Lauren & Judge Murphy with Lansdale Station - Southern Roots meets the new San Francisco sound: ARTICLES & REVIEWS

"Lauren & Judge Murphy w/ Lansdale Station are one of the best unsigned bands in the Bay Area..."

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I appeared on KGO-AM’s (810) Ronn Owens on Friday Dec. 21, playing two hours of Bay Area music for a show entitled “The Best Music You’ve Never Heard.”

For five years I did the show with Pete Wilson, who died last July, and Ronn wanted to revive it in his honor. It worked. Something was shining down on us. Must have been the oversized image of Wilson’s head they put on his old studio chair.

For two hours we got no turkeys, just really great unsigned bands, including Sherry Austin, Mighty Mike Schermer, Colby Pollard, Lauren and Judge Murphy, the Attila and Dave Project and the Wicked Sons.

You can get the list and links to their sites at www.kgo.com. You’ll be surprised at how much great talent there is in the area, and how many great musicians can’t get signed to major labels anymore.

We’ll do the show again in 2008.

Okay, I really, really, REALLY hate moustache blues bands. You know, weekend warrior washups who haven’t been told they possess not a shred of talent, except the talent for sucking all the soul and passion out of my favorite delta blues songs. That said, I am TOTALLY feeling what Lansdale Station have going on. Can’t stand this genre, but they are throwing down the blues-rock with balls and vulva (respectively). If I were at like a beer festival, walking around an open air market and dodging the terrible bands, this would be the one group I could hang with. And drink hella beer listening to. Brewery Rock, you’ve never been more right on. Kudos!

"Excellent!"

Lauren & Judge and band have been very busy this winter doing what Lauren calls “heavy construction”; working, molding, choppin’ & wood sheddin’ new compositions for their upcoming recording sessions at Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco, Ca. This new material is bawdy , yet poignant,with some truly off handed subject matter; insane asylums’, a train to hell, golden rolling hills, house levelers, and hired hands all appear in Lansdale Station’s landscape through Americana. Noted for their powerful simpatico vocal harmonies, this group expresses a deep soulful commitment to the material, as well as an understanding of humanity.

All this is served up by a 5 foot 10 leggy Louisiana blond , a strapping mustached blues man, and their band of men that look like Billy the Kids’ Gang. Big Ed Michaels (Roy Rogers / Alvin Youngblood Hart) is rockin the drum chair with his explosive percussive talents. Lansdale Station is also charged about the return of Jim Cucuzella on slide guitar. “Jim is a fabulous slide guitar player that can roar like a chain saw, or shoot you out the stratosphere. He’s become one of the most proficient slide players in the area, & rivals anyone that you’ve seen,” says lead vocalist Judge Murphy. “It’s great to have him back w/ the band.”

For those classic Lansdale Station &/or Judge Murphy/Zero fans, you’ll also get your full helping of the Robert Hunter material,’ End of the World Blues ‘,’Catalina’, and ‘Home on the Range’. Either way, this will be a night not to miss, with a ....read full article at link

Lauren & Judge ~ Thank you for your willingness to be part of the Bread & Roses family bringing joy, hope and healing to those who are isolated. You are making a difference in the lives of so many and it IS appreciated.

Kurt ~ Thank you for hosting this show and bringing the show to us through your words.

Lauren & Judge Murphy at New Bridge
February 17, 2008
Host: Kurt Huget

Essence Story by Kurt Huget:

It’s Sunday night and the crowd at New Bridge is eager for a show, something
to break up the regimen of the day and lift their spirits. Luckily for them, Bread & Roses has scheduled Lauren & Judge Murphy for their first performance here, and this duo is just as eager to sing their songs for this crowd.

Right from the get-go, they establish a warm rapport with members of the audience, chatting with those seated in the first few rows. Lauren kicks off most of the songs with a story or revelation about how the song came to be,
what it’s about and the emotions and experiences that define it. Her original songs are creations that this group can easily find a connection with and share in the sentiments, be they profound or humorous.

Singing together, their simpatico harmonies express a deep soulful commitment to the material, as well as an understanding of the ups and downs that listeners like these have experienced in their lives. The crowd responds with gusto to this performance, and will not let this duo leave the stage until they do an encore number.

"Hurricane Katrina laid waste to the Delta region, but Magnolia Heart proves just as boldly that the music of that place lives on, as strong as ever."

By Todd Beemis

read full review at link below ....... (it will highlight when you scroll)

The 6 piece group, Lansdale Station, came about after 3 recording sessions at The Plant Studios in Sausalito. Coming from the jazz/rock/electric band, Zero, which broke up in 2000, the lead vocalists, husband & wife Judge and Lauren Murphy, created their own style of 'bluesiana rock'. "The music is a blend. It is quite artsy, very versatile, and has a widely varied and diverse sound," Judge Murphy said. Sam Johnston, of Box Set, plays the pedal steel, keyboards, accordion, and harmonica. Brent Rampone, who played with Commander Cody & New Riders of the Purple Sage, is on the drums. Sam Price, the bassist, played with John Boutte in New Orleans. Jim Cucuzella is the lead guitarist.

Lauren Murphy writes most of the lyrics. Originally from New Orleans, she is schooled in dance, theatre, and music, and has her degree in English from Louisiana State University. "She is an excellent poet and wordsmith, and a lot is generated in the writing about New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta," Judge Murphy said. The group's first CD, "Magnolia Heart", came out last October. CD's & T-shirts will be for sale at the Hoedown; 10% of the band's proceeds from merchandise sales will go to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund for Musicians ( Sam Price, Lansdale Station's bassist, is among the thousands displaced by the disaster.) Tickets to the Humboldt Hills Hoedown are on sale at regular Humboldt & Mendocino outlets and online at www.inticketing.com for $25. $30 at the gate.

Music in the Park
By Chris Rooney
Ross Valley Reporter
As part of the town’s ongoing centennial celebration, the San Anselmo Arts Council presents folk musicians Lansdale Station in the first concert of the Music in the Park Concert Series. Lansdale Station features the vocal harmonies of husband-and-wife team Judge and Lauren Murphy. Their collaboration melds Southern roots music and the “San Francisco Sound.” The free show takes place on Sun., July 22, at Creek Park, San Anselmo, 2:30-4 p.m.

A great line-up of talent featuring original music from 12-6 PM that will leave the audience wanting more! A Rockin' Line up with the sweet sounds of Bay Area local, Singer-Songwriter and founder of Rockin' Moms will get you moving with the Tiffany Petrossi Band, come listen to the mighty vocal harmonies of husband & wife team, Judge & Lauren Murphy of Lansdale Station, see local fav, featured on KFOG's local scene, pop/ rock songstress, Stacy Kray,

Lauren Murphy, lead singer of Lansdale Station, http://www.LansdaleStation.com , one of the bands performing at the festival, says she feels honored to be part of an event that is working to support these undervalued societal roles.

Another Hoedown band, Lansdale Station, jams Southern-style Friday at Humboldt Brews and Saturday at Benbow. Fronted by New Orleans-born Lauren Murphy and her husband, Judge Murphy, both Zero alums, the S.F.-based band also includes Sam Johnston from Box Set on keys and pedal steel, and drummer extraordinaire, Brent Rampone, from the New Riders playing something they call "bluesiana country rock." If you get up early enough (8:30 a.m.) you can also catch them on KHUM Friday morning.

Lansdale Station rocks the North Bay before departing on their NW Tour w/ their down home Bluesiana Country Rock!

Lansdale Station was formed by virtue of collective enthusiasm during 3 recording sessions at The Plant Studios in Sausalito during 2005. Filled w/ legendary Bay Area players, "Bluesiana Country Rock" was born.

Lansdale Station's line-up spotlights the talents of Zero Alumni Judge Murphy (ZERO & GOODMAN-MURPHY) on lead vocals, Liam "the hammer hand" Hanrahan on bass (ZERO /FRANKIE LEE ), New Orleans composer, vocalist, guitarist, Lauren Murphy (DELPHINIUM BLUE, THE HOUSELEVELERS & ZERO), Soulful Sam Johnston (BOX SET, BUFFALO ROAM) on keys & pedal steel, drummer extrordinare, Brent Rampone (NEW RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE) , & Jim Cucuzella (SWAMP THANG) on slide/bottleneck & lead guitar. Their new CD, "Magnolia Heart" , is already garnering airplay throughout California, as well as in Europe, and the band is proud to have a 1/2 page spread in the Fall Issue #51 of the Oxford American Magazine Southern Arts & Architecture Issue. Indie-Music.com calls Lansdale Station's "Magnolia Heart" "triumphant" & a "direct musical hit".

Lansdale Station bring's Down Home Style with their Hip Shakin Harmony Makin' Bluesiana Country Rock!

"Lauren Murphy's Magnolia Heart is a fresh dose of Americana performed by an authentic delta lady. Murphy's heartfelt songs about the bayou and the big muddy river harken back to her roots in Louisiana where failed love and broken dreams are washed away along the banks of the mighty Mississippi."

J.C. Juanis
Gritz Magazine

Lauren Murphy came to the Bay Area, by way of New Orleans, in the mid-90's. Skilled in Music, Art, Literature, Theatre' , & Dance, she moved to the coastal hamlet of Arcata, where she became a sensation in the Folk Rock Band 'Delphinium Blue'. A very gifted singer/songwriter/guitarist , she has been heralded by a number of Bay Area Greats. Her band, 'The House Levelers' , achieved fame in the late 90's , gigging at notable West Coast Venues like: 'The Maritime Hall', 'Sweetwater', 'Oregon Country Fair', 'The Fairfax Festival', & 'Mystic Theater', w/line-ups including Terry Haggerty (Sons of Champlain), Vince Littleton (Merl Saunders), Doug Harman (Bela Fleck), and Judge Murphy (ZERO). Lauren also sang vocals aside her husband, Judge, in ZERO from 1998 to 2000.

Following her bliss, Lauren has chosen a Raw Solo vocal-guitar medium, singing her Gumbo-Celtic cross of California Creole Americana Roots Music. A woman of impressive stature, Lauren Murphy truly stands up to the critics, where chops and originality live. Her style is varied , and her writing ability vast.

Lauren is currently working on her next CD at The Plant Studios in Sausalito, & gracing the summer festival circuit. While many compare her to Sarah McLaughlin, Tracy Chapman, Michelle Shocked, and Allison Krauss, Lauren Murphy is like no other in her Psychedelic Folk Style of brassy, sensitive , and powerful songs.

"Lady Will Power, Marin Songbird, Lauren Murphy, has been turning heads w/her original prolific inspired music ... Lauren is quite a singer/guitarist who exudes great stage presence and charm. Her songs come alive w/passion and emotion, and her gift as a songwriter is unsurpassed. Songs such as 'Wandering Two', 'Time Across', and 'Child's Fire', have the potential to bring greatness to the Louisiana born artist ... " J.C. Juanis Relix Magazine.

www.laurenmurphymusic.com

Martin Fierro, Pete Sears, Chris Rowan, J.C. Flyer, Grapefruit Ed, The Murphys and "Special Guests" To Perform at Fundraiser :

This coming Sunday, June 26 a number of Bay Area musicians will come together to raise funds for medical expenses of their friend Rod Green. The event will take place at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center Courtyard from 1 – 5 PM (Tickets are $20.00 and kids under 12 and babes in arms accompanied by a ticket-holding adults are free). Slated to perform is Grapefruit Ed which features members of the Vicious Hippies, Box Set, Shakey Zimmerman, Buffalo Roam, and Dog Named Blue. Joining in will be numerous other artists including Martin Fierro, Pete Sears, Chris Rowan, J.C. Flyer, Grapefruit Ed and unnamed "Special Guests." Opening will be husband and wife duo of Lauren and Judge Murphy (Lauren is from Delphinium Blue and The House Levelers while Judge at one time was the lead vocalist of Zero).

Thu. July 23. LAUREN (MILLER) MURPHY AND THE HOUSE LEVELERS
Louisiana-born LAUREN MILLER has a terrific new CD called "OUT OF THE BLUE," which really caught my attention. Her folk-rock style of music is very original—she is a solid acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter, exuding a strong stage presence. LAUREN has assembled a band of legendary Bay Area musicians to join her tonight—DOUG HARMON (BELA FLECK) on bass and cello, TERRY HAGGERTY (SONS OF CHAMPLIN) on guitar, VINCE LITTLETON (MERL SAUNDERS) on drums and CHIP ROLAND (ZERO) on keyboards. 9:00 p.m.

'Lady Willpower: Marin songbird, Lauren (Miller) Murphy, recently released her debut CD, Out Of The Blue (Can Road Music). Miller has been turning heads with her original, prolific and inspired music, performing throughout Northern California. Backing up Miller are Terry Haggerty from the Sons Of Champlin on guitar, Vince Littleton from Merl Saunders and The Rainforest Band on drums and Doug Harman on cello. Miller is quite a singer/guitarist who exudes great stage presence and charm. Her songs come alive with passion and emotion, and her gift as a songwriter is unsurpassed as evidenced by the original material on her new CD. Songs such as “Wandering Two,” “Time Across” and “Child’s Fire” have the potential to bring greatness to the Louisiana-born Miller. '

Opening for the legendary Little Feat, Legion Of Mary was also joined by another Zero offshoot band, the House Levelers. Led by Louisiana songbird Lauren (Miller) Murphy, the band featured the sure-handed drumming of Zero vocalist Judge Murphy, bassist Liam Hanrahan, guitarist Joe Diehl and cellist and keyboardist Doug Harmon. Beginning with “Wandering Two,” the House Levelers showcased songs from Lauren Miller’s wonderful debut album, Out Of The Blue (Can Road Music).

Judge Murphy Vocals
Born in Marin County in 1950, Judge began playing in bands at the age of 15 locally at frat parties, rec halls, and bars and developed his own distinct blues style. During the '80's, Judge was the drummer-singer for Murphy's Law and occasionally jammed with John Cipollina who was playing with Zero. John was impressed with Murphy and told Martin Fierro about Judge's vocal ability. Martin later recommended Judge for an audition for the new Robert Hunter songs. Judge joined Zero in January 1992 touring and singing "Home on the Range", "Chance in a Million", "Catalina", and "Roll me Over". Hunter liked Judge's style and wrote more songs that summer with Murphy in mind; "Horses" "End of the World Blues", "Pits of Thunder", "Spoken For" and "Did I Mention".

FOREVER IS NOWHERE: Zero has released a new recording titled Live At The Great American Music Hall (Whirled Records). The legendary Bay Area band recorded the sessions at the venerable San Francisco landmark and featured some of their special musical friends. Zero (consisting of drummer Greg Anton, guitarist Steve Kimock, keyboardist Pete Sears, vocalist Judge Murphy and bassist Bobby Vega) is joined by Nicky Hopkins and Vince Welnick on keyboards, and John Kahn on bass. The recording also features five new songs penned by Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter: "Chance In A Million," "Home On The Range," Catalina," "Horses" and "End Of The World Blues." Recorded by Grateful Dead sound man Dan Healy with help from the team at Ultra Sound, this release further benefits from the out-of-this-world mastering by the Sebastapol-based Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, which has set the standard in the industry in recording reproduction. Known up until now as primarily an instrumental band, Zero is propelled by the powerhouse vocals of Judge Murphy, who breaths life into some of the finest Robert Hunter lyrics in years. Zero fans will not, however, be disappointed with the group's two instrumental excursions, "Forever Is Nowhere" and "Roll Me After." Rounding out the release is a rollicking rendition of the K.C. Douglas classic "Mercury Blues." Live At The Great American Music Hall begins a new chapter for Zero but, as always, it's the music that speaks volumes from this great band. 1994