Stefan opts for the more straight-ahead chord-crunching approach that he’s used in (his former bands). Their must-see live show has been described as somewhere in between Neil Young and The Violent Femmes.”
Of their 1990 Merkin CD “sports a wide array of radio ready cuts… fresh, diverse, hardly prosaic… The Mooncalves serve up beefy celestial pop.”
Stefan went on to play in Liquor Bike and Gill.
1990(45) Merkin Love’s Not Lost / October
1990(CD) Merkin Friends of the Young and Cynical Ectomorphic Mr Douglas
1991(45) Merkin Blindside / Lovingtree
