Rumpke Mountain Boys

The Rumpke Mountain Boys are small local band that has not gain a lot of recognition yet. They have phenomenal musical abilities and are slowly gaining a following. It is clear by Rumpke's music that the members draw their influences from a variety of styles such as bands like the Grateful Dead to the classic old timey bluegrass that typically consists of banjo, mandolin, stand up bass, and acoustic guitar.
 

 

Band members: Jason Wolf: banjo,dobro,harmonica,slide whistle,washboard,rattles,random jiberish,vocals; Ben Gourley: mandolin,vocals; Adam Copeland: guitar,harmonica,vocals; Travis Gates: bass,face,vocals

 

I had the pleasure of seeing this group live at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland for just five dollars. I arrived half way through the opening act (who I can't remember the name of) and I was able to walk up to the stage due to the lack of people. At the end of the opening band I saw the Jason Wolf who is the banjo player from Rumpke standing in the audience with his banjo. I went up and talked to him about his custom banjo and his music for about thirty minutes before Rumpke went on stage.

Wolf was the most impresses member of Rumpke in my opinion. When I saw them live he played banjo through the first half of the show then dobro for most of the second half of the show. On top of his fantastic abilities on the banjo and dobro he can play slide whistle, washboard, rattles and countless other random instruments to add to the bands sound.

The band covers many various genres of music along with their original music as seen below.

 

Rumpke Mountain Boys cover of Eyes of the World by The Grateful Dead:

 

The Rumpke Mountain Boys now have their original album "Trashgrass" available on itunes.

 



Primus

Primus isn't the typical bluegrass, folk, or rock band that typically uses a banjo but Les Claypool finds a way to incorporate almost every style available into his music. Claypool doesn't use the typical five string traditional banjo, or even a six string banjo like most people but instead he uses an extremely rare bassjo. It is tuned like a bass with the drum head like a banjo and has a sound that cannot be replicated.

Les Claypool and his bassjo shown below:



 

Primus has been around for since 1984 and started out of California while releasing six albums including one just two years ago (Green Naugahyde:2011). Probably their best known song is the South Park Theme Song but most people aren't even aware of the fact that it is primus.

 

This is one of the examples where Claypool uses his banjo. The band generally falls under the an alternative or funk genre. They have won platinum albums for their albums Pork Soda 1993 and Sailing the Sea of Cheese 1991 and also have won a gold album for Tales from the Punchbowl 1995. Primus has weird music videos which were created to get an audience's attention and in my case it worked. Primus has had several of their weird music videos appear on MTV such as Mr. Krinkle which is shown below:

Along with Claypool's music career he has done some minor acting roles along with writing a book. His book South of the Pumphouse tells a tale of two brothers that go on a fishing trip for sturgeon in California which he uses some of his childhood experiences to write from and the book is worth a read.

 

 



Punch Brothers

The Punch Brothers are a progressive bluegrass band out of Brooklyn, New York. The band consists of five members; Chris Thile on Mandolin, Gabe Witcher on Fiddle, Noam Pikelny on Banjo, Chris Eldridge on Guitar, and Paul Kowert on Bass. All members of the band sing but Chris Thile is the primary singer with the other members providing backing vocals.

The Punch Brothers sound reminds me of a Trampled by Turtles sound but with slightly more of a traditional bluegrass sound. In my opinion some of The Punch Brothers music reminds me of a bluegrass version of the Indie Rock band The Shins which can be seen in the video below.

 

The band has released three full albums and an ep since their start in 2006. Their first album "Punch", their third album "Who's Feeling Young Now?", and their ep "Ahoy" which was released in 2012 all peaked at number one on the us grass chart while their second album "Antifogmatic" peaked at number two on the us grass chart.

 

 

 

The Punch Brothers don't only have a long list of great original songs but they cover other modern and older bands songs with a bluegrass style. Their covers are similiar to the Pickin' on Series covers that can be found on youtube and itunes. The Punch Brothers cover songs by The Cars, The Beatles, The Strokes, Radiohead, etc.

Rye Whiskey is the fourth song on their second album Antifogmatic is one of my personal favorite songs. The musical talent displayed by the group is phenominal and their music will be stuck in your head days after you have heard it.

 





Rye Whiskey- The Punch Brothers



Just What I Needed- The Cars

Reptillia- The Strokes

Martha My Dear- The Beatles

Morning Bell- Radiohead

The Punch Brothers Website is: http://www.punchbrothers.com/ You can find tour dates, news, media, and merchandise

Steep Canyon Rangers

The Steep Canyon Rangers are a bluegrass band from North Carolina. They are one of the first strictly bluegrass bands I have blogged about so far. The Bluegrass community doesn't accept bands like The Avett Brothers and even Trampled by Turtles who are often considered "New grass." The Steep Canyon Rangers have five members along with their frequent guest Steve Martin. Steve Martin plays banjo with the Steep Canyon Rangers on various tour dates and festivals along with playing on their album "Rare Bird Alert."

The band has released seven albums since they began in 2001 without Steve Martin, one with him, and have a new album "Love Has Come For You" which is planned to be released April, 23, 2013.

The Steep Canyon Rangers have a sound that ranges anywhere from a Flatt's and Scruggs sound like on "Jubilation Day" to music that sounds like it could be on today's "country" stations like "Long Shot." Long shots lyrics remind me of today's country music while the backing instruments are bluegrass (mandolin, banjo, fiddle, stand up bass, and guitar.) Jubilation day has comical lyrics they sound as if they were from a Steve Martin comedy act with a very old timey Appalachian sound. 

Long Shot

Jubilation Day

 The band 5 full time members are Wood Platt on guitar and lead vocals, Graham Sharp on banjo and backing vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin and backing vocals, Charles R. Humphrey III on bass and backing vocals, and Nicky Sanders on fiddle and backing vocals. The instruments are fit for a typical bluegrass band. With an always evolving sound, already possessing a Grammy, and the appearances of Steve Martin this is a band that people should pay attention to in the through their career.

Spirit Family Reunion

Today I will be talking about a less known band that has a lot of potential. Spirit Family Reunion was the opening act when I saw Trampled by Turtles on December 6th. Their band consists of six members that play old timey American music fast or slow. Nick Panken (vocals/guitar), Maggie Carson (vocals/banjo), Stephen Weinheimer (vocals/bass drum/washboard/tambourine), Mat Davidson (fiddle/accordion), Ken Woodward (vocals/bass), and Peter Pezzimenti (vocals/drums).

The instruments consist of guitar, fiddle, accordian, standup bass, drums, banjo, and a washboard. Yes, they use a washboard! Their instrument choice is one of the reasons they have such a unique sound the washboard adds a fantastic rhythm to their music along with the drum and bass while the fiddle and banjo fill the songs in with speedy runs.

Green Rocky Road- Spirit Family Reunion

 

On top of all of their instrumental talent their singing abilities are phenomenal! Mat Davidson singing abilities and range may be the best that I have ever heard, and the ability of the whole group harmonizing has a true bluegrass feel.

If you were to assume that this group was from Kentucky or West Virginia from their style you would be wrong. They actually started playing on street corners and subways in New York City. With help from other more established bands such as Trampled by Turtles they are finally on their way to getting the recognition they have worked for and truly deserve.

A list of shows where you should go to see Spirit Family Reunion live and truly experience their music:  http://www.spiritfamilyreunion.com/#shows

Dropkick Murphy

The Dropkick Murphys aren't your typical band with a banjo as one of their instruments of choice. They are considered an American celtic rock band and use a variety of instruments such as guitar, drums, bagpipes, accordian, mandolin, tin whistle, banjo, bodhran, and the bouzouki.

Tin  Whistle:


Bodhran:


Bouzouki:


The Dropkick murphys have gone through 14 members in the 17 years they have been a band. They now have 7 members which has remained the same since 2008. Eight albums have been released by DKM since they began in 1996. Dropkick Murphys have a hard rock sound but they use their folk style instruments. I believe this is what makes them stand out from the other hard rock and punk bands.

DKM was able to reach out to a larger audience when their song "I'm Shipping up to Boston" was used in the soundtrack on the academy award winning movie "The Departed"which was filled with famous actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg.

(I'm shipping up to boston above)

Dropkick Murphys featured Mumford and Sons banjo player Winston Marshall on their song Rose Tattoo on their most recent album Signed and Sealed in Blood. Signed and Sealed in Blood peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Album chart.

(Rose Tattoo above)

 

DKM are the type of band you have to give a chance to grow on you. By listening to full albums and getting to really know their music, songs like "I'm shipping up to Boston", "Rose Tattoo", and one of my personal favoties "State of Massachusetts" attract potential fans but their full albums will show you how great they truly are.

(State of Massachussets above)

 

DKM offical website is: http://www.dropkickmurphys.com/

Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine show is unlike many other newer bands around now. With an old timey bluegrass sound that resembles a band from the great depression era they have released eight studio albums and seven eps since their start in 1998.

Old Crow is best known for "their" song Wagon Wheel which originates from Bob Dylans (who is a major inspiration to the band) chorus of a song which was never recorded onto an album being used by Old Crow along with their own versus. But Bob Dylan credited the phrase "Rock me mama" to a blues musician Arthur Crudup. So the song Wagon Wheel was in the making for 85 years before it was ever put on an album. (The copyright of the song is shared 50/50 between Bob Dylan and Old Crows frontman Ketch Secor.)

Wagon Wheel

 

Ketch Secor, Gill Landry,Chance McCoy, Critter Fuqua, and Cory Younts all play multiple instruments on stage showing there true musical talent while Ben Gould keeps beat with his double bass and Kevin Hayes on the Guitjo. The Guitjo is a banjo crossed with a guitar, it is built like a banjo with the drum head and strings but is tuned like a guitar and has six strings.

(Kevin Hayes on the Guitjo shown above)

On October 26th I was able to see OCMS live at the LC Pavillion in Columbus. The venue was awesome and they put on a great show. Ketch Secor was talking to the crowd the whole time when he wasn't shredding on the fiddle. The banjo player leaned over the audience during a solo and I was less than five feet away. I plan on seeing them again sometime soon.

Their official website:
http://www.crowmedicine.com/