“In a showcase performing tunes from his new album, and well-loved numbers alike, Malin sets the standard for the rest of the year, whipping the crowd up with his pithy anecdotes and touching tunes. Bruce Springsteen loves his harrowing honesty; an endorsement which is impossible to ignore.” R13 Editor Jo Vallance, reflecting on the gig Jesse played in London at the Islington Academy in January. Read her review
here.
For many 2007 is the first time they’d heard or read about Jesse Malin, but a delve into the Room Thirteen archive finds that we first interviewed him back in early 2005.
here, amongst other topics, he talks about his liking for Green Day and speaks of his admiration for the political statements they made via the ‘American Idiot’ album.
His 2007 album ‘Glitter in the Gutter’ is released via Billy Joe’s label, and when we
caught up with Malin again at the start of this year, he said of the Green Day singer: "Oh Billy likes all kinds of music, he listens to country and western. The first time I ever came to Europe I was opening up for Green Day, we played Astoria, the Brixton Academy. We've just stayed in touch, I've played US dates and he's come up, he played 'Death or Glory' by The Clash with me at the Bowery Ballroom. He's a generous guy and he's cool.”
Billy Joe Armstrong isn’t the only famous face to have a part in Jesse Malin’s current success. The latest album has a few well-known contributors, like Foo Fighters Chris Shiflett and Bruce Springsteen. During our interview with him he begins to flick through his phone book, mockingly pointing out what could be the numbers of Adolf Hitler on drums, "we've dug him up”, Jimi Hendrix and Weezer; a perfect example of his down to earth and all too amiable personality. Springsteen is a fan of Malin from his previous album and was more than keen to get involved.
‘Glitter in the Gutter’, reviewed
here, is an upbeat slab of alt country rock. He sums up the record by saying: "It's time to start looking up, there's been years of this war going on and the president and prime minister and fucking global warming and bad music and terrorist fear. I think people just need to start believing in themselves and taking action whether it's in your community or family, get in a band, start a revolution, just really do something instead of just being a rat in a working maze and this record is about hope and struggle and finding those little things to get through the day, whether it be a three minute song or someone telling you a good joke in the morning.”
The singles from the album were ‘Broken Radio’, ‘Tomorrow Tonight’ and ‘Love Streams’, none of which captured the imagination of the mainstream music press here in the UK. He did however find himself on one of the small stages at the V Festival which would have been a great potential showcase for him.
Room Thirteen has checked him out three times live in 2007. Aside from the Islington Academy gig in January, there was
Birmingham Academy in May, and a support slot with Ian Hunter at
Glasgow Old Fruitmarket in October.
His album found it’s way into our end of year list. For many at Room Thirteen, Jesse Malin is one of the real underground stars and success stories of 2007.
Find out who else has been featured on our list
click here.