Genticorum in WV

I've put stuff about this band on here before. Genticorum is from Quebec, and their sound is really enjoyable. The fiddle player is excellent.

Boatman

Here's the same guy as in "Jordan Am A Hard Road to Travel" doing another hard to find tune, Boatman. Well done AppalachianNoir.

Jordan am a Hard Road to Travel

Man this tune is hard to find. This guy does a great job with it. It was also redone later, during or following the Civil War, as "Richmond Am A Hard to Travel."

Benton Flippen: Soldier's Joy

I love seeing the old timers play. I've probably put a lot of posts on here with Soldier's Joy already, but it's such a good tune.

Train on the Island

This is an interesting video of OCMS playing Train on the Island about 100x too fast.

One-Armed Playing

Does this video really need any commentary?....

Wild Goose Chase

Ever wanted to punch a guy in the face for a video? You will:


Here's a way less annoying video, same tune with no bowing instructions.

Jig Bowing

This video is from Expert Village, which is a great resource for free fiddle instruction. This video is something I want to work on, Jig Bowing. This is what I really love about fiddle and old-time music in particular... you can do it yourself. You don't need expensive lessons, you just need to want to do it.

Johnny Don't Get Drunk

This guy's stuff is always great if you're trying to learn new tunes.

What's on my iPod: Part 3

Here are five random tunes on my iPod:

"Old Bunch Keys" by Uncle Earl, on She Waits for Night
"Sweethearts" by Camper Van Beethoven, on Key Lime Pie
"Lost Indian" by John Hartford, on Speed of the Old Bow
"Western Country" by The Iron Mountain String Band, on Iron Mountain String Band
"Motion Picture Soundtrack" by Radiohead, on Kid A

Yes We Can

Interesting...

What's on my iPod: Part 2

I did this yesterday, and I'll do it again today. Here are the five tunes that come up randomly on my iPod today.

"Morehead" by Dirk Powell, from If I Go Ten Thousand Miles
"Sourwood Mountain" by the Iron Mountain String Band, from Someday We'll Meet Again
"Dramamine" covered by Sun Kil Moon, from Tiny Cities
"Fair Morning Hornpipe" by Adam Hurt, from Insight
"Susannah Gal" by Frank Bode/Tommy Jarrell, from Smithsonian Folkways Classic Old-Time Music

James Scott Skinner Tunes

If you want to feel bad about your playing, watch this guy play some James Scott Skinner. There isn't enough Skinner out there on YouTube... must find other sources.

What's on my iPod: Part 1

I have a modest collection of music in my iPod, around 500 tunes. Here are the five tunes that randomly come up using the shuffle feature:

"Stony Point" by Jim Taylor, from The Civil War Collection
"Kamera" by Wilco, from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
"Down Home Girl" by OCMS, from Big Iron World
"Kid A" by Radiohead, from Kid A
"Bill Cheatam" by Kentucky Foothill Ramblers, from a field recording (which I will link to eventually)

OCMS - Soldier's Joy

Another old standard from OCMS.

OCMS - Old Molly Hare

When OCMS plays from the old-timey repertoire, it's about double break neck speed. This is not the best recording, but I like to see them do old standards

Dusty Miller

I recommend this guy's YouTube profile... lots of good tunes, some of them are tutorials on how to play certain tunes.

Old, Old Arkansas Traveler

I just back from the stovepipe hat store myself.

Carolina Chocolate Drops

This band has gotten pretty popular. They're fun to watch and play great. I like it that they tell stories to connect people to the tunes. A few of them play fiddle at various times, but this particular guy has a nice, simple style. You won't hear too much ornamentation, and he's heavy on the double stops. Good old-time sound.

Steven Martin and the Banjo

Check it out, today's NYT has a story about banjo playing Steve Martin. You can also hear a tune from his album.

Now Mr. Martin is once again in the musician’s role as he releases an album called “The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo.” The record (which is being sold exclusively as a download on Amazon.com, until April 26, when it also will be released by 40 Productions as a CD) is a token of his affection for bluegrass, with appearances by performers like Vince Gill and Dolly Parton. But it is also an opportunity to show off one of his less celebrated, least commercial skills, and to reimmerse himself in a musical genre he never fully gave up.

“It’s a secret world,” he said of bluegrass in an interview at his “SNL” dressing room, where his banjo sat beside him in its case like a baby in a bassinet. “It’s a big world, but it’s thin. And it doesn’t make the news, which is actually quite fantastic.”

Coming Through The Canebreak (To Shoot The Buffalo)

This guy was 93 at the time this video was taken. Really wonderful playing.

More Irish Music

I love a good duet, but the best part about this video is these two guys, playing in what appears to be a funeral home in two throw-like chairs.

"The Flying Crowbar" and "The Clare Shout"

These people have a good many videos showcasing Irish music. Some of them are made for you to follow along to. This is a good way to learn and practice new tunes that you may not get to hear out that much.