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 11/2009

    TOM WAITS
    GLITTER AND DOOM LIVE

  • reviewed 06/2011

    IN TALL BUILDINGS
    In Tall Buildings

  • reviewed 01/2009

    OTIS GIBBS
    Grandpa Walked a Picketline

  • reviewed 01/2012

    JOHN MCCUTCHEON
    This Land: Woodie Guthrie's America

  • reviewed 06/2012

    KELLY HOGAN
    I Like to Keep Myself in Pain

  • reviewed 10/2008

    Thea Gilmore
    – Liejacker

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.