Brendan Taaffe & The New Line's African Reimagining of Irish & Appalachian Tunes - Can't Hold the Wheel

Zimbabwean mbiras

For the past week, I have not been able to stop listing to Brendan Taaffe & The New Line's new release Can't Hold the Wheel. Taaffe has taken traditional folk songs and rearranged them with a blend of African rhythms many by using the Zimbabwean mbira. This instrument is a series of tuned metal keys fixed to a resonator. Taaffe currently resides in Vermont and has assembled a very talented cast of New England roots musicians for The New Line consisting of Adam Hurt on gourd banjo, Stefan Amidon on percussion and vocals, Colin McCaffrey on electric guitar and bass, Mike Olson on trumpet, and Heather Masse on vocals. Masse's vocals on Doc Watson's Red Rocking Chair and harmonies in The Old Churchyard and Goodnight Irene are sweet. Olson's trumpet in Nobody 'Cept You is like a lulliby and I think Hurt's soft banjo throughout helps blend the African rhythms to American folk. Fall On My Knees, Red Rocking Chair, and Train on the Island are my favorite tracks. For folk lovers, you will enjoy this release. Pair with and enjoy the live music at Brattleboro Vermont's Whetstone Station Brewery. Cheers.

Album Review: The Devil Makes Three - I"m A Stranger Here

Hard to believe, but the Americana blues outfit, The Devil Makes Three is out with their fourth album, I’m a Stranger Here, produced by Buddy Miller and recorded at Dan Auerbach’s (The Black Keys) Easy Eye Sound in Nashville. That's a good start. The trio of guitarist/frontman Pete Bernhard, stand-up bassist Lucia Turino, and guitarist Cooper McBean meld many genres into a rally interesting sound. From Stranger to Goodbye Old Friend, this release is full of darkness and sorrow; reflecting the band's maturity; but the compositions are excellent. Love this release. Favorite track is A Moments Rest; love the banjo picking and strings. There is also a guest appearance by The Preservation Hall Jazz Band as they lend a hand in the gospel laced Forty Days. Pair with their hometown brewery Whetstone Station Brewery from Brattleboro Vermont. Cheers.