The Infamous Stringdusters - Laws Of Gravity & Devils Backbone Brewing Company

Grammy nominated The Infamous Stringdusters (Andy Hall - dobro, Andy Falco - guitar, Chris Pandolfi - banjo, Jeremy Garrett - fiddle, and Travis Book - upright bass) -- are synonymous to good music and good beer. Their music is a fusion of what I would call campfire dancing music and contemporary newgrass. As for beer, think the Charlottesville beer scene and Devils Backbone Brewing Company - host venue for The Festy Experience music festival. Here's a video of Travis discussing both beer and music at the inaugural Festy many years ago. And if you plan to attend the 2017 addition in October expect to hear plenty of music from Laws of Gravity, The Stringdusters latest release which dropped January 13th.

In this release the band returns to their.progressive bluegrass roots with a theme of the freedom as a result of life on the road. Something they should know rather well.  Rotating lead vocals, solos, and tight harmonies provide an expected and consistent bouquet. But there's also a touch of soulful blues with This Ol’ Building and Back Home, which in addition to Soul Searching and Sirens, lift the mid palette and are the strongest section of the album. The tail finishes with high energy effervescence with Let Me Know and I Run To You. Classic Stringdusters.

The one problem with this release, and for that matter all the Stringdusters' seven studio releases, is that it can never capture the spirit of their live performance. Case in point is Sirens. The instrumentals are tight - but I'm sure the band blows away audiences performing this song live. Fortunately there are plenty of upcoming tour dates to experience a fantastic live show. I'm targeting the January 27th show at the 9:30 Club.

My favorite pairing option for Laws of Gravity is this DBBC Adventure sampler twelve pack. It includesthe Flor De Luna Belgium Blonde Ale, Berliner Metro Weiss, Smokehouse Porter, and Single Hop IPA. I hit all cylinders when fueled with a Berliner Weiss or Smoked Porter - as do the Stringdusters often in Laws of Gravity. Cheers.

Catching up with Holy Ghost Tent Revival and a Gumbo of Cabinet

Hard to believe that it's been three years since our MyJoogTV video with Holy Ghost Tent Revival and Flying Dog Brewery. Since I hadn't seen the band live in quite a while, jumped at the chance to catch up with the guys when they came to Jammin' Java during a mini-tour with Cabinet.  During this time, there has been a slight personnel change, Patrick settled down with marriage, but Stephen, Matt, Kevin, Hank, Charlie, and Ross have continued to crank out tight and sophisticated music. The sound has changed slightly, still some 20's dixieland (love the horns) and more classic rock. This evening Matt and Kevin fronted a few songs which augmented the diversity in their portfolio. Since our video, HGTR has continued to mature and grow stronger; make sure you check out their remaining dates on this tour and keep alert to a CD release in early Spring 2014.

As for Cabinet, what more can you say about this act? They had the entire club dancing and singing from the first song. And why not, acoustically they are a gumbo of that old time string sound, mixing bluegrass and old time country, with music bellowing from throughout the stage. And then when they went electric - watch out - they can play.  I really need to get down to The Festy to see these guys again. Cheers.



MyJoogTV Episode 2: Holy Ghost Tent Revival at Flying Dog Brewery from MyJoogTV on Vimeo.

Album Review: Town Mountain Rips Out "Leave The Bottle"

One of our favorite acts at The Festy a few years back was Town Mountain and now the band is back on our radar with their upcoming release, Leave The Bottle. And this CD reminds me why we loved their "original bluegrass and roots country" in the first place. Start with the title track. Written by Jesse Langlais, the song showcases their tight harmonies and individual musicianship in a classic country song. They then plow ahead with Robert Greer's Up the Ladder and hit deeper roots with Phil Barker's Lawdog - perhaps my favorite track. Or is it Bobby Britt's instrumental Four Miles or Langlais' Away From Home? As fans of the band will notice, these are all original tunes with the only cover provided by the Wood Brothers in Loaded.  These last two songs illustrates the band's easy transition from bluegrass to alt-country. Don't Go Home Tonight without listening to these songs. The CD will be officially released September 4th, 2012.

Sarah Siskind: Novel

We've been following Sarah Siskind for sometime now; through her CDs, The Festy, and her appearance on MyJoogTV. Yet, her upcoming CD, Novel, outperforms all these. This is her best effort yet. I tried listening while working but had to cease this routine since I was compelled to completely concentrate on the songs. No mindless easy listening here. Bike riding is a better listening option. The music is simple, yet powerful. Loving, yet sometimes mournful. The title track was my favorite, which includes backing from Ari Hest. Here is the track-by-track listing of this highly recommended CD:

1. Yellow And Blue - Besides the lyrics, concentrate on the percussion
2. Novel - A beautiful song with Ari Hest backing
3. Take Me - I want to be a little boy?; really? Nice change of pace.
4. Feeling for You - Like the guitar combos
5. I Think About Love - Not so much with me, but still enjoy the song
6. Welcome Home - Here's hoping my wife sings this song to me when returning from The Festy
7. Crying On A Plane - Impressive vocal range in a lovely song
8. Nowhere In The Middle - Starting the emotional roller coastal with an uptempo self-portrait?
9. You're Still There - Nice composition while continuing the emotional roller coastal
10. Rescue You - Bluesy tune with tight harmonies to conclude the ride
11. Didn't It Rain - Classic interpretation of great song

The Festy - Coming Again This October

Last year we attended the inaugural The Festy music festival hosted by The Infamous Stringdusters and the Devil's Backbone Brewing Company in Roseland Virginia. We filmed a MyJoogTV episode with Travis Book and Sarah Siskind for MyJoogTV and filmed loads of video available on the MyJoogTV YouTube channel. We will be returning October 7-9th 2011 for the 2nd Annual The Festy Experience anticipating an equally killer lineup and modest ticket fees. Basically $99 for three days of music and camping. This year may be a little different as we may participate in either the Blue Ridge Burn Trail Run or the Devils Backbone Challenge Mountain Bike Race.  I mean this is The Festy Experience, right.

Artist Lineup

• Brett Dennen
• Carl Anderson
• David Grisman Sextet
• Emmitt-Nershi Band
• Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad
• Jim Lauderdale
• Lake Street Dive
• Larry Keel & Natural Bridge
• Love Canon
• Morwenna Lasko & Jay Pun Quartet
• Railroad Earth
• Rubblebucket
• Sarah Siskind
• The Good Lovelies
• The Infamous Stringdusters
• The New Familiars
• The Two Man Gentlemen Band
• The Wood Brothers
• Toubab Krewe
• Trees on Fire

The Festy

Next weekend we are heading to one of our favorite areas, Nelson County Virginia, home to the  Devils Backbone Brewing Co - an award winning brewery and venue for The Festy music festival. Hosted by the The Infamous Stringdusters, the festival combines excellent music with excellent beer - perfect for myjoogtv.com. Still not convinced, check out the lineup below.