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| Yonder Mountain String Band Bridge Bluegrass And Rock With the release of 'The Show' on September 1st, Yonder Mountain String Band take the next big step in their ongoing re-definition of American bluegrass music. Recruiting producer Tom Rothrock (Badly Drawn Boy, R.L. Burnside, Beck, Elliott Smith), Adam Aijala (guitar), Jeff Austin (mandolin), Dave Johnston (banjo) and Ben Kaufmann (bass) show off their musical virtuosity on thirteen original new tracks, written both in-studio and on the road over the last year. As on their self-titled 2006 album, they've also drafted drummer Pete Thomas (of Elvis Costello's Imposters) to play on several cuts. Says Johnston, he adds "a fast-burning wick to our big pile of dynamite." The result is an irreverent and aggressive fusion of bluegrass, rock and traditional string instrumentation that further solidifies Yonder's place in their unique and evolving musical niche. Of the album's title, Johnston explains: "We want to take people into a controlled yet chaotic environment, which is sort of what a show is like for us." 'The Show' is the 5th studio album from this Colorado-based quartet that formed after a session at The Verve, a bar outside Boulder, CO, in 1998. Over the past decade, they've grown their fan base to the point where they sell out venues like Red Rocks with fans of traditional bluegrass and rock music alike. The LA Times calls their shows "a joyful and irreverent live experience" while Relix declares that despite their "traditional bluegrass instrumentation and necessary chops for a demanding genre... their delivery and demeanor is pure rock and roll." write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Jazz News :: home page |