Dustin Kensrue

One Liner:  Ex-hardcore guy making country/Americana tunes now

Wikipedia Genre:  Post-hardcore, emo, alternative rock, CCM (???), experimental rock, folk

Home: Orange County, CA

Poster Position: 16
Weekend Two Only.
Saturday at 1:40.

Miller Lite Stage.

Thoughts:  Pronounced KENZ-roo.  He was (is?) the lead singer and rhythm guitarist in Thrice, a melodic hardcore punk band from southern California.  He has also been in a band called The Modern Post, and released worship music (that is not here on Spotify under his name).  I don't know Thrice at all, but it is interesting to have something hardcore under his belt when these tunes are most definitely not that at all.  And I say that even when the Wikipedia genre list above includes those genres - these tunes are much more like country and Americana than post-hardcore or emo.  Also, FYI, CCM stands for Contemporary Christian Music.

Wikipedia provides zero background, it is like he was born at the moment in 2006 when he signed with a label.  A different interview says he was still a teenager when he formed Thrice, and would frequently head to Palm Springs to visit his grandparents and wander for hours through the desert landscape.

What that leads to, in the music, is a pretty varied soundtrack.  The newest album, 2024's Desert Dreaming, is very much more country and Americana - almost sounding like something classic from the old days.  Marty Robbins and Son Volt joining forces.  2007's Please Come Home was the first disc, and "Pistol" sounds like he is trying to emulate Gold-era Ryan Adams, complete with the harmonica riffs and voice.  2015's Carry the Fire almost has a Mumford and Sons vibe to it, just no banjos in there.  "Gallows" is sort of sounding like a Bob Schneider rocker - you can hear the rock band guy in there.  But overall, the feeling I get is Ryan Bingham, that sort of rough and tumble guy singing from his heart.  The live album Thoughts that Float on a Different Blood is pretty solid acoustic stuff, but the main reason that it is of interest is that he covers a wide range of other bands - Miley Cyrus, Radiohead, Bruce Springsteen, Counting Crows - which is pretty fun.   

The top streamer is that cover of "Wrecking Ball," but I want you to hear the original stuff instead.  The top original track is that "Gallows" one.  5.4 million streams.

Pretty good - you can definitely groove on that one.  Danceable rock with a catchy singalong spirit.  "Blood and Wine," from that first album, is the second biggest streamer with 3.2 million.

There is that folky, Ryan Adams-ey sort of shuffle in there.  That "Pistol" one has even more of it in there.  Just because I think you need it, one more with one of the newest songs that really shows the country side - this is "High Scalers" with 120k streams.

Rolling on by the Joshua Tree before getting to grandpa's house.  Have you ever hit a tumbleweed on the highway?  Extremely exhilarating experience when you nail one just right and it disintegrates into a billion twigs.  Delicious.  Anyway, yeah, I kind of dig this dude.  I'd go check it out.