"Rising blues star Selwyn Birchwood is the real deal. He puts his own fresh spin on the blues, taking the tradition and making it into something new."–Guitar World
"A remarkable, contemporary bluesman...a powerhouse young guitarist and soulful vocalist. A major player... highly recommended."
–Rolling Stone
"No one in blues compares to young Florida-based guitarist Selwyn Birchwood. With the quality of his material, combined with a vibrant stage persona, there’s no need to borrow tunes from the greats who went before him. Lean yet mean and tough…lyrically and musically intense."–American Songwriter
On Tuesday, May 9, award-winning Florida bluesman Selwyn Birchwood releases FLorida Man, the first single from Exorcist, his highly anticipated fourth Alligator Records release. The album, set for June 9 release, will be available on purple vinyl LP, CD and at all popular streaming and download sites. The original song is ripped straight from the state's notorious news headlines, and it's an uproarious and timely blues-rocker. According to Birchwood, every line is true. "FLorida Man is my maniacal musical of the mythical and elusive character that resides in my home state. People outside of Florida think we are crazy. People inside of Florida KNOW we’re crazy!”
Birchwood's hometown radio station, Tampa's WMNF, gave FLorida Man its worldwide debut on April 14. Nashville's tastemaker roots radio station, WMOT, is already enthusiastically airing the song in regular rotation. Belgium's Keys & Chords magazine says Birchwood is "one of the most exciting and creative young blues musicians in the world…This is the most visionary statement yet from a musician determined to shape the future of the blues.”
The young guitarist, lap steel player, songwriter and vocalist calls his music “Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues,” an intoxicating mix of deep blues, blistering, psychedelic-tinged rock, booty-shaking funk and sweet Southern soul, played and sung with fire-and-brimstone fervor. Americana music magazine No Depression says, “Selwyn Birchwood reaches back in the blues tradition to launch something out of this world.”
On Exorcist, Birchwood delivers the most far-reaching, musically adventurous album of his career. Recorded in Florida and produced by Grammy Award-winner Tom Hambridge, each of the 13 vividly detailed songs was written and arranged by Birchwood. The soul-baring tracks all hit with lasting rhymes and unexpected rhythms. Each twists its own tale, ranging from the love-gone-wrong Horns Below Her Halo to the love-gone-terrifying Exorcist to the autobiographical Underdog. According to Blues Music Magazine, “Selwyn Birchwood heralds a fresh, exciting new direction in the blues. Toe-tapping, hip-shaking, joyful and inviting…expansive and focused, exploratory and time-honored, but always original.”
Along with the June 9 release of Exorcist, Birchwood and his band will kick off their extensive national tour that same evening at legendary local Tampa haunt Skipper's Smokehouse. About both his new album and his live show, Birchwood says, “My goal is to be sure you cannot listen passively. We’re going to make you dance, and we’re going to make you think.” One listen to Exorcist will no doubt convert many new true believers; this is visionary contemporary blues written and performed by an endlessly creative, modern-day blues master.
ORDER THE ALBUM, EXORCIST, ON VINYL LP OR ON CD - AVAILABLE JUNE 9, 2023
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