New Post, Finally: Cajun String Bands

Hello everyone, it's been a while I know. I've been busy trying to do all the requirements needed to graduate with a PhD in Geography. Mission accomplished. Now I actually have time to do stuff like this without feeling guilty and/or getting behind.

What really inspired me to start posting again was a story I ran across on a music blog on NPR. The story asks if Cajun string bands are the next big thing, and cites the success of Lost Bayou Ramblers (who I've posted about before) and other bands like "the Pine Leaf Boys, Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole, Feufollet and the Red Stick Ramblers."

Many of these bands are based in and around Lafayette, Louisiana (pronounce the first "a" as you would taffy, not water, if you don't want to get corrected). What's interesting about this scene is that unlike the recent rise in popularity of Appalachian music in places well beyond its traditional hearth (e.g. the West Coast, New England, major cities like Chicago and Minneapolis, among others), this music is mostly performed by folks of Cajun descent and stays close to its geographical roots.

Since I've posted before about Lost Bayou Ramblers (go check that out in the search feature if you're interested), I'll give some space to the Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys, who play frequent shows and have a ton of media out there.

On their very well-designed website, you can access an MP3, stream tracks from their new album "Back Home," and of course find their touring schedule. If you like to dance and want to experience roots music straight from the source, they're worth checking out.


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