So this morning No Depression posted a link on Facebook for the lineup at the 2011 Merlefest. So I went to the site and checked out the line-up a few of the bands I’ve mentioned on this blog. Folks like Balsom Range, Sam Bush Band, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Casey Dreissen and many I know but haven’t mentioned. Then there’s that fairly large segment that I don’t know and over the next few weeks I know I’ll be listening to some of these bands. The first one that caught my attention was Town Mountain. I listened briefly to them this morning liked what I heard so this afternoon I loaded it up on the ZenV and it became the soundtrack for my four mile plus run! The run was good no pain in my right knee but the music was better!
Town Mountain proudly calls Asheville, North Carolina home and the five man band has one foot planted in traditional bluegrass and the other in a combination of outlaw country and old time country music. The tag line on their website says Original Bluegrass and Roots Country. Whatever it is it’s damn good. The band is composed of Robert Greer on guitar, Jesse Langlais on banjo, Barrett Smith, bass, Philip Barker provides the tasty mandolin picking, and Joe Troop the great fiddling. The album I listened to is their second album Heroes and Heretics and most of the material is original and written by Robert, Jesse or Philip who also are the primary vocalists. Two covers are included on the album Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” and Townes Van Zant’s “Snowing on Raton” both covers work beautifully and both stood out on my run! Other songs that stood out on the first listen were “Leaving Montana” which since it was the first track on the album was the first song I heard and knew the album was a keeper. Of course the instrumental “Nighthawk:Pantherkiller” which features all the members great picking and playing was a favorite! Along with “Ruination Line” and oh everything!!
The band formed and started touring in 2005 and the year was topped off with their win of the Colorado Rockygrass Band Competition so see it only took me 5 years to find them! So go now find one of their albums and enjoy some good old time music with a country outlaw attitude!!
As always you can check out Town Mountain at their Myspace page
Here’s the band performing “Ruination Line”