Joel Streeter

Joel Streeter has been hailed as "one of pop's best kept secrets", as "a true pop talent", as "an indispensible songwriting talent", and as an "avowed melody junkie" drawing comparisons to Neil Finn, XTC, Elliott Smith, Paul McCartney and Badly Drawn Boy among others. Having just followed-up his debut album, Hear Me Out, with his second effort, Matador, he continues to draw praise and attention from music lovers everywhere. Matador is a CD Baby's Editor's Pick and was named #34 on Absolute Powerpop's Top 100 albums of 2010. His music has been featured on television shows such as the CW's 90210 and PBS's Roadtrip Nation.

Growing up in the historic town of Gettysburg, PA, Joel began playing guitar and writing music at an early age. After releasing two 4-song EPs before the age of 19, Joel attended college at Wesleyan University, studying guitar and playing in several popular regional bands.

After college, Joel moved to Washington, DC and formed the band Spy Cellar.  Spy Cellar was a local favorite, playing to packed crowds in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. Two years later, Joel moved to San Francisco in 2003 to pursue a solo music career.

Arriving in San Francisco, Joel quickly established himself as a gifted performer and songwriting talent.  After a few months of gigs as a sideman in a bluegrass group, as a bassist, and as a host of a popular San Francisco open mic, Joel teamed up with Jerry Becker (multi-instrumentalist for Train) to produce his debut, Hear Me Out (released in 2006).  Hear Me Out attracted attention from the legendary KFOG radio, earning him radio play, multiple Morning Show appearances, and a track ("Stay Living") on KFOG's Local Scene Volume 4 CD.  Joel was also a founding member of the San Francisco Songwriters Coalition and helped start the "Conversations with Renee Richardson" podcast series featuring top-notch Bay Area singer/songwriters in a performance/interview session at San Francisco's Cafe Royale with KFOG Morning Show Host, Renee Richardson.  The Joel Streeter Band has performed at the top venues in the Bay Area including The Great American Music Hall, Slim's, Cafe du Nord, The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and The Rickshaw Stop among others. Joel and his band had the privilege of opening for Phil Lesh and Friends at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in 2007.

In 2008, Joel began work on his sophomore effort, Matador, again teaming with producer Jerry Becker. His reputation having grown since landing in San Francisco 5 years before, Streeter attracted the best and brightest Bay Area musicians to lend their considerable talents including Jim Bogios on drums (Counting Crows, Sheryl Crow, Ben Folds), James Deprato on electric guitar (Chuck Prophet's Mission Express, Pat Monahan of Train), Matthew Henry Cunitz (John Vanderslice, Mushroom) and guest vocal appearances from Megan Slankard and Brad Brooks.  The result is what CD Baby hailed as "a classic sounding pop album full of bounce, melodic arch, and lyrical substance" and as "introspective and connective, deep and bright, ambitious and comforting." Powerpopaholic gave the Matador an 8/10, saying that there is "not a bad track in the bunch and plenty of memorable gems making it easy to recommend."  The Joel Streeter Band played its San Francisco CD Release Party on September 8, 2010 featuring Jim Bogios on drums, James Deprato on electric guitar, Max Delaney on electric guitar, Matthew Henry Cunitz on keyboards, and Jeff Symonds on bass.

In 2011, Joel hit the road to promote Matador, including multiple appearances at The Living Room in New York City, Austin for  SXSW, and Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco. He has since landed permanently in Brooklyn, NY and can be seen regularly at Rockwood Music Hall on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.