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Bulletville

by Mark Utley

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Raymond Rusinak
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Raymond Rusinak Mark Utley and Bulletville restores my faith that contemporary country music can indeed be great. Great job Mark!!!
Bucky
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Bucky I can count on one hand the artists that are saving country music right now and Mark Utley is one of them! Another fantastic output by Utley taking his game even more down the traditional country path. Gorgeous both musically and lyrically! Favorite track: Jesus Wept.
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1.
GOOD TIMIN' GIRL (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music/BMI) She looks in the mirror at beauty that's startin' to fade And she wonders at all of the time that she let get away All the love she turned down when she had all the time in the world But time, it ain't no kind of friend to a good timin' girl She knows how to get what she wants, but lately she finds That what her heart desires, she can't get with a wink and a smile And when the party's all over, she knows she's alone in the world There ain't nothin' as sad as the tears of a good timin' girl I met her in Winter, and my heart was cold as a stone And she gave me her fire and I kept her from sleepin' alone I thought I could change her and take her away from that world And I told her I loved her, and I lost my good timin' girl Some night you might see her, sitting right there at the bar And you'll think she's so fine and you'll want her to be where you are So you buy her a drink and you dance and you give her a twirl But, son, don't you give up your heart to a good timin' girl No, don't ever give up your heart to a good timin' girl She looks in the mirror at beauty that's startin' to fade
2.
WISH YOU WERE HER (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music/BMI) I'm havin' a wonderful time, wish you were her The woman that I used to know, the woman you were You haven't loved me for such a long time But we keep pretendin' that everything's fine I'm havin' a wonderful time, wish you were her Remember when we used to have somethin' to say Now we just sit here with time slippin' away The ocean is lovely, the beach is sublime But whatever you're thinkin', I ain't on your mind I'm havin' a wonderful time, wish you were her I wish I could tell you that I'm doin' well But we're here in heaven and I feel like hell Across from a stranger, someone that I used to know Such a long time ago I'm havin' a wonderful time, wish you were her I'm havin' a wonderful time, havin' a wonderful time I'm havin' a wonderful time, wish you were her Wish you were her
3.
REMEMBER TO FORGET (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music/BMI) How I wish I could find a way to get you off of my mind That day may come, but it ain't happened yet Though it's easy to see your heart has given up on me I just can't remember to forget Girl, I'm tryin' to do all the things you asked me to And make myself believe it's for the best That love is gone and won't return That I don't ache and I don't burn But I just can't remember to forget Forget the way you loved me, forget the way you smiled Forget the way it felt to be yours for just a while Forget the way you held me in your warm embrace Forget that lovin' feelin' and that look upon your face It's high time for me to put you out of my misery But I just can't remember to forget It's torturin' me that you gave up so easily When I just can't remember to forget No, I just can't remember to forget
4.
Firecracker 03:36
FIRECRACKER (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music/BMI) I'm a sweet little thing when I wanna be My mama taught me what a good woman should be She taught me how to stand up strong and live on my own I want a good man who can handle me One good night ain't enough, you see I don't care about your money or your daddy's name I want two strong arms and a heart like a burnin' flame All you cowboys need to know If you think I'm your kind of rodeo I'm the kind of pony that's hard to tame If you wanna get close to me If you think you can stand the heat I'm the kind of powder that might explode And I'm lookin' for a heart and a spark that'll make it blow 'Cause I'm a firecrtacker, baby, don't you burn your hands on me A little firecracker, baby, light my little fuse and see I can be as sweet as a honeybee And I can be as bad as you want me to be So if you got that fire I need, baby, let's go go go
5.
HONEY, I'M HOME (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music/BMI) Slow setting sun, work day is done Start up my car and drive Down familiar roads, guided by the glow of my headlights Pull into the drive, park and walk inside and I'm all right She's always there with my favorite chair A drink and a smile for me Says "How was your day? I hope that you can stay, can I help you?" The girl behind the bar, she sells me what I need to forget you So this is where I go, every night since you said "no" 'Cause I can't face your old ghost In the house where we spent our days These are my new friends and family Yeah, the folks here understand me With the losers and the lonely I guess, honey, I'm home It's nice to know there's somewhere to go At the end of a long, hard day To smoke a cigarette and drink 'til I forget I still love you And all my friends are here To drink and disappear right beside me So this is where I'll stay, 'til I get to that someday When I stop feelin' this way 'Til your memory sets me free Until then I've got a table in the corner and I'm able To hold on to somethin' stable Because, honey, I'm home 'Til they close down this bar room 'Til then, honey, I'm home
6.
Jesus Wept 03:56
JESUS WEPT (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music/BMI) Jesus came and Jesus tried Jesus wept and Jesus died And I ain't feelin' that good myself today I'm broke as hell, all my bills are due My girlfriend's mad and my wife is, too And everyone's lined up for judgin' me The glass ain't half empty and it ain't half full I'm drinkin' from the bottle like I always do That's the way life makes some sense to me I found religion at the local bar I heard God singin' in a steel guitar Tellin' me He loves a wretch like me Jesus came and Jesus tried Jesus wept and Jesus died And I ain't feelin' that good myself today Elvis died on the bathroom floor And old George Jones ain't singin' no more The radio ain't no damned good to me There's some jackass in a jacked-up truck With a fake accent and a million bucks Tellin' me he's Country as can be I wanna hear a song about a workin' man Some good soul doin' the best they can A heartbroke fool who's lonesome just like me I'll play my old Waylon 'til the break of dawn And all you kids can just get off of my lawn 'Cause I'm a mean old dog, just let me be Jesus came and Jesus tried Jesus wept and Jesus died And I ain't feelin' that good myself today No, I ain't feelin' that good myself today
7.
ONLY IN OUR MINDS (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music/BMI) Tell me that you never think about me Tell me that your kisses were a lie Tell me I don't haunt your dreams like you keep hauntin' mine Tell me this is only in my mind Tell me that you're over me completely Tell me I should go on with my life Tell me that you only meant to hold me for a time Tell me this is only in my mind For if this love is something real Then two other hearts must pay So tell me that I'm just a fool for lovin' you this way Tell me that you never think about me Tell me that your kisses were a lie Tell me that this foolish flame was only born to die Tell me this is only in my mind Tell me this is only in my mind Won't you tell me this is only in our minds
8.
ONE HEARTBEAT AT A TIME (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music/BMI) Everybody says the way to heal a broken heart Is just to take things one day at a time But when each day's an eternity, a long unbroken line I get a little lost inside my mind Well-intentioned friends, they want to offer me advice They're just tryin' to help me get along But none of them can tell me how to speed the hands of time And without you, these days are too damned long The leaves have started turning and the frost is on the breeze And I don't want to think about you if you do not think of me So I will go through this my own way And take this thing one heartbeat at a time And I can only wonder where you might be tonight Who you're with and how you spend your time Does any word I ever said remain with you inside To toss and turn away a sleepless night? So I will go into the darkness if your heart is through with me And I know that winter's comin' and your warmth is gone from me So I will go through this my own way And take this thing one heartbeat at a time One heartbeat at a time One heartbeat at a time
9.
THE ONLY THING (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music/BMI) I don't know what's goin' on I don't know what I did wrong Except to keep on lovin' you a little bit too long 'Cause I fought so hard for you Each and every endless night I've forgiven you a thousand times Even though I know you lied But, darlin', if you have to go There's nothin' I can do, but I know The only thing that I did wrong Was keep lovin' you too long Are you with somebody now? Or just out there on your own? I don't know just who I am these days You've been part of me too long And though you think I'm weak, I'm strong I had to be to keep holdin' on The only thing that I did wrong Was keep lovin' you too long Baby, go And it'll break my heart, but I'll know The only thing that I did wrong Was keep lovin' you too long The only thing that I did wrong Was keep lovin' you too long
10.
FOUR IN THE MORNING (Mark Utley - Sleep Cat Music/BMI) It's four in the morning, darkness before dawn Ashtray overflowin', bottle almost gone This is the time of the evening W hen you can't fool yourself no more When the Good Lord ain't talkin' And the devil's at the door It feels like nobody knows me and I don't know no one But I've had my reasons for everything I've done And all these different ways of dyin' They all make too much sense to me When it's four in the morning And your heart is gone from me Better days may come, I know A round the next blind curve in the road But every time I get knocked down It's a little bit harder to get off the ground And there's a blood moon that's shinin' down upon my home Night wind is howlin' with a hollow moan And I ain't nothin' but lonesome Weary way down to my bones Because it's four in the morning A nd you don't love me anymore Baby, it's four in the morning And the devil's at the door It's four in the morning It's four in the morning It's four in the morning
11.
Bluebird 02:34
BLUEBIRD (Andrew Nelson - Uncle Kenny's Music/ASCAP and Blount Floyd - The Back 40 Music/SESAC) Bluebird, sing me a song tonight Bluebird, make it all right Bluebird, there's not a cloud in sight Bluebird, why do you cry? I'm blue like you, too There's nothin' we can do I'm blue like you, too, bluebird Blue sky, where do you go to hide? Blue sky, don't say goodnight I'm blue like you, too There's nothin' we can do I'm blue like you, too There's nothin' we can do I'm blue like you, too, bluebird

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This Is American Music release

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released April 11, 2015

"Bulletville delivers a solid package of tear stained and heart wrenching country songs that run the gamut from George-and-Tammy-like laments to beer fuelled honky tonking gut busters fuelled by lashings of pedal steel.

The album opens with the loping bass into to Good Timin’ Girl, a breeze of a song with a classic bittersweet country tale that could have been written by Dolly Parton and sung by Kenny Rogers, in fact if Rogers or any of his ilk ever took this on then it would be a guaranteed hit. As it is the performance here is exemplary, Utley almost croons the words while Frye adds a multtitracked refrain, the pedal steel is sweet and honeyed and Nye offers up a fine piano solo. Wish You Were Her, however steers well clear of the charts and heads for the bars as the band sway into Ameripolitan territory and the guitars grimace instead of smile. A woozy waltz time lament with a seventies feel courtesy of the electric keyboards and fuzzy bass line it sees Utley and his partner sharing a table but separated by miles of estrangement. The album is packed full of these wonderful odes to lost or failed love with Utley mining the past and coming up with new treasures such as the classic couplet “I just can’t remember to forget” on the honky tonk tones of Remember To Forget while Honey I’m Home weeps wonderfully as Utley swaps the family home for the local pub in an attempt to drown his sorrows. One Heartbeat At A Time is another break up song but it’s delivered with the commercial heartbeat that John Hartford sounded out on Gentle On My Mind and is another example of the commercial potential contained herein. While all of the band are in excellent form here Renee Frye in particular sparkles with her harmony support with Only In Our Minds, an excellent country duet. She has two showcases here, the rolling and tumbling boogie Firecracker where she is as sassy as Loretta Lynn, while The Only Thing is another tear jerking lament offering the female counterpoint to Utley’s songs of loss.

If this were all the album would be a winner but they throw in a couple of belters just to up the ante. Four In The Morning swaggers in with a muscular swing as beefy pedal steel and swirling organ churn and boil over a menacing rhythm producing a song that has the heft of a Joe Ely song back when he was a pal of The Clash. Jesus Wept is simpler in its delivery with some Bakersfield country in the twang guitars as Utley sings “I’m broke as hell, all my bills are due, My girlfriend’s mad and my wife is too” on a song that just about encapsulates the stereotype of red necked country music lovers. It’s a bit of a hoot. Utley closes the album with the only cover, a version of fellow TIAM artists, Great Peacock’s Bluebird which he dresses up in warm vocals and sweet pedal steel murmurings, a sweet end to a meaty album." - Paul Kerr, Blabber 'n' Smoke


“Good Timin’ Girl” welcomes listeners to Bulletville. A song about regret from all sides, Utley delivers a tale of a man and woman that question their abnormal relationships. She has spent a life giving herself to the next man and now has nothing to show for it, while he wasted most of his time trying to pursue her love. The song “Honey, I’m Home” is a brilliantly-written song about loss and heartache. Utley sings of a man that has lost his wife and can’t bear to spend time in their home. So the local watering hole and the inside of a bottle take its place. Bulletville kicks up the twang with the track “Jesus Wept”. Infused with a bit of humor it is a satirical statement letting listeners know that one person’s bad day/life may be trivial compared to others. Plus, how can you not like a song that successfully references Elvis dying on the commode, missing George Jones, or yelling at kids to get off the lawn. Adding a bit of Southern soul to the record is the bluesy “Four in the Morning”. Utley unleashes one of the best lines on the album, “this is the time of the evening when you can’t fool yourself no more / when the good Lord ain’t talkin’, and the Devil’s at the door”, as he paints a vivid image of a man at the end of his rope. The album comes to a close with the beautiful “Bluebird”. The music takes a backseat to the vocals as Utley and Renee Frye harmonize on this melancholy tune. Speaking of Ms. Frye, be sure and listen to “Firecracker” and “The Only Thing” where she takes lead vocals. Going from feisty to forlorn, her sultry voice is mesmerizing.

From beginning to end, this record is true Country music. Influences from Country music’s past litter the songs as Utley and company deliver a classic sound that never gets old. Country music is at a crossroads where over-produced pop melodies and hiphop-inspired vocals have over taken the industry, threatening to choke out any semblance of the classic sounds. Thankfully, there are bands like Bulletville that understand that good Country music is about substance not style, and this album is full of substance." - Chris Martin, Atlanta Music Examiner

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Mark Utley Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati-based singer/songwriter Mark Utley is the driving force behind the acclaimed roots-rock/Americana band Magnolia Mountain, the honky-tonk Country outfit Bulletville, and the two "Music for the Mountains" fundraising concerts and compilation albums. ... more

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