There are probably really technical terms to define the kind of music that David Benedict makes, but to the lay music fan (and even some of us critical types), I can think of a few good words – relaxing, endearing, and rich. By …
Tag Archives: bluegrass
Guest Review: Kate Logsdon on Rachel Baiman – Speakeasy Man – Beautiful and emotive bluegrass debut solo album
Rachel Baiman is a Midwest grown, Nashville based singer, songwriter, composer, banjo/fiddle player. Growing up in Illinois, she won numerous awards for her fiddle playing, eventually winning Illinois State Fiddle Champion at age 17. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University with …
The Ghost of Paul Revere – Believe – Self proclaimed “holler folk” betrayed by beautiful harmonies
Here we have another band that knows how to hook someone. “The Ghost of Paul Revere? What does a band with a name like that sound like?” is what I found myself asking. Well, if you thought the same thing, and even if …
Grace and Tony – November – Proud matrimonial “punkgrass” couple create truly unique sound
Grace and Tony sing duets that are almost guaranteed to make you smile. One part traditional Americana music, another part gleeful musical fare, these two clearly have experience singing together. Their harmonies are natural and the charisma just oozes from the audio. Although …
Guest Review: Kate Logsdon on The Lonely Heartstring Band
Boston has shared one of her gems with us. The Lonely Heartstring Band is comprised of five men who love banjos, bluegrass, and The Beatles–those things brought them together and fuel their music. Several of the tracks on their self-titled EP are covers …
Run Boy Run – So Sang the Whippoorwill – Gorgeous traditional Appalachian music
It’s nice to know that lost arts are not, in fact, lost at all. Run Boy Run have preserved for our ears something delightful. It feels both old fashioned and very new. It’s a joyous album from beginning to end that a lot …
Finches and Crows
Finches and Crows. Finches and Crows. Finches and Crows, 2013. http://finchesandcrows.bandcamp.com Finches and Crows is a band formed in 2011 out of Oberlin College, specializing in bluegrass, folk, and country tunes. If you follow Carolina Chocolate Drops, you know that Rhiannon Giddens is …
Trampled By Turtles – Midnight on the Interstate
Trampled by Turtles is about as good as it gets. If you like bluegrass, violins, mandolins, etc., just listen and you’ll understand. If you don’t like those, listen anyway and you’ll be impressed.
The Craven Family Band – The Flower Grown – Lancaster, PA Americana revival band reflects history and heritage
It’s not easy to make old time music sound good in the 21st century, but the Craven Family Band are experts at exactly that. They have a knack for both singing and songwriting in a way that sounds like the 1930s. But it …
Hammertowne: Debut Album Stands on Solid Ground
Hammertowne. Hammertowne. Mountain Fever Records, 2013. http://www.hammertowne.com Hammertowne is the junction of five musicians originally hired on as session musicians for a solo recording, but ended up as the hot new bluegrass band with their first album out this year, the self-titled Hammertowne. …
