Shelby Means
One Liner: A little Allison Krauss flavor
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but this is bluegrass, Americana
Home: Charleston, SC (via Nashville, Wyoming, and Kentucky)
Day: Friday
Thoughts: "One of the foremost bassists in bluegrass." Raised in Kentucky and Wyoming, she's now a Nashville session bassist who makes music with loads of folks. She earned a Grammy for her work with Molly Tutle on the 2023 album City of Gold. Her voice is nice - not overpowering and without a lot of the annoying embellishments that some ladies can add. Between the basic bluegrassy Americana background and her vocals, this is all very pleasant.
Caleb & Reeb
One Liner: Classic country, with a little bluegrass tossed in
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but this is classic county and great harmonies
Home: Pacific Northwest
Day: Friday
Thoughts: Her voice kind of reminds me of Aimee Mann, and the underlying music in the top song is an excellent little old-school country shuffle. I want to wrap up in it like a cozy blanket and take a long nap. Some of the songs sound like the excellent stuff that Gillian Welch and David Rawlings make. I let this play for way too long, I really like it.
The Steel Wheels
One Liner: Long-standing bluegrass band with a folky rock feel.
Wikipedia Genre: Americana, folk, bluegrass rock
Home: Virginia
Day: Friday
Thoughts: A band that has been around for 20 years is interesting, in that I have never heard a single mention of them that I can recall. And, they are big enough to put on their own music festival, the Red Wing Roots Music Festival in Mt. Solon, Virginia. Some of the guys met at Eastern Mennonite University. I know this is probably the wrong take, but that sounds like a terrifying school full of strict professors who will brook no dissent. 14 freaking albums! I can't quickly get a handle on the whole output, but I will say that the first few songs are bluegrass with a little southern rock and folk and rootsy soul. Enjoyable. Sounds like the kind of band that would play a free show at the Dillon Amphitheater on a Tuesday during summer.
One Liner: Long-standing bluegrass band with a folky rock feel.
Wikipedia Genre: Americana, folk, bluegrass rock
Home: Virginia
Day: Friday
Thoughts: A band that has been around for 20 years is interesting, in that I have never heard a single mention of them that I can recall. And, they are big enough to put on their own music festival, the Red Wing Roots Music Festival in Mt. Solon, Virginia. Some of the guys met at Eastern Mennonite University. I know this is probably the wrong take, but that sounds like a terrifying school full of strict professors who will brook no dissent. 14 freaking albums! I can't quickly get a handle on the whole output, but I will say that the first few songs are bluegrass with a little southern rock and folk and rootsy soul. Enjoyable. Sounds like the kind of band that would play a free show at the Dillon Amphitheater on a Tuesday during summer.
Rainbow Girls
One Liner: Folky harmonies for days.
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but this is folk and acoustic indie rock
Home: Bay Area
Day: Friday
Thoughts: Their Spotify bio starts with this: "We're just a couple'a heads on bodies doing our best over here. Makes you feel warm, like a soup or a hot glove. We highly recommend us for you." A hot glove seems like a weird phrase. Don't think I have ever donned a hot glove. The music feels rootsy, very guitar forward, full of vocal harmonies. They do lovely covers of "Helplessly Hoping" and "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall." "Helplessly Hoping" is an all-timer for good harmonies, and they nail it. "American Dream" is very pretty as well - their harmonies are really nice. Although, feels like the kind of band we want to see in the Cactus Club, not a big festival stage.
One Liner: Folky harmonies for days.
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but this is folk and acoustic indie rock
Home: Bay Area
Day: Friday
Thoughts: Their Spotify bio starts with this: "We're just a couple'a heads on bodies doing our best over here. Makes you feel warm, like a soup or a hot glove. We highly recommend us for you." A hot glove seems like a weird phrase. Don't think I have ever donned a hot glove. The music feels rootsy, very guitar forward, full of vocal harmonies. They do lovely covers of "Helplessly Hoping" and "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall." "Helplessly Hoping" is an all-timer for good harmonies, and they nail it. "American Dream" is very pretty as well - their harmonies are really nice. Although, feels like the kind of band we want to see in the Cactus Club, not a big festival stage.
Fireside Collective
One Liner: Straight bluegrass, maybe a twinge of gospel and jam in there too.
Wikipedia Genre: No Wikipedia, but this is bluegrass
Home: Asheville, NC
Day: Friday
Thoughts: Straight bluegrass action. Like, someone earnestly singing about going on a hike or something, while a bass chugs a beat, a violin gets happily plucked, and some dude on a banjo ejaculates all over the stage. It is jaunty and pretty fun if you dig that sort of thing. I like it. Although, their web bio calls then "newgrass turned eclectic jam band" so I am not sure that my wife will allow it.
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