So a while back I downloaded and have been listening to .357 String Band’s album Ghost Town.They are a strong progressive bluegrass band that plays a fast and furious brand of bluegrass that they call “Streetgrass”. From their website:
……..The .357 String Band pays homage to both the dark roots of Americana – the fatalistic murder ballads, sneering Outlaw Country and unforgiving Gospel – as well as their own background coming of age in Milwaukee’s Punk and Rockabilly scenes. The result is a faster, meaner folk music – something the band calls “Streetgrass.”
What I hadn’t listened to yet was the band’s latest album Lightning from the North.Well I took care of that today when my emusic account refreshed and I quickly downloaded the album! I listened to it once this morning and then this evening it became the soundtrack for my four mile run and while I couldn’t actually keep pace with the music I do believe that it helped keep my pace up throughout the run! The band calls Milwaukee, Wisconsin home and is composed of:
Derek Dunn – Guitar
Joe Huber – Banjo, Fiddle
Rick Ness – Upright Bass
Billy Cook – Dobro, Mandolin, Clawhammer Banjo, Guitar
And these guys can flat out “pickit”. Just listen to the frantic pace of “Half Tank Full Gas Full Tank of Lies” which did just about killed me at about the 1 1/4 mark of my run my mind had to keep saying “slow down.” Another fun track is “Milwaukee Here I Come” and the title track “Lightning From the North” is another fast paced track. Throughout the album the playing is great particularly the fiddle and the banjos! The band does take a break from the frantic pace and throws in a few good slower tracks like the closing track “Till Peace or Hell” and “The Days Engrave”. “Head Under My Heel” has a great fiddle intro! All in all the album and the band are just flat out good pickers and singers and they set my feet a tapping and a movin’ at a pretty good pace for an old guy!
So go check them out at their Facebook page: .357 String Bandor Myspace page .357 String Band
A couple of press quotes from their Myspace page:
“These boys come in with tattoos, piercings and long hair, and you think Grandpa’s gonna hate it. But guess what? Grandpa loves it, and so do I… The .357 String Band may have a punk rock style, but their musical heart is very traditional.”—Rev. Peyton
Rev. Peyton and His Big Damn Band
“The .357 String Band keep it raw, real and dirty, on and off the stage, and have only begun to show us what they have to offer.”— – Hank Williams III
Here’s the band with “Milwaukee Here I Come”