Articles

THE BOXCARS IT’S JUST A ROAD Mountain Home Music MH14622 I’m of the opinion that you could pretty much lock any random handful of A-string country and bluegrass pickers in a rehearsal room and they could quickly meld themselves into a band with a distinct sound. But as often as not, such super-picker bands tend…

FRANK SOLIVAN AND DIRTY KITCHEN ON THE EDGE Compass Records 746022 With their second release, Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen could now be reaching the kind of name recognition that puts them into any conversation about the elite contemporary bands. Their debut, which hit the bluegrass charts and launched a single, “Driftin’ Apart,” to number…

DAVE ADKINS AND REPUBLIK STEELE THAT’S JUST THE WAY I ROLL Rural Rhythm RUR-1112 I have heard of Dave Adkins over the last year or so, and I’ve seen Republik Steele’s name on a few festival fliers. But I admittedly didn’t focus on Adkins’ talent until I heard his voice on the recent Rural Rhythm…

LOCUST HONEY STRING BAND HE AIN’T NO GOOD No Label No Number This band features Chloe Edmonstone on fiddle, vocals, and guitar, Ariel Dixon on banjo, vocals, and guitar, Meredith Watson on guitar, vocals, resonator guitar, and banjo, and Andy Deaver Edmonstone on bass. With their opening number, Benton Flippen’s “Sally In The Turnip Patch,”…

FLATT LONESOME Pisgah Ridge Records PRI4402 If you are looking for a young group of musicians intent on carrying on the good old-fashioned bluegrass music tradition, then Flatt Lonesome is worth a look. The core of Flatt Lonesome came from the gospel bluegrass band Sandy Creek Revival led by Pastor Dolton Robertson and his wife,…

MONROE CROSSING THE ROAD HAS NO END No Label MC 1212 The Road Has No End is another solid effort from Minnesota-based Monroe Crossing. With Lisa Fuglie on fiddle, David Robinson on banjo, Mark Anderson on bass, Derek Johnson on guitar, and Matt Thompson on mandolin, the band does nine originals by bandmembers (all of…