Altered Five Blues Band - Hammer & Chisel

Album: Hammer & Chisel
Size: 103,8 MB
Time: 44:46
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2026
Styles: Blues
Art: Front

1. I Got It Good (4:17)
2. Dare Me To Do It (5:21)
3. Who Can You Trust (4:16)
4. Lotta Love Left In Me (3:43)
5. Hammer & Chisel (3:48)
6. Can't Shake It (3:29)
7. Headline Blues (4:07)
8. Hell Or High Water (4:30)
9. My Love Ain't A Lie (4:10)
10. Crazy One (2:51)
11. The Will Of Man (4:11)

Milwaukee's powerhouse Altered Five Blues Band returns with their eighth studio album, "Hammer & Chisel", a simmering set of eleven original songs that showcase why this award-winning group has remained at the forefront of contemporary blues for over two decades.

Belted out with gusto by singer Jeff Taylor, each track crackles with the energy of a band firing on all cylinders - tight musicianship, razor-sharp guitar work, and witty lyrics that cut straight to the bone. From the opening salvo of the funky, horn-driven "I Got It Good" through the cautionary "Who Can You Trust" to the empowering closing statement of "The Will of Man", the album demonstrates the kind of top-notch performance that can only come from five musicians who've spent 24 years honing their collective sound.

As the band explains, they’ve been "hammering away, scraping and chiseling our way forward, carving out our own corner of the blues", with the album title itself serving as a metaphor for their relentless creative process. Hammer & Chisel explores universal themes that resonate with anyone navigating life's complexities: love, loss, resilience, and redemption. The emotional range is impressive - from the resilient hope of "Lotta Love Left in Me" and the unwavering devotion of "Hell or High Water" to the swampy Delta blues seduction of "Dare Me to Do It", the rule-breaking attitude of the title track, and the haunting personal reckonings of "Can’t Shake It", the band navigates everything from tender vulnerability to defiant independence with equal conviction.

Produced by multi-GRAMMY winner Tom Hambridge and featuring guest harmonica ace Jason Ricci on three tracks, Hammer & Chisel captures Altered Five Blues Band exactly where they are now: seasoned, sharp, and still hungry to create. It’s an album that honors the blues tradition while carving out a sound that’s all their own. /Bluestown Music

Personnel: Jeff Taylor (vocals); Jeff Schroedl (guitar); Mark Solveson (bass); Alan Arber (drums); Steve Huebler (keyboards). Special guests: Jason Ricci (harmonica); Max Abrams (saxophone); Julio Diaz (trumpet).

Hammer & Chisel mc
Hammer & Chisel gofile

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Altered Five Blues Band - Holler If You Hear Me

Size: 372 MB
Time: 50:20
File: Flac s
Released: 2021
Styles: Blues/Rock
Art: Front

1. Holler If You Hear Me (3:33)
2. Guilty Of A Good Time (3:25)
3. If You Go Away (She Might Come Back) (3:32)
4. Holding On With One Hand (3:56)
5. Full Moon Half Crazy (3:21)
6. Where's My Money (3:13)
7. All Suit No Soul (2:57)
8. I Got All I Need (5:37)
9. Clear Conscience Bad Memory (5:29)
10. In The Name Of No Good (3:30)
11. Leave Before I Let You Down (4:21)
12. Fifteen Minutes Of Blame (4:09)
13. Big Shout Out (3:12)

Altered Five smokes, smolders and burns like a swig of good whiskey. The hip Milwaukee quintet is known for its strong brew of tough, original blues and hard-hitting live shows. Blues Blast raves that barrel-chested front man Jeff Taylor possesses a “smooth, warm-toned voice as monumental and undeniable as Howlin’ Wolf with the finish and flourish of B.B. King.” Downbeat declares stealth guitarist Jeff Schroedl “reaches the high bar of mixed invention and fluidity.” Fueled by a rhythm section laying down the deepest grooves this side of the MGs, the five blues blasters hit the ground running 22 years ago and show no sign of easing up. Their seventh studio recording, Testifyin', was released March 22, 2024 on Blind Pig Records.

The new EP kicks hard like the four award-winning records preceding it. Cryin’ Mercy nabbed “Best Self-Released Album” at the International Blues Challenge in 2015. Charmed & Dangerous garnered "Song of the Year" at the Independent Music Awards and Wisconsin Music Awards in 2018. Guitar World magazine called the title track a “menacing, swampy blues" and it was in regular rotation on SiriusXM’s Bluesville in addition to many other programs and playlists. In 2019, Ten Thousand Watts reached #10 on the Billboard Blues Chart, hit #1 on both the iTunes and Amazon blues charts, while "Great Minds Drink Alike" captured first place in the blues category of the International Songwriting Competition. Holler If You Hear Me debuted at #3 on the Billboard Blues Chart and received three Blues Music Award nominations, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Their 20th Anniversary vinyl LP featured "Great Minds Drink Alike (With Horns)" which also received a BMA nod for Song of the Year. All band members contribute as a songwriting team to be reckoned with. Memorable, incisive lyrics run the gamut from slyly suggestive ("Ten Thousand Watts") to blues history tributes ("Three Forks") and inventive contemporary themes (“Urgent Care,” “Back Button”).

Altered Five have consistently checked all the boxes, making lasting, deeply expressive original blues for the mind and body. Up front and leading the big blues train, Taylor exhorts and cajoles while carrying the weight of the lyrical content. Neither imitating nor hiding his debt to the legendary blues singers of the past, he commands deserved attention on his own. Schroedl propels, embellishes, and adds palpable power through his varied rhythm accompaniment and riveting guitar solos. While inspired by, but not tethered to the kings and titans of blues guitar, he has found his own estimable path to personal expression always at the service of the song. ​The muscular yet limber rhythm section of bassist Mark Solveson and drummer Alan Arber lock into the full range of blues grooves from classic slow Chicago drag ("Holding on With One Hand") and romping Texas shuffles ("Mint Condition") to soulful R&B worthy of Stax Records ("Gonna Lose My Lady"). In addition, returning keyboardist Steve Huebler always provides a rich pad of lush harmony along with his own and soaring solos.

Whether live or on record, Altered Five performs seamlessly as a powerhouse entity encompassing the timeless blues virtues of passion and unwavering commitment funneled through technical excellence.

Holler If You Hear Me FLAC

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Altered Five Blues Band - Testifyin' EP

Size: 46.3 MB
Time: 19:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Styles: Electric Blues
Art: Front

01. Don't Tell Me I Can't (3:44)
02. Whiskey Got Me Married (3:51)
03. Brand New Bone (3:18)
04. I've Got The Scars To Prove It (5:10)
05. You Can't Win (If It Ain't Within') (3:38)

Altered Five Blues Band has unveiled plans for its highly anticipated new EP, Testifyin’. The 5-song, digital-exclusive release is set for March 22, 2024 on all streaming and download services. The hip Milwaukee quintet is known for its strong brew of tough, original blues and hard-hitting live shows.

Testifyin’ is A5’s seventh studio recording, and the title sums up the message of songs like “You Can’t Win (If It Ain’t Within’),” “I’ve Got the Scars to Prove It,” and the lead single, “Don’t Tell Me I Can’t.” After 22 years on the blues scene, the band has learned a lot about perseverance and determination. Harmonica ace Jason Ricci is featured on “Brand New Bone” and “Whiskey Got Me Married,” and producer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, Kingfish) once again led the sessions.

The new EP kicks hard like the four award-winning records preceding it. Cryin’ Mercy nabbed “Best Self-Released Album” at the International Blues Challenge in 2015. Charmed & Dangerous garnered "Song of the Year" at the Independent Music Awards and Wisconsin Music Awards in 2018. Guitar World magazine called the title track a “menacing, swampy blues" and it was in regular rotation on SiriusXM’s Bluesville in addition to many other programs and playlists. In 2019, Ten Thousand Watts reached #10 on the Billboard Blues Chart, hit #1 on both the iTunes and Amazon blues charts, while "Great Minds Drink Alike" captured first place in the blues category of the International Songwriting Competition. Holler If You Hear Me debuted at #3 on the Billboard Blues Chart and received three Blues Music Award nominations, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Their vinyl LP featured "Great Minds Drink Alike (With Horns)" which also received a BMA nod for Song of the Year.

Testifyin' EP MP3
Testifyin' EP FLAC

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Altered Five Blues Band - Holler If You Hear Me

Size: 118.1 MB
Time: 50:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2021
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Full

01. Holler If You Hear Me (3:33)
02. Guilty Of A Good Time (3:25)
03. If You Go Away (She Might Come Back) (3:32)
04. Holding On With One Hand (3:56)
05. Full Moon Half Crazy (3:21)
06. Where's My Money (3:13)
07. All Suit No Soul (2:57)
08. I Got All I Need (5:37)
09. Clear Conscience Bad Memory (5:29)
10. In The Name Of No Good (3:30)
11. Leave Before I Let You Down (4:21)
12. Fifteen Minutes Of Blame (4:09)
13. Big Shout Out (3:12)

The blues is designed as a form that allows the artist to express sorrow or jubilation in equal measures. The men in Milwaukee’s acclaimed Altered Five Blues Band push the limits of this axiom on their sixth studio album, Holler If You Hear Me. The 2018 Blues Music Award nominees once again recorded over five fast and furious days in Nashville, TN with three-time Grammy winner Tom Hambridge, who produced the band’s chart-topping album Ten Thousand Watts, earning them a first place in the blues category of the 2019 International Songwriting Competition. The 13 original tracks are a testament to the songwriting skills of guitarist, Jeff Schroedl, who wrote or co-wrote all the songs to exploit the powerful vocals and exuberant showmanship of front man, Jeff Taylor. Bassist Mark Solveson anchors the rock-solid rhythm section with drummer Alan Arber, while Raymond Tevich melds his crafty keyboard work to create the group's muscular midwestern sound.

The baker’s dozen of rockin’ blues and scorching soul tracks kicks off with the jumping title track “Holler If You Hear Me,” a real rabble rouser that features the first of five guest spots from Jason Ricci, who brings his sizzling harmonica to the house party. Taylor and Schroedl ease their way into the swampy tale of late-night fun “Guilty Of A Good Time,” defending the case for happy-go-lucky revelers, who mean no harm. Ricci rejoins the fellas for the two-beat stomper “If You Go Away (She Might Come Back),” taking a hot solo on the boiling advice-column shouter. The classic slow 8-bar blues “Holding On With One Hand” finds Taylor opening his heart, as his love slips away. A hot guitar riff gives way to gritty clavinet and Hammond B3 on the fast moving “Full Moon, Half Crazy.” Ricci adds harmonic tension and some superb Little Walter styled licks to the swinging “Where’s My Money.” Arber lays down a Stubblefield groove for the fabulous funk “All Suit, No Soul,” and everyone digs deep into the slinky tale of self-preservation “I Got All I Need.”

Taylor demonstrates his manly swagger during the bump and grind blues “Clear Conscience, Bad Memory,” and declares his independence and nightlife readiness on the driving rocker “In The Name Of No Good.” The dramatic blues, “Leave Before I Let You Down,” is the story of a tormented lover battling his inner demons. The edgy “Fifteen Minutes Of Blame” is a classic tome of hard luck and trouble that features more hot instrumental chops from Schroedl and the boys. Ricci returns for track 13, “Big Shout Out,” and helps the band close the set by namechecking “everybody who built the blues,” as a swinging all-star roll call of musical heroes. A song that will certa
inly be a great addition to any blues radio show.

Under Tom Hambridge’s direction, as only he knows how to make great sounding records, the Altered Five Blues Band have once against created another strong album of sonic delights further solidifying their place in the blues rock landscape. ~Rick J Bowen

Holler If You Hear Me MP3
Holler If You Hear Me FLAC

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