Image Magazine Article

Kristina Stykos [photo by Jack Rowell]

Green Energy Times Article

Praise for "Will You Leave the Light On"

Then there's the wistful ballad "Wintertown," another album highlight. Remarkably, it stretches past the six-minute mark, but you won't even notice. That's a testament to the power of the Lakes' performances and their knack for letting a song live and breathe on its own terms. Credit here is surely shared with producer Stykos, because the whole project sounds like a million bucks.” - Justin Boland, Seven Days

Praise for "Bones of the Heart"

Some credit for that feel undoubtedly belongs to producer Kristina Stykos, who engineered the album at her Pepperbox Studio in Chelsea. The record is also a product of Stykos' Thunder Ridge imprint, which is home to a wealth of local artists who trade in a similarly rough-hewn, rootsy style. A hallmark of Stykos' catalog, both as a producer and in her own recordings, is tattered quality. Thunder Ridge albums tend to favor grit over polish, and Bones of the Heart is no exception. ” - Dan Bolles, Seven Days

Praise for "River of Light"

Since she started churning out recordings on her Thunder Ridge Records imprint in 2005, Kristina Stykos has embraced a unique vision of Vermont. Her dark and complex view of life in the Green Mountains is embodied by the folk-rock songwriter's Pepperbox Studio, where she's produced her own albums and dozens more for other artists. The off-the-grid studio is scenic and homey, a quintessentially rustic Vermont setting with sweeping mountain panoramas. But life there is as isolating and unforgiving as it is beautiful. That dichotomy has long informed Stykos' music, making hers a singular Vermont voice ...” - Dan Bolles, Seven Days

Praise for "The Detangler"

Zevon has assembled a stellar band: drummers Jeff Berlin (Bow Thayer Band) and Matt Musty (Grace Potter), Cabinet's Patrick Biondo on banjo, and guitarist Val McCallum (Jackson Browne). Stykos adds instrumentation and arrangements, giving The Detangler a classic, tight sound. ” - Amelia Devoid, Seven Days

Praise for "Horse Thief"

Setting aside specifics for the moment, there is a hard-earned, rough-hewn quality to every nook and cranny of the record. It emerges most obviously in Stykos' weary vocal rasp, which sounds something like Iris DeMent after a half bottle of Jack Daniels and a few Marlboros. It's evident in subtler ways, too. Self-produced and recorded at her own Pepperbox Studio in Chelsea, Horse Thief is perhaps the most vibrant-sounding record in Stykos' voluminous canon. But that bright sheen obscures the tumult embedded in her unflinching songwriting and stormy arrangements.” - Dan Bolles, Seven Days

Praise for "Wyoming Territory"

Much as Williams enlisted a star-studded cast for Car Wheels — Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Jim Lauderdale, etc. — Stykos has surrounded herself with a veritable all-star ensemble of Vermont talent on Wyoming Territory. Longtime collaborator Bow Thayer turns up on bass guitar throughout. Ace fiddler Patrick Ross lends his soaring chops to several cuts, as does keyboardist Chas Eller. Jeff Berlin turns in some fine performances on drums. And Vermont expat Mark Spencer chips in with typically excellent lead-guitar work. ” - Dan Bolles, Seven Days

Praise for "Raven"

Recording acoustic music is simultaneously simple and incredibly complicated. Stykos’ technical expertise here has resulted in an amazing listening experience. The record swirls with a depth and warmth that makes it stand out from the myriad acoustic releases in Vermont each year. It makes me want to duct-tape my old Dynaco A-25 speakers to my head so I can hear every snap and ring. In more ways than one, Raven is a treat for the ears. ” - Robert Resnik, Seven Days

Praise for "Red Tails and the Road"

On many of the albums she has engineered in the past few years — Bow Thayer’s Shooting Arrows at the Moon, Brian Clark’s Solo Duo Trio and her own In the Earth’s Fading Light — Stykos has produced unadorned acoustic music that shows off the heart and the soul of the vocalists and their instruments. In the case of Mary McGinniss, that’s a great thing, because she has a rich singing voice, provides her own harmony, and accompanies herself on guitar and ukulele throughout Red Tails. ” - Robert Resnik, Seven Days

Praise for "Shooting Arrows at the Moon"

Praise for "In the Earth's Fading Light"