The Planetary Blues Band

A band with more than twelve years of experience which have been playing a
lot of music. The group was born and grew up rehearsing in one of the
musicians house basement. What originally was only a hobby done to have fun, gradually became more than a game and finally was something inherent to those good fellows. Planetary Blues Band grew up listening to records and
rehearsing songs coming from some of the biggest names of Chicago blues like Junior Wells, Magic Sam, Son Seals or Buddy Guy among others. After immerse themselves in the sources of those musicians and learn by heart their musical basis and roots, they decided to write their own songs. The result comes in this album with ten songs, seven own ones and three free personal versions of prewar blues songs by Memphis Minnie, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Reverend Robert Wilkins. In short, a band which goes further up the classic twelve bars.
VERY GOOD. - VINCENT ZUMEL

Well this was a pleasant surprise. The Planetary Blues Band are an Indiana based band consisting of three brothers, Martin, Michael and Bobby Schaefer-Murray plus Nick Evans on drums who have been together for 10 years. After a couple of experiments and false starts this is their full debut proper and very pleasing it is too. Opening with a cover of the classic "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" was a brave move, especially as the bands' version is upbeat, almost funky in style starting with a jazzy influenced drum intro. It's a real statement of intent and it works wonderfully well. This is followed by the slower "The Thorns Will Show You" and "This Precious Existence", the latter opening with an almost country vibe but some seriously good guitar interplay between Michael and Martin. Track four is a cover of Rev. Robert Wilkins's "That's No Way To Get Along".

By the mid-point of the album we hit a run of three tougher Chicago blues-sounding tracks. It's nice to see that the band as a whole can change gears and interweave the instrumentation to a very high standard. Lyrically too, "Sacred And Profane Blues" and "Blues Resurrection" are more darker and challenging. Joining those two is a great cover of "Crazy Cryin' Blues" by Memphis Minnie, all strong chords and riffs. Very tasty. Then the tempo softens again with "In A Blue Study", a blues shuffle and "When I Say I Love You", that just might be the grow on track of the album, great soulful playing that reminded me of the great Magic Sam.

The album closes with "The Shillelagh", an instrumental that reminded me of Rory Gallagher's "The Loop", and judging by the album title might be the bands' tribute to Rory (and the same Chicago transport system). Some of the songs' lyrics on here carry a strong Christian message, but never in an evangelical or preachy way and shouldn't be a reason for anyone not to check this out. It's a feel good blues album of the highest order with some great musicianship on display. - STEVE YOURGLIVCH

This family blues band brings a modern Chicago blues-rock sound to the forum
with its sizzling guitars, surging rhythms, and piercing vocals. Featuring Martin
Schaefer-Murray on guitar and vocals, Michael Schaefer-Murray on guitar and
vocals, Bobby Schaefer-Murray on bass guitar and Nick Evans on drums, the
session includes seven original songs and three pure blues covers. There’s plenty
of emotion to share, both from vocals and from guitars, as the band makes each
statement clearly with passion.
Memphis Minnie’s “Crazy Cryin’ Blues” lets the band rock hard at the top of
the vocal spectrum. Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean”
also rambles at a fast, blues-rock pace with emotion to spare. The band likes to
push its message hard and strong. There’s one instrumental, “The Shillelagh,”
which continues the blues-rock spirit. Each selection forces a spirit of hard-driving
blues; half the album runs slower than the rest. “Blues Resurrection” and “When I
Say I Love You,” the program’s two best selections, recall the Chicago blues spirit
that brought us Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and a whole lot more. - JIM SANTELLA

If Boomerocity is anything, it’s a sucker for the blues. So, when I receive a CD of an up and coming band that says it’s a blues band, the Boomerocity radar lights up. Such was the case when Once Upon A Time In The South Loop by the rising blues ensemble, The Planetary Blues Band was delivered to the sprawling and highly secure Boomerocity corporate campus.

Upon popping the disc into the player, I was greeted with some great blues-rock that did not disappoint me in the slightest. This is what the Rolling Stones would sound like if they were just starting today: a band dedicated completely to the blues. As proof that the crossroads has been burned into the band’s DNA, they regularly perform at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago and have even performed with the man himself. How cool is that?

Once Upon A Time In The South Loop offers up ten great blues/rock tunes that will create delightful earworms in your cranium. The three randomly chosen Boomerocity favorites from this album are:

This Precious Existence is philosophical in content and Blueberry Hill in sound. I love it!

Blues Resurrection is so deep and so real that you could almost swear that you’re in some wooden shanty of a blues bar in some southern backwoods, with the stale smell of smoke and illegal whiskey in the air . . . but all you hear is the music. This is the Boomerocity favorite of the album.

Running a very tight, close second place for favorite is When I Say I Love You. Wow! Great blues guitar and bluesy lyrics will loop in your brain for the whole day immediately upon first listening to this song.

Keep an eye on The Planetary Blues Band, folks. These guys are going places. - BOOMEROCITY

“All Access Magazine recently interviewed this talented “Band of Brothers” (Martin Schaefer-Murray, guitar-vocals; Michael Schaefer-Murray, guitar-vocals; Bobby Schaefer-Murray, bass; also Nick Evans, drums) about their upcoming album release, the very cool Chicago music scene and much more.” - ALL ACCESS MAGAZINE

“Having characteristics similar to early British blues bands, this has a fresh but familiar sound.” - BMANS BLUES REPORT

http://www.planetaryblues.com/files/ROCKWIRED_MAGAZINE_JULY_2013.pdf - ROCKWIRED MAGAZINE

You may not be familiar with The Planetary Blues Band, but they’re definitely worth checking out. With humble beginnings in mom’s basement, brothers Martin Schaefer-Murray (guitar and vocals), Michael Schaefer-Murray (guitar and vocals), and Bobby Schaefer-Murray (bass guitar) along with Nick Evans (drums) began playing the Blues by learning their favorite albums by the Chicago greats. This eventually led to writing original Blues songs with a myriad of influences. With the release of ‘Once Upon a Time in the South Loop’ they bring their strong Chicago Blues sensibility, with touches of the Delta to fans.

There are ten really strong tracks on this release, and it makes it hard to narrow it down to the ones I enjoy the most. Throughout there are some great guitar solos, like the one in “When I Say I Love You”, that I could easily listen to for ages without getting bored. Backed by the solid bass it’s a song that allows you to embrace the moment, groove along, and enjoy. Then there is the Delta feel of “That’s No Way To Get Along”. It has a starkness to the sound that evokes the feeling of Mississippi to me; and the lyrics are classic Blues style. It’s nice to see the newer artists continuing the roots.

A definite toe-tapper is “Sacred and Profane Blues”. From the first note it sucks you in, and when listening to the lyrics it seems like a bit of social commentary. Again, this is what the Blues have been traditionally, but it seems that many artists have lost sight of that. Any song that gets me tapping my foot while thinking about the bigger picture earns an “A” in my book. If you’re looking for that laid back Blues feel check out “Blues Resurrection”. It hits a nice groove early and keeps it going. While the guitars and vocals take center stage, the bass and drums keep this song on track.

For me personally, my favorite track is “The Shillelagh”. While I like all the tracks to varying degrees, I love that this one gives me a few minutes of just good old fashioned Blues instrumental. It feels like a jam session that got recorded somehow, and it takes you out of your worries for a bit while you just dig the smoking guitar riffs. I’ve always admired bands that can speak volumes with just a few instruments.

All in all I would recommend checking these guys out, whether on disc or live. They honor the traditional sounds, while keeping to more modern day themes. Well done guys!
- ROCK OVER AMERICA