Foghorn Trio

The newest iteration of Fiddlefreak favorite Foghorn Stringband is the fooktastic Foghorn Trio, with Stephen ”Sammy” Lind on fiddle, banjo, guitar and vocals, Caleb Klauder on mandolin, guitar, fiddle and vocals and Nadine Landry on guitar, bass and vocals. Although these three have recorded together on previous occasions, their first full-length collaboration just hit the streets, titled Sud de la Louisiane. Its unassuming packaging belies what lies inside the simple cardboard envelope: 14 tracks of joy that range from heartland fiddle to Cajun heartbreak to old-school honky-tonk heaven.

Sud de la Louisiane

Much has been said about certain urban revivalists that resurrect and even profit from the music of a culture to which they are outsiders. Well that ain’t Foghorn. I know nothing about the heritage of the Trio, other than the fact that Sammy saws a fiddle tune that could beat the devil, Caleb totally owns every song he sings, and Nadine has some deep French-Canadian family links. And the truth is, I don’t give a flying flock where they come from. In my book, when you play your music well enough to help define the genre, you’re IN. That’s exactly what Foghorn Trio does for traditional American folk music. Sud de la Louisiane will float you down a big muddy river to a red-hot front-porch pickin party that goes on all night.

The CD was recorded in Eunice, Louisiana by Joel Savoy at Studio SavoyFaire. (The picture on the cover shows Joel’s studio, which occupies the former home of his grandfather’s cook shack.) Get this CD, sit back in your rocker and enjoy a satisfying slice of bona fide old-time Americana.

LISTEN: I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You)

LISTEN: Hello Central

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David Greely

“You have to know where the party is to find this music. Welcome to our kitchen. Put away your earplugs for awhile.” –David Greely (liner notes)

Sud du Sud

To fans of Cajun dance music, David Greely is well known as the fiddler from Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, where he was a founding member over 20 years ago. Waltzes and 2-steps are at the core of the Cajun repertoire, and bayou dance halls reverberate with dance tunes until the wee hours when the band comes to town. But after hours, a few stragglers may gather to jam until dawn, and that’s where you might the kind of tunes that David has recorded on his new solo record “Sud du Sud.”

The material on Sud du Sud ranges from rare and older polkas, cotillions, and galops to original pieces of his own composition. Without any accordion present, his fiddle really shines on this record, and he is supported by guitar, fiddles, and piano here and there. Fiddlefreak recommended!

LISTEN: Galop

LISTEN: Cotillion / Chatagnier

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Sammy, Nadine and Caleb Klauder. Photo by Ian Hutchison

Oldtime pickers Foghorn Trio passed through my town about a week ago and kindly left behind a copy of Nadine and Sammy’s new record titled “Granddad’s Favorite.” It’s a lovely collection of oldtime country and Cajun songs and fiddle tunes that seems to have gotten permanently stuck in my CD player.

Granddad's Favorite

Stephen “Sammy” Lind is the fiddler at the heart of Foghorn’s wall of sound, and his partner Nadine Landry is a native of Canada’s Yukon Territory with French Quebecois family roots. This is oldtime acoustic country at its finest, with a very pleasant Cajun twist. Buy this record, support pure-core traditional Americana musicians, and you won’t be disappointed. Fiddlefreak recommended!

(PS: Foghorn Trio is now recording a new record in Louisiana. Fiddlefreak sez: the sooner the better)

LISTEN: Parlez-Nous A Boire

LISTEN: Tippy Toeing

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Town Mountain

It’s time to start planning for Pickathon 2009, which happens this year on July 31—August 2 at Pendarvis Farm just outside Portland, Oregon. Fiddlefreak attended a couple years back and was deeply wowed by its unique combination of down-home folksy vibe and youthful alternative energy. And the music lineup is always the best! Ranging from rootsy indie rock to hard-core oldtime fiddle bands, the best of alternative Americana can be found here.

“Our fans are people who want to hear new stuff,” says Pickathon founder Zale Schoenborn. “They love music, and they don’t think about genre. They don’t want to hear three days of any one thing. They don’t necessarily need to know every single name on the bill. So our guiding principal is to simply curate the best music we can.”

The unique atmosphere at Pendarvis Farm is a big part of the attraction. Six stages—ranging from two main stages to the intimate, 50-capacity Workshop Barn to the quiet, secluded Woods Stage to the rowdy late-night Galaxy Barn—provide multiple opportunities to see many festival acts. Resourceful use of biodiesel and solar power, environmentally friendly custom shade structures, strong recycling and composting programs and multiple alternative transportation options give Pickathon’s sustainability efforts real muscle. Kids can start their days with bright’n’early yoga and move on to nature classes, circus camp, square-dancing, and free-form roaming on 80 acres of prime Oregon farmland and old-growth forest.

I previously wrote about Pickathon here. I would go again if I could, and go see the Freight Hoppers, Jackstraw, the Hackensaw Boys, Hillstomp, Foghorn Stringband, Town Mountain, and the many other kick acts on the bill. Five stars for this festival, from Fiddlefreak! Learn more about Pickathon here.

The Everybodyfields at Pickathon 2007

Barely Right Now

It has been almost a year since Fiddlefreak reviewed a live show by Whiskey Chimp, calling them “seven deadly sons who are bound for glory, or Hell in a handbasket.” We have been proven prophetic by their brand new third full-length record Barely Right Now (FP Records). On this CD they seem to fuse into each and every track the musical influences (bluegrass, swing, Cajun, punk, rockabilly) that formerly appeared on separate tracks. Born in the sunny time warp of Ventura, it’s a tasty blend that pairs well with Tecate and lime. Add a helping of humor and fold into tortillas with a dash of habanero sauce. Then run like the wind, because if you don’t you will be sucked into the hilarious toilet bowl that is Planet Chimp.

This past weekend I visited with the Chimp at the Parkfield (CA) Bluegrass Festival, where I laughed until my sides hurt. For every funny, edgy, irreverent original song in their extensive repertoire, they seem to have a half-dozen more waiting in the wings. Their wit is razor sharp, their sense of humor is sick, and their musicianship is impeccable — especially the many layers of harmony. Fiddlefreak sez: Whiskey Chimp is king of the jungle!

LISTEN: Loosen Your Bible Belt

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BONUS VIDEO: If I’d a Shot Ya Sooner