New Album

Mark Matos – Mingus Mountain Blues

After a seven year hiatus due to health issues, Mark Matos has reappeared on the American musical landscape with a new record in tow. Matos decided to return to his DIY roots on this album; recording entirely in his living room with a live rhythm section, self-producing and playing nearly all of the other instruments; as well as utilizing a slew of low-budget, thrift store, and “hand me down” equipment. The result is a compelling and unapologetically authentic album trafficking in a highly personal blend of American folk, mystic blues, Southern noir, and Ry Cooder inspired cinematic excursions; with just a pinch of sound collage, San Francisco psychedelia and Portuguese traditional music.

Lyrically the album deals in rock & roll disillusionment, addiction, the death of friends; presenting a burned out American landscape, decimated by bad myths, led down the primrose path by false gods; a post-pandemic apocalyptic American Dream gone awry. The album turns the corner on “American Influencers”, heading upward and out of the darkness by way of invoking the names of John and Alice Coltrane, Nina Simone and Chance The Rapper, amongst others. In “Forward Escape” the message is lean, direct: it will never be the same, the only way out is through. The heart.

Matos saves his best for last, with the anthemic “Will of God” serving up lyrical gems like “I saw someone waving a ragged flag / in the shadow of a dying flower / I saw a world adorned in sequined rags / It’s the Will of God or Will to Power.” The album ends on a redemptive note, landing on solid ground with a ragged Grace, after a dream-like ride through a post-pandemic American purgatory.

R.I.Y.L.: Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Howe Gelb, Tom Waits, Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan.

Album Credits

The Players:

Mark Matos: Vocals, Guitars, Organ, Electric Piano, Keyboards, Synths, Percussion

Olvier Delcor: Bass, “Shhh”

Hayden Woodward: Drums, Percussion

Ines Vitols: Violin

Produced by Mark Matos

Mixed by Dylan Ludwig & Mark Matos

Mastered by Dylan Ludwig

All Songs written by mark matos except “saudades” (traditional)

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The Songs

Mingus Mountain Blues (3:20)
Geronimo (3:28)
L.A. Post-Pandemic Blues (4:32)
Saudades (3:01)
American Influencers (1:02)
Forward Escape (8:34)
A Mountain on The Hill (3:56)
Will of God (4:24)

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Lyrics

Mingus Mountain Blues

Whiskey Row / paying my dues / it’s a long row to hoe

with the Mingus Mountain Blues

Rock & Roll / won’t save your soul / won’t save your soul

Won’t Save your soul

Rock & Roll / if you win you lose / you’ll sell your soul

For the Mingus Mountain Blues

There’s nowhere to run / have you heard the news? / Stevie got his gun

Stevie got the Mingus Mountain Blues

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Geronimo

Left Silver City / when I was just three / made it to the land of the Apache

Welcome to the mines, welcome to the mines

Left Silver City / when I was just three / I left Silver City, I was trying to be free

Welcome to the mines, welcome to the mines

Ohhhh Geronimo

Walking down the street in Miami Arizona / burned out parking lots and fried chicken stands / sure does help a lot

Things are looking rough around here

Ohhhh Geronimo (we could use you about now…)

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L.A. Post-Pandemic Blues

Los Angeles post-pandemic blues / Stevie’s dead I heard it on the news / I can see it all in the rearview mirror / the twists and turns on the road that brought you here

You had it all and lost it, my friend / you never know which way the road will bend / but I think you’d find another road, if you had to do it all again

Los Angeles, it’s a funny place to be / it was never good for guys like you and me / living in a dream reality / it’s a twisted way of trying to be free

You had it all and lost it, my friend / you never know which way the road will bend / but I think you’d find another road, if you had to do it all again

Los Angeles, dark mythology / desire will never make you free / a needle in the apple in the tree / and the serpent says “do you want to be like me?”

You had it all and lost it, my friend….

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American Influencers

John Coltrane / Alice Coltrane / Nina Simone / Casiotone For The Painfully Alone / Ralph Towner / Chance The Rapper / Power

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Forward Escape

It will never be the same / it will never be the same / it will never be the same / it will never be the same

But the only way out is through

the heart, the heart, the heart

It’s a forward escape

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Will of God

You saw someone on the grassy knoll / and a shadow on the water tower / you say something’s got to fill the whole / it’s the Will of God or the Will to Power

You saw someone waving a ragged flag / in the shadow of a dying flower / you saw a world adorned in sequined rags / it’s the Will of God or the Will to Power

You saw someone try to shoot the Duke / in the darkness of our shadowed hour / you saw a world forlorn and shorn of Truth / it’s the Will of God or the Will to Power

It’s the Will of God