Down By Law-New Record

[earthdog70]

"Lonely Town" due out 2/26/21! On Sunday 1/31 at 9:30 EST Sam will host a live listening party!

Sam-will you just be doing this via FB live video? Another option may be doing an actual Zoom call since then you could have people on video. I know you can do "free" tickets via Eventbrite and that way you can keep the capacity where you want it. Martin Atkins does it this way for his webinars (Of course he also has an assistant! Just a thought )

[SamDBL]

Those are all great ideas. But I'm too dumb and disorganized to figure that out. I was planning just an fb live thing.

[captain2man]

Those are all great ideas. But I'm too dumb and disorganized to figure that out. I was planning just an fb live thing.

I will be getting this one. It's amazing how prolific you guys have been in recent years.

I'm not sure if you got to hear the interview I did with Dave for End on End - but near the end he mentioned that DBL was releasing a new record early in the year.....I had no idea!

He also gives you some seriously high praise....like top of the mountain high praise.

I think the world is due a new Pseudo Heroes record as well.

[SamDBL]

Those are all great ideas. But I'm too dumb and disorganized to figure that out. I was planning just an fb live thing.

I will be getting this one. It's amazing how prolific you guys have been in recent years.

I'm not sure if you got to hear the interview I did with Dave for End on End - but near the end he mentioned that DBL was releasing a new record early in the year.....I had no idea!

He also gives you some seriously high praise....like top of the mountain high praise.

I think the world is due a new Pseudo Heroes record as well.

I have not gotten around to listening to the episode yet, but I will. The praise is absolutely mutual.
A new black valley moon record will have to do, this year. That’s what I’m working on, now. Though there is a tune on the new dbl that I sing that might as well be a new pseudo heroes song,

[earthdog70]

Cool-looking forward to hearing it. A new Pseudo Heroes releases would be great, I am holding out for Electro-Requiem II

So I'm guessing this will be on Kung Fu/Cleopatra? Hopefully yes as Down By Law will then still be labelmates with George Lynch Anyone checked out his covers record with Jeff Pilson?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGZX2azczCM

I'm sure VS will dig this Duran Duran cover

[FormerLurker]

Who plays bass on this?

[SamDBL]

Yes still on Kung fu/Cleo, who also recently bought the enuff z nuff catalog. It’s a weird label.
I totally Dale Nixon the bass on this bitch.

[captain2man]

A new black valley moon record will have to do, this year. That’s what I’m working on, now. Though there is a tune on the new dbl that I sing that might as well be a new pseudo heroes song,

Already gave you praise on the FB page - but might as well do it here too - but yeah - I love the Black Valley Moon 7" - which arrived in the mail earlier today. Really great tunes - love the singer - and your guitar work, as always - is both fantastic AND sounds great. Congrats on the release. Killer stuff.

As far as having to "Dale Nixon that shit" on the new DBL record....hey....if you ever need a fill-in bassist for any shows once the world opens back up again (not looking to steal anyone's job - I'm assuming Kevin Coss is still the DBL bassist) - don't be a stranger.

[SamDBL]

A new black valley moon record will have to do, this year. That’s what I’m working on, now. Though there is a tune on the new dbl that I sing that might as well be a new pseudo heroes song,

Already gave you praise on the FB page - but might as well do it here too - but yeah - I love the Black Valley Moon 7" - which arrived in the mail earlier today. Really great tunes - love the singer - and your guitar work, as always - is both fantastic AND sounds great. Congrats on the release. Killer stuff.

As far as having to "Dale Nixon that shit" on the new DBL record....hey....if you ever need a fill-in bassist for any shows once the world opens back up again (not looking to steal anyone's job - I'm assuming Kevin Coss is still the DBL bassist) - don't be a stranger.

Thank you so much, old friend. I am mutually a fan of your current stuff. And I'm dead set on some TMV and BVM shows as soon as possible.

As for the bass on the new record, I did it because the bass player we planned on using (Angry John) was unavailable at the last minute. And the scheduling for the record was already so delayed and bizarre. We had to stop recording for several months due to corona shut down. So instead of taking another month to teach one of our other bassplayers the songs I just did it myself. I'll definitely keep you in the dbl rhythm section rolodex for the future, though.

[FormerLurker]

So instead of taking another month to teach one of our other bassplayers the songs I just did it myself.

[SamDBL]

So instead of taking another month to teach one of our other bassplayers the songs I just did it myself.

‘This is a B. That’d be 3rd string, 2nd fret for you.’

[lewdd]

I see there is an ad in the newest edition of Vive Le Rock for this release.

[FormerLurker]

So instead of taking another month to teach one of our other bassplayers the songs I just did it myself.

‘This is a B. That’d be 3rd string, 2nd fret for you.’

Kind of a rough week for me.

[jaybird]

So instead of taking another month to teach one of our other bassplayers the songs I just did it myself.

‘This is a B. That’d be 3rd string, 2nd fret for you.’

[FormerLurker]

So instead of taking another month to teach one of our other bassplayers the songs I just did it myself.

‘This is a B. That’d be 3rd string, 2nd fret for you.’

Make sure you tell him to count the strings from the bottom.

[lewdd]

Punk veterans Down By Law get back to basics on their newest album Lonely Town. Still led by the unstoppable Dave Smalley, the band’s first single from the album is the very essence of the DIY punk rock ethos and a powerful distillation of DBL’s career - “In denim and leather / Through the storms and weather / We’re scarred for life together.”

[earthdog70]

New jam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTFjG6rm8OY



Sam-I see that Cleopatra has pre-orders up. Since I know Cleopatra vinyl normally doesn't come with download codes, will you have that same color variant available via your Bandcamp so the digital would come with it too?

[SamDBL]

New jam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTFjG6rm8OY



Sam-I see that Cleopatra has pre-orders up. Since I know Cleopatra vinyl normally doesn't come with download codes, will you have that same color variant available via your Bandcamp so the digital would come with it too?

I am actually not sure. I think label will be selling on bandcamp, which will be linked to our bandcamp, but for which we have nothing to do with if that makes any sense,

[earthdog70]

I enjoyed the "sneak-peek" last night-thanks Sam!

What I learned:

Ricky Warwick (Black Star Riders) guests on a song

The band covers a 60's tune on it (I didn't catch the band name)

Sam has a lot of guitars (duh )

[jaybird]

I enjoyed the "sneak-peek" last night-thanks Sam!

What I learned:

Ricky Warwick (Black Star Riders) guests on a song

The band covers a 60's tune on it (I didn't catch the band name)

Sam has a lot of guitars (duh )

[gregpolard]

Figured this was a good thread to give a shout out to Hal who sent me a vinyl copy of "Blue" since he had doubles.

Now I just have to buy the self titled back which I sold a couple years back lol

[SamDBL]

I enjoyed the "sneak-peek" last night-thanks Sam!

What I learned:

Ricky Warwick (Black Star Riders) guests on a song

The band covers a 60's tune on it (I didn't catch the band name)

Sam has a lot of guitars (duh )

Yeah, man. That was fun.

[Hal]

Figured this was a good thread to give a shout out to Hal who sent me a vinyl copy of "Blue" since he had doubles.

Now I just have to buy the self titled back which I sold a couple years back lol

You are so welcome. I just wanted it to go to a big fan like myself. One of my favorite albums of the 90's. I had ordered a copy last year via Discogs from a dealer in Japan. I never received confirmation of payment received or any reply to repeated PM's. I figured I'd been ripped off. In the meantime, I found another one at an amazing price, so I pulled the trigger. A week after that one showed up I got a package delivered from Japan

[lewdd]

This is on Bandcamp now to buy vinyl, CD, or digital

After a very quick listen to parts of each song:

This release has 3-4 classic very fast tempo DBL songs, some Big Country sounding guitar songs, a rockabilly-ish song to close it out, some AC/DC guitars, etc. Something for everyone but maybe not everything for everyone.

[dude munhoz]

Yeah! The New DBL is fucking great!!!
Congratulations Sam.
Reminds me BLUE, Champions At Heart and ALL IN... and I love those albums.
"Lonely Town" is amazing. Cheers!!

[jaybird]

Listening now... I heard most of it about a month ago when Sam did a live fb listening party, but he was talking and answering questions all through it, so only got a vague impression of most of the songs... being able to focus on the tunes the backing vocals/harmonies really stand out, can tell a lot of thought went into them. Not usually the sort of thing I usually focus on at first, but they sit really nice in the mix. The guitar-playing is next level as always... nice mix of tones and styles, but you can always tell it's Sam... same for the song writing itself... at this stage in the game, I often think it's pretty tough for most punk bands to keep things interesting without completely losing focus of the fact that they're a punk band... but the songs here have lots of neat little twists and turns without ever collapsing into silly mathcore/progrock wankery. Great shit.

[SamDBL]

Thank y’all. It’s funny how these albums shape up. I usually get a song or two written with no agenda. Then I start to sense a direction for the whole album, which subconsciously steers the rest of the songs. I can’t really articulate what the underlying theme is to this one, but I definitely felt it the whole time. Like maybe what if we had been at our musically developed peak in the 90s or something? I dunno. I’m super happy with it, though. These last two studio records are, to me, the best dbl albums that I’ve been a part of. I kinda think that should be a goal with an aging band, since any album at this stage could be the band’s last. Maybe that’s why my work ethic with music has been so intense in the last ten years.

[xxxMidgexxx]

Windwardtidesandwaywardsails remains my absolute all time fave, but I haven't delved into the latest yet.

I still dearly love "The Truth" which was a Dave Naz track on the debut. Came out in 1991.

GEEEEEEZ, are we all that old?

[SamDBL]

I have brought up doing the truth live for many years. But for some reason its never made its way back into the set, as of yet.

[lewdd]

I'd have to go back and give the catalog a listen, but I do recall some of those songs on windward with the fast tempo being some of my faves. That is why some of those songs on the new release hit me immediately as those that will probably be my faves on this release too.

[xxxMidgexxx]

I have brought up doing the truth live for many years. But for some reason its never made its way back into the set, as of yet.

Maybe Jaime lobbied against it. LOL

[dude munhoz]

Very good job. Cheers. "Lonely Town" Down by Law https://deezer.page.link/KNxx7cNq649Av87B7

[SamDBL]

Thanks, dude!

[jaybird]

Great record, mang.

[SamDBL]

With a great cover, to boot!

[xxxMidgexxx]

I think that 'Anthem' is my current fave from the album so far. I like the 'Spirit of Radio'-esque guitar riffing. Plus the title track could be a Police song, which sounds quite beautiful.

[jaybird]

I think that 'Anthem' is my current fave from the album so far. I like the 'Spirit of Radio'-esque guitar riffing. Plus the title track could be a Police song, which sounds quite beautiful.

The Ricky Warwick "Go Back Home" tune is amazing too.

[SamDBL]

The guest drummer for go back home is Matt from hatebreed. This tune was written for a possible all star side band that was going to be like a high brow slf or drop kick Murphy’s kinda thing. As tends to happen with me, the better songs from side groups with no definite plans go to the more pressing release if it fits.
JLisa is the second person to catch the nods to Alex lifeson on this record. This heart remains literally started as me wanting to do a punk version of distant early warning.

[xxxMidgexxx]

This heart remains literally started as me wanting to do a punk version of distant early warning.

This is a HUGE, MONSTER achievement of an album for Down by Law. Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about it. Been on repeat for a while.

I do hear a ton of Alex influence all over the place, but the recording/mixing/performances MAY just be contenders for career highs. This is DBL's 'Hypercaffium Spazzinate'. It will take time for the fans to catch on in a time where there are a hundred thousand new albums coming out every week, but it will happen. I haven't felt like this since Windward.....

[SamDBL]

Awesome! Thanks so much!

[xxxMidgexxx]

Awesome! Thanks so much!

Seriously! You can hear that a TON of work was put into this; complexity of the melodies and guitar lines/interplay. The WRITING! Whoosh!

[FormerLurker]

WTF? Am I going to have to buy this thing?

[jaybird]

WTF? Am I going to have to buy this thing?

[jaybird]

Imma listen to it again right now.

[xxxMidgexxx]

Imma listen to it again right now.

Cut immediately to 'So Solo' if you must. Red Sector Sam. Needless to say panned to the left speaker.

[jaybird]

Imma listen to it again right now.

Cut immediately to 'So Solo' if you must. Red Sector Sam. Needless to say panned to the left speaker.

similar speaker-panning fun Lifeson-y stuff on "Heroes & Zeroes".

[SamDBL]

Red Sector Sam.

lol. Awesome.

[SamDBL]

WTF? Am I going to have to buy this thing?

[jaybird]

My only beef is as usual with the last few records they've done with Kung-Fu/Cleopatra, no MP3 download card with vinyl releases. No idea how or why the label decided on that business plan, as vinyl + download card pretty much seems to be the industry standard these days, but they also seem to to continually be expanding their (already vast) artist repertoire and cranking out new releases and re-issues on a regular schedule, so it seems to be working for them.

[scannest]

My only beef is as usual with the last few records they've done with Kung-Fu/Cleopatra, no MP3 download card with vinyl releases. No idea how or why the label decided on that business plan, as vinyl + download card pretty much seems to be the industry standard these days, but they also seem to to continually be expanding their (already vast) artist repertoire and cranking out new releases and re-issues on a regular schedule, so it seems to be working for them.

If you actually use the download codes that come with your records, you are in the minority. Most folks who buy vinyl just use a streaming service if they want to listen digitally. I understand labels wanting to save the money - they're not cheap (can add 50-70 cents per piece).