Andy B.AND SoulFolk will release their Tellin' Myself Weird Li'l Stories album on Deko Entertainment/ADA Warner Music, May 18, 2025. The first single "Risen from The Dead" will be launched on April 4th.
Andy B aka Andy Bernstein is best known as the frontperson/primary songwriter for long-running Roots Rockers The VooDUDES. Andy's voice has been described as "the sound of a bourbon bottle lined with gravel.” The Tampa Times says his pipes come off like "Howlin' Wolf vocals." Blues Revue salutes him with "Andy B has a deep, clear voice a la Buster Poindexter with way more Southern Edge."
Tellin' Myself Weird Li'l Stories combines Andy B’s yarn-spinning lyrics with a range of Roots Music styles and grooves. The band calls its sound “Garageband Americana”, a form of homegrown Pub Rock that spans these many genres with a small combo vibe. The single “Risen from The Dead” is a driving, humorous, secular gospel tune.
This is an album of story songs. Inspiration came from Andy’s appearance on the Song Stories podcast. It featured him talking about the legend behind the “parking lot grave” at New Brunswick’s AMC Theater and his song about it (“Mary Ellis”). The new recording features tales taken from Andy B’s experiences and off-kilter point of view.
Bible historicity made him ask what happened to Lazarus after he reanimated, thus producing the first single. “When Nancy Played Some Blues” reflects on New Brunswick’s legendary Court Tavern and its late resident harp player Big Nance. “That Hank Williams Feeling” finds Andy trying to capture the lonesome sense of betrayal in the titles of Country songs and their cliches.
“Northbound Love” is a reversal of Allen Toussaint’s romantic view of southern life. In “Listen to Ol’ Levon (The River)” Andy writes of the musical salvation he learned from Levon Helm when The VooDUDES toured with him.
In every one of his recordings, Andy has paid tribute to his late life partner Lori Tallman Martin; “Y’know I Love You” is this album’s entry into that list. “Whisky, Black Powder & Cigarettes” chronicles a most frightening groupie experience. “Xmas Eve On Venice Beach” recollects the Winter ‘holidaze’ spent celebrating in Southern California style.
In addition to these songs, Andy covers the first Motown hit “Money (That’s What I Want)” and arguably the first American song story “House of The Rising Sun.”.
Tellin' Myself Weird Li'l Stories is Andy B’s his third solo project; all three produced by John Pittas. Fellow VooDUDES guitarist Gary Ambrosy joins him in this effort, along with Paul Daloia (bass), Matty Hahn (keys) and Bill Homeyer (drums). Guests include Blues Leaf recording artist, acoustic guitarist Juke Joint Jonny Rizz, and Nugget of New Brunswick vocalist Barbara Homeyer-Hahn. John Pittas arranged the strings.
