Rockin' Acoustic Circus

Originally posted on my Posterous blog December 30, 2010: View

I saw Rockin' Acoustic Circus at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in August. I hadn't heard of them before but their their Sunday workshop was incredible enough to warrant sitting in the rain to see.  They offer a fresh take on traditional bluegrass, though to to tag them with a specific genre doesn't really do justice to what they do. While bluegrass grounded, the band experiments with a variety of genre-bending sounds, covering such diverse performers as Melanie ("Brand New Key") and Dylan ("You Ain't Going Nowhere) and offering their own, original tunes.  Their sound wanders, seamlessly, from expert and tight bluegrass, to jazz, folk, pop, classical and a little bit of rock and roll.

Although both RAC and Crooked Still are unique in incorporating a cello into their bluegrass tunes, RAC's sound is its own.  This is no Crooked Still copycat band.
What is also noteworthy about this band is the ages of its members: Music veteran (and retired fire chief) Rick Morton is the senior player and is surrounded with teenagers, ranging in ages from about 16 to 20.  "Dawg-inspired" mandolin player Sterling Abernathy is joined by fiddler Eric Dysart, cellist Emma Hardin, and stand-up bassist Zac Hardin (Emma's brother). Each of the teen players is an accomplished musician and, in the Hardins' case, classically trained. While the band shares vocal duties, my favorite songs are those that feature young Emma Hardin's gorgeous voice.  
I recently purchased their latest CD (and the only CD currently available), "Lonestar Lullabye."  It is a great album but I have one complaint: It doesn't include Emma's rendition of "Brand New Key."  Here are the cuts on that album:
1- Lonestar Lullabye
 2- Skatin' In The Rain
3- Bethany
4- Take Me
5- I Gotta Run
6- Cello Medley (Whiskey Before Breakfast, Jerusalem's Ridge, Lee Highway Blues)
7- The Tracker
8- Money In The Bank
9- Wolf Tone
10- You Ain't Goin' Nowhere
11- Opus 38
12- It Flies
13- Song For The Rabbit
Check out Rockin' Acoustic Circus's web page and be sure to "like" them on Facebook, http://goo.gl/u7pNH. You can also hear many of the cuts from this album on Myspace.

Rockin' Acoustic Circus is one of my favorite personal discoveries of 2010 (bands that are at least new to me).  Others include the Delanos (my favorite, which is featured in my November entry), Lake Street Dive (which I plan to blog about soon), and April Smith.

Emma Hardin

The Delanos — WCUR Radio Concert, November 14, 2010

Originally posted on my Posterous blog November 16, 2010

The Delanos!

My son's band, the Delanos, played a concert on West Chester University's WCUR radio (WCUR.org) on November 14, 2010.  

Here is a recording of that concert.

"A few kids from West Chester who love to folk."

The Delanos are:

Jennifer Granato - Violin
Sasha Faust - Vocals
Jake Thompson - Bass
Todd Fausnacht - Guitar

Genre: Folk/Blues/Jazz/General Awesomeness/Indie

Visit the Delanos on Facebook, http://on.fb.me/cEFXC6 

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The Waybacks, Loaded

Originally posted on my Posterous blog October 16, 2010

I picked up The Waybacks' "Loaded" CD from iTunes.  The Waybacks are outstanding San Francisco-based Americana/Roots musicians with clever lyrics, outstanding harmonies, and a nice mix of traditional acoustic and electric instruments.  
The best song on the CD is, without question, "Conjugal Visit."  Check it out here. You can also catch a video of it at Folk Alley. Folk Alley also has videos of the band playing other tunes from the album, including City Boy, Tired of Being Right, and Black Cat. "Loaded" came out in 2008. Visit The Waybacks on Myspace.
Incidentally, while you're visiting Folk Alley, consider becoming a member.  In addition to supporting folk, traditional, and Americana music on the Internet, you get access to free downloads, exclusive content, and monthly downloads of live music from Festivalink.net
The Waybacks' "Loaded" playlist:

City Boy 3:59
Nice to Be Alone 3:46
The River 5:13
Good Enough 3:23
Loaded 5:58
Savannah 4:19
Conjugal Visit 3:49
Tired of Being Right 3:03
Lowdown 5:30
Beyond the Northwest Passage 5:37
Black Cat 5:34
Russell County Gorge  4:51

FREE MUSIC!

Originally posted on my Posterous blog  October 1, 2010

Free is alway good, especially when the music is great.  In this case, it's the Amerciana Music Association that's giving away its sampler album. Get it on Amazon at http://goo.gl/nwcO. (Seriously, it really is free.)
Here is the playlist:
1. The Open Road –John Hiatt
2. All The Time — Elizabeth Cook
3. Ellis County — Buddy And Julie Miller
4. Old Gin Road — Ponderosa
5. Shame — The Avett Brothers
6. Bury Me Far (From My Uniform) — Joe Pug
7. A Crooked Road — Darrell Scott
8. To Live Is To Fly — Steve Earle
9. Mama’s Little Baby — Delbert McClinton
10. A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment ((Hint: There is no C)) — Ray Wylie Hubbard
11. Patchwork River — Jim Lauderdale
12. Devil’s Best Dress — Corb Lund
13. Seven-Mile Island — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
14. Bayou Tortous — James McMurtry

Pick it up at Amazon. Now!

Saturday (Daytime) at the Philadelphia Folk Festival 2010

Originally posted on my Posterous blog August 21, 2010

I'm playing catch-up at this year's folk fest --- I was 190 miles away taking my son to college on Friday, the first day of the festival. So my festival started on Saturday morning. The highlight of the day for me was the "What Did She Just Say?" workshop with my favorites Susan Werner & Erin McKeown & Tressa Levasseur, a Canadian who is new to me. Also performing were Susan Werner's band mates, Natalia Zuckerman and Trina Hamlin. One of the best features of the fest are these workshops, where singers swap songs, jam & accompany one another. It makes for some great music that you will never get to hear unless you are physically there that day. As workshops go, this one rated among my top 10 or so of all time. All of the women on stage are outstanding songwriters in their own right; putting them together is absolutely sublime.
Spoiler alert: Mike Cross, one of tonight's artists, cancelled and the Folk Fest will have a "surprise" substitute. The new performer is John Flynn. I saw him walking the grounds this afternoon with a performer's badge.
The weather's great & the show tonight should be fantastic. Come on out. There is plenty of space --- attendance is clearly down. Scott
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Folk Fest Best Bets — Mine & the City Paper's

Originally posted on my Posterous blog August 19, 2010

The acts I wouldn't miss at this year's Philadelphia Folk Festival (August 20 to 22) http://www.folkfest.org/PFF.php:

Chris Smither & the Motivators: I've never heard Smithers' band, but Smithers offers smooth blues with & great voice & thoughtful lyrics.  Should be a great show

 Erin McKeown: What can I say.  I'm a fan.

Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams: Weird dude who plays a mix of folk & rock, but a lot of fun

 Richard Thompson: Great British songwriter

Susan Werner with Trina Hamlin and Natalia Zukerman: Again, I am a big Susan Werner fan.  Terrific songwriter

Taj Mahal: The coolest blues man. Seemed to play the folk fest every year for a while.

Vienna Teng: I have mixed feelings about Vienna Teng. She has a couple of really, really great songs — City Hall & Harbor are my favorites — but too much of her bores me.  (Sorry.) Maybe I will change my mind after seeing her live for the first time.

Here is City Paper's best bets: http://citypaper.net/articles/2010/08/19/philadelphia-folk-fest-bets

. . . & Susan Werner will be at the Philadelphia Folk Festival too!

August 18, 2010

Susan Werner will be playing on Sunday (Aug 22) at the Philly Folk Festival in a daytime workshop and on the main stage with Natalia Zuckerman & Trina Hamlin. http://bit.ly/PFF2010schedule

The first time I heard of Susan Werner was in the early '90s when someone stuck a flyer for a local church concert of hers on my windshield in the Folk Festival parking lot.  A short time later, I heard her song, "Midwestern Saturday Night" on the Gene Shay show and have been a fan ever since.  I think "Midwestern Saturday Night" is STILL one of my favorite Werner songs, though I am also partial to "Big Car."  http://bit.ly/9soOYf The latter because I owned a Grand Marquis at the time.  (Yes, I know she was making fun, but still . . . a great car, a great song, and a great performer.) 

From a guerrilla marketing campaign in the parking lot of the folk fest to the main stage: Werner has come a long way.

In a Twitter tweet, she asks whether she should wear patchouli or sandalwood:

susiechanteusie    looking forward to returning to the PHILADELPHIA FOLK FESTIVAL this sat & sun. patchouli or sandalwood, which to wear?......

Erin McKeown at Philly Folk Festival 2010

The Philadelphia Folk Festival starts on Friday, August 20 (Thursday for campers).  In a Twitter tweet, Erin McKeown promises to "knock it outta the park at #phillyfolkfest!"

Erin will perform on Saturday in a workshop and in the Saturday evening main stage show.  She goes on second during the evening concert, after Chris Smither & the Moviators. Mike Cross is Saturday's closer. http://bit.ly/PFF2010schedule

I am trying out posting this on Facebook & my Posterous blog simultaneously.  I guess I will see how it goes.

From: @erinmckeown
Sent: Aug 18, 2010 7:51a

off to brooklyn for a rehearsal with @hammerandstring and @marcdalio . love them boys. gonna knock it outta the park at #phillyfolkfest

       sent via Echofon

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinmckeown/status/21483902239

Amanda Penecale

Originally posted on my Posterous blog August 17, 2010

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Amanda Penecale is on Pandora. Amanda is a local, Bucks County, Pennsylvania folk artist who performed at Newtown (PA) MusicFest this weekend with Jodie Kelly, a talented violin/fiddle player (and the daughter of friends of ours). It should be exciting to watch Amanda's career progress (and Jodies, too!). Definitely worth a listen. http://www.pandora.com/music/artist/amanda+penecale

---
Scott C. Thompson
scott.c.thompson@gmail.com

Old Vinyl LP Found in Portland, Maine

Originally posted on my Posterous blog August 12, 2010

I found some interesting vinyl albums in Portland, Maine last week.
I have no idea who Bunny Berigan is, but my father used to sing the old 1930s songs with us as kids (all six of us), including, "Down by the Old Mill Stream."  Unfortunately, this cut on the album is entirely instrumental, but it was fun to reminisce anyway.  My wife, Karen, knows the words to the "Old Mill Stream," but I failed in passing those songs onto the next generation.  My kids had too many "screens" and other diversions on long car rides, which was when my father would sing these songs. 

CD of the first Philadelphia Folk Festival (1962)

Originally posted on my Posterous blog August 1, 2010

Found this 1994-produced CD of the first (1962) Philadelphia Folk Festival in Mad Platters record store in West Chester, PA. I have the LP of the 1977 festival (my first) and the 40th Anniversary multi-CD set from 2001. I thought that was all the Philly Folk Fest recordings there were. What a wonderful find!
I wonder if there are others.
 Scott
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