Rocker rolls into Pittsburgh tonight

What do Ryan Adams, Pete Yorn and Bruce Springsteen have in common? Talented rocker Jesse… What do Ryan Adams, Pete Yorn and Bruce Springsteen have in common? Talented rocker Jesse Malin has befriended and gained the admiration of all these stars. With their help Malin has enjoyed a successful first album and tour. This week he’ll be stopping by the Club Cafe in support of his second album.

After giving up punk rock in the late 1990s, Malin gained attention with his solo efforts. His first album, The Fine Art Of Self Destruction, was released in 2002. Recorded in only six days, Malin combined his soft voice, reminiscent of Neil Young, with heart-breaking lyrics and whimsical guitar riffs, drawing the listener in with his sensitive storytelling.

Ryan Adams produced the album, and his folk influence is apparent on many of the songs. In fact, it’s difficult to listen to Malin’s music and believe that he used to head a punk rock group called D Generation. His music, which is as close to good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll as you’ll find these days, is sometimes country-inspired, sometimes edgy and always guitar-laden.

After the introduction of his first solo effort, Malin gained the attention of Bruce Springsteen when the two met at a benefit concert. Soon after, Springsteen contacted Malin and invited him to play with the E Street Band during a set of Christmas benefit shows. Malin draws on piano interludes and percussion backing in his music much like the Bruce Springsteen of yesteryear.

During his tour of The Fine Art Of Self Destruction, Malin wrote and recorded the songs that appear on his sophomore effort, The Heat. The album was recorded with the help, once again, of Ryan Adams. Pete Yorn also helped, and the album was recorded at Stratosphere Studios, which is owned by James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins fame and Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne. With the help of all of these rockers, Malin’s guitar-heavy album is inspired by life in a post-Sept. 11, 2001, world.

He refuses to hold back with his raw lyrics. “Mona Lisa” speaks of the apathy of every 20-something: “Steven’s selling marijuana uptown to the prima donnas / Medicate the counterculture 9/11 baby boom / Paulie’s waiting to retire smoking like a forest fire / Putting on the lipstick and the panties in his mother’s room / Nothing to do / Nothing to lose.” Malin rolls through each line of the verse without a breath, bringing constant, overwhelming imagery to the listener.

Malin’s newest album contains songs with a wide range of subject matter, from disgust about the world to prostitution. But what rock ‘n’ roll album would be complete without an angry love song? In “Since You’re In Love,” Malin admits his endless yearning: “Since you’re in love / I’m still sad over you.” But his apparent sadness translates to anger during the song as his normally soft tone transforms into a groan.

Malin’s lyrics and music are all about variety. In one song he whines about a lost love, in another he protests his boring city life. His lyrics are something to which every 20-something can relate. Malin’s music is thoughtful and complex, combining guitar or piano solos with layered, full harmonies. Jesse Malin combines elements of acoustic melodies with heavy guitar solos, proving that you can both chill out and rock out with The Heat.

Catch Jesse Malin tonight at Club Cafe. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $12. For more information, call (412) 431-4950.