American music

March 10, 2007 10:22 PM

All old things become new again. Traditional American music, such as Del McCoury and Doc Watson being explored and reinvented by new artists. Gillian Welch and Old Crow Medicine Show , Chatham County Line- Route 23 , and The Be Good Tanyas - The Littlest Birds. Just to name a few. [all youtube]
posted by nola (16 comments total)

"The Littlest Birds" is one of my favorite songs and the source of one of my favorite Mondegreens.

One of my friends infamously misheard the chorus as "The little assed birds sing the pretty assed songs" and now, I can't not think of that every time I hear it.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:34 PM on March 10, 2007

Also some links to . . .

The Handsome Family

The Little Country Giants

and The Red Stick Ramblers.
posted by nola at 10:39 PM on March 10, 2007

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are, IMHO, about the best duo going in traditional American music these days. Their version of Pancho and Lefty alone, if you can find it, is argument enough.

If you like the Be God Tanyas, also check out Po' Girl.
posted by jimmythefish at 11:05 PM on March 10, 2007

I'm still getting used to the idea of finding folks like Doc Watson on YouTube. They're in such different parts of my brain... (Heck, I'm still getting used to the idea that people know about Gillian Welch, for that matter!)
Thanks, nola.
posted by hippugeek at 11:31 PM on March 10, 2007

OCMS is my new favorite group, so I'm happy to see them anywhere, especially in a new (to me) video.

Very cool, nola.
posted by StrangeTikiGod at 11:42 PM on March 10, 2007

Thanks for the post, nola. I think when it comes to moving American folk styles along into the future, Welch is just about one of the greatest people around.

And this seems like a fine opportunity to link to some fabulous Dock Boggs clips:

Pretty Polly
I Hope I live a Few More Days

And speaking of "little birds", this from the great Roscoe Holcomb:

Little Birdie. He really tears this one up!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 12:18 AM on March 11, 2007

I saw OCMS play The Borderline in London a couple of years ago. Even though they only had one album out in the UK at the time, they eschewed a support act, came on and played for almost 2 hours and were supremely good. I'm not so keen on their latest album, but I'd see them live again at the drop of a hat.
posted by TheDonF at 1:49 AM on March 11, 2007

I saw Welch and Rawlings live a few years ago, they are just amazing musicians in concert.
posted by octothorpe at 7:34 AM on March 11, 2007

'The Weight' was just stunning. Wow

I also really like Sam Beam. He falls along this americana-indie spectrum somewhere. More and More (mentally hit Carson Daly in the face for me while you're there)
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 8:20 AM on March 11, 2007

grapefruitmoon, that's exactly what I heard the first time my friend played that song for me... unless I'm your friend?
posted by anthill at 8:48 AM on March 11, 2007

I've always liked country and especially yodeling. I saw Be Good Tanya's recently and I love their harmonies.

Love that stuff. Bill Monroe—When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again, Bill Anderson — Whispering Pines, boo no vid, Bob Wills—Cherokee Maiden...scratchy 78. More recent stuff is Elliot Brood — horrible oudoor recording, but wonderful banjo & guitar pickin'.
Then there's Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks—I scare Myself.

Nice post nola, except for the tag, American Music, then you mention Be Good Tanya's...Canada 'aint there yet, yo./
posted by alicesshoe at 8:55 AM on March 11, 2007

Ooh, I just heard Gillian* Welch on American Routes last night. Which was when my Mom heard Bettye Lavette for the first time ...

* Hard G, apparently.
posted by dhartung at 9:41 AM on March 11, 2007

Two more excellent Be Good Tanyas songs from CBC Radio 3:
Human Thing, and the incredible Ootischenia, which one of the BGTs explained a while back on Grant Lawrence's peerless podcast (downloadable right there, I couldn'r recommend it highly enough), is about a Dukhabor community in Interior BC where she lived as a kid.
posted by Flashman at 11:06 AM on March 11, 2007

Anyone into old-time American music should check out Crooked Still (on You Tube, or their MySpace, say) - one of the highlights of the last two Celtic Connections festivals in Glasgow. Fine musicians, the lot of 'em, but Greg Liszt is one of the best banjo-pickers around, and Rushad Eggleston brings a dang sight more to country music on the cello than Yo-Yo Ma (for my money). They have any number of other projects on the go (Liszt has played on the Seeger Sessions I believe, Eggleston continues his cello/fiddle crossover as part of Fiddlers Four, and Aoife O'Donovan is also part of the female vocal trio Sometymes Why).
posted by kxr at 12:34 PM on March 11, 2007 [2 favorites]

This post couldn't have come at a better time, I've been listening to The Dolly Ranchers a bunch lately & just found out their guitarist/song writer, Marisa Anderson had a solo debut album out as of last summer that I fully intend to have my paws on in the very near future. Yes indeedy. Obviously I now have some others to add to that list as well! Yippee!
posted by susanbeeswax at 11:12 PM on March 11, 2007

Another great place to hear music of this kind is on Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour. If you're not lucky enough to have a radio station that broadcasts it, or even if you are but don't know it, they are slowly but surely converting all 400+ shows to date to podcast.
posted by hydropsyche at 9:58 AM on March 12, 2007