Mat d. and the Profane Saints: News

Well, actually it's four out of five carrots. (Carrots-Stars-same thing!) But we were sure pleased to hear that the good folks at BluesBunny.com in the UK dug the latest CD "Merciful 66" To read the full review visit www.BluesBunny.com or visit the press section of our website and click the link titled 'reviews'.

We're proud, and sort of scared to announce that we're now available for purchase through Amazon.com and Walmart.com's digital music store. Our songs ranging from every album since our debut EP in 2006 are selling strong on both sites. So go ahead, save money, live better- and buy profane.

Thank you to everyone who visits our little hole in the wall website. Since last August we've gotten about 200,000 hits to Mat d and the Profane Saints.com - and we're still going strong. Let's make it half a million in 2009!

The Profane Saints are proud to announce that we'll be performing alongside Burlap Wolf King and the County Line band in support of musician Charlie Parr from Minneapolis on December 20th at Nutty's North in Sioux Falls South Dakota. More info soon.

The new version of "Lye Soap, Cigarettes and Gasoline" is on display in the music section. Revamped and re-recorded. Enjoy!

MERCIFUL 66 NOW AVAILABLE ON CDBABY.COM


Mat d's latest acoustic/solo CD 'Merciful 66' is now on sale at CDBABY.com The physical CD is available by mail order, however if you prefer the digital album you may also purchase the MP3 album at the site. The CD will also be available at iTunes, Tradebit and others in the coming weeks and months. Click the album cover above to visit the store and purchase the CD. Links to Mat's and the Profane Saints' albums can also be found in the Store section of this website.

Mat's latest CD "Merciful 66" was released on August 1st at the Sioux River Folk Festival. The CD will be available at CDBaby.com and iTunes. More updates soon.

Press about the new CD "Merciful 66" and the Sioux River Folk Festival has been added to the PRESS section of the website.

The July 18th performance at Black Sheep Coffe has been cancelled due to Sioux Falls Jazz Fest (be sure to check out Snakebeard Jackson performing at this free festival)

Mat d. and the Profane Saints will return to the Chesterfield on October 25th, 2008. Opening act to be announced soon.

Thanks to the good folks at FOTM and the boys of Snakebeard Jackson for inviting Mat to perform at the 1st annual Newton Hills Hoedown in Canton, South Dakota. Portions of the acoustic set were captured on video and can be viewed at www.myspace.com/matderiso

New clips from the latest album are now on display in the music section along with the complete lyrics from the CD. The CD "Merciful 66" will be released on August 1st at the Old Courthouse Museum in Sioux Falls.

The Links and Photo sections have been updated.

Thank you to the City of Hawarden for welcoming us to the Dry Creek Music Festival. Jeff, Kurt , Bob and Mat had a great time performing at the first annual Dry Creek Music Festival and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces in the crowd.

Don Zelazny was kind enough to write a few words about Mat's most recent release at www.AmericanaRoots.com You can read the review at their website or in the Press / Reviews section.

Mat d's follow-up to the award winning 'Gasoline Rattle' titled 'Merciful 66' will be released in August 2008. The solo album will feature 10 brand new songs ranging in style from acoustic folk, americana and gospel. The album will feature guitar, bass and keys courtesy of Kurt Mullins and percussion by Jeff Deignan. The album is scheduled to be released at this year's Sioux River Folk Fest on August 1st.

A few solo dates in Sioux Falls and South Dakota have been added to the Calendar. Mat d. will perform at Black Sheep Coffee on May 10th in Sioux Falls, at the Newton Hills Hoedown on July 5th, and the Sioux River Folk Festival on Aug. 1st, 2nd and 3rd. See the Calendar for more details! More live appearances coming soon as well!

The solo appearance scheduled on April 12 has been cancelled. Mat d. will return to the stage on May 10th at Black Sheep Coffee in Sioux Falls.

Mat's sister is celebrating her 21st in Denver- Here's to you Ashleigh! PACE YOURSELF!

New photos from the 3/28 show in Sioux City are appearing in the photo gallery. Thanks to Crystal Huls for doing such a great job!

Thanks to all of the new friends at Shaky Tree Coffee on Saturday for sharing their hearts, laughter and a spare couch! Much of the material Mat sang during the show was brand new and the audience was great! Thank you Spencer, IA for making it a great show. See you again soon!

One of our favorite bands, The Quaker City Night Hawks bid farewell on Saturday March 1. We were honored to have opened the show which also featured the Wisconsin band, Flame Shark at Nutty's North in Sioux Falls. We wish Thomas and the fabulous Night Hawks the very best in all of their future musical ventures.

My Dad and I would fish at Wollaston Lake, Sask. from time to time. These trips were the few weeks we spent together after I had graduated from college. One day, on the boat in 2001, Dad told me he would like his ashes to be scattered in Wollaston Lake when he died. I thought I'd be a much older man when that time came. My Father passed away Feb 8th in Denver Colorado - and it's a bright sadness to fulfill that promise I made to Dad seven years ago. This song is written for you Dad. May the cold water carry you to heaven's gates.



Wollaston (in memory of Neil deRiso)

I will stare at my reflection in the water
searching for the piece of you that's left in me
If I close my eyes and chase after your memory
will your silhouette be all that I can see?

Not so long ago you'd carry me the distance
now I hold your unchained spirit in my hands
I'll commit your body to that holy water
may it carry you up to the promised land

your restless heart will find redemption in love's river
your weary soul will shine like diamonds in the sun
one day I'll meet you on the shores of the eternal
today I'll say goodbye to you at Wollaston.

your restless heart will find redemption in that river
your weary soul will shine like diamonds in the sun
one day I'll meet you on the shores of the eternal
today I'll say goodbye to you at Wollaston
today I'll say goodbye to you at Wollaston

words and music by Mathew R. deRiso

copyright 2008 Mary Moe Music

from www.folkrising.com:

Folk Rising ™ Music Productions, LLC (Folk Rising)'s 2007 Folk Album of the year goes to Gasoline Rattle by Mat d., singer / songwriter from Sioux City, IA. Gary Kappenman, A&R for Folk Rising, suggested that this new solo album from Mat d. "combines the best of old acoustic roots / folk / country blues music with leading edge Americana blues and a hard driving gospel flavor to produce Folk Rising's pick for this year's top folk album. Our favorite lyric from the album is ' Baby, this train is still bound for glory, despite all of our rambling ways' from the Bound for Glory track offering hope of redemption in the depths of despair ".

Thanks and much appreciation go out to Gary Kappenman for this great honor. Read more at www.FolkRising.com

Resurrection Boulevard is the latest song to be featured on the Americana Roots Review No. 59 You can download the podcast at iTunes or at www.AmericanaRoots.com Big thanks to Ray and everyone else at AmericanaRoots.com for their support!

The kind editors at BluesBunny.com, a site devoted to independent music reviews and based in Glasgow, UK have just published a review of Mat d's solo release. Here's what they had to say.



Mat d. Gasoline Rattle Mary Moe Records/Music Works


The troubadour. The singer of the songs. The storyteller. Stories of the grit and grime of life glamorised in the way that only poets manage. Poetry set to music as epitomised by Lee Hazelwood, Kris Kristofferson or John Prine. Songs that mean something to you and not just after that fifth beer. This album from Mat D (aka Mathew DeRiso, front man from Bluesbunny favourites Mat D and the Profane Saints) provides some fine additions to the canon of country - and indeed popular - songs.

There are songs that we have heard before, of course, like "Bound for Glory" but they manage to survive on their own without the support of a band. Mat D's voice shows that flawed but real quality that is associated with proper country singers and he sings his own songs well. Redemption is a common theme in proper country music and "Damnation Line" hits the mark evoking images of the emptiness of the highway at night and, by inference, the emptiness of life when you have lost something - "…a wandering soul never cries". There is a theme that runs through these songs in that Mat D paints pictures of people's sense of dissatisfaction with life. Not dissatisfaction with what they have got but perhaps dissatisfaction with what they have gotten out of life. Let's not forget that he also does a nice line in hope as well and "Midway Babylon" illustrates that. He is a dramatic if dark songwriter, however, and we've said it before but no one puts a soap opera to song better than Mat D. That said, we did miss a band sometimes, especially on the songs that we have grown to love like "Bikini Bull Riding".

There are songs on this album that will (or at least should if there is any justice in this world) become standards. Writing songs that can touch people's souls is no easy task and it is certainly no guarantee of commercial success but we raise our glass to Mat D as we think of our "Sweet Louise". (Rated 4 out of 5 stars)

For more reviews of great independent music be sure to visit www.BluesBunny.com