Bluegrass Archives - Renaissance Granddad

Posts tagged "Bluegrass"

A Run and The Infamous Stringdusters

The Infamous Stringdusters - Live From Telluride

To Post or to Read? Decisions, Decisions So the question of the evening is should I write a post about today’s run or read some in one of the three books I am currently reading. Pondering on it the first thought that comes to mind is that my 4 mile run today was not all that exciting. My pace over the course of the run was 10:04. A little slower than my last few runs but still pretty good. The only really surprising thing is that even though I was only maybe 10-15 seconds slower my heart rate was consistently lower. In fact I spent a whole 10 minutes of the run in that cardio range instead of the peak range!! The Soundtrack The soundtrack for the run was pretty good too. It was Live From Telluride from By The Infamous Stringdusters and since they are a jam band the songs have more instrumental breaks in the songs than usual! That makes the album more interesting to me!! From JamBase…. Live From Telluride features a mix of covers and originals spanning The Infamous Stringdusters’ 12-year career and eight previous studio albums. The 20-track LP was recorded this past summer. Here’s what banjoist Chris Pandolfi had to say about the forthcoming live album: “Telluride Bluegrass has been the center of the acoustic festival universe for many years, and we have been really honored to be involved in that. The fans are knowledgeable, but even more importantly, they are always down to…

Another Great Toe-Tapping Album from Trout Steak Revival

Trout Steak Revival – Spirit to the Sea Yesterday I posted that two albums have stood out in my music rotation over the last few weeks. The first one was Hard Times the latest release from jazz saxophonist Vincent Herring. The second one is Spirit to the Sea from the Colorado Indie-Americana string band Trout Steak Revival. I first encountered the music of Trout Steak Revival back in 2012 , when I listened to their album Flight. After listening to that album I knew that this was a band that was going places. And they did! About Trout Steak Revival In 2014 they won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition. They also won an Emmy Award for a soundtrack they contributed to a Rocky Mountain PBS web documentary. they have also collaborated with school children in mentoring programs in Denver and Steamboat Springs. Their music is featured on Bank of Colorado’s radio and Trout Steak Revival’s music blends the sounds of folk, indie, bluegrass, and roots into their own style of Americana. The band members include: Casey Houlihan – Bass, Steve Foltz – Mandolin/Guitar, Will Koster – Dobro/Guitar, Bevin Foley- Fiddle and Travis McNamara – Banjo. I love a band where the members are all masters of their respective instruments. That is certainly the case with the members of Trout Steak Revival! And while each picker is great there are two that make this album special for me and they are: Will Koster whose dobro sounds great throughout the album, and Bevin Foley’s…

Ugh! Humidity Slows Me Down! The Bucking Mules Pick Me Up!

Yesterday’s Run: Humidity Slows Me Down While The Bucking Mules Pick Me Up! Yesterday’s run was both good and bad. The good was the great picking from The Bucking Mules while the bad was the high humidity! When the start of the run I knew the humidity was bad. It had rained the night rained Tuesday night and weather.com listed the humidity at 90 plus percent. Anyway I decided that I wouldn’t worry about running a shaded route because it was cloudy. I picked the old Creek out and back 4-mile course. Over the first quarter-mile of the run I knew it was going to be a tough run. The air was heavy and didn’t seem like it didn’t want to go into my lungs! But I did make the first mile in fairly good shape. But the further I went the hotter I got and the more I was sweating. I finished the second mile with an overall pace of 10:42 minutes per mile. However I was really sweating and by this time sweat was getting in my eyes. Finally, I’d had it and did something I really have only done a few times over the years I stopped and walked! I walked for about 4 tenths of a mile and then started to run again. The brief walk allowed my heart rate to drop down a little and while I ran slowly over the last 1.6 miles I did make it! The walk/run third mile was covered 12:29…

The Safari Re-discovers the Progressive Bluegrass of Lansing’s Lindsey Lou and the Flatbellys!

Ok so today the Safari travels Michigan and rediscovers a band that I first listened to about a year ago Lindsey Lou and the Flatbellys. From their website: Hailing from all corners of the Great Lakes State of Michigan, Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys are giving a nod to American traditional music, while boldy taking their own songs in new directions. Distinct vocals, tight harmonies, instrumental expertise, and creative arrangements are all essential characteristics of their unique sound. The group focuses on the original tunes of Lindsay Lou Rilko, which include true-life tales of bank-robbing aunties, moonshinin’ grandpas, and celebrations of love, life, and nature. It’s an infectious vibe that could only have been born in the heart of America’s Fresh Coast! Full Bio. Seems like the day that I listened to the band was a day of a tough run but like always the music made it better!! The soundtrack for the run was from a band that I found out about through the Band of the Day on my iPhone Lindsey Lou and the Flatbellys, a progressive bluegrass band from Lansing, Michigan. I have listened to their latest album Release Your Shrouds over the last few days and I’ve been impressed by their music, particularly the mandolin provided by Josh Rilko, Lindsey Lou’s husband. Also the dobro of Mark Lavengood, and well the banjo of Keith Billik and Spencer Cain’s bass aren’t bad either. Put those Flatbellys together with Lindsey Lou’s strong songwriting and vocals and you have…