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72Blues

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"Lizzy Ray on Independence"

Thursday, June 01, 2006
Lizzy Ray talks to Sarah De Borre about INDEPENDENCE

Sarah De Borre calls on the real deal-hot rock chick-blues lover Lizzy Ray to talk about the concept of Independence

Independence...heck what do I know? Maybe just a lil'. I come from Windsor, Ontario, a small Canadian factory town where I worked on the line for five years building cars. I was haulin' ass back then. By day I was in the pit at 6am-the auto line movin' like clockwork above my head as I was holding a 20 pound steel power gun to the axyl. By night I was singin, hootin and hollerin' across the border in Detroit, Michigan. What's this got to do with independence? ...I was doin' all this before I turned 18. No buddy holding my hand. Just a pure, hard workin, take no-shit from no foreman on the factory line, blues lover, rock singin' woman. ....Heck those hard working days made me the INDEPENDENT woman I am today.
- Easey Magazine


"72Blues Review from the Netherlands"

Just posted! Check out the latest 72Blues reviews in the EU
Visit www.undertow-recordings.com for more info.

Monday, September 04, 2006

72Blues Review - Ronny for UP Magazine - Netherlands


72Blues
Said I Would
(Arts Victoria/Undertow)

Every now and then I skip through the leftovers at the Up Magazine office. There I regularly find music that is as good as -or even better than- a lot of the albums that get reviewed in the mag. As I dig bluesrock and saw some interesting references in the biography of 72Blues, I just had to check them out. I put the cd in my discman for the bike drive back home, which takes about 45 minutes. And from the very first chord of the title song it blew me away. Shit, does this band rock! There's some vague resemblance with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, but these Aussies are way more bluesy and way more melodic. You can also hear the love for delta blues, despite the fact that acoustic guitars don't play a dominant role on the record. And when they're there, they're not nearly as dark. But it is the spirit, the heart-felt sorrow and grieve, the working man's blues, that obviously runs through the total picture, as well as a healthy dose of gospel and soul. Check out songs like 'Way Down', 'Gonna Get Fed' and a splendid version of 'Lay My Burden Down' and you know what I mean.

Talking about gospel and soul, singer Lizzy Ray has a great voice with a head-on 'black' sound, that traces back to the legendary female soul singers of the sixties and seventies, but with a determined rough edge. Although the musicians can be proud of their performance as well, she is the factor that really makes 72Blues stand out. She turns, twists, tumbles and twirls her way through the record with an attitude bigger than a huge hard-on. One line on the album says it all, displays perfectly what this band is all about - firmly rocking out and screaming at the world with vigour and conviction: "Whoa!, that boy is corn fed / Southern Fried 'till the day he's dead". No further comment.

Ronny - Up Magazine The Netherlands www.myspace.com/freakfromdabeat


- Up Magazine-The Netherlands


"She Like The Fux, Like Electrolux"

Friday, May 19, 2006
SHE LIKE THE FUX, LIKE ELECTROLUX - MESS & NOISE single review
- F. Vanderwerff

There's some good noise coming out of the 72Blues/Konqistador camp lately, and this dirty little stain on the matress is as good as a live Detroit-style blues punk outfit gets at delivering that experience to CD. Influences firmly on sleeve, the Rays kick out the jams with all the intensity and honesty requisite of the genre, while simultaneously thumbing their collective noses at tradition with protools and a Kaoss pad. And it works. 'Like Electrolux' is a heavy, sweaty, fuck-in-the-dark-with-the-curtains-on-fire of a song. Honest, balls-out and celebratory. Clearly, I dig it. - Mess & Noise


"Like Electrolux: Single Review"

Wednesday, March 22, 2006
SHE LIKE THE FUX - Faster Louder single review - by Zero

72 Blues are back with (She Likes The Fux) Like Electrolux, the follow-up single to their debut CD Said I Would (released last year) and as you would come to expect from these noise merchants, they do unspeakable things to the blues things that leave your head ringing and your body wanting to hump the speakers.

Reggie and Lizzie Ray (72 Blues, Konqistador) have taken a buzzing electro axe to their brand of fucked up blues-rock and the result is a killer tune that oozes sleaze, sex and, more importantly, TALENT. The distorted, fuzzy vocals are present, but dont make the mistake of thinking that distorted and fuzzy equals nice and fluffy. I mean distorted and fuzzy in a punch-in-the-face kind of way.

The musical break of this song is utterly fantastic, with some of the downright dirtiest, most rocking guitars you will hear this year and youll be hard pressed deciding whether to stomp your feet, attempt some mean air guitar or howl at the moon. The culmination of this and the repeated She likes the fux, like electrolux makes for a searing ending. B-sides include a fantastic cover of ZZ Tops Just Got Paid and a live version of My Name.

72 Blues have succeeded again and again in making unapologetic blues-tinged rock with plenty of attitude and not only is this single no exception, it is a warning that the band is back in full force and youd better watch the hell out. - Faster Louder


"Undertow Recordings swoops up 72Blues for the EU"

Said I Would

Undertow Recordings
http://www.72blues.com/

Undertow Recordings is langzaam maar zeker op weg om mijn meest favoriete label te worden. Na fantastische releases van The Mexicans, The Solipsist en Konqistador, worden we ditmaal verwend door 72 Blues. Bluesrock maar ook deltablues en smerige gospel knallen uit de speakers, met een kwieke bluesmadam op zang. Zangeres Lizzy Ray zingt met dezelfde kracht, intensiteit en bravoure als de sterke frontmadam van The Belrays, waardoor 72 Blues gerust de bluesuitvoering van The Belrays genoemd mag worden. Er wordt gescheurd en noten geneukt maar ook gewoon lekker gezapig gebluesed, met typische maar ontzettend lekkere bluesriffs, altijd voorzien van een smerige rand. Dit is gewoon een klasseplaat! De referentiepunten liggen voor het rapen maar de belangrijkste vind ik toch The Red Devils, The Belrays dus, Jon Spencer's Blues Explosion zonder het electronische geklooi van de laatste platen en Five Horse Johnson. Yup, zwier die vier bands op een hoopje en je krijgt een aardig idee van hoe 72 Blues klinkt. Fantastisch lekker dus!


Ghoulie

Gepubliceerd op 26/10/2006
- Ghoulie for dreun.be


"Lizzy Ray rants on AMO...Sawbucks says you will baby!"

Friday, July 21, 2006

1) Tell our readers about your upcoming overseas trip – what do you hope to get out of it?

We're lookin' to release a double live album next year so it all starts with our overseas tour. It'll be a collective of obscure vintage covers and all the material we've written over the years-to be delivered as dirty and raw as we know it should be. All's we need is that nifty lil' portable recording unit, some hard liquor and a whole lot of filth. That should make for a fine pot of raw-raucous-electro-blues gumbo.

2) What were the processes you had to go through to organise and prepare for this trip?

It started by calling on some old friends and venues in Canada and the US that we used to run with. Where we started out from-a small factory town in Canada, called Windsor, that borders on Detroit Michigan. Since '98 we've been back and forth across that border playing some great stages over there. The infamous Music Menu in Greek Town, The Old Miami -the legendary veteran bar on Cass Avenue, the Bovine Sex Club In Toronto... we've tapped into these places again, told 'em we're comin' and they've welcomed us back- it's like lettin' a pack of hungry dogs in through the back door cuz they know they gotta. Europe's a whole new territory for us but we're lookin' for a feed there all the same...

3) Distance and the dollar are obviously two huge factors when it comes to touring overseas. Could you offer any tips for other local artists on how to manage an overseas tour?

72Blues has had a few line-up changes over the years but there's one commom thread across all these players-they've all had a hunger for venturing across countries. Distance is a down right good thing for the growth of an artist. The dollar? Yep a bit of pain in the buttocks but a little bit of hard earned work shouldn't do anybody harm. Actually it was a whole shit load of work we had to do. My fellow players, Ben & Grant are hard workin manual labourers and I totally respect that. I myself spent 5 years workin' on the line -building cars, holding a 20 pound steel power gun to the axel and I wouldn't change anythin' about that experience. I've just never really warmed to the idea of easy money...you gotta work for it so the rewards taste sweeter.

4) AMO is all about celebrating Aussie music. Can you tell us who one or two of your favourite local songwriters/artists are, and what it is about them you love?

What were some of the first Australian records you remember really getting into? Lindsay Phillips. I was introcuded to his solo performance at last year's PBS 106.7 FM Festival of Song at The Corner Hotel. He's the next generation of Cat Stevens. I can't quite put my finger on it but he's got some kind of magic in all that complexity and simplicity he manages to effortlessly pull off.

5) Who's been a big musical influence on your life - whether it be an album you've loved, a songwriter who's inspired you, or just someone you know who's compelled you to writeTh?

To start with, Nikka Costa, I actually had to walk out of her show cuz I couldn't take the fire, she is serously the hottest female performer I've seen live. Niko Case, Big Mama Thorton, Bessie Smith, Ike and Tina's first few records, Robert Randolf, the next generation of blues, and last but not least I'm a big fan of Ian Collard from Collard Greens and Gravy, whom we had the blast collaborating with on our last record.

6) If you could have written any classic Aussie song in history - either widely popular or relatively unknown - what track would you love to be responsible for? Why do you like it? I'm not sure how far back this song goes in history but Ben Mitchell's song, 'Love is King' ranks high amongst the 72Blues crew.

7) What's some of the biggest challenges a local artist such as yourself faces when it comes to the day-to-day reality of making music for a living? Biting off more than I can chew. Limiting myself to a few solid ideas is a challenge and being OK with the idea that so long as I'm making music, my sense of completion will never come. I need to remind myself that it's a work of art in progress and there's plenty more to learn and offer.

8) If asked, what advice would you give to a young band or emerging artist who's starting out? What's something to avoid, or to keep in mind?

Now I by no means claim to be a know it all expert cuz I ain't but two things come to mind... One, take no for an answer. Don't waste time, re-fuel and work harder and sooner than later the whoever-what's it's name will be lookin' for a 'yes' out of you anyway. Second, don't underestimate your audience. Melbourne city especially holds a savvy bunch of music goers-no matter what the genre is. If you're spending more time on the frill and less on the talent, they'll see through it-they'll identify the try-hards and call it a day before the first chorus is even delivered.

9) Lastly, what do you get out of making music that - www.amo.org.au


"Lizzy Ray rants on AMO...Sawbucks says you will baby!"

Friday, July 21, 2006

1) Tell our readers about your upcoming overseas trip – what do you hope to get out of it?

We're lookin' to release a double live album next year so it all starts with our overseas tour. It'll be a collective of obscure vintage covers and all the material we've written over the years-to be delivered as dirty and raw as we know it should be. All's we need is that nifty lil' portable recording unit, some hard liquor and a whole lot of filth. That should make for a fine pot of raw-raucous-electro-blues gumbo.

2) What were the processes you had to go through to organise and prepare for this trip?

It started by calling on some old friends and venues in Canada and the US that we used to run with. Where we started out from-a small factory town in Canada, called Windsor, that borders on Detroit Michigan. Since '98 we've been back and forth across that border playing some great stages over there. The infamous Music Menu in Greek Town, The Old Miami -the legendary veteran bar on Cass Avenue, the Bovine Sex Club In Toronto... we've tapped into these places again, told 'em we're comin' and they've welcomed us back- it's like lettin' a pack of hungry dogs in through the back door cuz they know they gotta. Europe's a whole new territory for us but we're lookin' for a feed there all the same...

3) Distance and the dollar are obviously two huge factors when it comes to touring overseas. Could you offer any tips for other local artists on how to manage an overseas tour?

72Blues has had a few line-up changes over the years but there's one commom thread across all these players-they've all had a hunger for venturing across countries. Distance is a down right good thing for the growth of an artist. The dollar? Yep a bit of pain in the buttocks but a little bit of hard earned work shouldn't do anybody harm. Actually it was a whole shit load of work we had to do. My fellow players, Ben & Grant are hard workin manual labourers and I totally respect that. I myself spent 5 years workin' on the line -building cars, holding a 20 pound steel power gun to the axel and I wouldn't change anythin' about that experience. I've just never really warmed to the idea of easy money...you gotta work for it so the rewards taste sweeter.

4) AMO is all about celebrating Aussie music. Can you tell us who one or two of your favourite local songwriters/artists are, and what it is about them you love?

What were some of the first Australian records you remember really getting into? Lindsay Phillips. I was introcuded to his solo performance at last year's PBS 106.7 FM Festival of Song at The Corner Hotel. He's the next generation of Cat Stevens. I can't quite put my finger on it but he's got some kind of magic in all that complexity and simplicity he manages to effortlessly pull off.

5) Who's been a big musical influence on your life - whether it be an album you've loved, a songwriter who's inspired you, or just someone you know who's compelled you to writeTh?

To start with, Nikka Costa, I actually had to walk out of her show cuz I couldn't take the fire, she is serously the hottest female performer I've seen live. Niko Case, Big Mama Thorton, Bessie Smith, Ike and Tina's first few records, Robert Randolf, the next generation of blues, and last but not least I'm a big fan of Ian Collard from Collard Greens and Gravy, whom we had the blast collaborating with on our last record.

6) If you could have written any classic Aussie song in history - either widely popular or relatively unknown - what track would you love to be responsible for? Why do you like it? I'm not sure how far back this song goes in history but Ben Mitchell's song, 'Love is King' ranks high amongst the 72Blues crew.

7) What's some of the biggest challenges a local artist such as yourself faces when it comes to the day-to-day reality of making music for a living? Biting off more than I can chew. Limiting myself to a few solid ideas is a challenge and being OK with the idea that so long as I'm making music, my sense of completion will never come. I need to remind myself that it's a work of art in progress and there's plenty more to learn and offer.

8) If asked, what advice would you give to a young band or emerging artist who's starting out? What's something to avoid, or to keep in mind?

Now I by no means claim to be a know it all expert cuz I ain't but two things come to mind... One, take no for an answer. Don't waste time, re-fuel and work harder and sooner than later the whoever-what's it's name will be lookin' for a 'yes' out of you anyway. Second, don't underestimate your audience. Melbourne city especially holds a savvy bunch of music goers-no matter what the genre is. If you're spending more time on the frill and less on the talent, they'll see through it-they'll identify the try-hards and call it a day before the first chorus is even delivered.

9) Lastly, what do you get out of making music that - www.amo.org.au


"72Blues on Sun Studios, Detroit, the blues and a small town called Windsor"

Friday April 22, 2005
by: Tom Hawking

One of the pleasures about music is the interesting, inspiring, creative people you get to meet. 72Blues drummer Reggie Ray is a perfect example-originally from Canada, he relocated to Melbourne two years ago, and has since managed to get a job working for PBS. He's garrulous, friendly and full of stories about travel, music and life in general. Parking ourselves in a Fitzroy pub for a couple of hours, we find that over the years we've travelled to many of the same places, so it's between swapping stories on Moroccan carpet houses and Spanish beaches that we talk about Said I Would, the new 72Blues record.

72Blues is currently based across two continents, with members scattered in Melbourne, Canada and Detroit. As Ray explains, the band has been around long before he made the decision to move to Melbourne. "We have one member based in Detroit and another key member is a Melbournite. Myself and (vocalist) Lizzy are Canadians and we're from Windsor, which is directly across the river from Detroit...have you seen Bowling For Columbine?"

I confess rather shamefacedly that I haven't, as yet.

"Our city is the focus of that film, because of it's unique location. Here's this wonderful little sleepy manufacturing town called Windsor, Ontario where there's been one gun-related murder in 23 years, while across the river is Detroit, Michigan, where there are 1500 gun-related deaths a year. So here we have this town, where there's this industrial history, musical history, civil rights history...it's all there for the taking. We get to pay our bridge toll, go over, experience it then comfortably come back to Canada. So the band originated in Windsor, but took everything from Detroit as an influence and grew within that music scene in Detroi."

Said I Would reflects the band's globe-spanning nature, having been recorded in a variety of studios around the world, from Detroit, to Melbourne, to the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis Tennessee. Ray explains, "Lizzy and I have always taken a trans-global approach to recording, where we're never quite satisfied with recording in one place. It takes a variety of studios and locations to make it. The record actually originated in Sun Studios - we learned that they'd re-opened the doors and made it available again. So we bought two hours in Sun Studios - which was all we could afford - and drove down to record there. We then took that experience and took it to Melbourne and started to develop it here."

Ray found that the experience of recording at a studio so steeped in history more than lived up to expectations. "It most certainly did. Nothing has changed there. There's nothing fancy about it. Having come out of studios where it's all about the gear you've got or whatever, it struck me that Sun Studios was really raw, really antiquated. And it dawned on me, again, that it's all about the songs. While we were there, we recorded This Train, by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, which was our very first introduction to gospel. I remember the day - I woke up one morning in Detroit and I was listening to a station there which is kinda like PBS, and there was a show on called Blues From The Lowland. They were playing This Train, a live recording and I just went, 'Okay, wait a minute, I've never heard anything like this before, what is it?' And we became big lovers of it. So we went down there to pay a bit of homage."

With the blues resurgent in recent times, thanks in a large part to the efforts of another Detroit band, The White Stripes, I'm interested in Ray's thoughts on the sudden popularity of the genre. "I'm a huge fan of bands that are doing it right and there are a few of them right now, from The Mess Hall-they're fucking awesome-to The White Stripes, to the Vegas Kings out of Brisbane, to the Soledad Brothers out of Detroit. So yeah, a variety of bands are doing it and it's wonderful. My approach is that I've always been in a rock band, but I've been heavily influenced and sidetracked and I had to kind of step off my rock rails to go over and celebrate something that was really affecting me. So I just hope they're doing it for the same reasons we are, to celebrate this music."

Said I Would is available on Timberyard Records through Shiny

- Inpress Magazine


"72Blues on Sun Studios, Detroit, the blues and a small town called Windsor"

Friday April 22, 2005
by: Tom Hawking

One of the pleasures about music is the interesting, inspiring, creative people you get to meet. 72Blues drummer Reggie Ray is a perfect example-originally from Canada, he relocated to Melbourne two years ago, and has since managed to get a job working for PBS. He's garrulous, friendly and full of stories about travel, music and life in general. Parking ourselves in a Fitzroy pub for a couple of hours, we find that over the years we've travelled to many of the same places, so it's between swapping stories on Moroccan carpet houses and Spanish beaches that we talk about Said I Would, the new 72Blues record.

72Blues is currently based across two continents, with members scattered in Melbourne, Canada and Detroit. As Ray explains, the band has been around long before he made the decision to move to Melbourne. "We have one member based in Detroit and another key member is a Melbournite. Myself and (vocalist) Lizzy are Canadians and we're from Windsor, which is directly across the river from Detroit...have you seen Bowling For Columbine?"

I confess rather shamefacedly that I haven't, as yet.

"Our city is the focus of that film, because of it's unique location. Here's this wonderful little sleepy manufacturing town called Windsor, Ontario where there's been one gun-related murder in 23 years, while across the river is Detroit, Michigan, where there are 1500 gun-related deaths a year. So here we have this town, where there's this industrial history, musical history, civil rights history...it's all there for the taking. We get to pay our bridge toll, go over, experience it then comfortably come back to Canada. So the band originated in Windsor, but took everything from Detroit as an influence and grew within that music scene in Detroi."

Said I Would reflects the band's globe-spanning nature, having been recorded in a variety of studios around the world, from Detroit, to Melbourne, to the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis Tennessee. Ray explains, "Lizzy and I have always taken a trans-global approach to recording, where we're never quite satisfied with recording in one place. It takes a variety of studios and locations to make it. The record actually originated in Sun Studios - we learned that they'd re-opened the doors and made it available again. So we bought two hours in Sun Studios - which was all we could afford - and drove down to record there. We then took that experience and took it to Melbourne and started to develop it here."

Ray found that the experience of recording at a studio so steeped in history more than lived up to expectations. "It most certainly did. Nothing has changed there. There's nothing fancy about it. Having come out of studios where it's all about the gear you've got or whatever, it struck me that Sun Studios was really raw, really antiquated. And it dawned on me, again, that it's all about the songs. While we were there, we recorded This Train, by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, which was our very first introduction to gospel. I remember the day - I woke up one morning in Detroit and I was listening to a station there which is kinda like PBS, and there was a show on called Blues From The Lowland. They were playing This Train, a live recording and I just went, 'Okay, wait a minute, I've never heard anything like this before, what is it?' And we became big lovers of it. So we went down there to pay a bit of homage."

With the blues resurgent in recent times, thanks in a large part to the efforts of another Detroit band, The White Stripes, I'm interested in Ray's thoughts on the sudden popularity of the genre. "I'm a huge fan of bands that are doing it right and there are a few of them right now, from The Mess Hall-they're fucking awesome-to The White Stripes, to the Vegas Kings out of Brisbane, to the Soledad Brothers out of Detroit. So yeah, a variety of bands are doing it and it's wonderful. My approach is that I've always been in a rock band, but I've been heavily influenced and sidetracked and I had to kind of step off my rock rails to go over and celebrate something that was really affecting me. So I just hope they're doing it for the same reasons we are, to celebrate this music."

Said I Would is available on Timberyard Records through Shiny

- Inpress Magazine


"72Blues - 'Said I Would'"

March 16, 2005
by: Liam Pieper

"We called the album Said I Would cause so many people told us that we wouldn't. There were a lot of people who told us that this album would never get made, it took a long time to make, we had to let musos go, it was a long process and hard decision making. So yeah 'F__k you, I said I would, I did."

So says Reggie Ray, drummer of 72Blues about their new record, which is incidentally, really, really good. It's a rock n' roll tour of the heartland of delta blues and gospel, all wailing guitars and harps and piercing vocals-driving beats that have a devastating effect on the listener's mood, which is what good blues should do. It's the kind of music you listen to when drinking whisky in a dark bar on a highway somehwere, just after you've killed a truck driver in a knife fight. Moody stuff.

"One Melbourne writer suggested that my pores are too clean, my background too priviledged, my skin too white to write blues music. My reply was that I don't write blues music, I write rock music that's influenced by these amazing blues artists. That and I told him to get f_cked!"

Said I Would was a difficult album to make. As well as facing the difficulty of blending influences ranging from Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Alan Lomax to Ike Turner, the members of 72Blues don't live in the same country. Even though the band is based in Melbourne, the other half, that is their co-writer and producer D.A. Chow live in Detroit, Michigan. 72Blues get around this geographical problem with their own approach to songwriting.

'Songwriting for us is like this: I'll call up our songwriting partner, Detroit Dave, in America and I'll play the idea I have for percussion, vocally. He'll sit down and work out how the guitar is gonna sound, then he'll record that and send it digitally to me though our FTP site over the internet. The actual recordinging was produced in both countries. In the initial demo recording stage of this album we paqcked up and travelled 14 hours from Detroit to book ourselves into Sun Studios in Mempis, Tennessee to further experience the spirit and history of early blues and rock n' roll. Sessions were sund directly into the original RCA microphone used by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ike Turner. After that, we took a plane to Melbourne to begin the official recording."

72Blues launch Said I Would Friday, March 18 @ the Moser Room on Chapel in Melbourne
- Beat Magazine


"72Blues - 'Said I Would'"

March 16, 2005
by: Liam Pieper

"We called the album Said I Would cause so many people told us that we wouldn't. There were a lot of people who told us that this album would never get made, it took a long time to make, we had to let musos go, it was a long process and hard decision making. So yeah 'F__k you, I said I would, I did."

So says Reggie Ray, drummer of 72Blues about their new record, which is incidentally, really, really good. It's a rock n' roll tour of the heartland of delta blues and gospel, all wailing guitars and harps and piercing vocals-driving beats that have a devastating effect on the listener's mood, which is what good blues should do. It's the kind of music you listen to when drinking whisky in a dark bar on a highway somehwere, just after you've killed a truck driver in a knife fight. Moody stuff.

"One Melbourne writer suggested that my pores are too clean, my background too priviledged, my skin too white to write blues music. My reply was that I don't write blues music, I write rock music that's influenced by these amazing blues artists. That and I told him to get f_cked!"

Said I Would was a difficult album to make. As well as facing the difficulty of blending influences ranging from Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Alan Lomax to Ike Turner, the members of 72Blues don't live in the same country. Even though the band is based in Melbourne, the other half, that is their co-writer and producer D.A. Chow live in Detroit, Michigan. 72Blues get around this geographical problem with their own approach to songwriting.

'Songwriting for us is like this: I'll call up our songwriting partner, Detroit Dave, in America and I'll play the idea I have for percussion, vocally. He'll sit down and work out how the guitar is gonna sound, then he'll record that and send it digitally to me though our FTP site over the internet. The actual recordinging was produced in both countries. In the initial demo recording stage of this album we paqcked up and travelled 14 hours from Detroit to book ourselves into Sun Studios in Mempis, Tennessee to further experience the spirit and history of early blues and rock n' roll. Sessions were sund directly into the original RCA microphone used by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ike Turner. After that, we took a plane to Melbourne to begin the official recording."

72Blues launch Said I Would Friday, March 18 @ the Moser Room on Chapel in Melbourne
- Beat Magazine


"'Said I Would' Album Review"

Friday, February 25, 2005
by: virginblood

Blues, originally the domain of men the colour of coal sitting on their porches, has been hijacked by any number of musos for their own creative pleasure. And now, pull out your pen and add Melbournes 72 Blues, a loose, God-fearin collective, to that list. They are the restless fanatics who stand on wooden crates and stare a rattlesnake in the face while preaching the virtues of the Lawd Jesus Christ while they kick up the dirt and cackle manically.

The opening title track stomps on, a grimy blues riff shooting through the speakers. The she-devil incarnate sings with alarming competency, her vocal range reaching full stretch as her voice fills the dusty exposed wooden rafters of the tiny white-panelled church in Middle America. Follower Supper Is Waiting meanwhile saunters in; skirt firmly an inch too short, all suggestive lingering growls and flirtatious guitar licks.

The harmonica is pulled out for My Name, with almost tribal tappings, a dust storm of noise and gospel conviction, where my name is the only line you need to know in order to join in the worship faction in singing their praises, whisky splashed about recklessly, teasing the licking flames of the hearth.

That Just Happened serves as an interlude of sorts, where a wise old man, faded American flag firmly stitched to breast pocket, muses over a sulking, sole guitar. It prepares your senses for the aptly named Way Down, a subtle, seductive tune in the same way a cowboy hat tilted just so is seductive. It is a refreshing break from the high intensity hoedown of prior.

But before you have time to drain your bourbon and coke, Southern Fried comes hurdling in, hoedown back in full force, complete with dirty vocals strained through a two-bit speaker. A bit of steel guitar and coos of hallelujah is on the cards for Lay My Burden Down, and the worship of gods real or imagined is continued.

After such familiar and (whisper it) predictable blues tunes, Harmonihum is a strange beast which makes you sit up and prick your ears, consisting solely of the literally gargled emissions of a harmonica. Pity it is only an indulgence, at 1:11 minutes long. Oh well, back to some swampy blues.

It gets muddy on Lawd, A Lonesome Sorry, where another riff trudges circles around your delusioned head. But maybe youve been staring at the sun for too long and the cactus dancing in front of your eyes isnt really there. Or perhaps youve just heard enough.

The band senses this, too, and strips it bare with Home. An acoustic guitar is languidly plucked as water drips, dirt in a can and crusty boots provide percussion, and she sings wistfully for home. The plaintive quiet of it is particularly endearing after the assault of blues debauchery.

It gets switched back to 11 with Gonna Get Fed, more raucous, twangy noise to melt your heathen heart. Shadows cast long and it is just about time to gather round and let Uncle Joe tell you stories for the fearful and the sceptical. Yes, it is time for the 11 minute closer.

Not No More is a humid, epic song of lust and snakeskin boots, with musicians slinking in and out of the mix and the sense of a massive barnyard jam session. It is a fitting end for what is a ride through another era. 72 Blues certainly know their source material well - imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but a little deviation wouldnt go astray. - Faster Louder


"'Said I Would' Album Review"

Friday, February 25, 2005
by: virginblood

Blues, originally the domain of men the colour of coal sitting on their porches, has been hijacked by any number of musos for their own creative pleasure. And now, pull out your pen and add Melbournes 72 Blues, a loose, God-fearin collective, to that list. They are the restless fanatics who stand on wooden crates and stare a rattlesnake in the face while preaching the virtues of the Lawd Jesus Christ while they kick up the dirt and cackle manically.

The opening title track stomps on, a grimy blues riff shooting through the speakers. The she-devil incarnate sings with alarming competency, her vocal range reaching full stretch as her voice fills the dusty exposed wooden rafters of the tiny white-panelled church in Middle America. Follower Supper Is Waiting meanwhile saunters in; skirt firmly an inch too short, all suggestive lingering growls and flirtatious guitar licks.

The harmonica is pulled out for My Name, with almost tribal tappings, a dust storm of noise and gospel conviction, where my name is the only line you need to know in order to join in the worship faction in singing their praises, whisky splashed about recklessly, teasing the licking flames of the hearth.

That Just Happened serves as an interlude of sorts, where a wise old man, faded American flag firmly stitched to breast pocket, muses over a sulking, sole guitar. It prepares your senses for the aptly named Way Down, a subtle, seductive tune in the same way a cowboy hat tilted just so is seductive. It is a refreshing break from the high intensity hoedown of prior.

But before you have time to drain your bourbon and coke, Southern Fried comes hurdling in, hoedown back in full force, complete with dirty vocals strained through a two-bit speaker. A bit of steel guitar and coos of hallelujah is on the cards for Lay My Burden Down, and the worship of gods real or imagined is continued.

After such familiar and (whisper it) predictable blues tunes, Harmonihum is a strange beast which makes you sit up and prick your ears, consisting solely of the literally gargled emissions of a harmonica. Pity it is only an indulgence, at 1:11 minutes long. Oh well, back to some swampy blues.

It gets muddy on Lawd, A Lonesome Sorry, where another riff trudges circles around your delusioned head. But maybe youve been staring at the sun for too long and the cactus dancing in front of your eyes isnt really there. Or perhaps youve just heard enough.

The band senses this, too, and strips it bare with Home. An acoustic guitar is languidly plucked as water drips, dirt in a can and crusty boots provide percussion, and she sings wistfully for home. The plaintive quiet of it is particularly endearing after the assault of blues debauchery.

It gets switched back to 11 with Gonna Get Fed, more raucous, twangy noise to melt your heathen heart. Shadows cast long and it is just about time to gather round and let Uncle Joe tell you stories for the fearful and the sceptical. Yes, it is time for the 11 minute closer.

Not No More is a humid, epic song of lust and snakeskin boots, with musicians slinking in and out of the mix and the sense of a massive barnyard jam session. It is a fitting end for what is a ride through another era. 72 Blues certainly know their source material well - imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but a little deviation wouldnt go astray. - Faster Louder


"Shit in one Hand...Wish in the other"

Monday, February 21, 2005

Shit in one hand...Wish in the other - Reggie Ray's got somethin' t'say

When did you decide that you wanted to be a musician and/or songwriter? How did you start going about it?


Originally from the Detroit area, I was raised on Detroit stadium rock and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Youthful piss ups and general teen antics had me illicitly hanging back stage at Ted Nugent Concerts, queuing for days on end for Alice Cooper tickets or tailing the tour bus of Deep Purple, ZZ Top, Jethro Tull and Aerosmith from Detroit to Cleveland to Cincinnati and back again.

This was truly the beginning of something big. How to afford a drum set was the next challenge and how to play it like a sold out stadium rock legend ... well, 15 years later, Im still trying.

Whats the best advice you ever received about making music, and who was it from?

Best advice more from the perspective of the realities of the music industry more than making music PW Long (Reelfoot and Mule) Shit in one hand and wish in the other, see which one fills up first.
I use it every day. 72Blues doesn't sit around and wait for it to happen. We wrestle it, strangle it and beat it down dead. Every day.

Whos an Australian musician you particularly admire? Can you tell us why?

Tex Perkins hes a fucking monster. Were talking 6 foot something and chucked full of good looks and vocal fortune. Beasts of Bourbon Gone was the first Australian release prescribed to me. It kicked the shit out of me. Left me on my hands and knees like beaten stepchild.

Their brief resurrection in 2003 at the Tote (Collingwood) took my beating one step further nearing chronic head injuries and irreversible ego damage. Christ Almight, if this was Melbourne rock n roll in the 90s then its a damn shame I wasnt here to witness it.

What would be your dream local line-up for a gig, and why:

There are a handful of bands right now making great music in Melbourne that fall slightly outside of the Melbourne standard template. Not the 4X4 Yute fuelled, finger fucking energy rock (which is cool) but instead, more intelligent and articulate rock assault bands like Doctor Invisiablo, Sinking Citizenship and Two Thousand Mavericks. These are bands I admire and would consider to be the ultimate line-up.

Can you tell AMO a story behind your latest release?

72Blues Said I Would was recorded across several countries in a variety of studios. The title track came quite easily to us after the band sustained some rocky turmoil whilst on tour overseas.

Certain members of the band were fired and sent home to Melbourne, other members re-grouped and entered a recording studio in Detroit, USA. There was plenty of fuel and fire to ignite the final tracks of this record and Said I Would was one of them.

What do you want people to get out of this record when listening to it? How would you choose to describe it someone who was unfamiliar with your work?

72Blues Said I Would is a collective work of mostly Afro-American roots influenced music. Its not a blues album. Not by a long shot. But a rock n roll album heavily inspired by cotton field chants, prison blues, southern fried and signifying honkey blues. Most of the record was written after I had found such artists as: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Big Mama Thornton, Little Walter and rolling stone, Alan Lomax.

In the initial demo recording stage of this album we packed up and travelled 14 hours to book ourselves into Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee to further experience the spirit and history of early blues and rock n roll. We hired session player David Evans (Inside Memphis Music, Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside) for education and inspiration. Sessions were sung directly into the original RCA microphone used by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ike Turner.

We then drove home and boarded a plane to Melbourne, Australia to begin the official recording. This recording is well and truly a documentation of this process and long journey.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when writing & recording this release?

I'm often asked about the challenges of writing authentic blues music. Are my pores too clean? Is my history too privileged? Am I too white to write blues music? Get fucked.

This record faced many challenges. All of which were due to the fact that, there were just too many influences. Too many great artists that inspired us. Too much music. Too long a history. And so many legendary artists ignored and disrespected.

Said I Would in its title alone states quite clearly: Hey! All you fuckers that said it wasnt possible. Well guess what? It was. Said I would, I did and its done.

What do you think is unique about the Aussie music scene as opposed to the rest of the world?

Coming from Detroit and regularly touring and performing such cities as Cleveland, Toronto, New York, LA, Montreal and more is a constant reminder that Melbourne has something very special t - AMO


"Shit in one Hand...Wish in the other"

Monday, February 21, 2005

Shit in one hand...Wish in the other - Reggie Ray's got somethin' t'say

When did you decide that you wanted to be a musician and/or songwriter? How did you start going about it?


Originally from the Detroit area, I was raised on Detroit stadium rock and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Youthful piss ups and general teen antics had me illicitly hanging back stage at Ted Nugent Concerts, queuing for days on end for Alice Cooper tickets or tailing the tour bus of Deep Purple, ZZ Top, Jethro Tull and Aerosmith from Detroit to Cleveland to Cincinnati and back again.

This was truly the beginning of something big. How to afford a drum set was the next challenge and how to play it like a sold out stadium rock legend ... well, 15 years later, Im still trying.

Whats the best advice you ever received about making music, and who was it from?

Best advice more from the perspective of the realities of the music industry more than making music PW Long (Reelfoot and Mule) Shit in one hand and wish in the other, see which one fills up first.
I use it every day. 72Blues doesn't sit around and wait for it to happen. We wrestle it, strangle it and beat it down dead. Every day.

Whos an Australian musician you particularly admire? Can you tell us why?

Tex Perkins hes a fucking monster. Were talking 6 foot something and chucked full of good looks and vocal fortune. Beasts of Bourbon Gone was the first Australian release prescribed to me. It kicked the shit out of me. Left me on my hands and knees like beaten stepchild.

Their brief resurrection in 2003 at the Tote (Collingwood) took my beating one step further nearing chronic head injuries and irreversible ego damage. Christ Almight, if this was Melbourne rock n roll in the 90s then its a damn shame I wasnt here to witness it.

What would be your dream local line-up for a gig, and why:

There are a handful of bands right now making great music in Melbourne that fall slightly outside of the Melbourne standard template. Not the 4X4 Yute fuelled, finger fucking energy rock (which is cool) but instead, more intelligent and articulate rock assault bands like Doctor Invisiablo, Sinking Citizenship and Two Thousand Mavericks. These are bands I admire and would consider to be the ultimate line-up.

Can you tell AMO a story behind your latest release?

72Blues Said I Would was recorded across several countries in a variety of studios. The title track came quite easily to us after the band sustained some rocky turmoil whilst on tour overseas.

Certain members of the band were fired and sent home to Melbourne, other members re-grouped and entered a recording studio in Detroit, USA. There was plenty of fuel and fire to ignite the final tracks of this record and Said I Would was one of them.

What do you want people to get out of this record when listening to it? How would you choose to describe it someone who was unfamiliar with your work?

72Blues Said I Would is a collective work of mostly Afro-American roots influenced music. Its not a blues album. Not by a long shot. But a rock n roll album heavily inspired by cotton field chants, prison blues, southern fried and signifying honkey blues. Most of the record was written after I had found such artists as: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Big Mama Thornton, Little Walter and rolling stone, Alan Lomax.

In the initial demo recording stage of this album we packed up and travelled 14 hours to book ourselves into Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee to further experience the spirit and history of early blues and rock n roll. We hired session player David Evans (Inside Memphis Music, Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside) for education and inspiration. Sessions were sung directly into the original RCA microphone used by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ike Turner.

We then drove home and boarded a plane to Melbourne, Australia to begin the official recording. This recording is well and truly a documentation of this process and long journey.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when writing & recording this release?

I'm often asked about the challenges of writing authentic blues music. Are my pores too clean? Is my history too privileged? Am I too white to write blues music? Get fucked.

This record faced many challenges. All of which were due to the fact that, there were just too many influences. Too many great artists that inspired us. Too much music. Too long a history. And so many legendary artists ignored and disrespected.

Said I Would in its title alone states quite clearly: Hey! All you fuckers that said it wasnt possible. Well guess what? It was. Said I would, I did and its done.

What do you think is unique about the Aussie music scene as opposed to the rest of the world?

Coming from Detroit and regularly touring and performing such cities as Cleveland, Toronto, New York, LA, Montreal and more is a constant reminder that Melbourne has something very special t - AMO


Discography

72Blues 'Detroit Border City EP'
Worldwide
Release Date: May 2007 thru NFF Digital
outwiththenew.com

72Blues 'Live at Northcote Social Club'
Worldwide
Release Date: May 2007 thru NFF Digital
newfoundfrequency.com

72Blues 'Said I Would'
Australia/New Zealand
Release Date: June 2005 thru Shock Records
shock.com.au

72Blues 'Said I Would'
Europe
Release Date: September 2006 thru Undertow Recordings
undertow-recordings.com

72Blues 'Said I Would'
Digital Worldwide
Re-Release Date: September 2006 thru NFF Digital
itunes.com

Photos

Bio

72Blues are a good time, dirty-delta rock n' roll blues band that's been going hard & strong now for over 6 years. 72Blues let the music do the walkin' and take to the stage with a straight-up, stripped-down-honest & original approach to the blues.

Melbourne, Australia's 72Blues, featuring Lizzy & Reggie Ray, originally from Windsor/Detroit (also from Melbourne's highly acclaimed Konqistador) with Ben Hall, Grant Emery & Adrian Vincent - deliver a stinging blend of down south and signifying honky rawkin-blues; celebratin' old time traditional music, swing blues, delta blues, rock blues and nailing it with original, contemporary pop sensibilities. This mob of musos hen peck and scuffle a devilish blend of country-blues, swamp-blues, gospel rhythms, cotton field chants, gospel-blues and prison-blues.

Devils music meets Divine Intervention you might say! 72Blues keep things good and raw with their highly acclaimed debut CD release 'Said I Would' of 2005, with 11 wickedly raw tracks streamed together seamlessly rejoicing in a 70 minute sinners sermon. Followed by their single 'She Like The Fux, Like Electrolux 'of 2006 recorded in Motor City Detroit, USA - served up with a deluxe sizzler of a single with ZZ Top's 'Just Got Paid' and a live Studio 5 (PBS FM Melbourne) version of their previously released 'My Name' ( P.W. Long).

And who says you cant f@ck up the blues just a little bit more? Remember, 72Blues fight dirty and write music with the same killer instinct, continually re-inventing their punch combination of old time blues traditions. Just released! 'Ghetto Sessions' recorded straight outta Ghetto Recorder Studios (with Producer Jim Diamond) in the Motor City, Detroit - Michigan and an exclusive live recording at Melbourne's stellar venue - Northcote Social Club. All this fanfare followed by their recent June '07 tour of Moscow, Russia with sellout crowds and loads more live tracks to be released - 72Blues are sure to keep you guessing. No one knows what's comin' outta these sure-fired outlaws next...but we're sure it'll be a good helping of some bonafide southern lectro rock blues!