The Resurrectionists

We’ve been having so much fun lately promoting the record and teaming up with our New England Americana Association brethren that we almost missed a major headline: the Resurrectionists are nominated for Best Roots/Americana Act in the 2011 Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll.That’s no April foolin’!

We’re psyched to be in such wonderful company, and grateful to the Phoenix folks for taking a listen and a liking to us. Now comes the hard part: seeing if we can win the darn thing.  We’ll need your help, friend. If you’re reading this, do us a solid and throw us a vote. Its super easy, and you can do it every day till polls close on May 12. So, as they say in Chicago, vote early and vote often!

Thanks in advance, and stay tuned for new photos, shows and announcements. Our kickass experience with the  New England Americana faithful this past weekend kept our spirits high  and we’ve got a few new things percolating.

Till later…

Lots going on as we gear up for Saturday’s epic at the Lizard Lounge. In the last 48 hours: Strings have been changed, various merch corralled and organized, whisky drunk, intra-band imbroglio ignited and quashed (did we mention the whisky?), and much trouble shot.

Now with trouble squarely shot and laid in its pine box, here’s what you need to know:

First up, we highly recommend buying tix in advance. Save $0.64 (a buck thirty-four is unlikely amount for service fee, no?)! Don’t be left in the cold! Enough said.

Once that’s taken care of, the gig starts at 9 with our old friend Sodafrog. We can’t say enough good things about band leader/songwriter Tom Janovitz’s gorgeous, self-titled debut and hirsute, manly calves. Fortunately, we don’t have to. His album cover and Boston Music Award nomination speak for themselves!

Sodafrog will be followed by Sand Machine. These garage-rock titans are like our good luck charm. All of our most fun and successful shows seem to have involved them. It may also have something to do with their massive talent and cross-over appeal, but this bodes well either way.

We’ll start in the 11 o’clock hour and play till close. Bring a few bucks, your rockin’ shoes, your clapping hands, and a willingness to sing along to O Mary, one of only three tunes that we’re reprising from our first album release—also at the Lizard but many incarnations ago. Cameras and flash photography are strictly encouraged.  It is safe to use approved portable electronic devices at any time. And you may touch the artwork.

Check out this fresh ink to get the scoop on the album or this review of our January 7 Midway Cafe show for a little preview of Saturday’s festivities.

-Al Moore

The Resurrectionists have taken to the airwaves in support of My Chainsaw Heart.  On February 22 we joined Jeff Breeze’s terrific “Pipeline” show on MIT Radio – 88.1 WMBR – and ratted off a full set before sitting for a quick interview.

The session was particularly rewarding for Ben Crouch, the band’s most vocal advocate for and staunch listener to local radio in general and MBR specifically. For me, the opportunity presented a chance to live one of my favorite SNL sketches by saying “Schwetty Balls” on the air. So it was high-fives all around.

Find the podcast version of the whole broadcast here. You will have to lean in close  to catch the “Schwetty Balls”, hovering around the 1:32. Highlight of the show, really.

And that’s not all! “Cordelia” and “Apocalypse (Applause) have made it into the rotation on both the FM dial and the internet. Thanks to the good folks at WFNX’s Boston Accents, Pipeline, Breakthru Radio, New Music Collaborative, and Boston Band Crush for being the first to air us!

-Al Moore

The process of cutting a record requires indulgence. You have to climb deep into every aspect of every song. That can lead to healthy self and musical discovery and high creative expression, or it can lead to megalomaniacal indulgence, destructive self-criticism and total insanity (read: Chinese Democracy).

It’s unclear at this time which road we’ve taken. But we’d like to take you with us by tossing out “the story” of My Chainsaw Heart as viewed by Crouch, one of our principal rhyme-slingers:

Though not a concept album, the songs weave together a narrative that explores the nature of loss. It’s about the collateral damage of good love gone bad, a defiant celebration at the end of the world, and ultimately, transcendence, forgiveness and redemption:

To wit:

1. Apocolypse – This is the oracle at the beginning of a Greek tragedy foretelling woe, but at the same time consoling the listener with omnipotent wisdom.
2. Cordelia – The betrayal.
3. Chainsaw – The betrayed, spreading his pain around.
4. Fallen Man – Breaking the cycle of abuse.
5. Letter to LA – Hitting bottom.
6. Broke Soon – The existential bounce.
7. Ruth – Redemption. A happyish ending.

If that seems too heavy, don’t sweat it. There’s plenty of other conclusions to be drawn. Or you can just spin “Broke Soon”, a song with only one real message: rockin’ out is awesome.

-Al Moore