Work is work. Even on the best of days, the rewards-to-frustrations ratio can be wildly variable. When that happens, the right music can make all the difference. Here's what's getting me through the day today.
05 Cornbread and Butterbeans.mp3
The Carolina Chocolate Drops are getting a lot of attention for their old-timey acoustic version of "Hit 'Em Up Style," but because I'm a crotchety old man I don't even know what they're referencing. It's a good song, but there's a danger of them becoming a novelty act for the NPR crowd. It's the same trap that may well have befallen the Gourds after their bluegrassy romp through "Gin and Juice." Like the Gourds, though, these people are the real deal, and I'm on my third run through this disc today.
I suspect there's a lot of purism within the old-time string band community, and there might be people who object to the cross-pollination of this music. I say nuts to them. Keeping music, whether its jazz or old-time string band music or rock and/or roll, frozen in amber is the fastest way to kill it off forever. Frankly it's encouraging that young people have carried on this tradition (the Drops formed when they were all in their 20s). If they're bringing their own experiences to the music, then bully for them.
05 Cornbread and Butterbeans.mp3
The Carolina Chocolate Drops are getting a lot of attention for their old-timey acoustic version of "Hit 'Em Up Style," but because I'm a crotchety old man I don't even know what they're referencing. It's a good song, but there's a danger of them becoming a novelty act for the NPR crowd. It's the same trap that may well have befallen the Gourds after their bluegrassy romp through "Gin and Juice." Like the Gourds, though, these people are the real deal, and I'm on my third run through this disc today.
I suspect there's a lot of purism within the old-time string band community, and there might be people who object to the cross-pollination of this music. I say nuts to them. Keeping music, whether its jazz or old-time string band music or rock and/or roll, frozen in amber is the fastest way to kill it off forever. Frankly it's encouraging that young people have carried on this tradition (the Drops formed when they were all in their 20s). If they're bringing their own experiences to the music, then bully for them.
