INSIDE GOSPEL GARAGE
Your hair fell down it hides your eyes it blinded your sight,
it blocked the sun
as if the moon has a choice where to shine its light
my hands always lose their place,
they shade the shape of your pretty face
we drink the wine, we drink the blood, we drink before we shine
You don't think it's real, anything I feel
Creep inside

("Creep Inside" – Inside Gospel Garage)

Ah to be able to sing "along" again, a favorite pastime denied me through undecipherable lyrics and 16 count music. Words that fit together like an aural puzzle, creating an amalgamation of vocals, melody and dare I say it, harmony?? Let my heart sing the wonder. Bill Reveles, where have you been all my life? Well California actually. Bill Reveles hails from San Jose and he can be seen in live performances around Southern California. Ah but wait even if you do not live in the L.A. area you have probably heard his music on some of your favorite old television shows. Yep that's right Bill Reveles' music can be heard on Dawson's Creek, King of the Hill, Daria and VIP just to name a few, not to mention his work with various movies of the week, Paul Newman's Nobody's Fool and Disney's adventures in Dinosaur City.

Starting at the tender age of ten Bill Reveles began to break down songs and make them his own. Now after having received the 2006 Southern California Best Male Artist Music Award and having cut two inspired albums (Empty Chair 1997 Roughrider Records and UnAmerican Dream 2001 Deaf Poet) Bill Reveles has become a concrete fixture in the Southern California entertainment scene. His new album Inside Gospel Garage, recorded with the independent label Big Belly Records in 2005, stays true to Bill's independent fervor and manages to keep the heart of his music in tact. From "The Apartment" to "Two Conversations" Inside Gospel Garage covers a varied assemblage of emotions and stories which define the human experience. Heartbreak, family communication issues, loneliness, and self doubt all laid bare in Bill Reveles' own definitive style.

Personally I would have to describe Bill Reveles' music as a modernized John Denver vocal with a Tom Petty attitude. His tunes are contagious and his lyrics express the heart of a new era of folk music. Compared to John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen, Bill Reveles has a sound which, though it carries reminiscences from past artists, is really a style all his own. If I had to make up a title of Bill Reveles' music type I would have to draw a little from his own description and call it "Schizophrenic" Country music. He touches on so many wonderful genres and fuses them all so fluidly that there is very little seam work to identify between one genre and the next. An individual with a vast amount of talent, Bill Reveles is one artist I believe pretty much any music lover should add to their collection. So if you are in Southern California see Bill live; June 18, 2006 2:00 PM Borders Books Santa Barbara, CA, or Jun 25, 2006 12:00 PM Pit Fire Pizza North Hollywood, CA. Or listen to him on iradio LA 104.7 FM. For those not lucky enough to live around Southern California you can hear Bill's music on Indie Artists Radio and Indie Limelight Show, Outbound http://www.music.com/ radio CNotes, Internet radio and That's Country Live - Kathy Sharkey / Northeast In-Tune

In Agoura Hills, which is just on the other side of Malibu Canyon from the sea, in a tiny, colorful cafe known as the Kava Dume, singer-songwriter Bill Reveles holds court. For faithful friends, for guest, for passersby who stop for a moment with their mochas and their children he dutifully plays songs that reach into the soul; songs that remind us of lost loves and younger years; songs that celebrate the travels on the bumpy road of existence.

Reveles, recent winner of male artist of the year at the Southern California Music Awards, writes witty, wistful, poetic lyrics that are an irreverent romp through the messy bedroom breakups of life. With titles on his new CD "Inside Gospel Garage" such as "was it something i said," and "i don't mind if you're cruel," his songs might make you happy to be miserable, or maybe they'll help you to realize how lucky you've been all along. For, it's in the pain that we know we've been living, and love is a gift no matter how short it lasts or how painful its termination.

Indeed Reveles' sound is as old as the roots of American music and as fresh as the morning coffee on the pot. In different songs it is possible to hear a touch of folk, the blues, rock and roll, and country as well. I'd say you label him an artist and leave it at that.

If you're in the neighborhood, Reveles is a talent you don't want to miss. But if the 101 is too far off your beaten path, you can always find the man and his music on the Desert Highway. - Ernest, Desert Higway

If, in the opening song ("The Apartment") of this album, someone asked you to guess where Bill Reveles is from, I doubt you would say southern California. I know I wouldn't. The melody of the opening song is pure midwestern rock in the tradition of John Mellencamp with good, grooving guitar and solid rhythms.
However, a few songs later, he delivers a song that shows Reveles's southern California upbringing. There is a healthy dose of the Bakersfield sound in "Mexicali Stars".

There is some humor in "Hollywood Cowboy" that probably resonates more with anyone that has ever lived in or visited southern California. Reveles sings "I got Botox to buy, crack to sell, and maids to lay." If you've never been to Hollywood (thank your lucky stars), that's probably exactly what a Hollywood cowboy would do. Later on in the song, he sings "I got pills to buy, scripts to sell and wives to trade." Again, that sounds about right.

"I Think Love" is the kind of song you might expect from Lyle Lovett. It may not be a country song, but it's got some pretty decent twang to it, just like Lyle Lovett does.

Reveles has an even voice that is easy on the ears. At times, his vocals remind me of Jackson Browne. That influence doesn't permeate throughout the album ,but it's there. If for no other reason than Reveles never strains his voice. He ranges from pensive ("Two Conversations," "Fist Over Wrist") to rockin' "Was It Something I Said"). And he does it all with relative ease. It's no surprise to me that he won the Best Male Artist at the 2006 Southern California Music Awards. I'd like to see more artists like him around here. Rootsy singer-songwriter fans, this album is for you. - Gary Schwind, rocknworld.com

Bill Reveles is a solid singer-songwriter that has a really, really nice mixture of favorites here like Bill Lloyd (and even some Foster & Lloyd, as well), Walter Clevenger, The Jawhawks, Brian Jay Cline, early John Mellencamp and Nick Lowe`s solo material from the last 15 years or so. This reminds us, too, of Jamie Hoover and Bill Lloyd's dual release, Paparazzi, as well. Reveles has a smooth, soothing croon that any songwriter would be jealous of and he puts it to good use on these 12 new songs. Sweet, slow-moving but effective melodies abound as does a driving sense of purpose that grounds the entire release. Gorgeous acoustic guitars, rich, melodious singing and rootsy spirit permeate all the tracks here. Beautifully sublime and resonating.Very Highly Recommended!
- Bruce Brodeen, Not Lame Recordings

Who is this Bill Reveles with his captivating voice and I'll take you where you need to go attitude. Where has he been and why is he not on the radio? Or maybe he is? The music is very rhythmic and has radio written all over it. The first track "The Apartment" is a rockin' pop song with a very strong hook. I love the tambourine of the chorus and the great story that he tells with very strong metaphor placement in the verses. I hate to hear this song because I wish I had written it. Very catchy. "Creep Inside," the second track, is just as strong as track one. Great way to use the word "creep" in a song. My hat goes off to you. The other song on the CD that caught my eye because it's title was "Hollywood Cowboy". A great song with some cool affects on the voice of the verses. This song is a comparison to a Cowboy in the urban jungle of Hollywood. All in all, the CD is great. The songs are strong and are very hooky. The use of prosody is very evident and the production is in tangent with the caliber of songwriting that is present on this CD. This one stays in the CD rack. - Paul Lawrence Moyer, Songsalive

Bill Reveles is a veteran performer of the L.A. bar scene. With his new CD, Inside Gospel Garage, his song crafting talents are obvious as he creates quirky yet comforting folk-edged rock brimming with soulful vocals. "I Don’t Mind If You're Cruel" drives the emotion into your soul. "Hollywood Cowboy" is a gritty but hooky rocker. Think Lou Reed with the lyrical brain of Warren Zevon and you will say "Wow," too. - Mark Waterbury - Music Morsels

UNAMERICAN DREAM
This second CD from southern California singer-songwriter Bill Reveles has very much American sounding roots to the music. A bit like the Jayhawks, but a tad heavier with jangly guitars and driving rhythms. Bill's passionate voice reminds one of a male version of Chrissie Hynde with its inflections, and the songs are laced with solid harmonies. Peppy rockers like "Down On Love" and occasional forays into efforts reminiscent of John Lennon's edgier solo stuff (remember "Cold Turkey"?) are interspersed with the moody anti-ballad "Crucify Myself" and truer ballads like the breathless "Say What's On Your Mind". That may be the most explanatory song title when it comes to the tried and true song subjects that are fraught with thoughtful lyrics. Although the subject matter is a tad on the down side, the emotion Bill puts into the music gives the listener the pathos to enjoy it. - Music Morsels

Reveles reveals in his liner notes "poor as I am, as impoverished I most surely will stay, I love what I do." That is extremely evident in this outstanding disc that puts Reveles in the auspicious company of indie pop veterans like Bill Lloyd and Jamie Hoover/Spongetones. In fact, the opening track could be easily mistaken as a lost Lloyd gem, as could much of this material! For more Not Lame based references, think of Jeff Larson and Michael Oliver for Not Lamers familiar w/ these fine musicians. Additionally, his slower songs and lyrics are reminiscent of Springsteen and Jangle fans will enjoy the Byrd-sy track "Noelle". Debuts like this don't happen to evoke streams of excitement by many in pop music, consider this one a release that contains great hope for Reveles future and will be much talked about in pop circles! Dig It. - Not Lame Records

One of the strongest debut discs to spend time on my CD player is Bill Revele's Unamerican Dream. This singer/songwriter's power pop tunes draw immediate comparisons to Bill Lloyd, Michael Oliver and Jeff Larson. Bill's more poignant ballads also merit a comparison with one of his songwriting icons, Bruce Springsteen. Every song is excellent, but "Noelle" stands out as a very Byrdsian track. - Eric Sorensen / Fufkin.com

EMPTY CHAIR
Bill Reveles is one of the new breed of folk artists whose songs reveal a profound poetry in every day life. In his debut album, "Empty Chair, Bill runs the gauntlet of emotions from a furiously impassioned "Demon" to the rhythmic "The More We Need" to the angry and contemplative "Color of Skin". I can't help but compare Bill to a young John Mellencamp. Sometimes raw and lonesome, sometimes urgent and angry, other times introspective and revealing, the music is that of an artist finding his unique artistic energy and voice. I want to call his music" suburban" because of its subject matter, but more than anything, I want to call it exciting because it represents the launching of a new and very talented singer/songwriter. - Margaret Rogers / Boulevard Magazine

On "Silver Cross" from Empty Chair...
"This is my absolute favorite song that I've found so far here on MP3.com. This is just an exceptional song…great writing and great performances. The production quality is also second to none!" - MP3.com Producer's Picks