Mars Arizona's "All Over The Road" is a place where the culture and spirit of a southern gospel revival meet up in the Devil's house out on Highway 61. The affair elicits short stories of heartache, oppression, loss, recovery, joy and renewal.

12 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Americana, COUNTRY: Country Folk



Details:
The road less traveled usually begins in familiar territory. Only after some time spent wending along, do the recognizable signposts become few and far between. The subtle contours of a new landscape begin to show themselves. The locals aren't as easily identified. Welcome to Mars Arizona.

Mars Arizona are currently based in the Bay Area (CA) and have played shows on both coasts and in the Midwest and recorded a live 30-minute show in July, 2003 on the nationwide XM Radio "Cross Country" Channel (12). Mars Arizona's debut release "Love Songs from the Apocalypse" charted as high as 26 earlier in the year on the station's album charts, going up against such heavies as Johnny Cash, Kathleen Edwards, Buddy Miller and Willie Nelson.

Attending one of their shows is like sitting down with a few good friends that nurture your soul with vocals and songs that are earthy in character played in an understated style. The transparent lyrics are short stories of heartache, oppression, loss, recovery, joy and renewal.

"All Over The Road" is Mars Arizona's second full length release for BigBarn Records. Recorded at HillTop Cabin Studios in Mill Valley and Prairie Sun Recording in Cotati, CA., special guests include legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan, Smashing Pumpkins, Willie Nelson), Emory Joseph (dobro, mandolin and backing vocals) and fiddle player Chad Manning.

"Mars Arizona takes yesteryear's cosmic American music and kisses new life into an old vision." - Café Du Nord

"Led primarily by singer Nicole Storto, songs such as 'Promise Me Nothing' and the soulful yet winding "Voyeur" seems to fly off the disc, bringing Natalie Merchant and Liz Phair immediately to mind. What is most interesting is how they straddle the line between contemporary rock and an Americana sound... a rather lovely album." - Pop Matters (Jason MacNeil)

"Mars Arizona melds a roots, alt-country and rock sound that flows well from song to song through the versatility of main songwriter Paul Knowles. Lead vocalist and co-writer Nicole Storto at times sings with the hush and lilt of Sundays' vocalist Harriet Wheeler, but with the added grit of Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano." - Miles of Music

"While I've done a little bit of traveling in my time, I've never happened upon anything quite like Mars Arizona in my travels, musical and otherwise... I not only want to hear more from the band but would also like to live there for awhile." - Freight Train Boogie