Bluegrass

grass

The Infamous Stringdusters stopped by the 88.1 KDHX studio in Saint Louis on March 17,2014 for a live set on Down Yonder. Audio by Dan Kinney. Discover more great media at http://kdhx.org

The Infamous Stringdusters: Live at KDHX 3/17/14

Fire

An upbeat and exciting compilation of songs from your favorite Fresh Grass 2014 artists to get you in the mood for your incredible weekend with us at MASS MoCA!

Foot Stompin' Fun with Fresh Grass 2014

I.S.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops are leaders in the revival of the old-time black string band music of the Piedmont region of the Carolinas, proudly carrying on the tradition of such musicians as Joe, Odell and Nate Thompson, Dink Roberts, John Snipes, Libba Cotten, and Emp White. The group's members honed their skills under the tutelage of octogenarian fiddler Joe Thompson, one of the last black traditional string band players alive today. Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson both hail from the green hills of the North Carolina Piedmont, while Dom Flemons is native to Arizona. They have performed at festivals across the country, including the Philadelphia Folk Festival, globalFEST, the National Folk Festival, and the National Jug Band Jubilee, and in 2007 recorded Dona Got a Ramblin' Mind.

Don't Get Trouble In Your Mind - Carolina Chocolate Drops

My mix of Leftover Salmon's live performance of River's Rising

Leftover Salmon - River's Rising

The Infamous Stringdusters "Summer Camp" Live at KDHX 3/17/14

The Infamous Stringdusters "Time to Part" Live at KDHX 3/17/14

The Infamous Stringdusters "Let it Go" Live at KDHX 3/17/14

Home Now

The Infamous Stringdusters perform live at 88.1 KDHX in St. Louis.  Recorded June 23, 2011.  Sound by Andrew Becker for The Infamous Stringdusters and Jon Valley and Sean Rogers for KDHX.  Discover more great music at http://kdhx.org

The Infamous Stringdusters "Don't Mean Nothin'" Live at KDHX 6/23/11

The Infamous Stringdusters "You Can't Stop The Changes" Live at KDHX 6/23/11

The Infamous Stringdusters "Magic # 9" Live at KDHX 6/23/11

From the upcoming album Celebration. Available for FREE download, 3/5/15 to 4/5/15 at www.noisetrade.com. On tour March / April 2015. Tour dates at www.cabinetmusic.com

Some of the best parties are the ones that weren’t even supposed to occur. Two or three friends lazily enjoy each other’s company, then another two or three join the impromptu festivities. Jokes are cracked, drinks are guzzled, and the next thing you know, it’s 3 a.m.

“Celebration,” Cabinet’s third studio release and seventh overall, is that kind of get-together. Initially intended to be a straight bluegrass record, the album instead emerged as the band’s most diverse release yet, which is no small statement when you consider the various genres the band has touched upon in the studio and on the stage to date. What’s remarkable, though, is that the tunes, which span the band’s eight-plus years of existence, showcase that diversity while retaining a distinct, cohesive common thread that the band deftly weaves from track to track. It barely needs to be noted at this stage in the game that the individual musicians’ playing prowess is at a high level, but what makes this a true album rather than a loose collection of unrelated songs is not those acclaimed Cabinet instrumental chops, but its time-honored writing abilities, which are in top form here. Scenes and moods are evoked, established and subtly revisited, sometimes via timeless lyrics and sometimes with just the simple turn of a musical phrase or accent.

What’s more surprising is these songs, despite their shared sensibilities, were not all written during the same period. Some have been kicking around the Cabinet catalog for some time, like “Home Now,” a live staple for the Americana outfit since its early days, which gets a relatively raucous reworking here. Others, like “Pine Billy” and “Red River,” are brand new. “Red River,” specifically, finds the band at its introspective best, a yearning, pretty tune that might pleasantly surprise some Cabinet fans.

Those long-time fans will delight in the new material, and the uninitiated will be won over, too, thanks to the warm, inviting nature of the songs and the way they’re presented sonically. Themes of home and family abound, further welcoming the listener to gather around the proverbial campfire with the band as tales are told and songs are sung. It’s a good place to be, and you’ll be mighty glad you stopped by.

-- Michael Lello

Pine Billy

Some of Sugar Hill's best and newest artists.

The Gibson Brothers - Whisper In My Ear

The Infamous Stringdusters - Fork In The Road

Railroad Earth live from Telluride Town Park at the 2011 Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Railroad Earth - Long Way To Go - 6/17/11

Live From Sullivan Hall 11-25-11 w/Andy Falco


12. Floodwood - Cumberland Blues

On Things That Fly, their third album, released April 20, 2010 on Sugar Hill, The Infamous Stringdusters venture into virtually uncharted territory for an acoustic group: a sonically and thematically expansive album that lends itself to absorbed listening from start to finish.

The Infamous Stringdusters - Magic #9

Workin' Woman Blues

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