Mark Pickerel and His Praying Hands - Tess

When I see a quote like this about a musician, I take notice.

"The album takes on the aura of a David Lynch flick situated in the middle of a West Texas dance hall. [It} approaches a condition of Old Testament-style gloom and doom." Harp Magazine

The album lives up to that quote, noirish, dark and theatrically haunting the songs linger long in your mind like snippets of seductive dreams.

From the wild and wooly and weird Pacific Northwest, Mark Pickerel has quite the back story. He was the drummer in seminal grunge faves The Screaming Trees, and has played on albums by Mark Lanegan, Brandi Carlile, and Nirvana. He's toured with Neko Case and contributed to her track on the Hard-Headed Woman: A Celebration of Wanda Jackson compilation. He even owned the most culturally and musically diverse record store in Eastern Washington. Independent retail,  now he's moved from behind the kit and, with his band the Praying Hands, is ready to start the next chapter in his musical life.
His voice, alluring and just a little bit sinister, evinces his influences ranging from Leonard Cohen, Lee Hazlewood, the Gun Club, the Stranglers and Nick Cave.

Available at Bloodshot Records and iTunes

Tracklist:

1 Man Overboard

2 I Study Horses

3 Your Wild West

4 The Throes of Love

5 Your Avenue

6 Burn the Shrine

7 The Last Breath of Her Lullaby

8 Summer in Your Eyes