Details of
Sweet or Mean
by Eliza Neals


Producer: Popa Chubby
Engineer: Paul Klimson
Recorder At: GB's Juke Joint
Mastered By: Dave Feeny


About the Album

WORLDWIDE RELEASE DATE: JULY 4th, 2019
"Sweet or Mean" EP 26:07
1) Pawn Shop Blues (E. Neals) 4:05
2) Blackish Gray (E. Neals) 5:41
3) Bitten by the Blues (E. Neals) 4:24
4) Livin With Yo Mama (E. Neals + HJ) 5:54
5) Knock Knock Knockin (E. Neals + HJ) 2:22
6) Pawn Shop Blues (roadhouse) (E. Neals) 3:21

"Sweet or Mean," the new raw blues-rock EP written by the Detroit born renegade Eliza Neals... Enter, producer Ted Horowitz aka "Popa Chubby" the incendiary blues-rocker, together celebrating their true love of rock-blues. Eliza met Ted a few times and sat in with his smoking band causing a real combustion on stage. It was a natural for Horowitz to produce and arrange "Sweet or Mean" after witnessing Eliza's one-of-a-kind talent live.

Eliza admits that the drama on these tunes is 100% authentic; because truth is strangely more entertaining than fiction. "Sweet or Mean" is rootsy blues-rock bliss with no gimmicks or tricks from the first heavenly note to the last guitar riff. Popa Chubby's tone is reminiscent of ZZ Top, Santana and other seasoned vintage guitarists who know how to knock audiences out. On the opening tune "Pawn Shop Blues," luscious horn lines and slide guitar with Eliza's powerful and soulful vocals grab hold of you.

'The Beast From The East' even plays a rare Martin D28 acoustic guitar on the EP and lends his bold voice on vocals. Dave Keyes the New York based pianist/ Hammond organ specialist who travels the world making people dance, lent his extraordinary skills. Also from NYC, bass man Chris Gambaro-Vega adds to the raw and ferocious vibe of the ensemble. New England's finest blues drummer John Medeiros Jr. plays exactly the right groove. Special guest horn section from the "Top of the Rock," Jimmy Fallon's own Ian Hendrickson-Smith on saxophone and Michael Leonhart on trumpet of Amy Winehouse, Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley and The Roots puts the B in Badassery. Eliza Neals' signature gritty-velvety voice makes everything wonderfully sublime. Have a quick preview of Eliza's testimonial song "Bitten by the Blues"... https://youtu.be/jzr78tZ9uH8


Long Island City; inside the warm acoustically stunning analog recording studio called "GB's Juke Joint," is where the sessions for "Sweet or Mean" were born. Ted's long time friend and blues lover Glen Forrest made it all happen with his ultra vintage gear and expertise. The cool recording engineer to the stars Paul Klimson (John Legend, The Roots), was on hand to record and mix to capture Eliza's unique songs plus gritty vocal tone. Additional tracking engineering at GB's was Colin Mohnacs. Final mastering was done by Dave Feeny at 'The Tempermill,' back in Eliza's original stomping ground of Ferndale, MI.

http://ElizaNeals.com

PRESS:
"At first glance, Neals' voice shares a Janis Joplin and Etta James singing style; but her own unique and tremendous talents make her specifically superior and very, very likable... Neals studied with Motown legend Barrett Strong, and you can hear it in the way she arranges her songs and in the way she sings... Eliza Neals is the winner of this year's 2018 Detroit Black Music Awards for Blues Artist of the Year..." Blues Music Magazine 2018