The long winters of Laramie can give rise to some unlikely cerebral creations. Take acoustic psychedelic Bluegrass, for instance, with a thread throughout of alt-country and rhythm-and-blues.
"High octane" is a phrase that reviewers sometimes use to describe The Blue Canyon Boys. The audience at this year's Beartrap will have a chance to see them rev up their Bluegrass-powered musical engine.
When Cory McDaniel says "Life keeps me busy," that's an understatement. When he's not being a singer, songwriter, and soloist, he and his longtime bassist and friend Dale Bohren are playing with one of three bands, all of which "keep me traveling and surrounded by good and talented people."
Which one is Patti? What's the fiasco about? Actually, there's a good family story there.
For the Railsplitters, life is good these days. They took first place in Rockygrass's Best New Band competition, celebrated the release of their brand-new album, and are now in every touring group's second home: their trusty van, traveling the U.S. and bringing their music to new audiences.
It's not too often you hear two musicians who sound like three, but one reviewer called The Good Time Travelers "the vibe of a two-piece power trio" and "a sound rooted in folk and Bluegrass, but a sentiment that's pure rock-and-roll."
When it comes time to choose a name for a band, it's hard to find a moniker that's more solid and authentic than "Wood and Wire."
Jeff Austin has nothing against a good hot lick, mind you. It's just that he thinks they sometimes distract from the vocal and the lyrics of a song. "It's about the voice," he says, "and how it can be showcased from song to song. It's the direct communication with the crowd--not just asking them how they're feeling, but bringing something out of them."
Some bands are put together gradually, after a lot of thought and planning. Red Butte is not one of those. "We just sort of fell together," a member of the band explains. "We're a group of veteran musicians who met up at just the right time."
The critical plaudits for Joan Osborne's career and for her new album could fill pages by themselves.