Steve's Corner

The 77’s

Sticks and Stones re-issue (Ultra Deluxe package)

Lo-Fidelity Records

It is hard to find anything to say about Sticks and Stones that hasn’t already been said a time or two in the last 22 years. On a personal note, this was my introduction to the 77’s as a band. It wasn’t until years later that I checked out their albums prior to this one, but Sticks has remained a favorite of mine for years, not just because of the absolutely beautiful songs that are contained here, but also because of the memories that are associated with it. Sticks was a truly alternative album when it came out, it was the alternative to pretty much anything else in the Christian market at that time. Tracks like “MT” come rolling out with this sonic wave of guitar that stands up and demands attention, then the tempo changes into a refined and laid back groove that sounds absolutely beautiful because Roe’s vocals are so fluid and intensely emotional that they add a dimension to the music that makes this real art. If tracks like “MT”, “The Days to Come” and “This is the Way Love is” get stuck in your head, then tracks like “Nowhere Else”, “Don’t, This Way”, “God Sends Quails” and “Bottom Line” will break your heart. The music here is so intense and really provides a perfect vehicle to Roe’s lyrics and singing, and as “The Loop” testifies, you don’t always need to have singing to hit the mark. All these tracks and more comprise the first disc of the re-issue.

Disc number two is called “This is the Way Love Was” and is a compilation of demos and live tracks. The really cool thing about these tracks are that unreleased rarities like “Problem Girl”, “Cross the City Sky” and “Walk Through the Door” are written by Mark Tootle, and they are a great chance to hear Mark singing lead vocals and show just how formative his style and sound were in the early days of the Sevens. There are a couple of pretty amazing versions of “This is the Way Love Is” on disc two as well, but all in all you get another 11 tracks of really solid music on the second disc.

If you bought the “Ultra Deluxe” package, you also get the third disc titled “Seeds and Stems” (insert your own reference here) There are another cool 10 tracks on this disc which is one of my favorites because I can never get enough of favorites like “Ba Ba Ba Ba” or “I Could Laugh (But it’s Not Funny). This disc is also built up with original mixes, demos and live tracks that make you sing along, reminisce, and I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that the guitar on this version of “God Sends Quails” is unbelievable brilliant. There is also a bandcamp exclusive live version of “You Don’t Scare Me” at the end of the digital portion of this package. “You Don’t Scare Me” is a bluesy, rocking track that lives up to everything you know and more in this live setting that has Roe at the top of his game.

Just to make this release even better, the guys have released this in as many formats as you could possibly want. There are the hardcopy pressings, the digital releases, the individual digital tracks and then there are several packages that come with different merch options like t-shirts and other assorted goodies. I’m really excited about this re-release; it is from a classic album that sounds so much better with the digital restoration and remastering. This is a must have for any fan, casual or die-hard alike, there is something here for everyone. Hearing these tracks has reminded me once again of just how stunningly good this band was, and still is. My hats off to the guys who preserved this stuff, and to the ones who restored it to sound so good all these years later, and thanks to Li-Fidelity Records for releasing this in so many different packages.

www.77s.com

http://the77s.bandcamp.com/

http://www.lo-fidelity.com/

Bill Mallonee

WPA Volume 13

Hard-Scrabble Dreams

Independent 2012

I never expect to go long between Bill Mallonee’s releases, and I am grateful for that. Bill’s writing has long been a source of comfort and inspiration to me. His music is always relevant and fresh, lyrically he is the best in the game and he is one of the most prolific storytellers around. I hold the hope that one day he will write a novel, I think it could be a notable work considering the years, the history, and the traveling experience that he has in this art form of Americana. Back to the music…

This collection of songs was inspired by three things according to Mallonee. I took the liberty to quote him directly from his website about Hard-Scrabble Dreams. The three sources of inspiration according to Bill, “One was John Steinbeck’s eloquent work, “The Grapes of Wrath,” the second inspiration was a gift from Muriah, a photographic essay, called, “Bound For Glory” (America In Color 1938-1943) It is an arresting testimonial. The images of “just plain Americans,” I believe, are some of the most heroic and inspiring you’ll ever see. The last inspiration was a gift as well. It was a gift from the American people. It came from the folks I’ve played for over these past 22 years. This land & its great people have always been the frame of reference of my work, from the day I first crawled into a rattle-trap van to do my first US tour in 1991. They, and their stories and lives, have been inspiring me ever since.”

I am a huge fan of Bill’s work; I own it all in abundance. I honestly believe that this WPA is a testament to the words referenced above. Bill’s inspiration for this album comes through in every way through these songs. I think lyrically it is stripped down and honest, and musically I think it is quite possibly the best he has ever done. These tracks shine with renewed vigor, and a rustic intensity of grace. The first song here “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (I Got Faith like a Butterfly’s Wing) is possibly one of the most beautiful songs that I can recall from Malone’s recent work. Thematically many of these tracks center around the topic of faith, and in true fashion they are riddled with an honest intensity and a trusted fragility that pushes the listener into deeper truths that really ache and ebb inside every one of us.

One of the things that struck me when reading Bill’s notes about the album was when he related, “But the poor also live inside of us. We are them. They are a reminder that a man is not the measure of his possessions.” That struck me because Malone has scratched out a somewhat sparse living for years now, but what he has done has take the talent and the gifts that God granted him, and he has dug deep and found the majestic in the mundane of daily hardship and toil. He has taken the stories and the questions from over twenty years of documenting life on the road, and he has fashioned them into ragged stories about struggle and grace, beauty and desolation; about the hope that we still cling to and the perseverance that pushes us on. This is the stuff of life.

Hard-Scrabble Dreams is a total of ten tracks. We get treated “Bakersfield” from The Power and the Glory sessions (and WPA Vol. 9 Drifter Songs), and it actually fits perfectly into the spirit of the other songs here. There are three alternate tracks and seven brand spanking new songs on here. One of the most effective songs on here for me is “Faith (It All Comes Soaked in Gasoline). This is one that I think can rival favorites like “Blister Soul” or “Welcome to Struggleville” because of the accurate acknowledgement of the bitterness of life, of choices we are confronted and conflicted with, and with the paradox of something bigger than ourselves that begs for our reliance and trust. Bill brings these truths home in a way that we can understand. Again, I think lyrically this is the heart and soul of an American poet at his best. Mallonee creates because he is compelled to, and I think if none of us were listening he would still be doing it…fortunately for us we are listening, and I believe that this WPA offering is the best of the bunch.

“I dunno what you heard before to got here
dunno what you thought you’d see
one thing about faith, you can be sure of
It all comes…soaked in gasoline
It all comes…soaked in gasoline”

Head over to the bandcamp store and drop a few coins on this release. I know that you will be pleased with this, it is a solid and seasoned release from an artist that truly embodies the very story that he captures so well through his music.

http://volsounds.com/

http://billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com/

Josh Lory and Matt Biggers have released a great new album with some really good music! This one has been in the works for a good while, it is awesome to finally hear the finished product! Masaki Liu handles the mixing and master engineering on here as well as popping up on a couple of tracks playing synths.

The title of this one is The Return of the Halcyon Days and is a fun ride that is unique and well done. The download is inexpensive through bandcamp, but if you reply to this post and join The Bloody Strummers facebook page we will pick a winner and send you the download free! Support good music, support independent music, support The Bloody Strummers!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Bloody-Strummers/204269402916676

http://thebloodystrummers.bandcamp.com/album/return-of-the-halcyon-days

“Tis the season for great music…what better way to go against the rally of the retail gods by giving something away!!?? Not only do you get something at no cost, but you get something that is of the best quality around! Bill Mallonee has returned home from traversing the country with Muriah in what was a 9 week (and coast to coast) tour! Not only did he just recently return, but he immediately released “Wonderland” which is welcomed new music just in time for the Christmas season.

What do you have to do to get this??? How about just post back to our facebook page and tell us how long you have been a fan of Bill’s and what his music means to you. We will choose two winners and upload these to you via email, they are available in high quality MP3′s or FLAC files, whatever you choose. Now, tell everyone you know about Bill Mallonee and his genuine, (straight fron the heart) Americana music. Please also check out Bill’s bandcamp site where over 40 releases are available for affordable prices. His first Christmas album “Yonder Shines the Infant Light” is there, as well as his latest studio release “The Power and the Glory”.

http://volsounds.com/

http://billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com/

www.downthelinezine.com

Brian Kirsch…

Okay, this is long overdue! We have a couple of cool contests to run, we’ll do this one now and we still have a couple more things coming up that we will do after this first one finishes. Did you guys download and read the latest issue with The Violet Burning on the cover???? Hmmmm, hmmmmm, well did ya? So, go to our Down the Line facebook page and tell us what your favorite part of the new Story of Our Lives is and why…is it the music, the artwork, the concept itself? This was the most in depth interview about the release that I know of. So, share with us what you find most interesting and we will choose a post by this Friday evening at 11 PM…11/11/11…just because we think that is a cool date!

What do you win??? How about the hard copy release of The Story of Our Lives Volume 1 by The Violet Burning! That includes the full color booklet and all three CD’s in that awesome packaging! So, let the posting begin!

http://www.facebook.com/DownTheLineZine

This is a new demo from Brian Healy of Dead Artist
Syndrome. This was supposed to be a Halloween present to his fans, but for some
reason my infallible internet decided to revolt and my emails have not made it through
to have had this put up in time. I apologize for the delay and the
inconvenience. This track is not mixed, however, it still sounds great. Please
download and share this with as many people as you can. Post it up on all your
networking sites and share the love. This track will be featured on the
forthcoming full band Dead Artist Syndrome release, Kissing Strangers, but this
version here is all Brian Healy.

Link to Misery Babe – http://www.mediafire.com/?43vb6hmre87le

Happy (belated) All Saints Day from Dead Artist Syndrome

unmixed preview demo called Misery Babe written and
performed by Brian Healy

℗&© 2005 Brian Healy / Blatant Christian Music (ASCAP)

Bill Mallonee

The Power & the Glory

Independent 2011

I have always made a point to cover every Bill
Mallonee release that I can. Bill is without a doubt one of the most prolific artists
around, and his music is a rarity, not only in the sense of how much better it
gets through the years, but also how frequent and consistent his output is.
Bill has honed his craft and is one of the real voices for the ‘everyman’ in
this day and age. There is a weighty and meaningful quality to Mallonee’s work;
these aren’t just songs to tap your foot to. These are songs that are sung with
the conviction of salvation and a visceral quality that speaks from a
penetrating perspective. I am always surprised at how consistently good Bill’s
songwriting is, he puts out such a large body of songs that I keep thinking
‘the next one’ won’t be as good, but I am wrong every time. That brings us here
to his latest, The Power & the Glory.

With over 40 albums to his credit, to say that Power
& the Glory is Mallonee’s best would be a bold statement. Having said that,
now hear this… this is definitely Mallonee’s best to date! It is all here on
this album; the quality, the depth, the imagery and lyrical illustration. The
track placement is spot on, from the opening licks of Carolina, Carolina, down
to the howling Ghosts That I Run With, and then straight on through to the
brilliantly and lyrically imaginative track Wide Awake with Orphan Eyes (Mirror
Ball Moon).

This release runs deep with the impressive guitar
work, and while I would say this is jangly and noisy in all the right places,
it is a guitar heavy album that is fluid and not disjointed at all. The guitar
takes center stage but never feels burdensome or overpowering. To take a page
from Mallonee’s book, the guitar is like the conductor that steers this 12 car
train into the station with grace and grand intent. The harmonizing between
Bill and Muriah hits the mark, and on tracks like Just to Feel the Heat (You
Never Told Me Your House Was Haunted) the harmony is  pristine, pure and absolutely accomplished.

These tracks were picked from the various WPA
Volumes that Bill has been releasing every few months for the last 3 years or
so. To hear these songs first in a setting that was more raw and undeveloped
was a plus, because hearing them in this fully evolved environment makes the
listener really appreciate the hard work that has been put into polishing these
diamonds up. After years of slugging it out in the trenches, Bill has dialed in
a process that is yielding his best work, and we are the better for it. Whether
he’s singing/playing to bring attention to social issues like in Keep the Home
Fires Burning, or scratching at the scab of our humanity in Ever Born into This
World, Bill keeps getting better and better with each release.

The travesty here is that too few folks know about
Bill and his work. That is where you, the readers, come in. If everyone reading
this told just two friends about Bill’s work, that could make a dramatic
difference with his career, touring schedule and the best part is that it would
get this fantastic music out into the public. Stop by the download store where
you can get free music, inexpensive music and hard copy disc; but regardless of
the format, Power & the Glory is a career defining album!

Track list:

1) Carolina, Carolina

2) The Shakers and Movers

3) Just to Feel the Heat

4) From the Beats Down To the Buddha

5) Go To Sleep With the Angels

6) The Ghosts That I Run With

7) Stop Breakin’ Down

8) Bring You Around

9) Spring In Your Spirit

10) Keep the Home Fires Burnin’

11) Ever Born Into This World

12) Wide Awake With Orphan Eyes

http://billmallonee.net

http://billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com/

http://www.myspace.com/billmallonee

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bill-Mallonee-Music/184717971538363

I went and saw Bill Mallonee play again this past Tuesday evening. I’ve seen Bill live more than any other artist and I’ve been a fan for almost 20 years. Bill played at a local club called Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, GA. Eddie’s is just outside of the city of Atlanta and is a great little place to see live music. Bill played with A.J. Adams accompanying him on the pedal steel guitar, and as he usually is these days he was also backed up by his wife Muriah Rose on organ and background (beautiful) vocals.

Bill never ceases to amaze me…he played to a decent sized room of about 45-50 people which I find pretty good for a Tuesday evening, and the day after a holiday as well. He kicked through 15 songs of mostly newer material and he sounded better than he ever has. With a new album titled The Power and the Glory just a couple of months from seeing release, Bill is cramming and jamming in a tour as he has for well over 20 years at this point.

There is still time to pre-order the new album and catch up with Bill and the latest news that is happening through his website www.volsounds.com  Also check out his bandcamp site which you can link on here http://billmalloneemusic.bandcamp.com  Bill has a staggering amount of titles to his name; each and every one is top notch with the musicianship and the lyrical content. Bill is at the top of the Americana/Folk game when it comes to quality and consistent work. Check him out and catch a show whenever you have the opportunity!