Stone Machine celebrated CD release at the V Club
November 24, 2009 @ 12:00 AM
DAVE LAVENDER
HUNTINGTON -- Stone Machine's first CD cover says
it all -- a couple Les Pauls side-by-side plugged into
amps stacked to the ceiling.
On Wednesday, the side project, put together by
veteran rockers Dirk Blevins (formerly of Ten Years
Gone), Jason Mays (Split Nixon) and others, will
celebrate with a CD release party at The V Club, 741
6th Ave.
Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 10 p.m. Headlining will be Ten Carp Lie, which has two
members, guitarist Matt Parkins and drummer, Jeremy Hall, that play on the CD, and No Pause.
The ThanksForGiving Concert that will benefit the St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
Blevins, a 38-year-old Kenova resident who had the band 10 Years Gone around for about eight years, is
excited to perform music from the new CD that features 11 of his original classic rock-style songs such as
"Dirty Sweet," "Down South Mama," "Pike County Woman," and "W.Va. Blue."
Blevins, who was also in the band Blue Condition back in the day, said it was a ton of fun to hear his songs
(he wrote all the words and music) getting rocked up by an all-star lineup.
Mays, the lead singer for Split Nixon, tore up the lead vocals, threw down some blues harp and was backed
by Blevins on guitar and bass. Everyone from Mays and Hall to Scott Ross (Split Nixon), Jeremy Hall (Ten
Carp Lie) and Rodney Crisp (Nashville-published songwriter and multi-instrumentalist) all pounding the
skins.
"I got turned onto Jason after talking with Jamie Hall, who was in my first band with me," Blevins said. "I
called Jason up and his voice is just a perfect fit. He sounds so good singing my stuff."
Blevins isn't alone in that assessment.
Blevins, who cut the CD at Mays' Ashland studio called Vango Recording, caught the attention of Ashland
rocker, Gary Kessling, whose label, 9 Lives Records, picked up the CD for distribution.
Originally released in late August, the CD has been strewn all over the Internet on iTunes, Amazon, and
such places as Insomnia Radio in England.
The CD was the No. 1 new hard rock release for the week of Aug. 25-29 on e-Music, and is still in the Top
100 for 2009 releases on that site.
"The guy from Insomnia Radio in England gave it a review and called it brand new classic rock," Blevins
said. "It's like I got some brand new old money."
Getting comparisons to '70s rockers like Bad Company is more than OK with Blevins, who dedicated the CD
to his dad, W.D. Blevins, who died from complications from diabetes.
"I love 1970s rock 'n' roll," Blevins said. "I have three older brothers and that's where I got all of my music
from. In the '80s I was bringing 'Led Zep III' and 'Beggar's Banquet' to school. I finally pestered my brother
Marc to teach me to play. So I started playing about age 12 or 13 and starting writing songs when I was
about 15. I've got maybe 400 songs, and maybe five are good."
Plenty of folks would beg to differ with Blevins, who has been jamming with Aaron Miller, a local rocker
making some noise as a country-rocker in Nashville. In spite of being a special project without a touring
band, Stone Machine CDs have been selling to folks all over Europe and the United States.
To listen to the band and to check out the CD, go online at www.2catstudios.com/9lives. Click onto Stone
Machine.
November 24, 2009 @ 12:00 AM
DAVE LAVENDER
HUNTINGTON -- Stone Machine's first CD cover says
it all -- a couple Les Pauls side-by-side plugged into
amps stacked to the ceiling.
On Wednesday, the side project, put together by
veteran rockers Dirk Blevins (formerly of Ten Years
Gone), Jason Mays (Split Nixon) and others, will
celebrate with a CD release party at The V Club, 741
6th Ave.
Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 10 p.m. Headlining will be Ten Carp Lie, which has two
members, guitarist Matt Parkins and drummer, Jeremy Hall, that play on the CD, and No Pause.
The ThanksForGiving Concert that will benefit the St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
Blevins, a 38-year-old Kenova resident who had the band 10 Years Gone around for about eight years, is
excited to perform music from the new CD that features 11 of his original classic rock-style songs such as
"Dirty Sweet," "Down South Mama," "Pike County Woman," and "W.Va. Blue."
Blevins, who was also in the band Blue Condition back in the day, said it was a ton of fun to hear his songs
(he wrote all the words and music) getting rocked up by an all-star lineup.
Mays, the lead singer for Split Nixon, tore up the lead vocals, threw down some blues harp and was backed
by Blevins on guitar and bass. Everyone from Mays and Hall to Scott Ross (Split Nixon), Jeremy Hall (Ten
Carp Lie) and Rodney Crisp (Nashville-published songwriter and multi-instrumentalist) all pounding the
skins.
"I got turned onto Jason after talking with Jamie Hall, who was in my first band with me," Blevins said. "I
called Jason up and his voice is just a perfect fit. He sounds so good singing my stuff."
Blevins isn't alone in that assessment.
Blevins, who cut the CD at Mays' Ashland studio called Vango Recording, caught the attention of Ashland
rocker, Gary Kessling, whose label, 9 Lives Records, picked up the CD for distribution.
Originally released in late August, the CD has been strewn all over the Internet on iTunes, Amazon, and
such places as Insomnia Radio in England.
The CD was the No. 1 new hard rock release for the week of Aug. 25-29 on e-Music, and is still in the Top
100 for 2009 releases on that site.
"The guy from Insomnia Radio in England gave it a review and called it brand new classic rock," Blevins
said. "It's like I got some brand new old money."
Getting comparisons to '70s rockers like Bad Company is more than OK with Blevins, who dedicated the CD
to his dad, W.D. Blevins, who died from complications from diabetes.
"I love 1970s rock 'n' roll," Blevins said. "I have three older brothers and that's where I got all of my music
from. In the '80s I was bringing 'Led Zep III' and 'Beggar's Banquet' to school. I finally pestered my brother
Marc to teach me to play. So I started playing about age 12 or 13 and starting writing songs when I was
about 15. I've got maybe 400 songs, and maybe five are good."
Plenty of folks would beg to differ with Blevins, who has been jamming with Aaron Miller, a local rocker
making some noise as a country-rocker in Nashville. In spite of being a special project without a touring
band, Stone Machine CDs have been selling to folks all over Europe and the United States.
To listen to the band and to check out the CD, go online at www.2catstudios.com/9lives. Click onto Stone
Machine.
| The Herald-Dispatch |
