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Formats and Editions
1. Other Girls
2. Day 2
3. Immigration Game
4. Marlboro Man
5. Wasted On You
6. Chicken Lickin' Boogie
7. Saint Peter
8. The Auditor
9. 100 Paths
10. Shine
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Michelle Malone delivers the fierce spirit that gets you through the darkest stretches of night, pulling you up out of bed into dawn's first pulsing glow. Seated at a vivid green kitchen table, black coffee steaming in your mug, Malone plays for you on a beat up acoustic guitar, her voice ringing clear and rich over the mellowed strings. You know you've come home and you know this time, you never want to leave. 'raucous and jubilant - somewhere between Lucinda Williams and Shelby Lynne comes Malone alternating between soulful ballads and rowdy, riffy blasters.' - ROLLING STONE The songs on Malone's 11th studio album, Day 2, were written at her own green kitchen table, coffee mug in hand, every morning for nearly a year. She even wrote them on an old Alvarez acoustic guitar that never gets played out on gigs, that never even leaves the house. The intimacy of this writing ritual provided the setting for Malone to venture into a songwriter's most vulnerable territory, the shadowy recesses of envy, regrets, and straight up admissions of failure. Now here's Malone's hat trick, in realizing "it's too damn bad I can't be anyone but myself," she redeems every false move, every false start, every horrible, no good very bad day. Even better, she makes it sound like the best wild night out you've ever had and then pushes it further, breaking right on through into Day 2. "When there's nothing left to hold on to, got to break down to break through," she croons in "Day 2," the album's title track. Day 2, the record, is the soundtrack of a woman's heart finally cracking open, open so wide that any light hidden by the sutures of past heartbreaks finally shines through and illuminates the present. Grammy Nominee Shawn Mullins, producer of Day 2 and long time friend of Malone, struck the perfect balance of grit and gossamer, making the record sound simultaneously raucous and ethereal. Shawn took note of Malone's connection to Day 2's material right away saying, "One of the first things I noticed about Michelle in the studio, is how deep she goes into 'the zone,' as some folks call it...Most good guitar players, even, find it uncomfortable and sometimes take a while before they find their groove, so to speak. But with Michelle, you just sit back, open your ears, and hold on!" Malone's fluency of expression and her finely honed musicianship are something of a family legacy. Her mother, Karyn Malone, was a professional singer in Atlanta and when she went on tour in the summers, Malone and her brother would come along for the ride. Malone remembers splashing in the pool and drinking Shirley Temples bar side while her mother killed it in the lounge, singing the hits, night after night. Malone's own mother numbers among her most compelling musical influences right along Bonnie Raitt, Linda Rondstadt, Mavis Staples and Billie Holliday. Malone started early, singing in her hometown church at age four and soon after that, started sneaking into her brother's closet to borrow his contraband guitar. After much blood shed and sibling battles waged, Michelle Malone finally got her own guitar and she hasn't been without one since. Her mastery of the guitar, her trademark voice, and her songwriting craft have won her critical acclaim and numerous awards over the years including: best album (Atlanta magazine), 2 time best acoustic guitarist (Creative Loafing, IAC), and 5 time female vocalist of the year (Creative Loafing), Best Blues Guitarist (IAC.com). Malone has played every state in the Union and toured all over the world but for the past few years she's called a tiny town in rural Alabama home. Living in a place reminiscent of Andy Griffith's Mayberry, where neighbors literally showed up on her doorstep with freshly baked pies, Malone spent her down time from touring on her porch swing watching the world go by. This quiet place and slowed down pace allowed her the breathing room to write her most exposed and compelling songs to date. Day 2 is an eclectic roots record with it's feet firmly planted in the Southern Americana and blues traditions, and it's head in the lyrical sphere of luminaries like Patti Smith, Nashville era Bob Dylan, and Lucinda Williams. Day 2 was crafted with the guidance of producer Shawn Mullins and the support of an exceptional crew of musicians including Coproducer, Enginner and drummer Gerry Hansen (Shawn Mullins, Chuck Leavell, Randall Bramblett), Keyboardist Chuck Leavell (The Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, John Mayer), Keyboardist Randall Bramblett (Greg Allman, Steve Winwood, Widespread Panic), Bassist Tom Ryan (Shawn Mullins, Randall Bramblett), Bassist Phil Skipper (Tinsley Ellis, Drag the River, Delta Moon), Trish Land on percussion, and Marty Kearns on B3 (Shawn Mullins, Delta Moon, Band De Soleil). 'From bluesy growling to sweet crooning, Malone shows remarkable range on her new record. A breakout hit waiting to happen.' -PASTE MAGAZINE 'Equal parts badass guitar slinger and sweet songstress, Malone artfully balances her penchant for ripping through the roof with masterful lyrical introspection - sublime to raucous. -GUITAR WORLD 'The kind of singer and songwriter who can jolt things into overdrive.' - NEW YORK TIMES 'raucous and jubilant - somewhere between Lucinda Williams and Shelby Lynne comes Malone alternating between soulful ballads and rowdy, riffy blasters.' - ROLLING STONE '4 out of 5 Bunnies '... on this loose and blues-stoked new album, Malone churns up those Southern roots with the vigor of Lucinda Williams while embracing her inner Keith Richards.' - PLAYBOY The soul of a bluesman, the heart of a folk singer, and the guts of a rock and roll star all wrapped up in one fiery bad ass" -NASHVILLE RAGE Malone was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, by her mother and grandmother, both professional singers. Malone first began performing at age four in a church choir, and later learned to play saxophone, guitar, and drums, which she played in her first band at age twelve. As an teenager, Malone began to write songs. While studying voice at Agnes Scott College, she began performing professionally in and around Atlanta. She left school upon receiving a recording contract from Clive Davis at Arista Records, for whom she recorded, with her band Drag the River, the album Relentless, produced by Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Group. She later signed with Walter Yetnikoff at his Velvel Records label. In 1992 Malone started her own label, SBS Records, and continues to record and tour. Over the course of her 20 year career, Malone has won numerous awards including Best Female Vocalist and Best Acoustic Guitarist (Creative Loafing), Album of the Year (Atlanta Magazine). Her albums Sugar Foot and Debris, released on SBS Records, were both on the Grammy Award ballot for best Contemporary Blues and Best Americana Albums respectively. Her songs have appeared in the films Bam Bam and Celeste, All Over Me, Shotgun Jesus and television programs True Blood, Dawson's Creek, Felicity, Brooklyn South, and have been recorded by Indigo Girls (for which she received both gold and platinum records), Antigone Rising, and Vistoso Bosses. Malone appeared with The Harshed Mellows on a recording of the song U.S. Blues for the Grateful Dead tribute album Deadicated (Arista Records, 1991). She was also featured in a Georgia Tourism TV commercial with Elton John in the 1994. The Collectible card game Magic: The Gathering was named in part after Malone's song The Gathering (Redemption Dream 1994/Daemon Records/HiFi Records). In 2010 Malone took part in a virtual concert performing to a screen displaying avatars, as part of Michael Nesmith's Video Ranch 3D project.[3] Malone has collaborated in the studio and/or on stage with such artists as John Mayer, SugarLand members Jennifer Nettles, Kristen Hall, and Kristian Bush, Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, Brandi Carlile, Kevn Kinney, Drivin' N Cryin', Little Feat, Albert King, Charlie Musselwhite, Johnny Winter, Lurrie Bell, LEmail Signup
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