Trampled by Turtles

One Liner: Bluegrass traditionalists who can haul ass on the banjo
Wikipedia Genre: Indie folk, alternative country, bluegrass
Home: Duluth, Minnesota

Poster Position: 10
Day: Saturday at 5:30
Weekend Two Only.

Thoughts:  I randomly reviewed these guys a few years ago when my sister-in-law showed me a video of their top single.  This is "Wait So Long," from 2011's Palomino, and it ranks up there for some of the fastest bluegrass I can think of.  Just over 26 million streams.

Loogit that dude playing the banjo at the start!  Like, how in the holy hell do you get your fingers to do that stuff so fast?  And then the first breakdown, after the first chorus, and they just fucking BLAZE!  I just got goosebumps watching it, and I've heard this song 80 times.  They're like feral, coiled beasts of bluegrass, just waiting for their moment to spring into frantic action and knock people out.

These dudes are from Duluth, Minnesota, of all places.  And not all of their music makes you frightened for the health of their finger tendons.  A lot of their tunes are more like Band of Horses with a banjo (which is a high complement in my mind).  They also have some absolutely terrible electronic remixes on Spotify, but I won't hold that against them.  Six guys in the band, and a bunch of albums (2004's Songs from a Ghost Town, 2005's Blue Sky and the Devil, 2007's Trouble, 2008's Duluth, 2011's Palomino, 2012's Stars and Satellites, 2013's Live at First Avenue, 2014's Wild Animals, and 2018's Life is Good on the Open Road).  Nine albums is pretty legit for modern bluegrass purveyors.  I have a feeling they bring the thunder at live shows.

On top of their own music, they also have two highly rad covers - Tom Petty's "Wildflowers" and The Pixies "Where is My Mind."  I just had a guy in my office who heard the Pixies one, and we both reminisced about that great final scene in Fight Club.

And here is this band's version, which is pretty solid.

I like it.  And kind of cool music video with the lyrics.  The Petty cover is also super solid.  RIP Tommy P!

Now, what you've all been waiting for, the Tiny Desk!  I can only imagine the number of spontaneous orgasms that the people who work for NPR had as this banjo and mandolin freakout unfolded in their office.  All sorts of patchouli-scented jizz firing inside hemp jeans.

Man, that first tune blazes, then the second one opens up all the feels with a contemplative melody.  These guys are excellent instrumentalists.  And the comment saying that Hodor plays a mean fiddle is amazing.  They've only got one other tune with more than 10 million streams, so I'll hand that one to you now - "Alone," with 10.7 million streams.

Lovely.  One of the comments said that tune was played at the commenter's brother's funeral.  Holy criminy.  Not a dry eye to be had in that place when he sings that we all die alone.  Damn.

Their catalog doesn't vary much (except those aforementioned techno remixes), so you could pretty much jump in anywhere and enjoy it.  The new album is good, the middle album is good, their early stuff is good.  If you like banjo and mandolin and heartfelt lyricism, then this is your jam.

Absolutely on board with seeing these dudes do their thing.  I may have to do some convincing to get my buddy to go the bluegrass route, but I'm up for the challenge.