Bill Reveles
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Bill Reveles

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Band Pop Singer/Songwriter

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"Northeast In-Tune Magazine"

INSIDE GOSPEL GARAGE
Your hair fell down it hides your eyes it blinded your sight,
it blocked the sun
as if the moon has a choice where to shine its light
my hands always lose their place,
they shade the shape of your pretty face
we drink the wine, we drink the blood, we drink before we shine
You don't think it's real, anything I feel
Creep inside

("Creep Inside" – Inside Gospel Garage)

Ah to be able to sing "along" again, a favorite pastime denied me through undecipherable lyrics and 16 count music. Words that fit together like an aural puzzle, creating an amalgamation of vocals, melody and dare I say it, harmony?? Let my heart sing the wonder. Bill Reveles, where have you been all my life? Well California actually. Bill Reveles hails from San Jose and he can be seen in live performances around Southern California. Ah but wait even if you do not live in the L.A. area you have probably heard his music on some of your favorite old television shows. Yep that's right Bill Reveles' music can be heard on Dawson's Creek, King of the Hill, Daria and VIP just to name a few, not to mention his work with various movies of the week, Paul Newman's Nobody's Fool and Disney's adventures in Dinosaur City.

- North East In-Tune Magazine


"Rocknworld.com"

If, in the opening song ("The Apartment") of this album, someone asked you to guess where Bill Reveles is from, I doubt you would say southern California. I know I wouldn't. The melody of the opening song is pure midwestern rock in the tradition of John Mellencamp with good, grooving guitar and solid rhythms.
However, a few songs later, he delivers a song that shows Reveles's southern California upbringing. There is a healthy dose of the Bakersfield sound in "Mexicali Stars".
There is some humor in "Hollywood Cowboy" that probably resonates more with anyone that has ever lived in or visited southern California. Reveles sings "I got Botox to buy, crack to sell, and maids to lay." If you've never been to Hollywood (thank your lucky stars), that's probably exactly what a Hollywood cowboy would do. Later on in the song, he sings "I got pills to buy, scripts to sell and wives to trade." Again, that sounds about right.
"I Think Love" is the kind of song you might expect from Lyle Lovett. It may not be a country song, but it's got some pretty decent twang to it, just like Lyle Lovett does.
Reveles has an even voice that is easy on the ears. At times, his vocals remind me of Jackson Browne. That influence doesn't permeate throughout the album ,but it's there. If for no other reason than Reveles never strains his voice. He ranges from pensive ("Two Conversations," "Fist Over Wrist") to rockin' "Was It Something I Said"). And he does it all with relative ease. It's no surprise to me that he won the Best Male Artist at the 2006 Southern California Music Awards. I'd like to see more artists like him around here. Rootsy singer-songwriter fans, this album is for you.


- Gary Schwind


"Music Morsels Review"

Bill Reveles is a veteran performer of the L.A. bar scene. With his new CD, Inside Gospel Garage, his song crafting talents are obvious as he creates quirky yet comforting folk-edged rock brimming with soulful vocals. "I Don’t Mind If You're Cruel" drives the emotion into your soul. "Hollywood Cowboy" is a gritty but hooky rocker. Think Lou Reed with the lyrical brain of Warren Zevon and you will say "Wow," too. - Mark Waterbury - Music Morsels - Music Morsels


"Not Lame Recordings Review"

Bill Reveles is a solid singer-songwriter that has a really, really nice mixture of favorites here like Bill Lloyd (and even some Foster & Lloyd, as well), Walter Clevenger, The Jawhawks, Brian Jay Cline, early John Mellencamp and Nick Lowe`s solo material from the last 15 years or so. This reminds us, too, of Jamie Hoover and Bill Lloyd's dual release, Paparazzi, as well. Reveles has a smooth, soothing croon that any songwriter would be jealous of and he puts it to good use on these 12 new songs. Sweet, slow-moving but effective melodies abound as does a driving sense of purpose that grounds the entire release. Gorgeous acoustic guitars, rich, melodious singing and rootsy spirit permeate all the tracks here. Beautifully sublime and resonating. Very Highly Recommended! - Bruce Brodeen, Not Lame Recordings

- Bruce Brodeen


"SongsAlive Review"

Who is this Bill Reveles with his captivating voice and I'll take you where you need to go attitude. Where has he been and why is he not on the radio? Or maybe he is? The music is very rhythmic and has radio written all over it. The first track "The Apartment" is a rockin' pop song with a very strong hook. I love the tambourine of the chorus and the great story that he tells with very strong metaphor placement in the verses. I hate to hear this song because I wish I had written it. Very catchy. "Creep Inside," the second track, is just as strong as track one. Great way to use the word "creep" in a song. My hat goes off to you. The other song on the CD that caught my eye because it's title was "Hollywood Cowboy". A great song with some cool affects on the voice of the verses. This song is a comparison to a Cowboy in the urban jungle of Hollywood. All in all, the CD is great. The songs are strong and are very hooky. The use of prosody is very evident and the production is in tangent with the caliber of songwriting that is present on this CD. This one stays in the CD rack. - Paul Lawrence Moyer, Songsalive

- Paul Lawrence Moyer, SongsAlive


"Fufkin.com Review"

One of the strongest debut discs to spend time on my CD player is Bill Reveles' Unamerican Dream. This singer/songwriter's power pop tunes draw immediate comparisons to Bill Lloyd, Michael Oliver and Jeff Larson. Bill's more poignant ballads also merit a comparison with one of his songwriting icons, Bruce Springsteen. Every song is excellent, but Noelle stands out as a very Byrdsian track. - Fufkin.com


"Boulevard Magazine Review"

Bill Reveles is one of the new breed of folk artists whose songs reveal a profound poetry in every day life. In his debut album, “Empty Chair, Bill runs the gauntlet of emotions from a furiously impassioned “Demon” to the rhythmic “The More We Need” to the angry and contemplative “Color of Skin”. I can’t help but compare Bill to a young John Mellencamp. Sometimes raw and lonesome, sometimes urgent and angry, other times introspective and revealing, the music is that of an artist finding his unique artistic energy and voice. I want to call his music” suburban” because of its subject matter, but more than anything, I want to call it exciting because it represents the launching of a new and very talented singer/songwriter. - Boulevard Magazine


Discography

Empty Chair - 1997-Roughrider Records
Unamerican Dream - 2001- Deaf Poet Records
Inside Gospel Garage 2005 - Big Belly Records
It's Complicated 2008-JackMac Music

Television Uses:
Music featured on Dawson's Creek, King of the Hill, Party of Five, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Cybil, Second Noah, Daria, VIP and MTV's Undressed, as well as various usages in ABC, NBC and CBS Movies of the Week and he has written for the Discovery Channel.

Film Uses:
Bill's work in major motion pictures includes : Nobody's Fool with Paul Newman, and Disney?s Adventures in Dinosaur City which was performed by the Phoenix Symphony.

Covers of Bill Reveles' Songs:
Bill's songs have been covered by Kyle Vincent, Jane Weidlin of the Go-Gos and Nelson.

Radio Play for Bill Reveles:
Bill can be heard on iradio, LA 104.7 FM, Indie Artists Radio and Indie Limelight Show, Outbound Music.com radio CNotes Internet radio, Mooziko Radio, 1160 WCCS, That's Country Live, and many more.

Photos

Bio

2007 BEST ARTIST, LOS ANGELES MUSIC AWARDS

2006 ARTIST OF THE YEAR, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MUSIC AWARDS

Songwriter of the People

Bill's edgy, sophisticated, yet accessible songs, with their painfully real lyrics, have been characterized as reminiscent of John Lennon's solo stuff and his slower songs and lyrics as that of Bruce Springsteen. On the song, Hollywood Cowboy, "think Lou Reed with the lyrical brain of Warren Zevon". It has been said that his passionate voice reminds one of a male version of Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders.

After beginning his career in a series of garage bands, Bill performed the LA night club circuit including: The Roxy, Whiskey, Madame Wong's and the Palomino. He then refocused his efforts on solo acoustic performances, studio recordings and television and film usage. His music has been used in the television shows: Dawson's Creek, King of the Hill, Melrose Place, Party of Five, Beverly Hills 90210, Cybil, Second Noah, Daria and VIP. In addition, his songs have had various usages in ABC, NBC and CBS Movies of the Week and he has written for the Discovery Channel. His work in major motion pictures includes : Nobody's Fool with Paul Newman, and Disney's Adventures in Dinosaur City which was performed by the Phoenix Symphony. Bill's songs have been covered by Kyle Vincent, Jane Weidlin of the Go-Gos and Nelson. Bill is the winner of the 2006 Southern California Music Awards - Best Male Artist. Last year Bill performed showcases at the MidPoint Music Festival in Cincinnati and SXSW in Austin.

Bill recorded his first album, "Empty Chair" in 1997 for Roughrider Records. His second album, "UnAmerican Dream," was released in 2001 on the Deaf Poet label. In 2006 Bill released his third album, "Inside Gospel Garage", for the independent label, Big Belly Records. Co-producing with Tim Godwin, the band featured Taras Prodaniuk and Jim Christie from Lucinda Williams' band. Additional players were: Nick Vincent, Phil Parlapiano and Gia Ciambotti. The album was recorded and mixed at the Blue Room in North Hollywood by Talley Sherwood. Bill's fourth album, "It's Complicated" was released in early 2008 through JackMac Music. On the strength of the "Complicated" recordings, Bill won Best Male Contemporary Artist at the Los Angeles Music Awards. In 2008, Bill earned a performance alley showcase artist at the International Folk Alliance Festival in Memphis, he played an opening party for the Grammy Awards, he was featured in the summer concert series at Leavitt Pavillion in Pasadena, and he has participated in several radio interviews with indie stations around the country. Bill regularly plays top venues around Los Angeles such as Cafe Cordiale, Molly Malone's, and Crane's Hollywood Tavern in addition to his Sunday Residency at Cafe Valentino in Simi Valley.