THE 23 STRING BAND

bangin' and clangin'

2014-03-26

Guitar (6 strings) + banjo (5) + mandolin (8) + fiddle (4) + bass (4) = 27 strings, but I think they're counting the mandolin as only 4. Also they use a Barry Dudley 5-string violin, but who's counting? There are also drums and horns. This is fun, fast, and bouncy bluegrass, but St. James Infirmary should not be played fast and bouncy. Five songs on this EP, and I recommend the other four..

From the promo sheet: "Fiery, soul stirring bluegrass, beautifully round-around-the-edges old time and a homespun folk heart pulled from mountain hollows are all sewn into the sound.... The 23 String Band plays fun, fuel-injected, original American that weaves across the lanes of modern acoustic music. It's a bluegrass attack fueled by high-octane rock-n-roll energy and triple-distilled old-timey roots. Your feet hurt from dancing; your face hurts from grinning."

--Gerald Etkind

Quick Links:

More reviews tagged #Folk

  • reviewed 11/2010

    NATASHA BORZILOVA
    Balancing Act

  • reviewed 03/2008

    Chatham County Line
    IV

  • reviewed 05/2010

    TERRI HENDRIX
    CRY TILL YOU LAUGH

  • reviewed 05/2009

    Bob Dylan
    Together Through Life

  • reviewed 06/2005

    Devil in a Woodpile
    In Your Lonesome Town

  • reviewed 10/2008

    RAY LA MONTAGNE
    Gossip in the Grain

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.