The Earl Brothers

Bay Area hillbilly-gothgrass band The Earl Brothers recently released their fourth record, titled simply “The Earl Brothers” (Big Hen Music 004), and packaged in a solid white Digipak. Their dark mountain sound has kept its cold hard core, suffering little from the loss of John McKelvy‘s trademark high tenor vocals and strong songwriting. In his wake the band brought in Tom Lucas (former Crooked Jades) on fiddle and Danny Morris on flattop guitar. (My previous post is here.)

If it’s possible, this record sounds even more archaic than their previous releases, sporting more waltz-time songs than one might expect in a modern album, and mining the old-time gospel vein more than once. As before, all songs are originals; all but one were penned by banjo picker Bobby Davis. Again, mando builder Larry Hughes appears here and there on mandolin. This record appears to be a new start for the band, as if the Earl Brothers have been washed in the blood and born again. Well done boys!

LISTEN: Thinking of You

LISTEN: Cruel Lovers Game

LISTEN: Going Back Home

EARL BROTHERS WEBSITE

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Crooked Still

Crooked Still has hit another one out of the park with their brand new release “Some Strange Country” (Signature Sounds SIG 2029). Their fourth studio CD continues in the same vein as their previous records, mining the rich ore of traditional Americana and smelting it in a hot brew of alternative bluegrass licks and breathy Krauss/Celtic style vocals from Aoife O’Donovan. The barn-burning banjo and fiddle of Gregory Liszt and Brittany Haas are buoyed by the low foundation of cello (Tristan Clarridge) and bass fiddle (Corey DiMario). The material features seven traditionals, four originals, and a Rolling Stones cover. Guest vocalists include Ricky Skaggs, Tim O’Brien, Sarah Jarosz, and Annalisa Tornfelt—a list that reflects the band’s strong ties to both the trad and contemporary bluegrass worlds.

Some Strange Country

“The music is not just ‘alternative bluegrass’ or whatever people used to call it,” Brittany Haas remarks. “It’s at another level now: artful, but still grounded in that funky, string band thing.” Here is a preview MP3 and recent video clip. Enjoy!

LISTEN: Henry Lee (MP3)

WATCH: Crooked Still performs “Locust in the Willow” at WNRN in Charlottesville, Virginia on April 26, 2010.

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Three Mile Stone

Traditional music can be a funny animal. For example, the most exciting and creative players may never perform in public other than the occasional pub session or after-hours festival jam. This is a part of the tradition: old-time Irish and Appalachian fiddlers were usually farmers and tradesmen, just like the rest of us working stiffs. Thus we find a wierd, wonderful subculture of fanatic, world-class Irish musicians out here on the West Coast, leading normal lives at normal jobs and meeting up every so often to engage in the uplifting spiritual experience called the Irish session.

Three Mile Stone

Years ago, I first met Marla Fibish, Erin Schrader, and Richard Mandel of Three Mile Stone at a week-long musical gathering called Lark in the Morning (or Lark Camp), held every year outside Mendocino, California. There is an undeniable magic that happens during those late-night sessions, a spiritual uplifting not unlike Nirvana, that carries the players to a place beyond description. Out of those sessions comes a wonderful new recording from Marla, Erin, and Richard titled “Three Mile Stone.”

Produced by John Doyle, this collection shimmers like the moon on the Shannon when it breaks through the ragged clouds of Ireland’s west. The trio displays a canny knack for putting together sets of three or four tunes that lead the listener from lazy hornpipe to lilting jig to reels that swing like there’s no tomorrow. Marla’s amazing mandolin playing sets the bar for all others; Erin’s fiddle practically glows from within, with a fire stoked by her passion and experience; and Richard’s guitar lays down a rhythmic foundation full of nuance and intricacy. The ladies also sing now and then, with style and grace. Both Marla and Richard display ample prowess on their other instruments, the accordion and tenor banjo. And the band ventures beyond the usual jigs and reels to prove that they know their way around polkas, waltzes, and airs, both inside and out. There’s not a dull moment on Three Mile Stone. Fiddlefreak recommended!

LISTEN:

Gipsy Princess/Granny In The Corner/Fleur De Mandragore

La Valse Des Pastouriaux/Will You Come Home With Me/Miss Walsh

Band Website

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Jeni & Billy

Longing for Heaven

Hard on the heels of their previous release Jewell Ridge Coal (reviewed here), Jeni and Billy have just released another precious mountain jewel, a new collection of original and traditional music titled Longing for Heaven (Jewell Ridge Records 005).

On Longing for Heaven, Jeni and Billy have hit their stride. With its hand-drawn lettering, family photo album and quilt fabrics, the album packaging suggests what’s inside: ten down-home, honest songs that reflect Jeni’s family history in southwest Virginia. Their intertwining two-part harmonies and impeccable picking on guitar and banjo form the perfect backdrop for stories of love and longing, small-town tragedy and the redemption of Jesus. Walk with them, down a coal-littered railroad grade, with gritty union miners on strike, and into a tiny white chapel with a cross on its steeple. Jeni and Billy will take you on a gentle ride back to the green rolling hills of home.

The CD includes three music videos of songs from the record that add to the down-home mood that permeates Longing for Heaven. Shad Cobb contributes his lonesome fiddle on two tracks. Fiddlefreak recommended!

LISTEN: While I Stay At Home And Weep

LISTEN: If I Ever Get Ten Dollars

Jeni & Billy Website

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Serious Sam Barrett

Yorkshire singer-songwriter Sam Barrett is a very busy man. In addition to printing his own product packaging, stickers, and t-shirts, he maintains a hectic gig schedule all over Great Britain, singing a mix of his own songs and trad material from England, Scotland, and Ireland on his vintage Stella 12-string. Sam’s songs are raw, rowdy, and rooted in the green rolling hills of his native North. The original material references early Dylan, and the old songs bring to mind early Paul Brady and Andy Irvine, with just enough punk edge to keep the kids happy. You’ll hear echoes of Americana here too–from southern country blues to Woody Guthrie and Carter Family. Serious Sam is the real deal!

LISTEN: The Yorkshire Tup

LISTEN: The Wild Goose

VIDEO: Lay a White Rose

VIDEO: The Female Drummer

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