"The right elements of blues and funky sensibilities keep it real" with his "gutbucket" band, says The Noise of Boston.

Their sound is "tight... smoldering... electrifying," writes Blues Bytes.

And their new live-in-studio album, Hatchet Blues, is "lyrically and sonically... a fine piece of work," judges the UK's Blues Matters!.

Have a taste.

THE LINEUP

Jim Antonellis (drums): Brother-in-arms with Hallal for some 15 years. His shuffle grooves and 4-to-the-floor stomps recall Chicago blues drummers Ted Harvey and Fred Below. Influences include Gene Krupa and Charlie Watts.

Robert DeCorte (bass, vocals): Longtime jam partner and vinyl-hunting bud of guitarist Schluntz. Wrote and sings the evocative "Last of the Great Train Robbers" on new album. Also plays with Rhode Island jam band institution, Loose Change.

Mike Hallal (guitar, vocals): Some "superb" songs, says Blues Matters! of Hallal's latest. Influences include Beatles, Stones and Robert Johnson. Hatchet Blues is the 10th full-length release featuring his songs and performance.

Chris Schluntz (lead guitar): Burns thruout the new album, igniting riff-heavy cuts like "Crying at the Sun" and the title track. Also authored the funk for "World's a Place." Vinyl collection includes Buddy Guy and The Black Keys.

RADIO PLAY FOR HATCHET BLUES

WMRA 90.7 (Harrisonburg, VA)

WUCF 89.9 (Orlando, FL)

KDHX 88.1 (St. Louis, MO)

WMBR 88.1 (Cambridge, MA)

WHUS 91.7 (Storrs, CT)

WRUW 91.1 (Cleveland, OH)

LT38 104.3 (Entre Rios, Argentina & Atlanta, GA)

CFBX 92.5, (Kamloops, Canada)

UKW 104.5 (Schopfheim, Germany)

RTV 105.1 (Kwadendamme, Netherlands)

VFM 91.6 (Vinkovci, Croatia)

Radio 2: 94.1 (Skopje, Macedonia)

WPRB 103.3 (Princeton, NJ)

QUE 98.2 (Salt Lake City, UT)

WOA 99 (UK, India, Dubai)

AIR 105.4 (Goa, India)

MUST 107.8 (Mumbai, India)

mvyradio.com (Vineyard Haven, MA)

jango.com (New York, NY)

live365.com (Paris, France)

ALBUMS ON iTUNES*

Hatchet Blues

Live at Lizard Lounge

Chains of Being

Label: Pi Records

Publisher: One in a Million songs (BMI)

*Amazon, Rhapsody, Spotify et al

LINKS

itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mike-hallal-band/id152016705

jango.com/music/Mike+Hallal+Band

mikehallalband.com