Heaven Knows

Music Review: Red Beets and Horseradish by Little Wretches

 Red Beets and Horseradish 

by

The Little Wretches

RED BEETS AND HORSERADISH is inspired by a relish or side-dish usually served around the holidays of Easter or Passover by various ethnicities of Eastern Europe. For the Serbs, for example, the red of the beets is symbolic of the blood of their people, and the horseradish the bitterness of their suffering. For others, the symbolism involves the blood of their savior and the bitterness of His suffering. People in the Jewish tradition also enjoy the dish, but there is no blood involved—the beets are merely for flavor—but the horseradish does represent the memory of bitter suffering in bondage.

The songs on the album involve vignettes and portraits of people who’ve suffered—old people, sick people, crazy people, people who are alone—but the heart of the songs lies not in the suffering of the characters but in the indomitable faith and humor that sustains them.

The introductory track to the album, Rise, sets the tone and theme of the collection with a folksy and upbeat ballad that offers promise straight up in the face of adversity:

Rise from your slumber

Days without number

Wait for you

Shake off your losses

So many causes 

to put your shoulder to

It’s time to mend

Time to turn the next bend

We depend on you to harmonize

so Rise

Rise

Next comes the song, Lovingkindness, which begins with a harmonica intro hook that blends into a pleasing and catchy melody accentuated by lyrics that glorify the personal praise and testimony of a soul grateful to the God of Creation who is fearsome yet loving and kind to those who He has purchased through His sacrifice on the cross in Christ Jesus.

The third track, Palms & Crosses, picks up the beat somewhat with the drums and electric guitar sounds, and it is a song that seems a bit ironic regarding our Lord's passion at Calvary:

One week palms, joy and praise, 

Hearts are lifted, voices raised

Next week nails and crowns of thorns

The mother of God herself will mourn

The chorus line to the song is my favorite: "All I know is that tomorrow will decide what yesterday means!" And it's a good application of gospel doctrine that should be exercised by every believer who walks in faith and not by sight.

Winter's Grace is a beautiful ballad, written by Annette Dietz and performed by Rosa Colucci, that is almost existential in its sympathy and awareness of human limitations in the face of adversity but yet we try: 

My friend lives in a deserted mine, 

He wears brokenness like a cloak.

My friend lives in a deserted mine, 

He wears brokenness like a cloak.

My friend lives in a deserted mine.  

Tonight, we walk to the quiet shrine

The moon settles onto my upturned palm

With a brilliant dusting of snow.(A brilliant dusting of snow.)

Some days the best I can do Is clear a path for light.   

       

Heaven Was Open, is a song that speaks of "seeing the light" and offers a comparison between unseen spiritual realities and the fallen visible world and the Lord is to be praised for this eye opening experience (of course).

Old Hundredth, is partially based on an old Isaac Watts hymn with modifications and is probably my favorite track on the prolific album which totals thirteen songs. It is modern and moving with timeless words of strength and encouragement:

Eternal are Thy mercies, Lord

Eternal truth attends Thy word

Though mist and shadow all around

I’ll set my feet on solid ground

 Solid ground, Solid ground

 Solid ground

The final song, It's All Between Me and God, is a great outro song to the album that makes anyone who has spent time plying the path to eternity to pause, look out the window and reflect upon the wonderful (and sometimes frightening) aspects of salvation. And in the final analysis, this might be a good way to sum up the concept behind the entire collection of Red Beets and Horseradish -- a thoughtful musical journey through trials and tribulations of both a personal and social nature that keenly reflect the Christian experience. Do give a listen!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER A COPY OF THE CD!!!

RED BEETS & HORSERADISH BY THE LITTLE WRETCHES, THE NEW ALBUM IS HERE ON MARCH 18, 2022 

Click here to order a

Robert Wagner of Little Wretches

(photo by Melinda Pietrusza)

ROBERT A. WAGNER - THE LITTLEST WRETCH

My songs are mirrors, and I often begin or end my performances by

playing a version of The Velvet Underground’s “I’ll Be Your Mirror”

extended to more than ten-minutes in length to include some of the

images that most shaped my view of the world as a young

man—working men and women enslaved in pursuit of the dollar, the

now-vacant void from whence the spirit fled filled with the distraction of

mindless entertainment, alcohol and assorted drugs, people so numb

that self-destructive violence has lost its impact and the only way they

can hope to feel anything is to hurt the people they love.

Having descended from Slovakian immigrants that sought fortune in

the once-booming steel towns of Western Pennsylvania, I elect to

portray the lives of those around me—family, friends, community,

work. In literature and art, working class characters tend to appear as

comic relief or in the form of the noble savage.  They are cast as

victims, oppressed and betrayed. Personally, I'm sick of Tom Joad. I

hold my characters accountable.

If you sell your soul for money, don’t come crying that you got a bad

deal.

I don’t suppose I’ll ever be accused of telling people what they want to

hear. Then again, I’ve crafted some rather compelling musical portraits

of my grandparents and parents, my sister and brother, my neighbors,

closest friends and fellow travelers. There’s a considerable portion of

love and compassion in these songs, though a lot of people tell me I

sound angry.

I’m not angry; I just enjoy a good fight.

As a kid, I idolized Popeye, Mighty Mouse and Bruno Sammartino. I

ran around the neighborhood, an empty can of spinach stuffed under

my shirt and a corncob pipe between my teeth, a super-hero’s cape in

the form of a bath towel pinned to my shoulders as I defended the

weak and battled the evil-doers of my imagination.

I also loved music. My older cousin said The Beatles were the best

musicians because they wrote their own songs, so he and I built

guitars from scraps of plywood, two-by-fours, nails and rubber bands

and started writing our own songs.

My Catholic parents sent me to St. Anne’s School, where I learned

that we can only be happy when we do what God asks of us. The

nuns taught that God has a special purpose for each of us, and we will

know that purpose by the joy we feel when we’re fulfilling it.

God wanted me to grow up to defend the weak and vanquish the evil-

doers by writing songs and telling stories.

And if I’m wrong, I’ve wasted my life.

NO SHELTER - PRECURSOR TO THE LITTLE WRETCHES

No Shelter was co-founded by John Creighton and Robert A. Wagner

while drinking beer in the Squirrel Hill Cafe the night before The

Pittsburgh Steelers faced the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl.

Wagner was battling cancer and wasn't sure he was going to live.

Creighton was depressed and wasn't sure he had a reason to live.

Both loved music and agreed that starting a band was the key to

survival. 

No Shelter was part of the first generation of Pittsburgh-area

punk bands. The single Brooks Robinson's Camp / Soldier Boy was

considered a breakthrough for the scene; raising the bar for quality

and production-values and combining powerful lyrics, expressive

performance and a compassionate world-view. Brooks Robinson's

Camp is the transcribed monologue/rant of a deranged man in the

24-hour fast food restaurant where band-members used to drink

coffee and talk. The ascendancy of President Ronald Reagan led to

the cutting of social programs for the mentally ill, rendering people like

the narrator Brooks Robinson's Camp homeless.

THE EARLY WRETCHES - FOLK/PUNK PIONEERS

The Little Wretches was co-founded by brothers Robert Andrew and

Charles John Wagner. Bob wrote original songs and adapted

traditional folk songs, tried to sing and accompanied himself on guitar

while Chuckie worked out counterpoint melodies on violin. Chuckie

and Bob were joined by former members of No Shelter, Ed Heidel on

bass guitar and John Creighton on flute, percussion and background

vocals. Religious missionary Chris Bruckhoff was attracted to the

group because a lot of the songs seemed to have spiritual content,

and he apparently believed he could recruit the members of The Little

Wretches into his church by infiltrating the band. Like John Creighton,

Chris sang background vocals and played various percussion and

wind instruments. Bob Goetz played electric guitar and did some

singing. Deena Alansky took pictures, tried to book gigs, and pasted

posters all over town. The original line-up of The Little Wretches

debuted at The New Group Theater (founded by Martin Giles in the

spirit of the legendary progressive theater company, The Group

Theater) along with the godfathers of the Pittsburgh hard-core scene,

The Five. The earliest version of The Little Wretches came to an end

with the sudden death of John Creighton. John never considered

himself an actual member of The Little Wretches (he was just helping

out), but he was so much a part of the group's sound and persona that

his loss was devastating.

BORN WITH A GIFT - THE CLASSIC ERA

The Little Wretches went straight rock adding Dave Mitchell on

drums, Mike Michalski on bass, and Ellen Hildebrand on electric

guitar. This generation of The Little Wretches played so often at The

Electric Banana, central venue of the Pittsburgh underground, that

many came to regard them as the house-band. The Little Wretches

felt otherwise and eventually stopped performing at The Banana.

Robert Wagner said, "Being content to be the house-band at The

Electric Banana is like a family being content to live on welfare and

food-stamps".  Michalski, who later founded The Heretics and The

Kelly Affair and produced recordings for Rusted Root and Get Hip

Records, described his time in The Little Wretches as like going to

rock school, " Hundreds of bootleg recordings were made by friends

and fans of the band."

 The theme-song of the era was Born With A

Gift, and songs like Thanks for Saving My Life,The Taste of Dirt, Who Is America, Let Me Play Your Guitar sound as vital today

as they day they were written. This generation of The Little Wretches

ended with the departures of Mike Michalski, Dave Mitchell, and

Chuckie Wagner.

ALTHOUGH IN THE FUTURE, THEY'LL

SAY THESE WERE DARK TIMES -

MAYBE NEXT TIME, MAYBE NEXT TIME

David Losi had been living in Atlanta, performing in groups like Sexy

Up and B-49. He dropped in on a Little Wretches recording session

while in Pittsburgh to visit his family, played piano on the entire

session, and decided to return to Pittsburgh to join the band. Losi was

unembarrassedly Beatles-esque could KILL with harmonies, ballads

and raw rock vocals. Mike Madden was/is one of the best rock

drummers--period. When The Little Wretches performed at The

Decade, the legendary Pittsburgh rock club graced by Springsteen,

David Johansen and any number of blues heroes, the club's manager

asked, "Where'd you get that guy? He's the best drummer to come

through here in years!" Unfortunately, Mike was raising a family and

unable to tour, so The Little Wretches had to look elsewhere for a

drummer. Gregg Bielski, a friend and fan of The Little Wretches, had

been attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania and generating an

awesome body of work as the founder of Shrink Wrap (see G. G.

Allin). Gregg had been working with tapes and drum-programs, started

collaborating with drummerless The Wretches, and soon began

performing with the band. Ellen Hildebrand switched from guitar to

bass, and this new version of The Little Wretches went into the studio

to create JUST ANOTHER NAIL IN MY COFFIN and THIS TIME THE

REBELLION WEEPS, and a modified version of this band (with

Angelo George on drums and Jon Paul Leone on guitar) recorded

THE LITTLE WRETCHES. The band rehearsed and recreated at

Ellen's sheep farm in Clarksville PA, and a major breakthrough

seemed to be right around the corner as the band began to meet with

lawyers, managers and publicists. This generation of the The Little

Wretches passed when various band-members entered the season of

their lives that called for raising children and caring for families. Listen

to the recordings. Read the reviews.

THE FOLK POET - TELLING STORIES AND ASKING

QUESTIONS LIKE JESUS AND SOCRATES

I continue to perform solo and with small acoustic ensembles, usually

appearing at coffeehouses or small clubs. In addition to writing songs

and telling stories, I teach and counsel abused, neglected,

traumatized and court-adjudicated youth. (I have both Crip and Blood

bandanas hanging on my bedroom door, souvenirs from battle.) The

season of rock n roll having passed for The Little Wretches (It no

longer made sense to be carrying amplifiers and unloading trucks at

4:30 in the morning), I had a something of a rebirth after

hearing/seeing/studying the live-performances of Michelle Shocked,

Steve Earle and Peter Himmelman and the live-recordings of Phil

Ochs. I got involved with the songwriter's group at Calliope, The

Pittsburgh Folk Music Society back in the mid-nineties. With Gypsy-

jazzman James Hovan, I co-founded The Calliope Acoustic Open-

Stage at The Bloomfield Bridge Tavern, a weekly event that has lived

for going-on fifteen years. We also founded The Threepenny Opry

performance-series at The Starlite Lounge. I've managed to record

and release some pretty powerful stuff. I hope I get to meet you and

play for you someday. 

Sincerely, Robert A. Wagner The Little

Wretches

MAKE SURE TO VISIT THE BAND'S WEBSITE FOR THE FULL SCOOP AND LINKS TO MUSIC AT LITTLEWRETCHES.COM

You've waited all your life

 And now the gates are open wide!

Listen to Patient Chill's hit single, From Now to Eternity, celebrating the return of Christ and the welcoming of the saints into His glorious kingdom!

John Byk and the Blind Guitarist · From Now To Eternity

Christian musicians! Get heard!

 

CLICK HERE AND GO TO FIVERR.COM TO PLACE YOUR ORDER

I will promote your christian music

writersalive976

5(1)

Full Screen

About This Gig

I will feature you or your Christian band of any genre music on my quickly growing blog which averages 5000 views per month. I can also review your music and create a custom promo video of it and I will aggressively promote items on at least six social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter. I do not accept requests from artists with music that promotes sex, drugs, self mutilation (including transgenderism), suicide, or contain any kind of explicit lyrics or hate speech towards any individual, race, creed or color. I reserve the right to reject proposals based on this criteria or any other Scriptural guidelines for holy living. Send me links to your music before you purchase.

Stace Fauske Rocks for Jesus

 It just keeps getting better with all this new musical talent I am privileged to feature on this blog. Do enjoy this profile on Stace Fauske and the review of his latest release, A Better Way, available on major digital platforms on March 4, 2022.

StaceFauske.com

Please tell us about your musical journey in Christ. How long have you been making music? Any formal training? Professional experience?

I've been writing songs for 20+ years but recently at NSAI songwriter meetings I have been getting so many compliments on my music that I decided to get some of them produced. Though I have performed at many "songwriter nights" I have never really toured or been a featured artist at a concert. So I'm putting my best foot forward hoping that my music can be a light for someone, and maybe help somebody somewhere!

What music inspires you the most (Christian or secular)? Name your favorites.

Christian music such as Third Day, Casting Crowns, TobyMac, and Skillet are what inspire me for the past decade. In my youth I was more into bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, and Pink Floyd.

How has making music made a difference in your Christian walk?

It has made me believe that music makes a difference in people's lives and it is truly important for the kingdom of God. All over the psalms it says to "sing to the Lord a new song". I believe that He loves when we use our gifts that He gave us to further His kingdom!

What projects are you working on now? What are your hopes for them?

I am constantly writing new songs, it is a great way to get out any thoughts that are on my mind. I also have a handful of other songs that have been produced and I will be releasing them as singles over the next year or so.

Let us know where we can follow you and your music and give us any last words of encouragement, advice or anything else you wish to add.

I am on Facebook, and Instagram as stacefauske.

Post any and all social media links to where more information about you or your band's music can be found.

stacefauske.com
https://www.facebook.com/stace.fauske.7
https://instagram.com/stacefauske

Music Review of "A Better Way'

From the pile driving intro rhythm guitar hook to the outro vocal chop at the end of the song, Stace Fauske brings home and reinforces the gospel message of living a life free of sin through Jesus Christ and His awesome redemptive powers.

Not only are all the solid classic rock elements perfectly mixed with quality production in this track, but the lyrics and vocals are clear in spirit and perfectly tuned to those who have "ears to hear" as our Lord was fond of saying:

"I was a man who ran to sin and all the deceptions of the world...

Thought I was lost beyond all hope but I'm here to let you know

that there's a better way...

Listen my brother, God can help you change...

Listen for the voice of Jesus calling you back home!"

I've added Stace's music to my Amazon and Spotify playlists and I should probably create an entirely new category which is inspired by this song-- Christian Rock Anthems--because that's exactly what this music is--an uplifting, solidly encouraging tune that you need to play full blast on your car radio on your way to wherever because this sound will make your journey rock!

Stace Fauske and his music are definitely worth checking out and you should follow this musician for the Lord and download his new EP coming out on March 4th of this year. We can only hope that his career in this ministry continues to grow and to draw and inspire many to the message of the kingdom found in Christ Jesus. It's definitely a better way!

stacefauske.com

Teen singer/songwriter Katelynn joins Patient Chill

                               

Teen singer/songwriter Katelyn McKinney

Visit and subscribe to hear new music:

patientchill.com

Biblical Rebel Yell

 [This is another segment in the Music in the Bible series which begins in Genesis and finishes in Revelation.]

image source: NellaWare.com

"And there happened to be there a rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said:

“We have no share in David,

Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse;

Every man to his tents, O Israel!” (2 Samuel 20:1)

It did not end well for Sheba, the rascal rebel horn man who tried to lead yet another uprising against Kind David. In fact, he was pursued by General Joab and was beheaded by his own townsfolk in order to stop the king's forces from sacking and razing the Israelite town. Rock anthems (or any genre anthem for that matter) has the potential to create a buzz with people that can end up badly in the long run depending upon the spiritual force behind the sound. My constant prayer is that the Lord examines my motivations not only in the musical realm but in all realms of my daily walk. Otherwise, there is no point in the show going on. That being said, Christ was the penultimate rebel in a good way by bringing truth to light and exposing the misunderstanding and hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. That's a rebel yell I can get behind!

Patient Chill Presents Katelyn

 

Teen singer/songwriter Katelyn McKinney

Visit and subscribe to hear new music:

patientchill.com

Wanted: Christian Musicians for Music Blog Promo

 

CLICK HERE AND GO TO FIVERR.COM TO PLACE YOUR ORDER

I will promote your christian music

writersalive976

5(1)

Full Screen

About This Gig

I will feature you or your Christian band of any genre music on my quickly growing blog which averages 5000 views per month. I can also review your music and create a custom promo video of it and I will aggressively promote items on at least six social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and Twitter. I do not accept requests from artists with music that promotes sex, drugs, self mutilation (including transgenderism), suicide, or contain any kind of explicit lyrics or hate speech towards any individual, race, creed or color. I reserve the right to reject proposals based on this criteria or any other Scriptural guidelines for holy living. Send me links to your music before you purchase.