Bluegrass – Page 2 – Nostos Algos

I’ve whiled away the past two weeks to the tune of Joy and Better Days by Hip Hatchet. This album instills cravings–a want for creaky floorboards in the lonely painted bar frozen in a moment on the cover and a whisky on the rocks to match. My particular favorites are the the fifth and sixth tracks “Sing Me a Reprise” and “Misdirected Man,” the latter of which has a GoPro video featured below.

Featured Show: Americana at the Bottom of the Hill

Place your paw on the heartbeat of American music at this week’s featured show at Bottom of the Hill tomorrow (that’s Tuesday, 7/30/2013). First up we have Shakey Graves, a visitor from Texas, who makes journeyman bluegrass rocking with southern afternoon rhythms and toe-tapping, tumbling refrains. I tried to pick a single track to give you a taste, but loved the entirety of his album Roll The Bones so much I featured it whole.

Second on tap is The Sam Chase, a former Nostos Nic Pick of the Week. Don’t let the dusty, high-noon-in-the-wild-west aesthetic fool you: this feller serves flawless folk punk centered on his guitar, which “runs on diesel and leaks like the morning after too much Whiskey,” and his vocals, which bring a raw immediacy to his musical mischief.

Finally we have The Creak, a feel-good extenuation of the American musical tradition; this is modern bluegrass at it’s best, true to its roots yet proud of the present as showcased in the band’s epic cover art and clever lyrics. The Creak’s album Here, Hold This is sweet, subtle and instantly addictive in a way that will have you humming and air-strumming in the unawares.