Listen! Nashville's review of the new album!

***

Mat Burke, Kill or Be Killed, 2010 (Indie, Self Released) (5 of 5 stars)

Mat Burke's advance copy of Kill or Be Killed landed on my desk well over a month ago, and since that time the disc hasn't left my cd player. Burke points to Dylan as his biggest influence, but a close second is Rancid. Throw in his current musical hero and contemporary Frank Turner and you've got something interesting to say the least.

Indeed, Kill or Be Killed is intelligent and thought-provoking, with stinging lyrics reminiscent of the early folk movement but with a dark self-loathing that at times recalls Pink Floyd's The Wall. This is Burke's debut full-length record and it's a powerful introduction. Burke has really achieved something remarkable in this record by delivering a pastiche of traditional folk (appropriately taking aim at the US government) and edgy punk-inspired bouts of deep depression and insecurity. The end result is like nothing you've ever heard before. Some will point to Conor Oberst or Roger Waters, but there's something more to Burke, and I believe it's his devotion to Dylan that sets him apart. When Burke points to Dylan as an influence he's not just citing him out of obligation. Rather, Burke is entirely fluent in all things Dylan, which means Burke understands Guthrie. Burke's music, therefore, brings a level of genuine vulnerability heard so clearly in all of Guthrie's songs, and rarely heard since.

In sum, Kill or Be Killed is a formidable debut from a young songwriter firmly rooted in the prophetic folk-rock tradition. Both political and emotional, Kill or Be Killed will remain relevant for years to come.

— Vincent Wynne, January 18, 2010

http://www.listennashville.com/mat-burke-kill-or-be-killed.html

Delivery!

Well, I opened my front door to find a few boxes this morning! The first box was 250 stickers with my new logo on them that will be available at all my shows, the second box was a case of about 500 "Mat Burke - Kill or be Killed" signature guitar picks provided to me by intunegp.com which will also be available at shows, and last but not least are 200 copies of my new CD "Kill or be Killed." The album was recorded at SubCat Studios in NY.

Things are finally starting to come together for this tour. I'm just waiting for the next few weeks to fly by a little quicker so i can start playing music, drinking beer and living on the road.

Until then,
-Mat

Booking shows, making deals

OK. Day two of the new site and of basically everyone (but me) is working like a dog while I sit around and wait to play my songs. Thanks, guys.

Vince worked his magic all day and got me my first date of the 2010 tour. It's at the 5 Spot here in Nashville on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010, and it looks like its going to be a good time. We also have a few endorsement deals pending, so everything is looking up.

I will keep everyone posted with more tour dates and any other shenanigans I am up to before the tour.

See you on that dusty road,
-Mat

The site is up!

After hours of Scranton-to-Nashville phone calls and I'm sure several cases of Red Bull, Chris and Jay got the Web site up and running late Monday night! Thanks so much guys for your hard work - it turned out great.
As for me, I woke up at 11 with bright lights and a head ache reminding me of the crazy night I had at Dave and Busters last night. I totally won some shot and pint glasses. I grabbed a shower, took some aspirin and headed to Vince, my booking agent's, house. We spent the rest of the day cleaning up all my social networking sites and talked about my upcoming tour and album release on March 2, 2010.
After hours of staring at a computer screen we ended the night with a feeling of accomplishment over everything that finally got finished today. We made a beer run, had a great meal and kicked back with some Red Stripe and Guinness.

Cheers!
-Mat