Yours Until the Bitter End is The Bloody Hollies’ follow-up to the highly praised Who to Trust, Who to Kill, Who to Love which was released in 2007 on Alive Naturalsound. Many who are familiar with the band’s sound know them by their trademark murder-themed blues/rock anthems that remind listeners of the ’60s and ’70s golden age of rock & roll. The new album still embraces the dark side of raw garage punk, but comes armed with a more eclectic array of songwriting and musicianship. But don’t let the touches of organ, violin and xylophone fool you, the band’s hybrid of blues and rock & roll continue to shine more impressively than ever. The Bloody Hollies recorded in San Diego, but enlisted the expertise of Jim Diamond in Detroit, a familiar friend of the band that helped bring the sound of this record to its full potential.

Yours Until the Bitter End is a work that reflects a lengthy career that fully embraces The Bloody Hollies’ vast influences while at the same time maintaining the quartet’s unique sound of explosive, over-driven mayhem balanced with intelligently thought-out songwriting. What is most impressive about The Bloody Hollies, however, is the diversity of their strengths, ranging from ’70s classic rock, Americana blues, to an even power-pop songwriting style. Wesley Doyle’s voice is stronger than ever and continues to shine, complimenting Joseph Horgen’s unique slide blues guitar style. The rhythm section of Matthew Bennett (drums) and Erik Noorgard (bass guitar) are as solid as ever and work together perfectly on this record which will go down as The Bloody Hollies’ most impressive to date.

Yours Until the Bitter End comes out September 13th through Alive Records and will available on CD Digipack, Digital Download and Red Colored Vinyl ltd. to 700.

[4/5 stars] “Yours Until the Bitter End still hits with the impact of a cannon; guitarists Wesley Doyle and Joey Horgen’s guitars lock in and lay out fire with precision and fury, and bassist Erik Norgaard and drummer Matt Bennett explode like a handful of M-80s but still hit all the right spots along the way. A dial-it-up-to-ten triumph.“ – Mark Deming / ALL MUSIC

“When it comes to slide guitar infused punk, The Bloody Hollies are second to none.” – OC WEEKLY

“Nearly a decade after their 2002 debut, this Buffalo-born quartet continues to combine the menace of metal, the feral energy of punk rock, the panache of surf guitar (courtesy, perhaps, of their relocation from Buffalo to San Diego several years ago), the non-stop drive of southern boogie and the rough-edges of the garage. Their music is fast and loud and tight, and though the rhythm guitars, pulsating bass and full-kit drumming will assault your body (thanks, in large part to Jim Diamond’s ferocious mix), it’s Wesley Doyle’s manic vocals that will pin your ears back.” – HYPERBOLIUM

“Approximates what Jack White might have sounded like fronting The Faces. Yours Until The Bitter End largely takes an if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it approach, and the quartet’s ragged charm remains squarely intact, even when a seemingly errant violin or xylophone creeps into the mix. – MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG

“Raw and sexy” – ALTERNATIP RADIO/NORWAY

“The Bloody Hollies are everything garage-rock fans want. Tracing a lineage from the MC5 to The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, these guys do not mess about.”  – THE GUILDED PALACE OF SIN

“Yours Until The Bitter End embraces the dark side of raw garage punk, but comes armed with a more eclectic array of songwriting and musicianship. But don’t let the touches of organ, violin and xylophone fool you, the band’s hybrid of blues and rock & roll continue to shine more impressively than ever.” – EBURBAN

“Listen to Yours Until The Bitter End and see if you aren’t as blown away as I am. It might be the best of the year.”  – WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY

FOR MORE INFO ON THE BLOODY HOLLIES:
http://www.bloodyhollies.com
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/x/?page_id=919

FOR MORE INFO ON ALIVE RECORDS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://www.pavementpr.com

Following on the heels of their highly-praised debut Everything’s For Sale, South Wales duo Henry’s Funeral Shoe are set to unleash their second full-length effort Donkey Jacket – an album filled with the twosome’s distinctive punk-energy-blues-drenched-rock ‘n’ roll. With their incendiary guitars and hard-rock riot, fans of Radio Moscow, Left Lane Cruiser and The Black Diamond Heavies should find much to like in this explosive new release.

Comprised of brothers Aled and Brennig Clifford, this second offering evokes images of the Deep South, rather than the Welsh Valleys from which they hail.

Donkey Jacket features a number of guest appearances from a plethora of acclaimed musicians, including long time Van Morrison collaborator John ‘Ned’ Edwards on harmonica, slide guitar and mandolin, Pete Hurley of legendary ’70s Welsh band Lone Star on bass, and Justin Beynon of the Broken Vinyl Club on keys. The album was recorded in Wales with Tim Hammill at the helm, while mixing duties were undertaken by Jim Diamond (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, The Go) in Detroit.

Taking its name from the coat worn by Welsh miners, Donkey Jacket is a collection of rousing numbers ranging from the hard-hitting “Love Is A Fever” and “Anvil & Chains,” to their contrasting softer side on acoustic-driven tracks such as “Heart on Fire” and “Across The Sky.”

Donkey Jacket comes out October 11th through Alive Naturalsound Records and will be available on CD Digipack, Digital Download and  Ltd. Edition Clear Vinyl of 700.

“Skillfully melding garage, hard rock, punk, blues and occasional folks-y frailty, Henry’s Funeral Shoe make a colossal racket for a mere two geezers. They make admirable Blighty-based ambassadors to represent Alive Naturalsound and their ongoing quest to bring real, foundation-shakin’ Rock’n’Roll back to much larger audiences all around the world.” – WHISPERIN & HOLLERIN

“Some of the loudest soulful rock’n'roll to come out the UK in a long time.”  – THE FIRE NOTE

“Blues infused rock ‘n’ roll at it’s very best”  – BARRY GRUFF

“The best thing they’ve done to date.” – THE MAD MACKEREL: UK

“’Dog Scratched Ear’ can be addictive on account of just the energy it puts out. A great cut thanks to attitude, conviction, the bite of distortion, the mood of the blues, and the crunch of rock ‘n’ roll.” – MIXTAPE MUSE

 “An impressive album… It’s tough for me to find a favorite song here as they’re all so good. Fans of Chilli Cold Blood, Left Lane Cruiser, Five Horse Johnson, and The Blackwater Fever are going to absolutely love this band!” – THE SODA SHOP

“Always impressive…. even mind-blowing.” – RAW POWER MAGAZINE

“I’m impressed with Henry’s Funeral Shoe: their obvious talent, their approach and certainly, this fine collection of songs.”  – WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY

FOR MORE INFO ON HENRY’S FUNERAL SHOE:
http://www.henrysfuneralshoe.com/
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/x/?page_id=195

FOR MORE INFO ON ALIVE RECORDS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
www.pavementpr.com

Raised on a diet of Terrence Mckenna,The Beatles, Syd Barrett, Nirvana and Turkish psychedelic music, GARDENS is part of the new sound of Detroit. Formed by Matthew Mueller, Jeffrey Thomas, Julian Spradlin and Vincent Mazzola, they have already released a couple of singles and cassettes, and toured the country, sharing the stage with the likes of Brimstone Howl, Thee Oh Sees, Detroit Cobras, Akron Family and Tyvek, to name just a few. GARDENS is their debut album, produced and engineered by Chris Koltay (Akron Family, Dirtbombs, SSM) at High Bias recordings.

GARDENS is in-stores now through Alive Records on CD, Ltd. Edition GREEN VINYL WITH DIGITAL DOWNLOAD and digital formats.

”Gardens, a wonderfully psychedelic band from sorrowful Detroit, make crunchy guitar rock that has all the grit and attitude of their hometown.”  – RCRD LBL

“A solid set of high-octane garage that’s unexpectedly good. It’s a vintage sound – listening to this makes me want to dig out my Pebbles compilations – but whereas so many contemporary bands trying to recapture that 60′s vibe sound forced, Gardens are truly in the spirit of it all; wonky, exuberant and above all, varied. No two songs sound alike, with changes of pace and style aplenty. There’s a real sense that Gardens are striving to push their own musical limits and are doing it for the enjoyment of making music, regardless of retro / revisionary trends. – Christopher Nosnibor / WHISPERIN & HOLLERIN / UK

“An engaging listen… Gardens ends up being pretty much all you need from a debut; an attempt to find a unique sound, a handful of sticky tunes, a bunch of energy and fun.”  – Tim Sendra / ALL MUSIC

“This is the manna for which garage junkies live. Gardens loves the sound of dirty-unto-naughtiness guitars so well, it indulges in them often. Vocals rival the adolescent swagger of Richard Hell and Rick Froberg.” – Mary Leary / MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG

“There are obvious nods in the direction of Syd Barrett, Velvet Underground and The Beatles but this is their own take on a quite familiar psychedelic rock sound.” – BARRYGRUFF / UK

“With jangly guitars and off-key vocals Gardens make it work… the melodies are simple, the tunes are catchy in a subtle way and it all combines together for some fun songs” – MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL

“ Gardens are the latest in the long line of garage bands to come swaggering out of Detroit – and they don’t let the side down. ‘Maze Time’ is the advance track from their forthcoming self-titled debut album and it is a cracker. While in some ways it feels like it could easily have been plucked from the halcyon days of 60s psychedelia with its bluesy feel and swirling chorus lines, there are also traces of early 70s punk attitude and even a soupçon of Motown style sweetness as well. Put those ingredients all together with wit and imagination as the band most certainly have done and the final result gives the song enough identity to stand-up and snarl all on its own” – THE MAD MACKEREL

“It’s hard to believe that this band is from the 21st century. The guitars, drums and vocals hit with grit and attitude that gleans influence from great bands of the 60’s and 70’s, such as The Beatles and The Stooges. The shifting structure of the record reinforces the psychedelic, unique, punk-rock sounds that Gardens so effortlessly create.”  – Laura Williams / THE MUSICAL VIEW

“It’s bluesy guitar rock that is at times as sugary as Motown, at others as aggressive as Iggy Pop.”  – BLOOD, DIRT & ANGELS

FOR MORE INFO ON GARDENS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/x/?page_id=2338
http://www.myspace.com/gardensforfree

FOR MORE INFO ON ALIVE RECORDS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://www.pavementpr.com

THREE METRE DAY is an acoustic modern roots trio created by players Hugh Marsh, Don Rooke and Michelle Willis. The sound of the band features original songs sung in combination with old instruments, forming a strong, intimate and identifiable texture. Starting with a basis in folk music, 3MD draws on its years of experience playing in a variety of settings including jazz, alternative, folk and modern roots to forge something distinctly their own.

Violinist Hugh Marsh has recorded and toured extensively with Bruce Cockburn, Loreena McKennitt, Jon Hassell, Don Byron and Mercan Dede as well as  played on the soundtracks to countless Hollywood films. Don Rooke is a lap-style slide guitarist who also leads the cult Toronto band The Henrys. He has recorded with Mary Margaret O’Hara, Cowboy Junkies, Sylvia Tyson and Gordie Sampson, as well as for movies and TV. Finally there is vocalist Michelle Willis, whose singing and portable pump organ playing are the cornerstone of this unique band.

THREE METRE DAY’S debut full-length album Coasting Notes, which also features Davide DiRenzo (drums) and David Piltch (acoustic bass), is out worldwide November 1st in CD and Digital formats through the band’s own label imprint, 3MD.

“ Very close to roots perfection.” - THE MUSICAL VIEW

“Highly recommended classy stuff.” – ELECTRIC GHOST JOURNAL / UK

“Beautiful music” – INDIEPENDENT MUSIC

“A very unique and attractive sound…. recommended for lovers of acoustic, soothing lo-fi folk.” - ROOTSTIME: BELGIUM

“Plenty to enjoy here.” - EXCLAIM!

“Coasting Notes is a heartfelt album that has you leaning in closer to the music.” – Laurie Brown/CBC RADIO 2

“A very pretty sound” – WHEN YOU MOTOR AWAY
FOR MORE INFO ON THREE METRE DAY:
http://www.threemetreday.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Three-Metre-Day/141333809262179

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://www.pavementpr.com

THE CASE FILES collects demos, out-takes, one live shot & other rarities from the 1985-2010 span of PETER CASE’s solo career following his work with his pioneering bands THE PLIMSOULS, THE NERVES & THE BREAKAWAYS. Compiled by Peter himself, this long-overdue collection combines rockin’ full band electric tracks with a selection of dynamic acoustic performances, and also features collaborations with many of Peter’s talented friends, such as Stan Ridgway, Eddie Muñoz, T-Bone Burnett, Ron Franklin and Tony Marsico, among others.

THE CASE FILES is in stores now through Alive Records on CD, Ltd. Edition Clear Pink Vinyl and digital formats.

Never one to rest on his laurels or to rest in general, the indefatigable Peter Case will be on the road through November, winding up a 100-date international tour with an East Coast jaunt.  Including dates in Atlanta, Washington DC and a stand at Joe’s Pub in NYC, Case’ll cap off his itinerary with two nights of electric and acoustic recording at McCabe’s in Santa Monica; the sets will be pressed into a long-awaited, live solo album.

“This is the one the fans have been asking for and we’re finally going to do it” says Case who plans to feature the songs he’s been performing on the road this year from his Grammy-nominated solo set, Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John, alongside those from the electro-shock blues album Wig! (2010) and most recent 2011 rarities collection, The Case Files.

During the fall tour, Case was guest of honor at the Buffalo International Film Festival where he performed at the premiere of Troubadour Blues. Featuring Case, Dave Alvin, Mary Gauthier and Chris Smither, the documentary by director Tom Weber explores the age-old tradition of traveling musicians and their role in modern society. The Buffalo News covered Case and the film in an extensive feature that you can read here.

Troubadour Blues is available on DVD at http://amazon.com and at http://petercase.com

Recently, Case took time “off” to take down some off-the-cuff songs, word pictures of forgotten people and places, whispers of deep longings, and other candid revelations for Epistolary Rex Volume 1. The book is a collaboration with David Ensminger and is now available for purchase at gigs and at Amazon here.

As for 2012, Case’s calendar is booked: Kicking off the year with his annual songwriter’s workshop at McCabe’s in January, he follows by touring with Paul Collins, his bandmate from The Nerves and The Breakaways (the pair will also play material from their respective ‘80s bands, The Beat and The Plimsouls).  And in a continuing series of archival releases, Case is preparing Beach Town Confidential  a live album by The Plimsouls, recorded in 1983 in front of a raving audience at the Golden Bear in Long Beach, CA. By spring, it is expected that the sequel to As Far As You Can Get Without A Passport, will see publication.  Clearly, there is no resting for Case.

“The Case Files shows that even though this material is essentially stuff that got stashed away and not used, Case’s flotsam and jetsam is still more interesting than a lot of his contemporaries’ output.… a solid and dependable collection of songs that should appease fans, both long-time and new.” – Zachary Houle / POPMATTERS

“Even as Peter Case has carved out a quarter-century career as a hardscrabble folk and country-blues songwriter, he’s never lost the rock & roll heart that fueled his seminal work (and occasional reunions) with The Plimsouls. Stretching back to his first solo outing in 1986, this rarities collection finds him equally intense in electric and acoustic modes. Indeed, the recent cover of Alejandro Escovedo’s “The End” is one of the most rocking tracks he’s ever cut.” – Brett Milano / SOUND & VISION MAGAZINE

” The Case Files, a collection of demos, outtakes and rarities, offers an insightful overview of Case’s growth as a songwriter spanning his long and impressive solo career, while adding gems to his already solid body of released work, including his recent 2010 effort, Wig!”  – Mark Shikuma / NORTH COAST JOURNAL

”Through this set of a dozen ditties recorded from the mid-80s up through last year, Case’s sensitive, intelligent, thought-provoking, sometimes-witty but always direct lyrics is the glue the holds the album together. From simple acoustic guitar-only demos to full band live performances with members of The Plimsouls or Case’s latest creation, Wig, none of it ever feels incomplete. But maybe Case’s greatest strength is his natural ability to attach his voice to the lyrics so completely; it’s what elevates a pretty decent unadorned folk ditty like “Trusted Friend” into something especially deep. His gruff, raspy pipes combines the best elements of Dylan and a young Lennon.
Outtakes and lost tracks can tell a lot about a long-established artist, like how good he sounds when he’s just ripping through an old tune or kicking around new ideas. The Case Files peels off the veneer from one of America’s most underrated singer-songwriters alive to expose Peter Case to be perhaps even better than what sympathetic critics give him credit for. “  – S. Victor Aaron / SOMETHING ELSE!

”The Case Files is as vital as the career of the man behind it. What could have been, what was, and what’s to come. Travel the road less travelled with Peter Case on this one. You’ll be glad you did.” – John Castino  / INNOCENT WORDS MAGAZINE

“This is the kind of singer/songwriter work that makes the genre respectable.”  – Mary Leary / DAGGER ZINE

“The Case Files works equally well as an introduction to this intelligent musician’s work (for those not familiar with him) or an accurate cross-section of his solo career (for those fans who have the larger portion of his discography). In either case, don’t stop here.” – Doug Collette / GLIDE MAGAZINE

“Despite its hodgepodge nature, The Case Files works as a cohesive record. “Anything (Closing Credits)” fits somewhere between the classic power pop of Case’s Nerves work and the rustic Americana of Tom Petty, “Milk Cow” barrels out of the gate with electric blues swagger, and his cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Good Times, Bad Times” sounds even more haunted than the original.“ – PHOENIX NEW TIMES

“Peter Case follows in a grand tradition of rock music, existing in the vein of pioneers like Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, the Clash, and other musical heroes who live to break ground and make new things.” – OWL & BEAR

“Peter Case is a multi-threat, and all of those threats can pay dividends. A singer, songwriter, prose purveyor, rocker, folkie, blues singer, producer, storyteller, etc., etc., it wouldn’t come as a great surprise if he was also a pretty fair hand on a windmill. Case has made large, and lasting, waves with bands such as The Plimsouls, The Nerves and The Breakaways. These days he splits time between working with a band and working the road solo, delivering a unique mixture of folk, rock, blues and combinations thereof. After weathering heart bypass surgery a couple years ago, Case is back to playing a full complement of gigs; this time around touring behind the release of The Case Files (Alive Records), a collection subtitled Demos, Outtakes, One Live Shot & Other Rarities. – Jim Beal Jr. / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

“If Peter Case’s filing system is a little chaotic, so are the best tracks on his new album The Case Files. As on [his last effort] Wig!, the most powerful songs here are those in which Case’s rock ’n’ roll tendencies overshadow his folk/troubadour sensibilities. Paradoxically, most of these are performed with Case backed by his acoustic guitar and not much else.” – Steve Terrell / SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

”Although the 12 tracks on The Case Files are culled from nearly a quarter century’s worth of previously unreleased recordings, songs such as “Kokomo Prayer Vigil” (in which Case rips the stuffing out of a fundamentalist-preacher straw man) and “Ballad of the Minimum Wage” (ditto Walmart employees and shoppers) sound as fresh as the perennially controversial socio-political circumstances that they address.”  – Arsenio Orteza / WORLD MAGAZINE

“The Case Files showcases odds and ends left off Case’s own records, including demo tapes from 1986, political-minded spoken word narratives, songs by The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and even the traditional “Milk Cow Blues” recorded live at Rudyard’s in 2005. Case remains the defiant, grizzled seeker of higher truths who doesn’t wax nostalgic, avoids the limelight and sticks close to his roots.”  – HOUSTON PRESS   

”With a program ranging from acoustic blues to shimmering folk pop to ragged rock & roll, The Case Files is the singer/songwriter’s most eclectic record since his debut, and it’s damn near as satisfying.” – Michael Toland / THE BIG TAKEOVER

“The Case Files is the sound of Peter Case pulling back the doors of his creaking back catalogue only to be buried under a minor avalanche of semi-forgotten, rough-hewn gems. It may not be the obvious point of entry for the uninitiated, but you shouldn’t let that put you off. If you like your troubadours on the outspoken, intelligent and melodic side, you’ll be thrilled by these ornery delights.” -  Tim Peacock / WHISPERIN & HOLLERIN / UK

“The Case Files finds the man himself picking through his back pages and assembling a surprisingly cohesive odds-n-sods collection of demos, out-takes and rarities from his solo years…. giving us another peak behind the curtain of what makes Peter Case tick, tock and rock.”  – Richard ‘Luftmensch’ Morgan /MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG

FOR MORE INFO ON PETER CASE:
http://www.petercase.com
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/x/?page_id=2345

FOR MORE INFO ON ALIVE RECORDS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://www.pavementpr.com

Iggy Pop and James Williamson’s newly remixed and remastered Kill City album is now available as a CD Digipak featuring the original 1977 artwork and a 24-page booklet with rare and unseen photos. The vinyl first-run is a limited edition of 1,000 on clear green vinyl (as an homage to the original 1977 pressing). There are no bonus tracks, but, with this newly restored version, people will be able to discover, or re-discover, a truly great album as it was intended to sound.

I like what this album has to say.
It is rather high concept, and the music is well thought out.
It adheres to no particular genre.
A lot of people have borrowed its ideas.
It’s one of the very first independent LPs I know of.
I hope you like it.
IGGY POP

Kill City was by all measures a desperate effort, a singularly honest and heartfelt performance, a genuine progression of our song writing, and another in a long line of flops that were later resurrected and heralded as masterpieces.
By the time it was released as a record, both Iggy and I were off doing other things with our lives, but with this rerelease we are not only reunited in our musical endeavors but in our appreciation of this album, its remix, and its importance to us as artists.
JAMES WILLIAMSON

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAYING ABOUT IGGY POP & JAMES WILLIAMSON’S NEWLY RESTORED KILL CITY:

“… a stellar remix… the album has more than its share of memorable moments, like the Stones-esque title track, the scorching “I Got Nothin’” and the eerie “Johanna.” It was previously reissued in 1992 on CD by Bomp as part of the label’s “Iguana Chronicles” series but to hear it remixed/remastered will undoubtedly be a treat for fans.” – Fred Mills /  BLURT MAGAZINE

“… a healthy dose of Stonesy sleaze and hard rock muscle. Iggy’s vocals are really the main selling point here, and he doesn’t disappoint. If you’ve bought previous versions of Kill City, chuck ‘em. The new remaster on this version is a revelation, removing decades of mud and murk heard on previous CD editions, and replacing them with a new clarity that’s worth the price of admission.” – David Mansdorf / LOSING TODAY

“[Iggy’s] vocals are powerful and full-bodied, as good as anything on his solo work of the 1970s. The music is more open and bluesy than on Raw Power, and while Williamson’s guitar remains thick and powerful, here he’s willing to make room for pianos, acoustic guitars, and saxophones, and the dynamics of the arrangements suggest a more mature approach after the claustrophobia of Raw Power. The 2010 edition of Kill City sounds less like a demo and more like a proper album, and if the rough textures suited the original, the new mix honors the power of the songs, and this is the rare example of a revised mix that comes close to improving on the original… a minor triumph.”  – Mark Deming / ALL MUSIC GUIDE

“If you didn’t realize Kill City was a classic back in 1977, you sure as hell will now.” – TRANZMISSION / BOSTON

“Since the Stooges circle has been squared its only fitting that this missing link be finally, beautifully restored for posterity.” – KANSAS CITY FREE PRESS

“Though still pretty hard-edged stuff, there is a more melodic feel to this record than anything The Stooges produced, as well as a marked Stones influence on numbers like the title track and “Consolation Prizes.” Kill City is a pretty kicking album – quintessentially Seventies and full of Iggy’s unhinged histrionics and Williamsons’ powerful, intricate riffing. It also provides a clear stylistic link between the Stooges and Iggy’s later, Bowie-produced classics The Idiot and Lust For Life. Overall, a nifty, quietly excellent slice of Stooges history which a lot of people will have missed the first time.”  – Eddie Thomas / SUBBA-CULTCHA

“Kill City has been reworked to sound nearly as good as anything else from the time. As such, the street-smart rockers Pop & Williamson laid down with the help of saxophonist John Harden, drummer Brian Glascock and bassists Scott Thurston and Steve Trano finally gleam with the kind of savagery we always suspected they possessed. Though Kill City can’t match the, well, raw power of Raw Power, it slinks with the same bloodthirsty demeanor. Harden’s sax squeals between Pop’s desperate vocals and Williamson’s mean riffs. It’s the sound of crossed wires, the bridge between the blues inflections of mid-70s Stones and the Bowery-style barbarism to come just a couple years later.” – Stephen Slaybaugh / THE AGIT READER

“Kill City was Pop’s best record to date song-wise — more restraint and melody, less novelty. The CD version sounds great — a revisionist remix that clears up the bass cloud and dull thud of the original but stays faithful in tonality.” – Brian Smith / METRO TIMES / DETROIT

“The new versions of the songs – now wholly re-mastered – finally let us hear Kill City as it should have been and it’s an absolute blast, fully deserving of its’ ‘lost classic’ status thirty-five years down the line. Kill City, then, finally emerges from its’ original blurry sonic cocoon to take its’ rightful place as a proto-punk classic. Its’ importance as the stepping stone between Raw Power and The Idiot is finally apparent for all to hear. And be positively thrilled by.” – Tim Peacock / WHISPERIN & HOLLERIN UK

“The CD remastering of Iggy’s great 1977 album Kill City is a reminder that his classic recordings remain light-years ahead of most of the albums from bands that acknowledge his influence today.” – Dave Luhrssen / SHEPHERD EXPRESS / MILWAUKEE

“Kill City sits proudly beside its Stooge predecessors, now making perfect sense as the album that band never did make. It’s a rare breed: A remix and re-issue with a reason.” – I-94 BAR

“… a sparkling, overdue remix and what a valuable repair! Of course, not even revitalized sound makes Kill City as astonishing as the two dozen 1972-1974 Williamson penned/played Stooges tunes extent. It still feels like what the 1975 Rolling Stones should have sounded like: simple, riotous guitar licks out of the 1956 Chuck Berry playbook back the most viral, unhinged, unsafe, demented singer since Esquerita and Jerry Lee Lewis. Rock has almost never felt, let along been, so astonishingly, brutally honest; and Kill City, finally, is remarkably affecting rock ‘n roll.” – Jack Rabid / THE BIG TAKEOVER

“Iggy Pop and James Williamson are re-releasing their 1977 classic Kill City on October 19th via Bomp Records. It’s restored, remixed and remastered, and worthy of your hard-earned dollars. It’s definitely a breath of fresh air for those that love their music honest and raw. A must listen.” – ALL KNOWING FORCE / NYC

“Beautiful reissue of an album that shows Iggy Pop in transition from the blistering atonality of The Stooges to the more pop and glam sounds that he adopted for most of his solo career. It’s a slow-burn, but a good one!” – PIRATE CAT RADIO / SAN FRANCISCO

“Kill City demands respect with its impressive consistency, and it’s an interesting precursor to Iggy Pop’s solo career of almost crooning punk.” – THE WASTER

“Kill City is rarely mentioned as the one of the great moments of Iggy’s career and it should be. Four years after Raw Power, Iggy Pop and James Williamson return with a raw, hook-filled collection of pop, rock and punk. This has seen many dubious releases on CD. None of which sounds as stunning as this new remaster, which has also been remixed. A big thumbs-up!” – BURNING WOOD TONIGHT

FOR MORE INFO ON ALIVE & BOMP RECORDS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com
http://www.bomp.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://www.pavementpr.com

After a two year break, the San Francisco guitar-drum duo TWO GALLANTS will begin touring again this summer across the North America and Europe. The well needed time off came after six years of incessant touring and the release of three full-length studio albums and an acoustic EP. The band consists of childhood friends Tyson Vogel and Adam Stephens who met on their elementary school playground at the age of five. Despite an initial disagreement and ensuing scuffle over the supremacy of White Lion vs. Whitesnake, the two have been best friends ever since. They have been playing music together in some capacity since 1994, when their parents made the mistake of giving them both electric guitars for Christmas. Around 2002, the two college dropouts found themselves with some time on their hands and silence to kill; and so with an acoustic guitar and a trap set they formed TWO GALLANTS in the basement of the Vogel residence. In an ongoing unspoken competition to out do one another, the intervening years have seen the two-piece increase their volume and gear ten-fold. The bands’ sound is somewhat of a syncretism of American old-timey roots music with the grunge and east bay punk of Tyson and Adam’s formative years. The last show they played together was headlining The Fillmore in their hometown in December 2008. In the two years since, both have released solo material under Devotionals and Adam Haworth Stephens, respectively. But now they are looking forward to getting back to the haranging strident noise that fueled them across the world for six years. Come see TWO GALLANTS perform in a town near you this summer and look forward to a new album in the not too distant future.

TWO GALLANTS 2011 SUMMER TOUR DATES
June 19  San Diego, CA / The Casbah
June 21  Los Angeles, CA / The Echo
June 22  Santa Cruz, CA / The Crepe Place
June 24  Portland, OR / Mississippi Studios
June 25  Kennewick, WA / The Red Room
June 26  Vancouver, BC / The Media Room
June 27  Seattle, WA / Neumo’s
July 5  Vienna, Austria / Arena Wien Open Air
July 6  Zurich, Switzerland / Abart
July 7 Dudingen, Switzerland / Bad Bonn
July 9  Madrid, Spain / Moby Dick
July 10  Barcelona, Spain / Apolo
July 12  Hannover, Germany / Cafe Glocksee
July 13  Munster, Germany / Gleiss 22
July 14  Amsterdam, Netherlands / Paradiso
July 15  Dour, Belgium / Dour Festival
July 16  Herk de Stad, Belgium / Rock Herk
July 18  London, England / Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
July 20  Bristol, United Kingdom / Thekla
July 21  Nottingham, United Kingdom / Bodega Social
July 22  Manchester, United Kingdom / Night & Day Cafe
July 23  Russelsheim, Germany / Phono Pop Festival
(more dates to be announced soon)

FOR MORE INFO ON TWO GALLANTS:
http://www.twogallants.com
http://www.facebook.com/twogallants
http://twitter.com/twogallants

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://www.pavementpr.com

Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward are set to release the follow-up to last year’s The Apology Part 1 EP with a new live album appropriately entitled Live in the Living Room (through Smith Music Group). On it, the Denton, TX-based sextet touch on material from not only that EP, but also their two previous full-length studio efforts, 2005′s Blow Out The Soot and their highly-lauded 2008 release The Lonesome Dirge, as well as premiering two new songs, “Where the Bright Lights Glow Me” and “Skin and Bones.”

The album was recorded live at the band’s house with no amplification in front of an audience of about 30 friends, family and industry people. It was then later mixed on the premises, and has no post-production alterations, overdubs or studio-trickery affecting any of the performances… it’s the show exactly as it was played and heard that night. While this intimate acoustic performance is decidedly different from their explosive ‘plugged-in’ live shows that they’re renowned for, the Pesos’ musical chemistry and dynamics are still undeniably intact on this recording, not to mention that these earthier takes only solidify how remarkable these songs and Parker’s commanding voice are.

The band consists of Rodney Parker (vocals, guitars), Danny Skinner (guitar, banjo), Zach Galindo (guitar), Brooks Kendall (bass), Tony Spiro (drums) and Hillary Early (dobro, vocals), the latter who is also currently a cast member on the CMT reality show, Texas Women.

RP50PR are also currently finishing up The Apology Part 2, their third full-length due out early 2012 (also through Smith Music Group).

FOR MORE INFO ON RODNEY PARKER & 50 PESO REWARD:
http://www.rodneyparker.com
http://www.myspace.com/rodneyparker

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://www.pavementpr.com

PRESS FOR RP50PR’S LIVE IN THE LIVING ROOM:

“Rodney Parker’s a talented songwriter who paints memorable tales of life, living, heartbreak and heartbreaking, and his plaintive voice with a touch of drawl works perfectly with his alt-country rural pop in an electric or acoustic setting. Live In The Living Room is destined to be one of my Top Ten discs of 2011.” Hal Bogerd / NO DEPRESSION

“Denton’s Rodney Parker and 50 Peso Reward recently released a live album that should be the standard for live releases. Live in the Living Room is the best recording this band has done so far. This CD is a great introduction to one of the best live bands in Texas, and one of the upcoming stars in the Texas music scene.  Get out and pick up a copy of this CD, and let the strong performance and great writing take you to Parker’s living room. If you close your eyes, you can almost feel like you are there.” – Thomas McAleer / EXAMINER: AUSTIN

“It’s often said that the true greatness of an individual song can be measured in how it holds up over the transition from plugged-in and polished studio track to a stripped-down, skeleton of it’s louder counterpart. Perhaps that’s become a cliche, but it’s especially true in the case of Parker’s brand of insurgent country. And by that measure, the Living Room versions more than survive the transition, they shine.” – THE SQUAWKER

“These songs burn like flames under straw.” – James Calemine / SWAMPLAND

“A nice little departure from the band’s typically more amped-up live sound, and a worthy means to tie over fans until their upcoming The Apology Part 2 LP hits in December.” – SUBSERVIENT EXPERIMENT

“Live In The Living Room will bring a variety of emotions to listeners during the 13 tracks that clock in at more than 53 minutes. There will be smiles, toe-tapping and maybe even some tears on songs like “The Apology” or “The Ship.” However, at the end of the set, you will probably react like the audience on the album did after the final track – which is thoughtful appreciation for Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward who have managed to borrow the best elements of American music, tie them up in a bow and deliver them right to your living room.” – COUNTRY CHART

“Rodney Parker and 50 Peso Reward’s new song “Skin and Bones” is heartfelt, aching and genuine. Powered by Parker’s compelling vocals and an intimate banjo, this acoustic country roots song possesses that rare, special little something that tends to hide in corners waiting for the right moment to emerge.” – ONLINE ROCK

“This raw recording gives the album an intimate feel that makes it hard not to imagine the band playing in your very own front room.” – THE MUSICAL VIEW

“Good, rollicking Texas Music… you can almost immediately get the homespun vibe of the living room by listening to this album.” – COUNTRY STANDARD TIME

[PRESS RELEASE FOR RP50PR'S ALBUM THE LONESOME DIRGE]

TEXAS ALT-COUNTRY BAND RODNEY PARKER & 50 PESO REWARD SET TO RELEASE SECOND FULL-LENGTH ALBUM THE LONESOME DIRGE APRIL 8TH

Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward are set to unleash their second full-length effort The Lonesome Dirge on April 8th and are jumpstarting the release with an aggressive tour that will head West through the month of March before traversing the rest of the nation throughout ’08 in support of their new record.

While Parker and The Pesos found regional success in Texas on the strength of their remarkable 2004 self-released debut, Blow The Soot Out, the Denton, TX-based quintet are poised to break out nationally with The Lonesome Dirge – a breathtaking, often heart-stopping, album brimming with Americana anthems, harrowing Southern Gothic balladry and shit-kicking roadhouse rockers that channels the likes of Steve Earle, Old 97s and Son Volt.

The album immediately stampedes out of gate with the unbridled dynamics of the driving opener ”Firefight,” before shooting straight into the passionate number “10 lb Test,” where, amid indelible hooks and stinging guitar, Parker’s warm, whiskey-soaked voice sweetly cracks with a touch of wild honey. “Brother” is a moving ballad that culminates with not only proud, pounding choruses but also showcases the volatile musical dexterity of this explosive outfit, while songs such as “Wild Man From Borneo,” “Tell Me What It Is” and “I’m Never Getting Married” are performed with both fiery passion and clenched-fisted conviction. The band also manages to breathe further life into a spirited reworking of Springsteen’s “Atlantic City,” while the album’s sparse, haunting closing number “11 Hours,” coincidentally, hearkens back to the ghostly acoustic landscape of Bruce’s Nebraska album.

What these eleven-tracks – alternately capable of touching the heart and loosening the floorboards – prove more than anything else, though, is that Rodney Parker is one of those rare singer/songwriters to be reckoned with. While the word ‘masterpiece’ may seem a bit lofty to attach so readily to any record this early in an artist’s career, The Lonesome Dirge is as worthy a contender as you’re likely to find today.

PRESS FOR RP50PR’S LIVE IN THE LONESOME DIRGE:

“Denton’s Rodney Parker has one of those great alt-country voices — all gargled ashtrays and too many smoky, beery nights filtered through sandpaper. It’s in full effect through The Lonesome Dirge, Parker and his backing band Fifty Peso Reward’s sophomore album, a disc that feels like an evocation of every aimless night ever spent away from the bright lights and big city. No matter how lonely or weird it sounds at times, Parker keeps you riveted throughout.” – Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“And the talented Texans keep coming. Rodney Parker & Fifty Peso Rewards have a tinge of alt-country but it’s basically straightforward rock — of a near-universally high quality.” – USA Today

“Rodney Parker is the best new singer-songwriter I’ve heard this year. Bring on the challengers. I don’t expect him to be dethroned. “The Lonesome Dirge” will be on my list of the top ten discs of 2008.” – Hickory Wind

“If you be a fan of Old 97s, Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash and the like, the RP&50PR is your band. Hell, I even heard a little Counting Crows here and there on this divine new album, The Lonesome Dirge.” – The FineLine
“The Lonesome Dirge is an 11-song slice of country-rock brilliance that gets better with each and every listen. I can’t recommend this album — or this band — strongly enough. Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward is among the best our state has to offer.” – This Is Texas Music

“Parker is blessed with a set of gritty vocal cords that fits perfectly with the brilliant covers of Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” and Kinky Freedman’s “Wild Man From Borneo.” – Rootsville / Belgium

“The Lonesome Dirge is an announcement to the world that Rodney Parker & Fifty Peso Reward have chosen to fight with their music. And I can report to you that they are the winners by a knockout. These guys flat out bring it!” – Texas Music Times

“[8 out 10 stars] …an interesting sound which they infuse with vivid lyrical imagery and driving guitars, merging an urban rock sound with country undertones.” – MusicReviewer.com

“The Lonesome Dirge is an impressive effort by Parker that’s a lot country and little bit rock and roll, but is sure to appeal to a wide variety of music lovers.” – Reviews By Guild

“The Lonesome Dirge is the sort of country-rock record that’ll grace the finest roadhouse jukeboxes for years down the line.” – The Daily Utah

“Haul your ass over to the Dallas’ Granada Theater to catch RP50PR’s CD release party and enjoy a stiff shot of alt.country rock goodness.” – Twang Nation

“Whiskey-soaked vocals with moving melodies and sharp ballads give “The Lonesome Dirge” a down-home passion with heart-tugging lust appeal. The Fifty Peso Reward and their leader Rodney Parker have done such a remarkable job with their sophomore effort that they may just kick the Old 97s in the teeth.” – Smother Magazine

“A real treat for Americana fans.” – Americana UK

“Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward like things big (they are from Texas after all), as their version of country-fueled rock is big on hooks and big on swelling choruses.” – The Tucson Citizen

“… these guys combine elements of folk, rock, country and mash it all together with a slice of punk…. They have a nice, raw edge that you don’t see very often in the alt-country scene.” – Sell The Lie (music blog)

“Positive interaction with the crowd, a complete sound and original songwriting – that’s what makes a good show even if the product isn’t your particular style. What makes a good show great is when those elements are met, and even those pessimistic going into it are seen having the time of their lives on the dance floor.”Monday night, Jake’s Backroom hosted one of those great shows as hundreds of local residents turned out for the Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward/Thrift Store Cowboys / One Wolf extravaganza with high energy support from the crowd.”- The Daily Toreador

“The highlight of the 11 tracks is ‘Atlantic City,’ a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s original in which the music and lyrics complement each other so well it casts Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward as a sure-fire hit. Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward won’t leave your mind any time soon, and that’s a good thing.” – Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

“… brawny heartland rock meets smoky Texas twang… The Lonesome Dirge is a damn fine record.” – songs: illinois

The Lonesome Dirge is simply incredible. I can’t get over how talented these guys are. They should be huge — I don’t know that they want to be, but they should be.” – This Is Texas Music

“RP50PR shake every bone of my being awake.” – EarTaste

“Delightful heartland rockers blessed with great lyrics and a hell of a voice comparable to Steve Earle, Robert Earl Keen and Jay Farrar. Country-rock that’s deliciously raw and from the heart.” – Ctrl. Alt. Country / Belgium

“Roots-rock as it’s meant to be.” – Hanx / The Netherlands

The recent release last winter of SORROWS‘ Bad Times Good Times (Bomp! Records) marked the first time ever that this music has appeared on CD as well as LIMITED EDITION VINYL. Filled with previously unreleased recordings of their power pop gems, demos and live performances, the album is a feast for post-punk new wave fans and collectors who have been asking for years to be able to get their hands on SORROWS’ music. Formed in 1977 in NYC by Arthur Alexander (ex-Poppees), Joey Cola, Ricky Street and Jett Harris (ex-Poppees), SORROWS were all about the songs. Their tunes are filled with strong melodies, irresistible hooks and creative harmonies supported by their powerful backbeat and hard-driving guitars. SORROWS two critically acclaimed albums and several singles on CBS Pavillion have become highly praised and are sought after collector items.

HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING ABOUT SORROWS’ BAD TIMES GOOD TIMES:

“Sorrows’ music is energetic, passionate power-pop expertly executed. Most importantly, it’s timeless. Their album Bad Times Good Times is a cool 48 minutes long, featuring 14 originals and two live covers at the end. The key citations here are ‘Beatles’ and ‘Flamin’ Groovies.’ If you want to follow that genetic lineage back to the source of classic rock and roll, look no farther than Sorrows, who will sing you a song of good times and bad times.” – Barry St. Vitus / BLURT

“The band excels at dreamy ballads like the “Silver Cloud” and soaring pop tunes like the glorious “Can’t Go Back,” but its real forte is rockers. “Second Chance,” “Teenage Heartbreak,” “Television” and the title track practically boil over with rock & roll energy, jolting the pop sugar with caffeine strained through Chuck Berry’s coffee filter. Not a false note is struck nor a dissonant chord jangled. Sorrows mix salty and sweet in a most savory way, and Bad Times Good Times will be enough to satisfy even the pickiest power pop jones.” -  Michael Toland / THE BIG TAKEOVER

“For folks who’ve been wondering when Sorrows’ Teenage Heartbreak would ever arrive on CD, Bad Times, Good Times isn’t the next best thing, it’s an actual improvement over the already fine original, and rescues one of the better pop bands of the ’80s from oblivion; folks who like their rhythms peppy, their guitars ringing, and their harmonies tight will find lots to love on this collection.” – Mark Deming / ALLMUSIC

“Honestly, there’s too many great songs on here to name but start with the title track, “Teenage Heartbreak”, “She Comes and Goes”, “Can’t Go Back”, etc. you’ll be hooked. Guaranteed!” – Mary Leary / DAGGERZINE

“Sorrows’ Arthur Alexander has said that their music is like ‘Abba meets the Sex Pistols.’ That concept may first strike you as an oxymoron, but when you hear Bad Times Good Times, you’ll realize it’s absolutely plausible, and it makes for some boisterous – and timeless – power pop songs.” – Jade Blackmore / BLOGCRITICS

“[9/10] Bad Times Good Times most likely describes the state of the band, how it’s all up and down, how their second album is just gone, and the fact that they never achieved the status they so deserved. Nevertheless, there are no “bad times” on this disc, and even if you have the original vinyl (like I do, of course!), you need to get this now.” – Stephen Rowland / POPMATTERS

FOR MORE INFO ON SORROWS:
http://www.bompstore.com/servlet/Detail?no=12072
http://www.facebook.com/#!/SORROWSnyc

FOR MORE INFO ON BOMP RECORDS:
http://www.bompstore.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://www.pavementpr.com

“A snake does not a charmer make.” – Paleo, off Fruit Of The Spirit

How many malnourished art majors does it take to screw in a lightbulb? It takes two to make a baby, about four to cart a coffin, six to build a human pyramid, twelve to hang a jury, and apparently thirteen to make Paleo‘s latest, Fruit Of The Spirit. After doing everything himself for years, it seems David Strackany finally learned how to work well with others.

Holing up in Davenport, Iowa, the twenty-something got taught the ropes of analogue recording from the original Daytrotter engineer, Patrick Stolley. Stolley’s place is a minefield of old analogue gear, a phalanx of synths and amps insulate the walls, piles of grease-thirsty old tape machines, bells, whistles, six-strings, four-strings, twelve-strings, no strings. With this wonderland at his disposal, the young magi decided to try something which’d never occurred to him before: collaboration. Friends strode in from around the region – Chicago, Minneapolis, Iowa City, Rock Island, and Lawrence – and with next to no rehearsal and no lead sheets, they huddled for a three-day creative blitzkrieg. Electrofolk artist Cloud Dog lends samples and howls in the background, the bastard folkies from Minnesota add their sad, quirk-pop sensibility, and a revolving door of drummers and percussionists take turns on the kit. Strackany just let the tape roll, and together they bottled a mischievous, mercurial record sparking with imperfection: the bruised, sweet, and colorful Fruit Of The Spirit.

Fruit Of The Spirit will be available on June 21st in both CD and Digital formats through the Brooklyn imprint Partisan Records.

Fruit Of The Spirit Track Listing:
1. Lighthouse
2. Over The Hill And Back Again
3. Pharoah
4. The Rager
5. Poet II
6. Favorite Places
7. Holly Would
8. Buddy Buddy
9. Honey Be Reckless
10. In The Movies
11. Poet

Born On The Bio:
David Strackany was raised in Elgin, Illinois. As a kid he crossed the busy street to a retirement home to chase stray angels down long linoleum halls, away from the souls they were hunting. He attended university, earned a Bachelors in Art and English, and did every drug under the sun along the way. With diploma in hand, the house in Elgin sold off, and a family strewn across the country, he started touring. For six years he lived out of his car and couch to couch, playing more than 700 shows at last count. 30 years old now, he newly lives in Iowa City, a town famous for keeping writers for short periods of time, in a house full of other struggling artists, the Blue House.

While his self-released first record, Misery, Missouri (2005) earned him high marks from a number of online sources, Paleo garnered most of his notoriety through his 2006 songwriting mecca, The Song Diary. In a single year, he wrote and recorded 365 songs consecutively. Paste called it “a streetfight of freakish prolificacy,” and Daytrotter’s Sean Moeller playfully crowned him their “Poet Laureate.” His other credits include soundtrack work alongside Okkervil River for the feature film In Search Of A Midnight Kiss (2007), winner of the John Cassavetes Award at the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards, and producing These United States’ psychotropic debut record, A Picture of The Three Of Us At The Gate To The Garden Of Eden (2008), on which he played the majority of the instruments. And most recently, last year’s stripped-down, folk-pop archipelago, A View Of The Sky drew loud applause from the blogosphere and saw Paleo tour 8 months straight in 2010 to support it.

Other pertinent links:
Official Site: http://www.paleo.ws
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/schmaleo
Partisan Records: http://www.partisanrecords.com/

For media and interview requests:
Tony Bonyata
Pavment PR
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
p: 262.903.7775
w: http://www.pavementpr.com

PRESS FOR PALEO’S FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

“Fruit of the Spirit is a strong collection of more memorable tunes from the ever creative, fruitful and spirited mind of Paleo.” - BLURT

“…a cohesive collection that is creative, enthralling and personal.” – J. Felton / RECORD DEPT.

“Fruit of the Spirit from the compulsively creative Paleo is youthful, imaginative, entertaining and deeply personal in the way that most great art is.” – Jedd Beaudoin / POPMATTERS

“Every household would benefit from a little Paleo.” – WHISPERIN & HOLLERIN / UK

“Fruit of the Spirit is a very impressive collection of odd and poignant songs.” – Darren C. Demaree / ALT OHIO

“On his latest album, Fruit of the Spirit, eclectic folkie Paleo, born David Strackany, piles on all manner of clattering effects, constructing his junkyard beats like a low-budget Beck.”  – THE CAPITAL TIMES

“Paleo has always been an artist who has reached out to his listeners with his honesty, and Fruit of the Spirit continues in that tradition. It touches a wide array of emotions, seemingly without trying to. For both avid Paleo fans and those who have never heard a single song (even though there are well over 365 of them), this album will certainly not disappoint.” – SWEET TEA PUMPKIN PIE

“Paleo is an artist who seems to know what the truth is, and packages that truth the only way he knows how it- in obscured sunshine folk, with irregular melodies, a voice that both swells and cracks depending on it’s octave. There’s an ease in his youthfulness, mixed with the subtleties of his own creeping lunacy. But it only appears that way because it his own version of absolute clarity as he sings, “Nothing is Real”. And if we don’t get that, then maybe we’re the ones that are losing it.” – FRIENDS WITH BOTH ARMS

“Outsider folk with gems to unearth… and great moments of beauty.” – Stephen Carradini / OKLAHOMA GAZETTE

“I love this guy! Paleo is so prolific. He puts out so many songs, so frequently… and they’re all very good and catchy. Look for his full-length Fruit of the Spirit out June 21st.”  - Whitney Matheson / USA TODAY

“A barn stomping good time” – IFC

“It’s lo-fi but that doesn’t mean it’s not full of ideas and sounds and what feels like pure joy.”  – LOUD LOOP

“I got Paleo’s new record Fruit of the Spirit the other day and have been loving it ever since —the whole thing is awesome.” – Matt Jordan / YOU AIN’T NO PICASSO

“By indulging his more experimental impulses and mxing mildly eccentric pop structures with wildly emotive pop deconstructions, Paleo takes listeners on a challenging musical journey, but those willing to go along for the ride will likely be won over by the album’s oddball charm and open-wound honesty.” – LOS GRILLOS

“There isn’t much to his music in the way of instrumentation or frilly sonic accoutrements — rather, it’s just Strackany’s beautifully cracked voice accompanied by a guitar guiding his personal tales.”  – DENVER WESTWORD

“A mischievous, honest album.”  – PROVO DAILY HERALD

“In the way of a special olympics for extraterrestrial gymnasts, Paleo’s Fruit of the Spirit always fascinates.”  – MY OLD KENTUCKY BLOG

“Short, quick, and bursting with energy, Paleo’s new single ‘In The Movies’ is a nice sample of what’s to come from this indie genius.” – ROCK & ROLL GURU

“Paleo’s excellent track ‘In The Movies’ [from his forthcoming Fruit of the Spirit album] is two minutes of indie folk perfection with a melody so catchy you’ll be humming it for days.” – MAD MACKEREL UK

“Paleo’s new song ‘Holly Would’ is a fantastic little taste of the new LP, Fruit of the Spirit, due out June 21st on Partisan Records.”  – TREND ROBOT

“Whether you’re cruising with the windows down or laying barefoot in the grass, Paleo’s ‘Holly Would’ will be your go-to summer jam.” – KNUCKLE RUMBLER

“Iowa’s David Strackany is an artist’s artist – a ramblin’ man with a prolific output.  He also writes some wickedly simple songs.” – YVYNYL

“… a clear ‘60s rock vibe, tangled in folk.” – POP ‘STACHE

“This week Paleo, released a new music video (we are in love with) in support of his new record Fruit of the Spirit. The tune itself, ‘Holly Would,’ is a buzzy little number, featuring thoughtful anthemic lyrics, loose rag tag rhythms, great melody, and rambling growler vocals.” – FOR YOUNG MODERNS

“The lead track from the album – an upbeat, summery song called ‘In the Movies’ – is a perfect introduction to the artist and the album.” – WE ARE ALL MUSIC

[10.26.10 PRESS RELEASE] PALEO’S NEW FULL-LENGTH A VIEW OF THE SKY IN STORES TODAY THROUGH PARTISAN RECORDS

On October 26th Partisan Records will release the latest full-length effort from Paleo entitled A View Of The Sky. It will be available in CD, LP, Ltd. Edition Color Vinyl and Digital Download formats.

For Paleo, art doesn’t imitate life, it is life. Self-contained, he has been traveling the country for the last 6 years. The time has been spent studying the endless facets of a world both in and outside of himself, all the while chronicling his journey through song.

Booking his own shows, he has been playing roughly 150 dates a year while living out of his car and staying with people kind enough to share a couch, a bed, and some breakfast. Homeless and at home, he seems to have found a refuge within his songs as a prolific lyricist and writer. He recorded a song every day for 365 days as a discipline in songwriting he called “The Song Diary”. If you want to know Paleo, you have only to listen to his body of work, which at this point is staggering. Paleo’s songs focus on what most people take for granted in their day to day and year to year, revealing not just a series of dots, but a portrait.

On his newest record, A View Of The Sky, the music mines a depth of greater purpose beyond the traditional. Song after song transports the listener through melodic landscapes unique, immediate, emotive, playful, and filled with longing. There is nothing contrived in the structures of his songs, and the phrasing is a deep rooted reference to the great writers who have come before him.

But deconstructing Paleo seems futile, because he has already moved on. His music is an echo that grows, builds to a crest, dies, and begins again, evolving always, whether someone is there to bare witness or not.

PALEO AT PARTISAN RECORDS: http://www.partisanrecords.com/artists/paleo
PALEO WEBSITE: http://paleo.ws
PALEO ON MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/paleo
PALEO ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paleo/133744690695?ref=ts

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://www.pavementpr.com

PRESS FOR PALEO’S A VIEW OF THE SKY

“The ambient yet emotionally driven lo-fi sounds of the disc could easily pinpoint Paleo in similar classification to M. Ward, but are also reminiscent of the weird-Americana of Devendra Banhart—his quivering voice cracks when he reaches for a new note, the simple melodies subtly grab your ear, and his poeticism is hardly lost in the fold.” – POPMATTERS

“A View of The Sky is an endearing album with intimate music, aggressively eccentric lyrics and shamelessly quirky tunes. They sound like what you’d get if you rubbed Daniel Johnston and Jeffrey Lewis together and added a touch of the last Iron and Wine album with its lush, exotic mix of instruments.” – BLURT MAGAZINE

“The itinerant singer-songwriter fashions one of the season’s unlikeliest stunners.” – WASHINGTON POST

“The man once wrote 365 songs in a year, and he’s still cranking ‘em out … and they’re good. The new record is called A View of the Sky.” - USA TODAY

“… an easy, strumming indie-folk sound that invokes a sunny chorus of happy animals (think badgers playing flute, chiming lizards, maybe a tuba-playing elephant) all beckoning you into their traveling family fun van. Paleo isn’t all folksy fluff—songs like “Cradle of Dust” pair ebullient and dark tones.” – WASHINGTON CITY PAPER

“Troubadouran effort that draws on folk, country and rock…  A View of the Sky is wildly and unexpectedly infectious.” – ON MILWAUKEE

“Paleo’s A View of the Sky, is another solid record, and an even better introduction into another up-and-coming face in the spotlight of indie-folk rock.” – SONIC DISSONANCE

“Profound, enlightening, and memorable, A View Of The Sky is an unexpected delight and treasure.” – THE MAD MACKERAL / UK

“Paleo’s music is quirky, eccentric, cerebral, confusing, and thought-provoking…. catchy as hell.” – HEAR YA

“A really excellent album full of careful and tender, but still relaxed sound. Highly recommended.”  – WPTS RADIO / PITTSBURGH

“Vivid scrawls of a remarkable mind.” – MUSIC IS AMAZING

“Modern folk at its finest.” – ROCK AND ROLL GURU

“… not just a hardworking visionary, but also an undeniable talent. A View of the Sky is a perfect introduction to the creative genius that is Paleo, so if you’re unfamiliar, I suggest you take the time to get acquainted.” – KRUI RADIO / IOWA CITY

“…masterful folk music.” – TREND ROBOT

“… deep and meaningful. I want to hear every word that this man has to say, or sing. It’s all very beautiful. Folk gold.”  - THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGIAN

“Ragged, raw and yet eminently listenable, this eccentric minimalist pop treat is a pleasant surprise in a music world inundated by eccentric minimalist pop.  The songs sound spontaneous and never contrived, well-arranged yet full of aural curve balls.  A perfect antidote to the sanitized pop that passes for top-40 today.” – PIRATE CAT RADIO / SAN FRANCISCO

“A View of the Sky represents some of the finest work of his career.” – THE DAILY NEWS

“It’s possible to find stylistic elements reminiscent of Wilco or Deer Tick, but hard to deny that Strackany is playing anything other than his own bright, organic music. A View of the Sky ranges from upbeat to melancholic, sweet to strange, and the album’s title perfectly captures, in words and visuals, the feel of this itinerant artist’s earth-bound music.” – H MAGAZINE

“… hymns of a traveler, endowed with a fascination for nature and a restless acceptance of changing circumstance.” - MOTHER JONES

“Musically, Paleo suggests a wide range of influences. The songs range from clear singer-songwriter to full band folk rock, but with very soulful dispositions.” – THE WHEEL’S STILL IN SPIN

“…a stunning world of melodic folk tunes, lead by Paleo’s beautiful, melancholic voice… one of the best folk-troubadours that I’ve known in the last years.” – GUEROLITOMUSIC

“… a man fearless in the search for meaning, or at least a few marketable songs.” – WLUR RADIO / LEXINGTON

“While Paleo’s music is more about capturing an emotion than painstaking studio tinkering, the songs on A View Of The Sky are more fully arranged than the sketch-like musings of The Song Diary. Organs, xylophone, and horns abound while the material still adheres to the lo-fi aesthetic that so characteristically encompasses his work. A View Of The Sky is consistently buoyed by Strackany’s stream-of-consciousness lyricism and anti-perfectionism. Top notch ramshackle folk fare.” – CAPTAIN OBVIOUS

PRESS FOR PALEO’S SONG DIARY PROJECT

“The guy makes Ryan Adams and Bright Eyes seem lazy. Paleo’s is an incredible story of creativity and discipline. It’s all chaos and intrigue, visions of Jeff Buckley and Donovan and Tom Waits and M. Ward – all eerie psych-folk sounds and gorgeous poetry and it demands your attention: Once you’re in, you’re in.” – Bruce Warren / WXPN

“Profound in a way that you’ve never heard. There’s so much at work in all of these miraculous songs about some of the roots of evil and wonder. A man this enlightened might glow in the dark.” – Sean Moeller / DAYTROTTER

“Paleo mostly trades in the folk-troubadour tones common to M. Ward – or, if you’re a real scholar, Death Vessel and Micah Blue Smaldone.” – MAGNET

“In a streetfight of freakish prolificacy, Paleo could kick Stephin Merritt and Ryan Adams’ asses any day (perhaps taking on Robert Pollard and Sufjan Stevens for an encore).” – PASTE

““… an ambitious task… that may be a bit much for most mortals.” – PERFORMING SONGWRITER

“Incredibly prolific D.I.Y. nomad… this talented artist shows no signs of slowing down at all.” – THE TRIPWIRE

“… a modern-day Jack Kerouac… haunting and melancholic voice.” - DAYTON DAILY NEWS

“… a devotion that makes Sufjan Stevens look like a dabbler. These songs are a more-than-worthy array of lo-fi, quirky folk.” – POPMATTERS

“Undeniably impressive” – TIME OUT CHICAGO

“Armed with a gently cracking voice, a six-string acoustic guitar, and a never-ending repertoire of expressive folk-pop ballads, the itinerant singer/songwriter staves off creative ennui with an ambitious online “song diary.” …the lo-fi recordings swing between howling world-weariness and manic, bat-shit happiness, recalling both the magical weirdness of Neutral Milk Hotel and the disturbed genius of Elliott Smith.” – FLAVORPILL NYC

“…a challenge even for the likes of Bob Dylan…” – NEWCITY CHICAGO

“In an age where being prolific is the new black, Paleo is the most stylish of musicians.” - THE BOSTON GLOBE

“…ambitious… eccentric…impressive.” – CREATIVE LOAFING: TAMPA

“… raw, acoustic folk songs and a gentle voice somewhere along the lines of Elliott Smith.” – AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN

“…a gathering of sobering thoughts that feel like drifting ashes and sound like they’re coming from a man completely wiped out.” – THE QUAD CITY TIMES

“…these tentative lo-fi songs are quite lovely.” – PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER

“…stirring lo-fi indie folk” – TAMPA BAY TIMES

“…a masochist’s dream.” – THE DCIST

“…one-man Chicago whisper-rock balladry that sounds a little like Danielson and Iron and Wine only sadder (if that’s possible).” – THE ARKANSAS TIMES

“… a lyrically complex and sonically grabbing performance by a talented songwriter and passionate performer. Paleo (aka Dave Strackany) explores the bittersweet elements of life with a joy and drive seen in very few singer/songwriters these days. The shifting themes and mood of each song gave a feeling of a solitary troubadour who absorbs his passing surroundings better than most absorb the water they drink. It is a happy relief when one realizes that there are still people like Strackany out there absorbing and relating the experience of travel and human drama from town to town with a poetic tongue and sincere voice.” – MEDIATRON

“… stretches the folk wanderings of Nick Drake and Tim Buckley… has the lyrical play of Jeff Tweedy and, at times, the vocal delivery of a devilish Jack White, although balanced with a more poetic freedom.” – ROCKY MOUNTAIN TIMES

“… stripped down, lo-fi masterpieces that can just as easily draw comparisons to Bob Dylan as they can early Elliott Smith and acoustic Dinosaur Jr.” – ART SCENE IOWA

“a talented and prolific young singer/songwriter.” – UR CHICAGO

“366 songs in 366 days, a feat to bring Bob Dylan, Robert Pollard, and even Prince to their prolific songwriting knees.” – ZEITGEIST NEW ORLEANS

Recorded during a 14 show US tour this year, the groove on this new studio album is pure T-Model Ford. Backed by his regular touring band GravelRoad, and with stellar guest appearances by Brian Olive and Matthew Smith, Taledragger is a perfect party album with the feel and honesty of a night at the juke joint.

Despite a mild stroke in April 2010, T-Model still plays with an intensity and consistency that belies his age. Now 90-years old, the self proclaimed “Boss of the Blues” continues to show his strengths. Playing the blues is his life, he knows no other way.  The well-documented Bad Man can be noted to, at times, simply have it bad, man.

T-Model Ford’s new Taledragger album will be released on January 11, 2011 through Alive Records on color vinyl (limited to 900 copies), 180 gram vinyl (limited to 100 copies and available exclusively by mailorder through Alive Records), as well as CD and digital formats.

“T-Model Ford is making up for lost time.  Twelve months after his excellent Alive Records debut The Ladies Man, the 90-something bluesman from the North Mississippi hill country is back with a vengeance on his latest album Taledragger. On superb retellings of blues staples like “Big Legged Woman” and closer “Little Red Rooster”, the fuzzy, thick-as-molasses, reverb-fueled blues-rock-chug of the trio menacingly oozes behind Ford’s blacker-than-blue cracked growl.  With a little help from his friends, T-Model Ford has once again walked into the studio and bettered himself.”  – Alan Brown / POPMATTERS

“Ford has found a niche, partly because of his willingness to play the part of the hell-raising Southern Rimbaud and partly because his raw, unpolished sound touched a nerve among younger listeners whose tastes ran more toward punk. Despite his hard-living reputation, Ford outlasted all his contemporaries and has settled into a fertile period, with the new Taledragger being his third release in four years. It’s easily his most sonically diverse recording. On these eight tracks — a mix of originals, classics like “Little Red Rooster, and classic inspired riffs like the “Mystery Train” rewrite “Same Old Train” — the touches of saxophone, keyboards and guest guitars elevate Ford’s guttural growl to something on a par with Howlin’ Wolf himself.“ – Mark Jordan / GO MEMPHIS

“A spectacular blues record. While the boys in Gravelroad complement T-model’s personality and style, they never get in his way; instead, they combine for some dark and dirty blues tunes.” – James Orme / SLUG MAGAZINE

“The entire eight tracks of Taledragger will leave you feeling like you’ve just dragged yourself bare foot across the muddy shores of the Mississippi. GravelRoad’s rhythm washes over you like an angry current while Ford’s aged voice soothes the soul like the sound of cicadas on a hot summer day. Taledragger has been produced for all the right reasons – for the love of music and to show anyone who’ll listen that T-model Ford still has gas in the tank.” – SPILL MAGAZINE

“Here with his touring band GravelRoad, Ford delivers a short sharp shock: eight songs, two hitting past the seven minute mark, closing with a nasty-edged Little Red Rooster. This is roadhouse blues which is sharp and stinging. “ - ELSEWHERE NEW ZEALAND

“With churning guitars, deathly slides and a terrific backbeat, Taildragger is classic Ford with its raw feel of a night at the juke joint.” – INNOCENT WORDS

“Recorded with Ford’s road band, Taledragger is filled with an intensity you’d never expect from a 90 years old blues legend!” – KEYS AND CHORDS

“… a fierce, raw intensity that penetrates to the bone.“ – NETHERLANDS BLUES MAGAZINE

“T-Model Ford’s latest studio effort, Taledragger, is a gritty, raw and, at times, extremely sloppy throwback to the heyday of “real” electric blues; with an emphasis on the work of Howlin’ Wolf. Its fuzzed out vocals and guitars as well as the ethereal tone of its backing organ, at times, pulls the album’s sound into the realm of Electric Mud psychedelia, but at its core, Taledragger is a rollicking blend of Chicago groove, juke joint jump, Delta rawness, electric crunch and good ol’ fashion ‘attitude.’ As a whole Ford delivers an interesting album that somehow manages to fill the void of ‘authenticity’ in today’s contemporary blues while providing a beefy hard-edge that is akin to bands like The White Stripes and The Black Keys.” – J. Blake / AMERIBLUES

“T-Model Ford’s joy for living seeps through every chord of Taledragger. That’s a particularly fortunate attribute, not only for his music but for fans of traditional Delta blues. As the number of that era’s bluesmen diminishes each year, savoring 90-year-old Ford’s robust tunes is especially sweet. The sparse but evocative set on this album includes only eight tracks but each is rich enough to make up for the small selection

A cursory listen to Taledragger might conjure up the sound of classic pre-war blues, but closer analysis reveals an expertly crafted contemporary blues album with strict attention to Delta roots.” – Rosalind Cummings-Yeates / ILLINOIS ENTERTAINER

“At ninety years of age T-Model Ford is still going strong, and his latest release on Alive Naturalsound Records, Taledragger, proves just that. Though T-Model Ford resides in the Delta, his style often leans more towards the hill country set, like Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside, along with traces of old Chicago blues, like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. But if one were to get right down to it, one would admit that T-Model Ford has long since developed his own unique sound; a sound which melds the traditional with the modern in a way that would have most singer/songwriters falling flat on their faces, but not T-Model Ford, who welcomes the challenge with a sly grin and a practiced hand.“ -  James G. Carlson / NO DEPRESSION

“The new album is a loud electric affair with dense instrumentation. The opening song, “Same Old Train” is a driving 7 minute long groove broken up by T’s singing, guitar solos, and some pounding piano courtesy of guest musician Brian Olive. This track broadcasts to the listener the essential difference between this album and the previous one – while The Ladies Man usually sounds like GravelRoad acting as a backing band with T Model front and foremost, on Taledragger, I’m hearing one seamless band of great musicians.” – NINE BULLETS

“Despite suffering a mild stroke last April, T-Model is fine form on his eighth album, Taledragger. Recorded in the studio during last year’s US tour, Ford is backed by his talented touring band GravelRoad on the eight songs which include a couple of Howlin’ Wolf tunes as well as others that have been covered by other legends like Muddy Waters, Champion Jack Dupree, and Jerry Lee Lewis. T-Model Ford is also joined by Brian Olive (Greenhornes, Soledad Brothers) and Matthew Smith (Outrageous Cherry, Volebeats) on a few of the songs, showcasing his raw and rugged vocals with heavy reverb laden guitar. Standouts include ‘Big Legged Woman’ which clocks in at just under 8 minutes and traditional blues closer ‘Little Red Rooster.’ Taledragger is sure one of the best blues releases this year.” – J. Felton /  RECORD DEPT.

“What Ford, Olive, Smith, Alexander, and the rest have wrought on Taledragger is a modern blues album with primitive roots. The tension works. It’s a far more interesting recording because of its “impurities” — paradoxically, making it a far more “authentic” blues record because it is linked to multiple historic traditions simultaneously. It’s exponentially more enjoyable and exciting as blues than anything coming out of Chicago in the 21st century.” – Thom Jurek / ALL MUSIC GUIDE

“There’s plenty to like about Taledragger. Many of the songs here are covers, and some are pretty close rewrites of blues standards. For instance “Same Old Train” sounds a lot like “Mystery Train,” while “Red Dress” is basically a mutant cousin of Tommy Tucker’s “High Heel Sneakers.”

I’m not sure who wrote the most moving song on the record — “I Worn My Body for So Long,” but T-Model makes it a personal testimony to his age and mortality. He sings it like a lonesome ghost, while the slide guitar evokes images of Mississippi graveyards. It reminds me of Kimbrough’s “Done Got Old.” But T-Model sounds more defiant.” – Stephen Terrell / SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN

[9/10] “At approximately (he’s not sure) 90 years of age, T-Model Ford bursts out of the box on his second Alive Records outing like a banty rooster anxious to shake his tail-feathers all over anyone crazy enough to block his path. Rather like his former labelmate R.L. Burnside (both recorded for Fat Possum), Ford has grit ‘n’ gravel to spare. Also like Burnside, especially when electrified, Ford plays the kind of mid-tempo, butane-soaked boogie that could hypnotize a snake: this is the stuff from which a poor man can concoct a few hours of nirvana. Really, it’s this simple: For anyone who craves the kernel at the core of blues-with-a-beat; a kernel at the heart of much great rock ‘n’ roll, Taledragger is essential.”  - Mary Leary / BLURT

“Make no mistake; Taledragger is a BLUES record with a capital B. Based around grooves, grunts and guttural yelps, it’s relentlessly live and relentlessly real, landing somewhere between Howlin’ Wolf’s London Sessions and RL Burnside and it’s happy to sell its soul at any crossroads pact you care to mention. It’s a record with the weight of almost a hundred years of hard slog on its shoulders, but at its best it stings, slashes and burns with an impressively youthful vigour. Records documenting life and how to survive it only rarely sound as exhilarating as this.”  – Tim Peacock / WHISPERIN & HOLLERIN / UK

“An approximately 90-year-old ex-convict has persuaded hipsters everywhere to pretend to give a fuck about Mississippi blues, and that’s not even the most interesting thing about T-Model Ford. His live performances border on shamanic, and 10 percent of those hipsters will end up actually giving a fuck about the blues. Indeed, T-Model’s terrifying life story is less relevant than his music. So if you enjoy juke-joint jostlin’ and smoky-cool Delta blues, or if you’re captivated by their novelty, you’ll dig Taledragger. Especially “How Many More Years.” Hinging on a distorted, crunchy, low-end riff, it makes a perfect anthem for shooting heroin in a dive-bar bathroom.” – Barry Thompson / BOSTON PHOENIX

“T-Model’s got all the credentials you’d hope for in a Delta blues player, and his bio’s veracity isn’t necessarily important as long as you can hear his life experience in his work. His latest, Taledragger, is performed with his band GravelRoad and takes a page from the style of R.L. Burnside.  His compositions have an unmatchable gravity… “I Worn My Body for So Long” and “How Many More Years” are as heavy as their titles, and work not by evoking a sense of pain or stoicism, but by demonstrating a peace with what is. Elsewhere, crunchy, imprecise drums drive murky, distorted vocals and feedback-drenched guitar, which don’t recall Muddy Waters so much as Woodstock-era psychedelic rock players. (The sound may actually remind younger listeners of Built to Spill’s Perfect From Now On.) Like T-Model’s personal history, Taledragger is a difficult story to unravel, but one that succeeds on its bullish affability.” – Ben Westhoff / WASHINTON CITY PAPER

“Following up on a the 2010 T-Model Ford & GravelRoad’s release The Ladies Man, The Man and his band are back to kick off 2011 in that pure unadulterated North Mississippi Hill Country style. Showing that he has rebounded nicely from a stroke, the 90 year old Ford is back in fine form complemented perfectly by the GravelRoad trio and a host of special guests.”  – BOSTON BLUES

“Despite suffering health setbacks, at 90 years of age T-Model’s still cranking out some ferocious sounds.” – BLUES IN BRITAIN

“One of the last of the Mississippi Delta bluesmen, T-Model Ford’s unique take on the music is an inspired mix of rough-n-tumble, Delta-born juke-joint jams and stripped-down Chicago style blues, with a side helping of the hypnotic Mississippi Hill country rhythm. His music is raw, raucous, and as close to the primal Delta sound that you’ll find these days. Taledragger promises to offer more of the same…. a new bluesy assault on our senses”  – Reverend Keith A. Gordon  / ABOUT.COM: BLUES

“T-Model, at 90 years old, is one of the rare modern bluesmen who sounds like he belongs in that golden era of gritty blues. Along with maybe Junior Kimbrough no one has made the blues as vital as T-Model Ford in the last decade.” – INDIGEST MAGAZINE

“90 year old blues man T-Model Ford is keeping the blues alive on his new album Taledragger. If you like Muddy, The Black Keys, RL Burnside, John Lee, Howlin’ Wolf, The Doors, Jon Spencer, Reigning Sound and so on, you’ll dig the sounds of T-Model Ford and his band GravelRoad. – Bruce Warren / WXPN RADIO / SOME VELVET BLOG

“… bringing back golden era-esque blues craftsmanship.” – PASTE MAGAZINE

“At the age of 90-years old T-Model Ford is still bringing down the house with his original blues sound.” – THE NOOB NEWS

“Gritty, raw and real have been used so many times to describe blues musicians throughout the decades that it almost seem insulting to use them now, but when a 90-year-old man playing a fuzzed-out guitar sings about putting his foot in your ass, terms like that are bound to come up.” – NO DEPRESSION

“Even at the ripe old age of 90. Mr. T-Model Ford is still touring, keeping the juke joint blues vibe alive with his primal, hypnotic blues.” – SYNC WEEKLY

“Classic sounding blues.” – PLUG-IN MUSIC

“T-Model Ford is one of the last surviving great bluesmen, so we were all a-twitter when we heard this taste of his forthcoming album Taledragger. It’s a sultry soundtrack for a night at a juke joint, and a really promising sign that he’s still got it.”  – FLAVORWIRE 

 “This is blues!” – RAPMASH / BOSTON

‘”T-Model Ford is ninety years old and could probably mop the floor with our current roster of auto-tuned R&B hacks. Though I’d rather not belabor the point about old vs. young, hearing a ninety year old blues man strum a guitar and kick-out something genuine makes you wonder when popular culture lost the plot and settled for third-rate.” – LETTERS FROM A TAPEHEAD

FOR MORE INFO ON T-MODEL FORD:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/x/?page_id=1054
http://www.myspace.com/tmodelfordandgravelroad

FOR MORE INFO ON ALIVE RECORDS:
http://www.alive-totalenergy.com

FOR MEDIA AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
p: 262.903.7775
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://www.pavementpr.com

After years of helping steer the lauded and eclectic careers of both of his bands, Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven, co-founder and frontman David Lowery has seen fit to present a collection of songs recorded apart from those iconic indie & alternative rock entities. Stopping short of calling it a solo record, Lowery has collaborated with a handful of trusted musical cohorts associated with his Richmond, VA-based studio, Sound of Music – an inner circle that Lowery has relied on for over 17 years and who’ve been instrumental in helping create the sounds heard on this album as well as past projects. David recorded and produced The Palace Guards in conjunction with John Morand and Alan Weatherhead. Key players include Miguel Urbiztondo on drums, David Immergluck on guitars and bass, Craig Harmon played organs and Ferd Moyse on upright bass and fiddle. Special guest appearances include Cracker mates Sal Maida and Johnny Hickman, as well as the late Mark Linkous(Sparklehorse) who played keyboards on “Big Life.” The Palace Guards will be available everywhere February 1st, 2011 through 429 Records.

The Palace Guards took David several years to complete. Lowery felt it liberating to write the songs without the constrictions of how they might fit in with the Cracker or Camper canon of songs and performances. The easy rapport and powerful creative chemistry that Lowery shared with his studio pals allowed his introverted musical inclinations to shine through.  Apparent in this collection of nine songs is a willingness to push the envelope stylistically—from the Appalachian-woven folk of the album’s first single “Raise ‘em Up on Honey” to the swirling, languid psychedelia of “Deep Oblivion” and eclectic Syd Barrett-inspired title track, to the rocked-out “Baby, All Those Girls Meant Nothing to Me,” Lowery enjoys the freedom to write and record just about anything that pleases him at that moment.

“One of the reasons the album sounds the way it does is that I have pretty strong personalities playing with me,” says Lowery,“guys who I’ve worked with for years, who have done engineering or playing on Camper and Cracker albums. There’s that instant easy rapport that shines through. Working with them brought out the more extreme edges in these songs and amplified them. It was also liberating to start with no preconceived notions of what they would end up sounding like or worrying about how they might sound in a live setting, as I have to do when I write songs for Cracker.”

THE PALACE GUARDS TRACKLISTING:
1. Raise ‘em up on Honey
2. The Palace Guards
3. Deep Oblivion
4. Ah, You Left Me
5. Baby, All Those Girls Meant Nothing To Me
6. I Sold the Arabs the Moon
7. Marigold
8. Big Life
9. Submarine

This is all in advance of what will certainly be a very busy year for Lowery in 2011. In addition to promoting The Palace Guards, he’ll also be doing a string of East Coast this January with both Camper Van Beethoven & Cracker as part of their Key Lime & Kerosene Tour, where both bands will be performing their signature albums (CVB’s Key Lime Pie and Cracker’s Kerosene Hat) in their entireties.  David has also currently been writing new music with Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven for upcoming albums from both bands (this will mark the first new material from CVB since their lauded 2004 New Roman Times release). In addition, David also plans to continue working on his popular 300 Songs project – a blog chronicling all of the songs he’s written and recorded with both Cracker & CVB. Plans are also in the works to turn these wry, humorous and informative musings on his songs, bands and, ultimately, the music business in general, into his first published book later in the year.

FOR MORE INFO ON DAVID LOWERY
http://davidlowerymusic.com

FOR MORE INFO ON DAVID LOWERY’S 300 SONGS BLOG:
http://300songs.com

FOR MORE INFO ON CRACKER:
http://crackersoul.com

FOR MORE INFO ON CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN:
http://campervanbeethoven.com

FOR MEDIA & INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Tony Bonyata
Pavement PR
e: bonyata@wi.rr.com
http://pavementpr.com

[4/5] ”Amazingly, after more than 25 years in music, this is Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker frontman Lowery’s first solo album. He’s not fooling around; these cuts show the serious side of Lowery, eschewing his usual biting sardonicism and roots-rock crunch for more sincere emotions and a score of laid-back alt-country. It’s a pleasure to meet him.” –LONDON FREE PRESS

“… these songs are rich and clever, and Lowery’s many friends and collaborators offer excellent musical support on a piece of work that in subtle but important ways is an album he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) have made with either [Cracker or Camper Van Beethoven]. Lowery might not want to make a career out of his serious side, but The Palace Guards shows he can wise up and still make music that’s smart and satisfying.” – Mark Deming / ALL MUSIC

[8/10] “Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker frontman David Lowery splits the difference between the former’s loose eclectic twang and the latter’s tight psych-country on his solo debut. Assisted by some Virginia studio pals, Lowery sticks it to celebrity on the acerbic title track and the cock-schlockin’ “Baby, All Those Girls Meant Nothing to Me.” He logs his own love story in the heady aquatic shimmer of “Deep Oblivion” and its sweetly redemptive sequel “Submarine.” Sincerity trumps sarcasm, especially in his convincing cover of the Belgian band Mint’s gloriously morose “Ah, You Left Me.” - SPIN

“At 50 years old, David Lowery is still out-performing musicians half is age, and on February 1, his debut solo album, The Palace Guards, will be released through the 429 label. The title track and first single from the LP bears all the signature wit and observations of Lowery at his finest, though the new record represents the direction he’s never gone: songs that fit neither here nor there but that deserve equal attention.” - MAGNET MAGAZINE

“If the eclectic, alternative rock of Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker lit you up, Lowery’s new album is going to make you a very happy camper all over again. The nine tracks on The Palace Guards, eight written by the singer, are as good as anything he’s done in the past, and he’s done some mighty good things.“ – SEATLLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

“A gleeful, all-over-the-map vibe that signals the songwriter’s liberation from Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven’s musical modus operendi, From sprawling ballads to raging rockers, Lowery’s quirky aphorisms, childlike wonder and deep irony remains thankfully intact.” – UNCUT

“David Lowery’s The Palace Guards is a vitalizing, thoughtful collection of songs that are not merely B-sides or out-takes of material intended for his two working bands. Instead they fall somewhere in-between the generous confines of both, showcasing a songwriter that has matured without losing his buoyant, crackling wit.“ – GOOD TIMES SANTA CRUZ

“The songs on The Palace Guards are at times moody and introspective and other times they are glorious and indignant. They are, perhaps, more personal accounts of those things that have been addressed thematically and musically with the same charisma and charm in both Camper and Cracker.” -  HOLLYWOOD ICON MAGAZINE

“… intellectually stimulating and musically entertaining.” – M: MUSIC & MUSICIANS MAGAZINE

“Though the songs are neither Cracker nor Camper tunes, they are unmistakably Lowery’s, full of the droll wit and sly subversion that has characterized his songs for 25 years.” – SPINNER

“The Palace Guards showcases his current musical vision in a way that neither of his bands [Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven] could have done justice to… hits to the core of what Lowery is able to do best.” –UNDER THE RADAR MAGAZINE

“The Palace Guards creates a wide palette of musical styles, sounds and moods, from Americana to soft rock to pure angst.” – PERFORMER MAGAZINE

“A very cohesive affair with some serious high points.”  – SKOPE MAGAZINE

“At the age of 50, Lowery brings a maturity to these songs that may not have been there earlier in his career. This is a great solo effort.” – SCATTERED BLACK AND WHITE

“… a little bit of country, rock, Americana, and thankfully ‘weirdness’ thrown together that ranks as amongst the best stuff he has ever produced. This album gets better and better every time I spin it.” – HUGH SHOWS REDU

“ This is amongst Lowery’s best work to date and easily one of the year’s best releases to date.” – RYAN’S SMASHING LIFE

“Bona fide gems.” – EXCLAIM / CANADA

[5/5] “The lyrics are unsurprisingly wonderful and it’s also a very well-sequenced disc… If you’ve ever enjoyed Lowery’s peculiar vision in the past it’s well worth surrendering to The Palace Guards.”  – TIME OUT SYDNEY

“The songs are pure Lowery all the way: droning violins, drawled song-spiel singing, and lyrics that pierce the heart while revealing a slacker’s wit…. this intimate album is a welcome addition to the Lowery catalog.”  – AMERICAN SONGWRITER

[4/5] “The deliriously wry songwriting and raspy vocals remain intact, and Lowery continues to blend rock snarls with almost literary smarts.” – RICHMOND STYLE WEEKLY

“The Palace Guards is equally good at being gorgeous, particularly on the illusory “Deep Oblivion,” where a spaced-out Lowery weaves surreal imagery about “a place below the sea… cold, bright, and white.” It’s delivered with a sly grin, but like the rest of The Palace Guards, it’s seriously good.”  – THE ONION

“The Palace Guards, is blissfully idiosyncratic, indulging in sweet buckwheat hootenannies, tempered garage-rock blessings and hard-earned alt-pop homilies.” – MAXIMUM INK

“… a stylistically diverse effort. There are, of course, bits of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven to be heard throughout the disc, but it wanders from folk to psychedelic rock and back.” - CHARTATTACK

“… consistently charming and engaging. The Palace Guards is a gift; teeming with spontaneity and vigor. It’s one of those cases when grabbing the whole kaboodle is recommended: it’s well-ordered, and there are too many winners for it to make sense to favorite some for download.” – SAN DIEGO READER

“… a strong and consistent series of songs that, at times, reaches for the best of Lowery’s work. More than two decades into his career, David Lowery has, more or less, just proven his relevancy, which, to crib from an earlier song of his, could just very well be what the world needs now.” – POPMATTERS

“While this is a little different from his full band days, everything that made CVB and Cracker great is used and expanded upon with this collection. The Palace Guards is an excellent mix of alt-country meets folk rock that is guaranteed to stay in your CD player for a while” – RICHMOND PLAYLIST

“… a surprisingly invigorating batch of songs, running the gamut from quirky-sounding indie rock to the more predictable country-leaning stuff Lowery’s always been so good at. His voice sounds wonderfully ragged and weary, and the melodies are subtle but addictive. The production really shines too—or maybe “shines” is the wrong word: It’s gritty and dynamic, perfectly matched to the songs themselves.” – CRAWDADDY

“Finally, at 50, Lowery releases his solo debut, The Palace Guards, and the best elements of both his bands share space on the same excellent album. It’s about time fans met the man behind the magic of two great bands, and here’s a chance to get to know him on engagingly intimate terms. – Gene Triplett / THE OKLAHOMAN

“The Palace Guards takes in the work of his previous bands but adds something else. It might be called maturity, even though Lowery’s voice retains the raucous raggedness that implies the rolled-eye snarl of eternal adolescence. And there are twangy and psychedelic touches that will be familiar to fans, but they’re unusually muted and focused.” – MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL

“Lowery manipulates chord progressions, taking the sound in an unexpected direction not only between tracks, but within each song. We’re not dealing with a new album from a new guy — the maturity and depth on each track screams of the years Lowery has put into mastering his craft.” – THE RED AND BLACK

“That voice and keen melodic sense, the same qualities that typify David Lowery’s other projects, are apparent on The Palace Guards. He continues to create anthemic, countrified rock and piquant ballads.” – THE WHEEL’S STILL IN SPIN

“… with a focused weaving of folk, alternative country, psychedelia and peeled back indie pop, beefed up a little help from Cracker mates Sal Maida and Johnny Hickman, plus Sparklehorse’s late great Mark Linkous, Lowery has no trouble making his mark as a solo artist.” – HEAR/SAY MAGAZINE

[5/5] “The Palace Guards is a great sounding record from beginning to end, filled with subtle twists, surprising changes, and great playing throughout. There’s a wealth of strange textures, unusual instrument choices, and an overall sound that harkens back to the best records coming out of Britain in the ‘60s. But, for all the soundscaping that goes on, Lowery’s songs and voice are always the main attraction, and he’s at the top of his considerable game.” – ROCK GUITAR DAILY

“Lowery has crafted an incredible record in The Palace Guards. Not only does he still have it, his smart songwriting hasn’t faltered a bit. The album’s title track sounds like a vintage Pavement tune from the ‘90s. More importantly, it signals that the album is no one trick pony – it’s loaded with variety.”  – HEAR YA

“…a witty, lyrically clever and incisive, musically eclectic solo debut.”  – AMERICANA BOOGIE

“… semi-psychotic alt-country introspection that makes for some real entertainment. The Palace Guards might just be a stop on Lowery’s long journey, but a singular and sweet one.” – QRO MAGAZINE

“… the songs exude an air of personal reminiscence and fluctuate between weighted gravity and flighty whimsy, exploring themes of love, loss, and liberalism, sprinkled throughout with songs of sheer beauty.” – THE NEEDLE AND THE GROOVE

“… provides a great survey of the breadth of Lowery’s abilities. – TORONTO SNOB’S MUSIC

“Amazing. The Palace Guards is a nine-song wonder, with Lowery employing a bit of twang, dreamy guitars and a host of stirring formidable lyrics well worth taking to heart.” – ABANDONED COUCHES

“Unsurprisingly great” – THE BOSTON PHOENIX

“A batch of incredible songs.”  – CULTURE MAGAZINE

“Lowery jumps around stylistically on the album, with country rock (“Raise ‘em Up on Honey”), psychedelia ( “Deep Oblivion”) and pedal-to-the-metal rock ‘n’ roll ( “Baby, All Those Girls Meant Nothing to Me”).” – SOUNDSPIKE

“David Lowery’s beautiful first solo album, The Palace Guards, is a must-have for fans of Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker. For others, it’s the ideal opportunity to get better acquainted with this important artist.” – ROOTSTIME / BELGIUM

“If you’re skeptical about David Lowery’s new music, take one listen to the album’s title track. It’s a wonderfully executed homage to Syd Barret’s strange songwriting style.”  - MECCA LECCA / NYC