Biography
Steve's "Plug It In And Play" Debuts on the Americana Music Chart
USA Today Plugs In "Plug It In And Play"
USA Today chose Steve's single and title cut to his newly released CD for its February 21, 2007 playlist
In only two CDs Steve Bedunah has crafted a significant body of work within the Americana, Roots, Country tradition. Garnering major praise for his first CD Hand Me Down Land, Bedunah followed with a second even more impressive performance in his second CD Plug It in and Play.
One truism in the music industry is that your second album must be as good or better than your first. After the quality of Bedunah’s first CD, he had a huge hurdle to overcome. It wouldn’t be easy. Everybody wonders about that second body of work. Robert Oermann, the dean of Nashville critics, had already praised Bedunah’s “The Johnstons” from Hand Me Down Land writing, “your in the presence of a major songwriter.”
So what did Oermann think of “Plug It In and Play” the feature song on his second album? “The twangin’ title tune to Bedunah’s latest is meant as an inspirational musician’s celebration. But his dusty, world-weary voice makes it sound haunted, dark and desperate. I dig that,” said Oermann. High praise from the hard to please Oermann. Indeed Oermann’s instincts were correct as Plug It in and Play landed on the top 40 of the Americana Music Chart.
Andy Turner of No Depression heaps on the praise noting, “When it comes to narrative-focused country songwriters, few regions can match up to the Lone Star State. Add Steve Bedunah to the list of talented Texans with the ability to spin rugged and robust stories with almost literary flair.” And “…the rave-up title track is barroom blues at its best.”
Although Bedunah has been compared to James McMurtry in his lyric producing abilities and stylistically to Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristopherson , he defies description as any significant artist always does.
Reviewing Plug It in and Play, John Shelton sums up Bedunah’s CD: “ His songs are musical literature--he is a great storyteller and uses this ability to make his twangy Country downright infectious. This album and Steve have a lot to offer, whether it be foot stomping bluegrass or inspirational Traditional Country, or the Whiskey Blues.” Ivany - Top 21 (Mar 9, 2007)
Bedunah’s songs depict characters facing life with all its thorny problems who seek satisfying solutions. They seem like simple country or urban characters, but they are American archetypes who gain a profound individuality through Bedunah’s keen psychological perception and his deliverance of perfect sensory detail. Although the characters seem overwhelmed by a symbolic darkness and futility, they rise above their fate in an uplifting defiance of spirit that is the essence of the American pioneering experience. They strive to achieve understanding that make them more genuinely human.
Bedunah’s music creates a tension between the heroism of the personas and their dark circumstances. But Bedunah at his best presents a stirring musical backdrop to his finely crafted vignettes. His songs are anything but depressing despite his treatment of dark themes. His music is gritty, forceful, and rhythmic with a touch of twang. He calls it “backwoods rock.”
Bedunah presents the ironies of life as they rise up and slap you in the face as showcased in songs like “The Johnstons,” “ Love Thy Neighbor,” “Down to the River,” and “Reunion.”
Some of Bedunah’s best gems are his rolling, rollicking songs like “Little Sister,” “Rocking Chair Lullaby,” and “Plug It In and Play.” Their hypnotic effect makes it hard to leave them for very long.
Bedunah’s CDs usually have only a single love song, but they are incredibly beautiful. They are not gushy. Instead, they are understated masterpieces that perfectly reflect the emotion of a finely felt union that the character/persona strains to express. They are that perfect balance between feeling and restraint. Although “Concho Valley Nights” from Hand Me Down Land and “If You Need To Help” from Plug It in and Play are vastly different in voice, they are almost perfect in their execution. The character in “If You Need to Help” laments, “I turn and I turn and I turn until I can’t sleep no more.” He calls in despair, “No ordinary woman could save the soul of this man.” Powerful stuff from a powerful Texan.
Steve Bedunah, now living in Wichita Falls, was born and grew up on the west side of Fort Worth, Texas. Steve spent many weeks on his grandfather’s cotton farm in East Texas. For a long time the old house had no bathroom, electricity, or running water. Wolves and coyotes howled their litanies in the early morning hours. When there was no moon it was pitch black. His first remembered musical experience was listening to the Beatles. It was his preteen years and his father bought him a guitar. He learned quickly. Later he recognized the great country music innovations coming out of Austin, Texas. Many years later a meeting and conversation with the legendary Ray Wylie Hubbard inspired his early career.
Instrumentation
Solo Act: Steve Bedunah -Acoustic Guitars
Acoustic Act: Steve Bedunah -Acoustic Guitars
Paul Carr -Resonator/Dobro, Mandolin
Cody Shaw -Bass Guitar, Mandolin
Electric Band: Steve Bedunah -Acoustic and Electric
Guitars
Paul Carr -Electric Guitars/Mandolin
Cody Shaw -Electric Bass
Jesse Andrade -Drums
Discography
Plug It In And Play (02/20/07)
Hand Me Down Land (01/2004)
Links
| http://www.stevebedunah.com |