Friday, July 13, 2012

Review: Steep Canyon Rangers- Nobody Knows You























I've spent a great deal of time listening the Avett Brothers, the Yonder Mountain String Band, Old Crow Medicine Show and other newgrass and alt-folk acts in recent weeks.  There was a time when I would have considered such deviations from traditional bluegrass heretical.  No more.  As someone once croaked, "I was so much older then- I'm younger than that now."  So when I hear "real" bluegrass today- and the Steep Canyon Rangers' new release Nobody Knows You qualifies as a traditional bluegrass album- I'm initially inclined to get excited only by unconventional production tricks on songs like Nobody Knows You's "Between Midnight and the Dawn."  After a few spins, however, the songs steeped in tradition became my favorites.  I also appreciate that a couple of the love songs are written by a guy who clearly understands the complexities of relationships.  Bonus- there's no sign of a certain comedian. 


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God bless Public Enemy.  Check out "I Shall Not Be Moved".

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I've given Frank Ocean's Channel Orange a cursory listen.  It struck me as a less obnoxious version of Rhymes-with-Snake's Take Care.  I'll try it again when I'm in the proper frame of mind.

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Kansas City Click: My official picks are published here.

(Original image by There Stands the Glass.)

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