Modern Sounds in Bluegrass Music

[Marty Henrickson]

There's lots of good bluegrass and acoustic music out there today.....

Shaun, who is the band in the first two clips? I really liked "Walking West to Memphis", and I had no idea that John Lithgow could sing like that!

[sgarrity]

The first two videos are of the Gibson Brothers. Walkin West to Memphis was written by Chris Henry, an awesome Monroe-style mandolin player

[coletrickle]

Singing As We Rise was written by Joe Newberry, who plays banjo, fiddle, guitar, etc. and performs with Mike Compton quite a bit.

[jesserules]

Unless you're deliberately doing a retro thing, why would you want to sound like a band from 60 years ago regardless of how good they were?

riiiiiight.

so get yourself a looper & practice your tapping.

[Turnip Mountain Picker]

Greenwood Mill by Volume V is a great NEW bluegrass song. Whats funny about the old music from even Big Mon is that his same songs done in the 60s and 70s dont sound like they did in the 40s and 50s. They have a much more modern sound, and his approach to the mandolin changes a whole lot over the years.

[Mandolin Mick]

I pretty much only listen to Classic Bluegrass, you know, the Fathers (Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, The Osbornes, Jim & Jesse, Red Rector, Carl Story, Hylo Brown, The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, etc.) Also, because I live in an area where few play or even know what Bluegrass is, I don't hear much of what could be called modern sounds in Bluegrass. But, I do on occasion.

I like Bigfoot from Minnesota. They sound like Classic Bluegrass, but they're really Old Time. I've seen the Steep Canyon Rangers with Steve Martin. They're good and very tight ... but they sound too polished. If I go to a Bluegrass Festival, some of it I like, but most sound like Nashville Country. I'll be kind and leave them nameless. Bluegrass is my music, but there isn't really much out there today that does it for me ... sorry ...

[drbluegrass]

Joe Mullins, Audie Blaylock, Junior Sisk,


Tom

[mandopete]

We all know that Bluegrass has, from its inception, supported a progressive and nurturing attitude for new talent, and taking that as my start point, I want to ask people here to suggest or nominate their favourite new Bluegrass sounds.

Right now, today?

Another vote for Town Mountain. What I really like about them is that they seem to bridge this gap between traditional and progressive. Traditional in the sense the have the standard instrumetation (guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin & bass), but they write their own material (a must for any band to be considered "new" IMHO). The lyrical content fits in with the romanatic and "cabin on the hillside" content heard throught bluegrass. But they have a modern, 21st century approach without being overtly "show-offey" - heck, I bet Willie would even like 'em.

Another choice would be Windy Hill from Northern California. Same comments as Town Mountain.

[mandopete]

This is what I'm talking 'bout....

Town Mountain

[mandopete]

This is what I'm talking 'bout....

Windy Hill

[allenhopkins]

This is what I'm talking 'bout....

But in this "modern sounds" thread, where you praise bands who "write their own material (a must for any band to be considered 'new' IMHO)," you're posting a clip of Windy Hill doing Frank Hutchison's song from 1926:

[mandopete]

But in this "modern sounds" thread, where you praise bands who "write their own material (a must for any band to be considered 'new' IMHO)," you're posting a clip of Windy Hill doing Frank Hutchison's song from 1926

Yes, I could not find a clip on YouToob of any of their original material. Their CD called Let's Go To The Fair has 12 cuts on it, 5 of which are originals next to songs like Scotland (Bill Monroe), Get In Line Brother (Lester Flatt) and Let's Go To The Fair (Ralph Stanley). What I like about this is how well all of this material fits together. I think it's really neat that I don't hear much difference in the sound of material between covers and originals and that's a good thing. They definately have their own sound, but it's firmly rooted in bluegrass tradition without having to be a mere copy of what has been done before.

[JeffD]

Unless you're deliberately doing a retro thing, why would you want to sound like a band from 60 years ago regardless of how good they were?

Because new doesn't always mean better, because different doesn't always mean improved. Change is inevitable, sure, but its not always progress.

[M.Marmot]

This is what I'm talking 'bout....

Town Mountain

Now, I like whats your talking about there
(and in that other T.M. thread too)

[Mandolin Mick]

Windy Hill sounds great in that video!

[TEE]

Mandolin ride at 2:10 Volume Five -Tee Top Payne

[Skip Kelley]

Here is an original tune, I wrote a few years ago. I thought it might be good to contribute to this thread. I hope you enjoy it.

[Pete Counter]

Donna Ulisse does mostly ALL her own songs with the occational homage to her husband Rick Stanleys family.

[mandopete]

Speaking of "Donna's" and original bluegrass music - here's another favorite of mine, Donna Hughes.

This is a song from here Hello's Goodbye's and Butterflies recording

[Ethan Setiawan]

The Steel Wheels are a new sound. Mountain Heart also comes to my mind.

[Dobe]

I'm pretty fond of anything Larry Cordle does. Not the greatest vid, but a cool tune:


and another newer one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYlNJRH3QoI