FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kathryn Jones, 781-595-2948
Pi Records, 39 Basset St., Lynn, MA 01902
Email: pirecords@comcast.net
Web site: www.mikehallal.com
Hallal Band Releases New Album, Chains of Being
- - - - - - - - - - -
Single "Red Sox Blues" Leads with Fenway Park & Radio Airplay
Lynn, MA - Sept. 18, 2003 -- Chains of Being, the new album by the Mike Hallal Band, is set for an October 11 release and will feature "Red Sox Blues" along with 8 more originals and 2 live blues jams. The CD Release Party takes place Saturday, Oct. 11, from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. at the Horseshoe Cafe, 226 Main St., North Reading, MA (978-664-3591). The band and special guests will perform the entire CD set, and freshly baked albums will be on sale. Admission is free.
Produced by North Shore musician Brian Maes, the independently-released, 52-minute CD of roots rock follows up on last year’s locally successful "Red Sox Blues" CD-single. The single found open ears in Red Sox Nation soon after its release in August ’02. As the Sox suffered another late-season collapse, "Red Sox Blues" got a ton of MP3 downloads at bostonphoenix.com, and then airplay around town. Request-friendly DJs with local shows played it on WBOS, WXRV and WZLX. And when the season ended last October, "Red Sox Blues" was played over the Fenway Park public address system for the first time.
"What an honor. What a trip," says singer-songwriter Mike. "That little tune has opened ears and doors everywhere. And they’re playing it again this year, so I’m hoping people will get into the whole album, and the Sox win it all."
Mike (guitar, vocals), cousin Mitch Hallal (harmonica, vocals) and Jim Antonellis (drums) have played together for some 10 years; Dixon Creasey Jr. (bass, vocals) joined the group 3 years ago. Designated hitter Kook Lawry (lead guitar) is a longtime friend of the band, as is producer Maes (keys, percussion, backing vocals). North Shore buds Silvertone Steve (slide guitar) and David Vargas (congas) also make guest appearances on Chains of Being, and Laurie Glasser, Terri Osoro and Gloria Poirier add backing vocals to a track.
"You’ve got a great bunch of guys on this CD," says Dan Tarlow, who mastered both the single and the album at his Zigmo Recording studios in Danvers, production home to local notables like Brad Delp and Barry Goudreau. "Everyone really plays together. You can hear the joy in the music."
You’ll hear a few surprises too. Tuba and cocktail piano appear on the acoustic jaunt "Bull," for instance. And accordion fills the waltz bridge in "Hey Betty," a 5-minute ballad-cum-rocker that talks of "Trouble always trouble/At the heart of our joy/Down the center of Main Street/In Baghdad and Detroit."
Beginning Tuesday Oct. 14, the Chains of Being CD will be available online at
www.mikehallal.com, at Ted Cole’s Music Shop (Salem) and at 7 area Newbury Comics stores (Newbury St., Government Ctr., Harvard Sq., Alewife, Saugus, Peabody and Providence, RI). For more information visit the website or call 781-595-2948.# # #
[FOR CALENDAR LISTINGS]
Hallal Band CD Album Release Party
Sat. Oct. 11, 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m. at the Horseshoe Cafe, 226 Main St., North Reading, MA.
Mike Hallal Band and special guests perform "Red Sox Blues" and the rest of the songs on their
new CD album, Chains of Being. Freshly baked CDs for sale. No cover charge. Free parking.
Handicap accessible. Visit www.mikehallal.com or call 781-595-2948.