Rita Hosking. Courtesy Rik Keller Photography

It makes old Fiddlefreak proud that his adopted home state can produce an artist of this caliber. Rita Hosking is a singer-songwriter from Northern California whose music falls into a very sweet spot: nestled comfortably between folk, country, and bluegrass (previously reviewed here). Her new record Burn expands and builds upon previous releases by adding a little more rock swagger and alt-country twang to her solid acoustic foundation.

Burn

Rita’s on the rise! From the demolition derby to Hazel Dickens, the rusty and ragged landscape of Ritaland is the real America. Check her out. (Bonus video: campground jam at Strawberry Music Festival! Is that Joe Craven in the back?)

LISTEN: Something You Got

LISTEN: My Golden Bull

Rita Hosking Website (Listen/Buy)

Photo by Dan Tappan

Friends of Fall

East Coast alt-bluegrass band Crooked Still is in the middle of their 10th Anniversary Tour, currently on the West Coast and heading south. (I’m planning to attend their show this Friday in Arroyo Grande.) Their new 7-song EP titled Friends of Fall was released October 11th on Signature Sounds.  Since their early days, the kids have wandered a bit from the traditional pieces that were the raw material for their modern explorations. This release features creative covers of the Beatles, Paul Simon, and John Hartford as well as original pieces and a musical adaptation of a Wendell Berry poem. Yet they remain rooted in old-time Americana, with a lovely rendition of When Sorrows Encompass Me Round, and a soulful take on Pretty Bird, from the pen of West Viriginia’s legendary Hazel Dickens, who left us behind on April 22 of this year. Her songs are in good hands.

LISTEN: When Sorrows Encompass Me ‘Round (MP3)

LISTEN: Pretty Bird (MP3)

Thanks to motnovak.

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Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum

Today marks the release date of Skippin’ and Flyin’ from Laurie Lewis (Spruce and Maple Music). Yes, this is yet another Bill Monroe tribute record on the 100th anniversary of his birth. God knows there were enough of those this year (and every year, in the humble opinion of ole Fiddlefreak). The Father of Bluegrass continues to spawn oodles of traditional bluegrass bands that adhere strictly to his original formula, and even his repertoire. But not Laurie. With her musical partner Tom Rozum, she has established her own smooth-yet-rootsy style that integrates West Coast bluegrass, folk, swing, old-time country and her earth-friendly originals. Kinda like Bill Monroe did.

Says Laurie: “It’s an ongoing thread in my musical life. I fell in love not just with the music, but with the vehicle for the music. I just love a string band,” she adds with a laugh. “A string band of versatile players can do just about anything — they can follow me just about wherever I want to go.”

LISTEN: Carter’s Blues

LISTEN: A Lonesome Road

Skippin’ and Flyin’ is an amazing and satisfying listen, chock full of bluegrass classics as well as little-known chestnuts that deserve the exposure. The album’s title comes from Old Ten Broeck, a signature Bill Monroe piece that Laurie reworked from various sources, and the opening track. Extensive liner notes reveal an essay from Laurie on her inspiration for this project, as well as lyrics and some surprising guest appearances (from Linda Ronstadt to Nadine Landry of Foghorn fame). With sources that include Flatt and Scruggs, Jimmy Rodgers, Maybelle Carter, Utah Phillips, Bill Monroe, and herself, she has produced a fine bluegrass record by inspiring top shelf string players to a new level. Kinda like Bill Monroe did.

Laurie Lewis Website

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Chris Thile & Michael Daves

The third installment of Fiddlefreak’s series on new mandolin-guitar duos features a record from Chris Thile and Michael Daves titled Sleep with One Eye Open and released today on Nonesuch Records. We all know mando virtuoso Chris Thile from his days with Nickel Creek and more recently the Punch Brothers, but Michael Daves may not be as familiar to most folks.  Not many guitarists could keep up with Thile lick-for-lick, but Daves does just that, and sings his heart out as well. In fact these two guys manage to bring a deliciously frantic, young-punk enegy to a repertoire usually reserved for staid, middle-aged bluegrassers. One Eye Open is my favorite release so far this year.

Sleep with One Eye Open

In August 2005, Thile met Daves at a mid-week bluegrass jam at the Baggot Inn in NYC. Says Daves,  “We went to places musically, even in that first meeting, that I had never gone to with other players, so it was really exciting just for that experience itself, to be so pleasantly surprised at how much Chris had to offer beyond his technical prowess, beyond the very clean presentation of Nickel Creek. He was really going for it.”

Recorded live to tape over four days at Jack White’s Third Man studio in Nashville, TN, the album is a collection of 16 traditional tunes by bluegrass legends like The Monroe Brothers, The Louvin Brothers, Jimmy Martin, and Flatt & Scruggs. Says Thile, “Jack was really, really generous and let us cut the whole record at his place on his beautiful two-inch eight-track machines. It was just so much fun, man, like records ought to be—all ribbon mics and not that many of ‘em, and singing into just one RCA 77. It’s just like we do live, huddled around a microphone doing our best.

“It was important for us was to get that brother duet thing, but with this Lower East Side punk energy. One of the most enjoyable things about this experience was to underline the slightly delinquent side of bluegrass.”

LISTEN: My Little Girl in Tennessee

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The Twilite Broadcasters

Welcome to the second installment of my ongoing mini-series on old-time mandolin duets. I’m reviewing new releases that feature mandolin and guitar duos performing vintage pieces from the golden era of brother duets (ie. Monroe Brothers, the Louvin Brothers, Blue Sky Boys). This week’s post references “Evening Shade,” the latest release from the Twilite Broadcasters (Adam Tanner on vocals, mandolin, and fiddle, and Mark Jackson on vocals and guitar).

Evening Shade delivers just the right mix of old-time country, early bluegrass, and even a couple fiddle tunes. With a dash of reverb in the mix, the sound at times invokes the Everly Brothers and hints at the connections between bluegrass and early rockabilly, even though the songs remain ever faithful to the brother-duet formula: Gibson mandolin, small-body flattop box, and close harmony. Here are two cuts from “Evening Shade.” Enjoy!

Evening Shade

LISTEN: Long Time Gone

LISTEN: Salt River

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The Twilite Broadcasters from Adam Tanner on Vimeo.