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 10/2003

    Emmylou Harris
    Stumble into Grace

  • reviewed 04/2006

    Darlo Anger's Republic of Strings
    Generation Nation

  • reviewed 04/2007

    Cliff Eberhardt
    The High Above And The Down Below

  • reviewed 05/2006

    Troll For Trout
    Lesgo, Lesgo, Lesgo!!!

  • reviewed 02/2017

    Angie And The Deserters
    You

  • reviewed 09/2007

    CHRISTINE LAVIN
    Happydance of the Xenophobe

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.