Mark Sheehy
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Mark Sheehy

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Press


"Restored my faith in smart rock and roll."

The title—- Rock, Paper, Jesus —- caught my eye. The opening track, “Orion’s Belt,” opened my eyes about what you can do with a song. The guy in this couple is leaving a tip on a bar counter as his girl’s at home microwaving a cup of coffee. What makes this unusual is he’s Jesus and she’s Mary. Chicago-based singer-songwriter Mark Sheehy isn’t hyping religion or bashing it. He’s simply placed these icons in a modern setting and portrays them as a couple trying in a small way to hold on to a big world. Sheehy’s third effort restored my faith in smart rock and roll. --Tony Peyser - Santa Monica Mirror


"Mark Sheehy definitely rocks!"

"At a time when so much Americana has become a sort of 'slow core' affair, I'm glad there are still guys out there who know how to rock. On his excellent "Rock, Paper, Jesus," Mark Sheehy definitely rocks."
--Theo Oldenburg - Radio Wenschoten


"A great album!"

Chicago’s Mark Sheehy plays good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll and he plays it damn well. Opener ‘Orion’s Belt’ sounds just like classic era Rolling Stones and the pace doesn’t really let up too much from there on in. Sheehy does have the quality to vary things a bit with songs such as ‘Breakdown Lane’ but he is at his best when playing hard rocking Uncle Tupelo influenced country rock, such as ‘The Demise of Eric Johnson’. Best song on the album award however goes to the awesome ‘Guess I was Thinking’. Full marks for the use of tuba in ‘Old Maid’ as well proving that this instrument is far more rocking than its reputation would suggest. A great album!--Dan Wilkinson - americana-uk.com


"Good-natured roots-rock colored with melancholy."

On Rock, Paper, Jesus, Sheehy's good-natured roots-rock is colored with melancholy. There are a few stompers where he affects a mild swagger, but Sheehy's at his best when his protagonists are most vulnerable: "Old Maid" is a drunken lament about a barroom pickup, complete with out-of-tune honky-tonk piano and woozy tuba; "All I Want" is a jangly pop ditty addressed to a would-be girlfriend who's on the fence ("You could be the last one I ever kiss"); and "Turn Out the Lights" is a bitter suicide note set to a jolly Tejano rhythm.--Bob Mehr

- The Chicago Reader


"Sheehy shines as a lyricist"

"Crooked Pictures" is full of haunting images and lovely melodies. Sheehy's dark baritone voice is perfectly suited to material as diverse as the country-ish opener "Leaves Without Knowing" and the spare "I Know." And Sheehy really shines as a lyricist, with his closer "Five Believers" exemplifying his mixture of humor and pathos about life's changes.---Dan Kening
- The Chicago Tribune


"Crooked Pictures is heartfelt and eloquent."

Heartland songsmith Mark Sheehy's first solo CD, Crooked Pictures, is full of haunted houses and lonely roads evoked by finger plucked guitar and skirling organ. It's a well-crafted, eloquent, and heartfelt contribution to singer-songwriter rock in these parts.--Monica Kendrick - Chicago Reader


"Sheehy play hard-hitting songs for hard hit people."

Playing hard-hitting songs for hard-hit people, Sheehy's music bears a heavy load of frustrations and shattered dreams. Whether he's imparting his experiences with simple guitar or off-center, almost jazzy arrangements, his songs cut to the quick.--Chad Driscoll - listen.com


"This gritty rock n' roll belongs on a jukebox in your local dive bar."

This gritty rock n' roll belongs on a jukebox in your local dive bar. Sheehy writes quality pub rock centered on booze, redemption and women. Worn topics for sure, but Sheehy has a knack for details. In his world, Jesus is just another bar fly, and a would-be adulterer watches and old lover go shoe shopping with his wife.--Todd Martens
- Punk Planet


"Sheehy makes it worth your while to listen."

Mark Sheehy has a lot to say. And he makes it worth your while to listen. Roaring out of the box full throttle into the rollicking ride that is "Orion's Belt," he never looks back but continues to slam out his slice-of-life musical observations in raw and powerful offerings. Tackling a variety of subjects, Sheehy masterfully matches his evocative lyrics with the perfect instrumentation.

Disillusionment prevails throughout, but not in a melancholy way. "Orion's Belt," layered guitars reminiscent of the Stones, sets the tone with its quixotic juxtaposition of Jesus and Mary in today's world, just warming up coffee and pie in the microwave. Poetic images like these take us through Sheehy's own processes and discoveries, and his gritty, masculine voice is the perfect guide. Actually, I find a strong masculinity ("motorcycle dreams when I'm hungover") runs through the whole CD, and it's often very appealing. "Mama Mama," impaling you with its shrill whistling organ, is an angry and heart-breaking rant against the wrong lessons learned.

But I don't want to over-intellectualize here, because Mark Sheehy is nothing if not rocking. These ten arrangements are electric with power, from "Breakdown Lane," a road-weary and wistful tune of unspecified longing, to "Turn Out the Lights," another accordion-laced rant against the standard answers, Sheehy always manages to excite. His biggest surprise might be "Old Maid," arranged with simplistic but potent perfection, utilizing tuba and tack piano. In "I Said Yeah," a haunting love song, the vocals surf beautifully on the strong chords, riding them effortlessly to a seamless end. Mark Sheehy sings of our survival, and like any good rocker, he refuses to lie down quietly. His refusal is our gain.--Kevan Breitinger
- Indie-music.com


"Gritty, honest-to-goodness rock."

Chicagoan Mark Sheehy’s self-produced effort has the sort of grit that lovers of classic Rolling Stones material will love. Sheehy sings in an honest rock fashion, lacing this songs with urgent, spiky guitar licks and solos and bolstering the up and at ‘em sound with a solid rhythm section and healthy doses of keyboards. ‘Rock, Paper, Jesus’ isn’t all ballsy rock, however - Breakdown Lane is a wistful country lament with a nagging rhythm; I Said Yeh has a chugging beat that refuses to lie down while The Demise of Eric Johnson is the sort of danceable rocker that will get anyone on their feet within thirty seconds. ‘Rock, Paper, Jesus’ is honest-to-goodness, no frills stuff - it doesn’t pretend to be anything else.--John Stacey
- Comes with a Smile


Discography

CD--Rock, Paper, Jesus (June 2004)
for streamed pre-release tracks visit:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sheehy2

CD--Oasis Rock & Roots Sampler, Volume 29

CD--Crooked Pictures (June 2000)
for streamed tracks visit:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sheehy

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Songwriter Mark Sheehy cut his teeth playing guitar in Chicago roots and rock outfits like the Sapphires, Scarecrow, J-200 and Red Star Belgrade. After a Peace Corps assignment in Moldova and several trips to Bosnia to train election supervisors after the war, he returned with a backpack full of songs that became his first solo CD, "Crooked Pictures," which The Chicago Reader’s Monica Kendrick called “well crafted and eloquent.”

Accompanied by either his hard-rocking back-up band or equally hard-rocking accordion player, he has shared the stage with artists such as Tift Merritt, Matthew Ryan, Jay Bennett, David Olney, and Tim Easton.

Sheehy’s new CD, "Rock, Paper, Jesus," has been played on more than 80 stations across the U.S., reaching number 16 at WRDP in Chicago, and number 25 at WCSR in Milwaukee. The CD was also featured extensively on Richard Milne's "Local Anesthetic" show on WXRT and Tom Jackson's "Somebody Else's Troubles" show on WLUW, both in Chicago. Tony Peyser of the Santa Monica Mirror said, "Rock Paper Jesus restored my faith in smart rock and roll."

"Rock, Paper, Jesus" was recorded by Dan Deitrich at Wall to Wall Recording in Chicago and mastered by Mike Hagler at Kingsize Sound Labs. It features appearances by Gary Schepers of Devil in a Woodpile, David Resnick of Satellite 66, Jeff Maharry of Applecake, and Eddie Torrez of the Delafields.