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 04/2009

    RUTHIE AND THE WRANGLERS
    AMERICANA EXPRESS

  • reviewed 09/2009

    MONSTERS OF FOLK
    MONSTERS OF FOLK

  • reviewed 01/2011

    JOHN McCUTCHEON
    Passage

  • reviewed 01/2006

    STEPHEN CLAIR
    Under the Bed

  • reviewed 08/2017

    Mike Blakely
    Keepsake

  • reviewed 09/2006

    THAT’S HIM, THAT’S THE GUY!
    Help Me I'm on Fire

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.