‘Rebel’ Rod’s Reviews - Butchers Blind – Play for the Films hits the streets on July 23 on Paradiddle Records -

By ‘Rebel’ Rod Ames 

On July 23, many people are going to hear (if I have anything to say about it) from Butcher’s Blind in a big way.

Butcher’s Blind is a band out of Bellerose, New York – just inside what is known as Long Island. I’ve got to say, before I saw where Bellerose was I had envisioned this band from at the very least, upstate NY. I must admit, I have a stigma about New Yorkers in general, but have become slightly more educated over the last 18 years due in large part to my wife who happens to be from Sayville.

She taught me that Long Island is not part of NYC, in fact, she continues to correct me when I refer to the entire state as NYC. Why don't we make this less about me and how badly I suck at geography, and more about Butchers Blind debut, "Play for the Films"?

If I had to describe this record with one word, well that’s just not fair, but “splendid” was the one word that made its way in between my two remaining and continuously fighting brain cells.

Play for the Films is one good to great song right after the next. It’s lyrically gratifying and sonically pleasing all the way through.

You can’t help but make references to Wilco, Gram Parsons, The Band, and many others, but Butchers Blind have a unique sound. The trick with any band worth its weight is to come up with your own unique flavor. Butcher’s Blind does that here and they do it well.

This is a concept album based on lead singer Pete Mancini's interpretation of a cross-country tour previously taken by his Father. That excursion inspired the lyrics and the music for “Play for the Films”. It is richly textured with diverse instrumentation throughout. I’m a steel guitar whore, and it is generously used on the record, but only where it belongs.

There are 12 tracks on the record, three of which are entitled Journal #1, Journal #2, and Journal #3, interrupting the story set to song only briefly, to update the listener on the journey they have become a part of in a narrative manner. It’s as if we somehow stumbled upon this treasure of tunes and narration in some lost place, perhaps never intended to be found. This feeling grounds the tunes, making them even more appealing.

Butchers Blind are Pete Mancini, Brian Reilly, Paul Cianciaruso, Jason Roberts, Peter Remm, Skip Krevens, John Marshall, and Bob Casara.

“Play for the Films” was produced by the band and Mike Nugent, and was recorded and mixed at Mike’s Studio in Huntington, New York.

I can’t even begin to predict how big Butchers Blind will be, but I can guarantee one thing, you will be hearing a lot more from them on this blog and any future endeavors I have along my own musical journey.

“Play for the Films” hits the streets July 23 on Paradiddle Records. ‘Rebel’ Rod says check it out.