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Jim Reilley's 50th Birthday Bash

Presented by Douglas Corner Cafe at Douglas Corner Cafe

August 11, 2011

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Jim Reilley was co-founder of the late-lamented folk-rock “gangstas”, The New Dylans. Along with songwriting partner Reese Campbell, Reilley roped in friends John Lombardo and Jerry Augustyniak of 10,000 Maniacs to record The New Dylans’ six-song debut ep in 1986. The New Dylans ep fell into the slippery hands of Village Voice rock critic Robert Christgau who brazenly proclaimed the ep one of the top five albums of 1986 in the prestigious Village Voice “Pazz and Jop” poll. Old pal Natalie Merchant then slipped a copy to R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe who also bravely proclaimed the album a year-end fave. Jim and Reese were so confused by their instant success that they capitalized swiftly and decisively-they broke up. Immediately confronted with the workaday life that until then had eluded them, the boys soon realized their mistake and reunited. Soon after, the lads inked a deal with Minnesota-based Red House Records who subsequently allowed two New Dylans albums to escape their clutches in the mid-1990’s. The New Dylans barnstormed the country playing to anyone who would listen, and many who wouldn’t, sharing stages with The Band, Shawn Colvin, The Fleshtones, Steve Forbert and even old buds 10,000 Maniacs. The New Dylans received glowing reviews from Rolling Stone, Musician, Mojo, Stereo Review, Pulse and Spin just to name a few. Dozens of AAA stations also bought the hype, by spinning the band’s albums and doing feature spots. The boys somehow scammed feature spots on World Café, Acoustic Café, NPR’s All Things Considered, Idiot’s Delight with Vin Scelsa, and even handful of appearances on ex-Partridge Family imp Danny Bonaduce’s WLUP show in Chicago. MTV also featured The New Dylans on popular shows 120 Minutes and The Cutting Edge. Yes, fickle lady success was once again knocking, but Reilley abruptly slammed the door in her face a second time, breaking up the band for good and moving to Nashville. After a brief stint as fashion consultant to Porter Wagoner, Reilley inked a multi-year publishing deal with Curb Music Group.

 

Soon after, Reilley began work on his first solo album, 2003’s “The Return of Buddy Cruel” released on Silent Planet records. Produced by Grammy-winner Don Henry, the album was added to 28 AAA stations and lingered for 10 weeks in the top 25 of the Roots Rock album chart in the spring of 2003. Reilley paid a return visit to Acoustic Café, and the album also garnered airplay on BBC Radio 1 in UK, Radio Golden Flash in Belgium, Real Roots Café Network in central Europe, and BRTO’s Crossroads in Bergen, the Netherlands, whose host Jos Van Den Boom also placed the album in his top 10 albums of 2003. Performing Songwriter and Paste magazine both ran feature articles on Reilley’s return, and “The Return of Buddy Cruel” also earned rave reviews from Billboard, Puremusic.com, Exclaim ! magazine in Canada, Ctrl.alt.country in Belgium, and Glitterhouse in Germany. Nashville’s local newspaper The Tennessean proclaimed “The Return of Buddy Cruel” one of the top 10 albums of 2003 and “Won’t Let You Make A Fool of Me” as one of the top 10 songs of 2003 in their year-end critic’s poll. The album was also nominated for a Contemporary Folk Grammy in 2003.

Reilley has just completed work on his second solo album, “Thank God I’m A Contrary Boy”, a turbulent song cycle of eighteen interwoven narratives on growing up and growing older in the new America. Co-produced by Reilley and Grammy-winner Robert Reynolds of The Mavericks, the album features the talents of Ken Coomer (Wilco/ Uncle Tupelo), Tom Petersson (Cheap Trick), Jen Gunderman (The Jayhawks), Audley Freed (The Black Crowes), Al Perkins (Gram Parsons/The Flying Burrito Brothers), David Mead and others. Reilley is planning an early 2006 release date.

 

 

Come celebrate Jim Reilley's 50th birthday at  Douglas Corner Cafe!