The Gourds go Gyroscopic - it’s Austin time

September 12th, 2007 by Pete

I ask you, what’s not to like about a band with a member named Shinyribs Russell? It’s the Gourds out of Austin, Texas. You may have heard a funny bluegrass version of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” several years back (in the free Napster-era when we were all pinching ourselves - “holy shit, I can find any song I want!”). Many folks wrongly tagged the song as coming from Phish, but nope, it was the Gourds.

They released their latest, Noble Creatures, back in July. I just picked it up on eMusic after hearing “The Gyroscopic” on Sirius. Nice earthy feel. I recommend.

The Gourds - The Gyroscopic (mp3)

Buy Noble Creatures: Amazon |

Linkage: Official Site | MySpace

Deep in the Heaaart of Texaaas…. And so listening to an Austin band segues quite conveniently into my much anticipated maiden voyage to Austin for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. For those that can’t make it, you can check out a live webcast all weekend at the AT&T Blue Room. See y’all on the other side!!

Posted in Bluegrass, Jam, Roots Rock | 1 Comment »

Compare & Contrast: Goldie and Phish take on Uncle Pen

June 26th, 2007 by Pete

Bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe’s “Uncle Pen” has been covered by a multitude of artists, from the Flying Burrito Brothers to Buck Owens. But had you any idea, dear reader, that fair-haired 70’s hottie Goldie Hawn sang it on her 1972 debut album? Goldie covered Dylan, Van Morrison, and Joni Mitchell on the album, among others. And she sweetly sung this Monroe classic…

Goldie Hawn - Uncle Pen (mp3) - from Goldie

Also taking on “Uncle Pen” quite frequently throughout their history was Phish. I haven’t really touched on my fondness for Phish over the brief 2.5 year history of Ickmusic, but they’ll always rank up there as a favorite. During my four years at Colorado College (88-92), they dropped in 3 times: an Earth Day ‘90 afternoon show with Pike’s Peak in the background, and two killer Halloween shows in ‘90 and ‘91 (I was dressed as Josey Wales one year, and I completely forget the other - imagine that).

So I had a unique introduction to the boys from Phish. Over the 90’s I got to see them a bunch of times here in Arizona, Vegas, Alpine Valley, Wisc., and at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. So allow me to get a little - *sniff sniff* - nostalgic as I listen to Mike Gordon sing “Uncle Pen” as Trey plays the fiddle part with his guitar at breakneck speed.

Phish - Uncle Pen (mp3) - live, Mansfield, MA, 7-1-95.

Get Phishy on Amazon.

Watch a 1990 “Uncle Pen” on da’ Tube.

Posted in Bluegrass | 7 Comments »

New Greencards: Viridian

March 7th, 2007 by Pete

Lost in the shuffle (to me) this week was the release of the Greencards‘ new album. Rank Carol Young’s voice right up there with my favorite female singers (e.g. Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin). Her singing is effortless and sweet to the ears.

The new album, Viridian, is a great mix of pure American music as performed by the trio - two Aussies and a Brit - who live in Austin, Texas. The trio lay it down with a mandolin, a fiddle, and an electric bass. Yeah, bluegrass instruments, but the Greencards can’t be nailed down as a bluegrass band. They veer into a rootsy territory too. Probably a lot to do with their hometown of Austin.

The album opener shows what the Greencards are all about. A laid back feel, great vocals / harmonies, and talented musicianship. Dig it!

The Greencards: Waiting on the Night (mp3)

Buy:

Check out the Greencards’ Official Site | MySpace

Related: A previous Greencards post with links to a full live show in Telluride.

Posted in Bluegrass, Roots Rock | 2 Comments »

Get Your Greencards

August 27th, 2006 by Pete

In my recent explorations through the latest and the greatest bluegrass, it was only a matter of time until I found the Greencards. They’re a trio from Nashville. Well, they call Nashville home now. Before Nashville, they made their mark over the last few years in Austin, Texas. But originally, Kym Warner is from Adelaide, Australia; Carol Young is from Coffs Harbour, Australia; and Eamon McLoughlin is from South London, England. The music they play is billed as “high-energy acoustic music with deep roots in bluegrass.” Though they all grew up outside the U.S., they spent their time absorbing inherently American music. Before they knew it, they were on tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson!

While I wait for my new month of 40 eMusic downloads to pick up their latest album (for $9.99 - quite a deal! - click the eMusic thingie on my sidebar to find out more), I zipped on over to Archive.org, and found their performance from this year’s Telluride Bluegrass Festival. It’s a great sunny day accompaniment, music rich with great harmonies, amazing playing, and just a nice overall vibe.

For those of you who have not seen Archive.org before, check out the Greencards performance on this page. You can listen to the whole show streaming, and it has flac and mp3 downloads of the whole show.

Here are a couple I selected from the show. The first one demonstrates their “high energy”-ness. By the end, bass player Carol is yelling for oxygen (Telluride sits at 8,745 feet, folks). The second tune shows their affinity for slowing it down, and showcases Carol’s great vocals.

The Greencards, live at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival - June 16, 2006:

Washington County (mp3)

The Ghost of Who We Were (mp3)

• The Official Site of the Greencards.
• Buy their latest, Weather and Water.

Posted in Bluegrass | 2 Comments »

How to Grow a Woman From the Ground

August 15th, 2006 by Pete

So who’s heard of Nickel Creek? They’re a tight progressive bluegrass trio that have been together since the 90’s. Alison Krauss produced their self titled debut on Sugar Hill Records in 2000 (the same year I saw them at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival). Well, their talented 25-year old mandolin player, Chris Thile, has released a few solo albums of his own, with another one due out September 12th. Chris has been playing mandolin since the age of 5, and was working on his first solo album by the age of 12 (I’m feeling like an underachiever here!).

The new record, ‘How to Grow a Woman from the Ground’, features old tunes and new. Thile gives the traditional treatment to the Strokes (”Heart in a Cage”) and the White Stripes (”Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground”), and also covers tunes by Jimmie Rodgers and Gillian Welch.

He brings in friends Chris Eldridge (guitarist and member of the Infamous Stringdusters), a couple members of Leftover Salmon - Greg Garrison (bass, vocals) and Noam Pikelny (banjo, vocals) - and fiddler Gabe Witcher.

It’s definitely recommended that you pick up this CD when it’s released next month. You can check out some tunes on Chris’ MySpace page (listen to his fingers FLY on “The Beekeeper”), and I’m going to play one for you here that steers right into beautifully written ballad territory. This tune wins me over to Chris’ side, showing that the man knows how to write a great song: lyrics that are simple, yet so poignant and powerful. Nice work Chris. Check it out.

Chris Thile: You’re an Angel, and I’m Gonna Cry (mp3) - from the forthcoming release ‘How to Grow a Woman from the Ground’ (out Sept. 12)

Chris Thile on: MySpace | Amazon | Sugar Hill Records

Posted in Bluegrass | 6 Comments »

Crooked Still

August 9th, 2006 by Pete

I have some bluegrass to get out of my system. A few of my coming posts will lean toward the bluegrass / traditional side as I showcase some cool artists I’ve come across. First off is Crooked Still.

For those who had the pleasure of seeing Bruce’s Seeger Sessions tour, you undoubtedly noticed the banjo player with the bushy ‘do. His name is Greg Listz (Dr. Gregory Liszt actually, he has a Ph.D. in Biology from M.I.T.), and his full time gig is banjo man for Boston bluegrass outfit Crooked Still. Joining Greg are sweet singin’ Aoife O’Donovan (it’s pronounced “EEf-uh”), Rushad Eggleston on cello, and Corey DiMario on bass.

One of the free mp3’s offered on their web site is this forlorn bluegrass ballad. I like the dynamic of the instruments. The cello and banjo trading off riffs is a cool touch. And Aofie’s soft & sweet vocals add a lot to the tune as well. As you’ll hear, there’s some serious folkybluegrass goin’ down in Beantown. If you like what you hear, pick up one of their CD’s.

Crooked Still: Look on and Cry (mp3) - from their debut CD, ‘Hop High’. You can check it out here.

• Their new CD, ‘Shaken by a Low Sound’ will be released August 22nd on Signature Sounds, You can buy an advance copy here.
• Crooked Still’s Official Site | MySpace Site

Posted in Bluegrass, Folk | 1 Comment »

Climbing the Creaking Tree

April 29th, 2005 by Pete

Cameron, my friend from the Great White North, recommended today’s selection: Toronto’s Creaking Tree String Quartet. This is some interesting stuff. They explain on their web site:

This ensemble, made up of violinist John Showman, guitarist Brad Keller, mandolinist Andrew Collins and bassist Brian Kobayakawa, has a distinct sound that lives in the cracks between idioms. It’s acoustic roots music that combines intricate phrasing with imaginative rhythms. Too outside for bluegrass, but too driving for jazz; too free to be chamber music, but too structured for the avant-garde.

Their web site has a good number of downloads which I’ve been checking out for the last couple of weeks. My selection for you leans more toward bluegrass. I guess I’m lamenting the fact that I’m missing this year’s Telluride Bluegrass Festival. But I will be back in 2006. Oh yes, I will.

Creaking Tree String Quartet: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (mp3)

Posted in Bluegrass | No Comments »