New Video from Pert Near Sandstone

I haven't featured a band for my Over The Hillbilly Wednesdays series in a while and this is a perfect video to get you over the hump of this week! It's fast paced and shows off what a great sound a set of strings can make. Also, their percussionist is a tap dancer. Brilliant!

Over the Hillbilly Wednesdays: Chicago Farmer

Can we discuss for a moment how much we are all obsessing over Spotify? It's become a serious addiction and is to thank for today's tribute to hillbilly music.

Chicago Farmer is the work of Cody, who, according to his bio, grew up in a town of only 25. That can't be right. I worked in a classroom today with more students than his whole town had people! He has since ventured to the big city and used these dichotomous influences to his advantage. His music is simple but rich, catchy but poetic. I can't help but imagine what literature and great music filled his shelves as a child to inspire him. Have a listen, enjoy, and happy Wednesday.

Over the Hillbilly Wednesdays: The Punch Brothers

Perusing the interweb one day, I came across the term 'newgrass' which I can only assume is a way of describing progressive or new age bluegrass music. I'm not sure I how I feel about the term, but when I realized it was used in reference to The Punch Brothers I couldn't help but thinking that maybe this new word was on to something.

Chris Thile is the catalyst of Punch Brothers, leaving his days as a mandolin prodigy with Nickel Creek to start his own blend of this great hill country sound. They recently released their newest album, Antifogmatic, an old slang term “for a bracing beverage, rum or whiskey, that one would have in the morning before going out to work in rough weather, to stave off any ill effects.” 


That's exactly what the Punch Brothers are. They are the perfect blend of stings and vocals that are sure to stave off any ill effects of any day. 

Over the Hillbilly Wednesdays; Railroad Earth

Railroad Earth at La Zona Rosa 2010

Nothing says hillbilly quite like Railroad Earth. With their long, scraggly hair and back country beards, half of the members look like their were born with mandolins and banjos in their arms. The other half, especially lead singer Todd Sheaffer, look like the guys who show up when I call tech services, but their bluegrass sound and talent is unmistakable.

I saw Railroad Earth last fall when they came through Austin. My friend laughed at the way their fiddle, mandolin, banjo trifecta turned me into a melting, giddy, foot stomping fan. Sheaffer’s voice lends a distinctive sound, while the trifecta of strings delicately support him.

I love Railroad Earth not only for their jam sound and instrumental talent, but for their poetic lyrics. My favorite song off of their Black Bear Sessions is Seven Story Mountain, an allusion to Thomas Merton’s autobiography. If you haven’t read it, it is a must. In the meantime, here is the bluegrass take on it.

Over the Hillbilly Wednesdays; Steve Martin

It seems only natural that a man with so much comedic creativity would thrive in the world of bluegrass, a fast paced genre built on the foundations of improv. Steve Martin picks a mean banjo, channeling the traditional styles of Earl Scruggs. With two Grammy’s to his bluegrass name, Martin gets at the heart of this Appalachian sound. Here is is performing with Bela Fleck and Tony Trischka.

Over the Hillbilly Wednesdays: Trampled by Turtles

Trampled by Turtles is bluegrass on speed. If I hadn’t seen them performing live at SXSW, I’d swear that their instruments were smoking by the end of a show. They are everything I love about bluegrass. It’s foot stomping, fast paced, and the fiddle goes straight to the strings of my heart. (I also might have a mild crush on the lead singer). TxT has all of the elements of a traditional bluegrass string band, but they are hardly traditional. Each member pushes his instrument to a new level while gracefully blending harmonies.

Here is their video for Wait so Long, my favorite song off their album.

Over the Hillbilly Wednesdays: Hot Buttered Rum

Originally a string band, today’s bluegrass group is now known simply as Hot Buttered Rum. And like the drink of their namesake, this group goes down smooth and livens the soul. With strings still at their root, this group refuses to be strictly defined in one genre. It’s what makes them so great. . Here is a sweet song about a girl named Amanda Lynn (which they sing while playing a mandolin!), 
who when there was nothing left to lose 
She put on her walking shoes…

Over the Hillbilly Wednesdays: The Infamous Stringdusters

This weeks bluegrass group is the Infamous Stringdusters, a well rounded group out of Nashville, TN. While keeping their roots of bluegrass tradition, this skilled group knows how to push the limits of this genre in all the right ways. Their jams and riffs will sure to get your toes tapping. You can find them this summer touring with groups like Trampled By Turtles, Yonder Mountain String Band and Railroad Earth all over the US, including appearances at festivals like Telluride Bluegrass Festival in CO and All Good Festival in WV.



Infamous Stringdusters by spencer4linn

Over the Hillbilly Wednesdays: Carolina Chocolate Drops

Todays bluegrass band was recently recommended to me by a friend from high school. Carolina Chocolate Drops are an old time string band out of North Carolina whose most recent album, Genuine Negro Jig won a Grammy for best traditional folk album. While strings are the centerpiece of this band, they also use harmonica, bones, snare drum, jugs and kazoo to create a full and delightful sound. Then again, when isn’t a kazoo absolutely delightful!