Pela: Some final thoughts

This will be my last post on the wonderful band Pela. The guys were exceptionally friendly and giving in supporting my little project. I hope over the past few weeks, you've gotten to know their music and the band a little better.

And just one last time...I urge you to purchase their latest release "Anytown Graffiti." It'll more than likely end up on your best of 07 list.

And again, I do not make any money (its an ad free blog for goodness sake) and by no means represent any of the bands featured on A Better Offer. I simply love their music and want to share that passion with you.

Pela: Review of "Trouble with River Cities"

Anytown Graffiti is really a brilliant collection of songs that rock and roll with the best of them. And one of those fine tracks was even featured in an Express advertisement. But another track, that may not be the most representative Pela song, is exceptionally wonderful. "Trouble with River Cities" nestles in at track four on Anytown Graffiti and it is moving to say the least.

The song is much more mellow than a typical Pela song, and it begins with Billy singing "float like a sparrow/t-top camaro/is the wind done blowin you down?" and it reminds me the past. You know the days when you were growing up and we were much more care free. I asked Billy about the inspiration for this track in my interview and he replied, "Ya know its one of the oldest songs that i still play. I wrote it when i was 19. Its a snapshot of a period of time i spent with someone i loved and that theme again of being doomed to keep returning to an undesirable town." It is simply a beautiful snapshot of that time, and to me it's reminiscent of a small town friendliness.

Towards the end of the track Billy sings, "Yeah there's an undertow/but it ain't got me..." and it seems like there is some hope in the ending to this track. It's like an acknowledgment that trouble may remain, but moving on is an option. I asked Billy specifically about this lyric, and he wrote, "I really like mixing the dark and difficult aspects with fantasy where your imagination can sort of alleviate the grittiness that life can be. There is a dreamy highway escapism going on in that song....probably hatched from a stuck 19 year old me daydreaming. Daydreams are fucking valuable and i try to do it as much as possible. Really the process of creating is meditative and seeing it through from the bedroom, to a record, and later seeing fans sing it back to you a enormously gratifying."

I did not get permission from Pela's management to post this track, and I whole heartedly respect that. So if you're inspired to hear this song, go purchase "Anytown Grafitti." I assure you that it's worth your $13.

Thanks for reading.

Pela: Lost to the Lonesome video shoot

I got this email today from Pela. Check it out and get your little self out there to be part of this if you can.

Hey all,

Just wanted to send out a quick (and last minute) invite to see if you wanted to be in a video we are shooting this Sunday July 29th.

The video will be for the song 'Lost to the Lonesome', and it will be filmed in Woodstock, NY. It will be an all day event and you would have to provide your own transportation. You may also have to bring certain clothes as the video will be a period piece from the late 1800s/early 1900s. Food and fun will be provided.

If you are interested, please write us by Wednesday (tomorrow) at theband@pelamusic.com for more details. Again we'd like to stress that we will not be able to provide any transportation, so if you need to steal a car we completely understand.Hope you can make it down, sorry for the lack of notice.

All the best to you....

Eric

Pela's thoughts on a new record

The following was posted on Pela's tour blog on the 16th of July. Check out their initial thoughts on a new record.

We’ve been driving all day. Conversation has bounced from topic to topic, mostly landing on thoughts for our upcoming record. All of us are excited about the new material that is being brought forward. There is also a growing realization that this record will be quite different from Anytown Graffiti.

With Anytown we did the best we could given circumstances it was birthed in. We battled a lack of funding, a lack of a cohesive schedule, and the daily struggles of being independent artists living in New York.

For the new record the atmosphere is different. In many ways we are now given a chance to make the record we’ve always dreamed of, an opportunity we are all taking seriously. So, as we drive across this country we’ve been writing incessantly, reviewing our demos, and talking in great detail about everything that will go into making this record come to life. It’s a wonderful quest ……

I, for one, am in love with the sound on Anytown Graffiti. I think it's a brilliant compilation of rock songs that sound like the best of yesterday and tomorrow. I can't wait to hear what their music will sound like if they have funding, a cohesive schedule, and a more dedicated fan base.

If you haven't bought Anytown Graffiti yet, you can do so here. I highly suggest you do so.

More to come...

Pela: Calvary live with Chris Herb

So this post is a blatant rip off from Pela's website...but I really wanted to share it with you. And my time is short right now--but it's looks like Pela is going to get a bonus week next week for a number of different reasons. But the most important is that they freakin rock! Trust me--I have more from my interview with Pela, a contest, and many more thoughts about Pela. Check back often.

Anyway here is the info directly from the band's website about this video...

A couple of weeks ago, we announced that a video of Pela playing an acoustic version of Cavalry. No sooner than we announced it, it disappeared. We’re still not sure what happened to it but it has been reposted. It shows the lads playing with Chris Herb, an old friend and bandmate of Billy, who wrote the lyrics. The video is not the best quality but you may never see the song being done this way again.

And here's a version of them playing Calvary in it's rocking glory...

Pela: New Tour Dates Added!

Just a quick update for those of you who will get the chance to check out Pela in all their glory. They've added some more tour dates, and expect to add some more soon. Here's the info released via their website...

New Dates Added to August Tour

The following dates have been confirmed for the August tour. In addition, we expect to add another 3 or 4 in the near future.

8/09 The Cavern, Dallas, TX
8/10 Mohawk, Austin, TX

8/21 400 Bar, Minneapolis, MN

For a full list of tour dates, click here. Check them out if you get the chance.

Pela featured on Dinner With The Band

You may have seen this referenced in one of the questions in A Better Offer's interview with Pela. But, Pela was on the Dinner With The Band Podcast. The band cooks up two recipes with host Sam Mason and plays three songs live. (Waiting on the Stairs, Lost to the Lonesome, and Philadelphia). And please, if anyone knows better than I correct me, but Philadelphia is not on either Pela release, and as far as I can tell it's previously unreleased. Also on the episode, Sam talks with the band about food, life, and the making of Anytown Graffiti. It is well worth your time to watch.

Here's a little blurb about the show itself, Here's a cooking show that breaks the mold - the perfect mash-up of indie music and edgy food for total entertainment. Chef Sam Mason has been raising the stakes in the culinary world for the last ten years. Now join him as he invites his favorite touring bands to dinner for an intimate evening of cooking, conversation and live performance. Part rocker, part chef, Mason creates "intellectual food" that stimulates the palate as well as the dialogue. Rock on.

Check it out here. Now the episode is broken into five parts--for easier viewing. But I'm guessing if you subscribe to the podcast, you can see it all in one episode.

And don't forget to pick up Anytown Graffiti!