 Sometimes
genius is found in the most unusual of places. In 1963 a new musical voice
sprang forth from the working class industrial port town of Liverpool,
England--The Beatles changed the face of popular music forever by breaking
all the rules and most preconceived notions of what pop music was all about;
they forged their own style and became legends in the process.
Fast forward 38 years, gazing upon the
music scene of today it would appear everything possible in “rock” music
had been done, experimented with, packaged, marketed and mass produced.
But while you were busy watching the passing parade on TRL and the Billboard
Charts a record producer, Mike Simpson (produced Beck’s “odelay”), made
an unusual discovery in the blue-collar town of Libertyville, Illinois.
Simpson, who is 50% of the famous “Dust
Brothers”  got
his hands on a demo by one of the most unusually gifted artist he had heard
since his days of working with Beck, and his enthusiasm sparked a fire
in the record industry which led to a bidding war for the eclectic 38 year
old songwriter from the Chicago suburbs named Ike Reilly.
When the dust settled, Ike Reilly had inked
a deal with Republic Records, with the label’s A&R boss, Tom Mackay,
overseeing the process of turning the vision of the former cemetery worker
and hotel doorman into a cohesive album. Ike handled production duties
along with his guitarist Ed Tinley and industry veteran Mickey Petraila
(Beck, Luscious Jackson, the eels) and the final result is the auspicious
Ike Reilly debut “Salesmen and Racists”.
Republic Records was the perfect home for
Reilly and his band, while Republic is part of the largest record label
group in existence (Universal) it is really an indy label at heart. They
are one of the only major labels that actually ventures outside the “popular”
box to find gripping and interesting new music. Ike Reilly is a perfect
case in point; his music is unlike anything else currently riding the charts
and record store shelves. To call him eclectic would be a bit of an understatement,
he ventures into so many different genres giving each his own personal
spin that it’s impossible to nail him down. Even going as far as saying
that Ike Reilly is what you’d get if you mixed the DNA of Joe Strummer,
Elvis Costello, Lou Reed, Beck, Bob Dylan and Sheryl Crow doesn’t quite
convey what’s he’s all about.
In an age where popular music seems
to getting progressively mindless, Ike Reilly is a much-needed breath of
fresh air. He proves that rock music can still be versed in artistic expression
instead of being simply a slick commercial product at the same time delivering
addictive hooks and melodies. Far beyond your normal prosaic lyrical content,
Ike plays the part of beat poet weaving stories interspersed with irreverent
subject matters. If you’ve been waiting for an artist to renew your faith
in rock n roll, look no further, Ike Reilly’s debut album is a landmark
release of the year 2001, quite simply an album that comes out of left
field and knocks you on your ass causing you to shout proclamations of
gratitude to the heavens for delivering you from the inane humdrum of today’s
music scene.
The reader must really experience this
CD for themselves, no words can begin to convey what Ike Reilly is all
about, so follow the link below in the "Want More? section to hear clips
from this album and then run don’t walk to your nearest record store and
pick up a copy of “Salesmen and Racists”, it will be the best musical investment
you’ve made in years!
The Band
-
Ike Reilly
- Guitar, Vocals
-
Ed Tinley
- Guitar, Bass, Background Vocals, Piano, Wurlitzer organ
-
Dave Cottini
-
Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals
The CD
.
.
Want More?
Click
Here to Listen to clips from this album.
Visit
Ike Reilly's official website for more info, news, tour dates, multimedia
and more!
Listen
to sample and Purchase "Salesmen and Racists" online
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