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Stories about Modern Appalachian Life

MUSIC


You better watch out. Sisters Leah and Chloe Smith have turned music into a weapon. Under the moniker Rising Appalachia, they are tearing across the country and around the globe in a bio-fueled bus, schooling everyone they meet in the ways of progressive mountain music.
With banjos, fiddles, and washboards in tow, they have travelled from their home base in Asheville to Italy, to Scotland, through the Caribbean, and across Latin America. Everywhere they play, they raise awareness of Appalachian culture and, at the same time, pick up musical tid-bits that they add to their melodic stew.

Check out this clip:
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Notice how their Appalachian core is clear from the start. Then the Smith sisters and their friends layer in African rhythms, performance art, tribal adornment, and lyrics in a language that I can't quite name. It all comes together to make this swooning mountain worldbeat hybrid, a truly original mash-up.
Let it be known, that their inclusive sensibility doesn't end with music. These women have a broader social mission. They teach it in schools, share it in workshops, and name it on their Website:
“Rising Appalachia is a genre-bending force of sound that uses vocal harmony, lyrical prowess and diverse artistic collaborations to defy cultural clichés and ignite a musical revolution..."
Make no mistake about it, homogeny is the enemy, and we should all be warned; Rising Appalachia isn't taking prisoners.
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It's no secret that the roots revival is built on hillbilly shoulders. Just listen to great new bands like Fleet Foxes, The Low Anthem, and Carolina Chocolate Drops. They all draw from musical forms that were either created in the Appalachians or that endured there because mountain people were just so isolated.


Well, our hillbilly forbearers are finally getting their dues. The folks who created the Crooked Road-a 300 mile musical heritage trail in Southwest Virginia-have launched a new music tour. It's called Roots of American Music (how hillbillies helped invent it).
It recognizes that the original hillbillies came from all over--the Ulster region of Ireland, Germany, England and many African nations. Traditional music from each of these cultures contributed to our unique mountain sound, so the show blends them.
Picture Cheick Hamala, a guy from Mali who plays the n'goni (the instrument that preceded the banjo), next to Joey Abarta, an Irishman on the bagpipes, and Burl Rhea, a coal miner who plays the banjo itself, along with Dale Jett, a powerful singer and member of the legendary Carter family.
It's a great mash-up of musical styles, and these are just four of the twelve artists featured on the tour.  Things kick off this Tuesday at the Pulaski Theater. Check out the below clip of Joey Abarta tearing up the Irish bagpipes, and click on through to the full schedule to see when the tour hits a venue near you.
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It's official--more than 1000 people like The Revivalist on Facebook! When we passed the threshold this week, I let out a whoop and did a little dance in my chair.
Keeping with tradition, let's celebrate with a song--"I Love You 1000 Ways" performed by Ernie Sykes Jr. It goes out to everyone who reads the blog, comments on the blog, and shares the blog with others.
You Kamagra cheapest make this site more than a bunch of my ramblings. You make it a community.
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MUSIC
Sarah Siskind started out as a Nashville starlette. She arrived in town at age 14 with a recording contract and the attention of a record executive. He was ready to put her on fame's path, but he told her that she'd have to pick between her dreams. She could be a singer, or she could be songwriter. He said, "You're going to have to choose one."
The opportunity to cut an album was right in front of her, so Sarah sang her heart out. She never stopped. Her latest work, entitled "Say it Louder," was named Americana Album of the Year by the Nashville Music Awards. Bonnie Raitt called it "a masterpiece." Southern Living Magazine has said that she is "Nashville's best new voice."
That is probably true. Sarah's remarkable talent shines on her recent album, but performing is only half of what she set out to do. As she built her name as a recording artist, Sarah also lent her work to others. In time, that drew the attention of country and folk's biggest names. Randy Travis has recorded a song of hers; so has the folk phenomenon, Bon Iver; but it was Alison Krauss who catapulted Sarah's songwriting career forward. Alison recorded two of Sarah's songs, released both of them as singles complete with music videos and attracted a Grammy nomination for one.
When Sarah thinks back to the record executive who told her to choose between her dreams, she says, "I'm excited that I actually proved him wrong." Then she giggles and adds, "I say that in a nice way."
In Sarah, there's the determination that brought both dreams to life, but also a tenderness and a compassion. These shine in her music and in The Revivalist's first recorded interview. Sarah took time during The Festy Experience to talk about her work, the bluegrass roots laid by her musical parents and why she's so addicted to blogging.
Click below to listen.
INTERVIEW WITH SARAH SISKIND
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MUSIC

One post back, I said that I'd be tapping my toes and eating potato salad this weekend. Lo and behold, my toes are tired and my belly is full. The Festy Experience was a hoot.


Nestled in the Blue Ridge a bit South of Charlottesville, the festival brought out the stars of bluegrass, roots music and Southern eclectica.wooed the crowd with a sweet mountain drawl. Crooked Still had us all clapping and singing along. There were microbrews, jugglers and a rock climbing wall; and I couldn't turn around without running into a member of The Infamous Stringdusters, the renowned bluegrass band that hosted the event.
In particular, our friend, Travis Book was everywhere. In a two hour span, I saw him working the crowd, running a video shoot, greeting artists and playing on stage with his wife, Sarah Siskind. Though by his own admission, he passed on the morning 5K. Sounds like someone was up too late jamming outside his tent.
Speaking of Sarah, she was kind enough to take a break from the party for an interview. Watch for it in the next post. In the meantime, enjoy a few shots from the day!
[caption id="attachment_2032" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Main Stage[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2034" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Junior Stringdusters[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2038" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Impromptu Juggling[/caption]
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MUSIC

Next weekend I'll be tapping my toes and shoveling potato salad into my mouth just south of Charlottesville. It's the premiere weekend of The Festy Experience, a new festival hosted by the award winning bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters.
This ain't your grandpas festival. Day one will kick off with 5k and 10k trail runs. Day two will start with a grueling bike race across Horseshoe Mountain.
As hosts, The Infamous Stringdusters set the musical tone, attracting a line-up of twang crooning hipsters. You'll find Josh Ritter driving the crowd wild on the main stage and Sarah Siskind wooing them on the southern stage.
If you go, watch for Travis Book. When he's not playing bass and singing with The Infamous Stringdusters, he'll be covered with mud on his bike or stretched into a pretzel doing morning yoga.
Travis was nice enough to give us the lowdown on the festival.
TR: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk, Travis. I know you're a man on the go right now. First, I have to ask about the genesis of The Festy Experience. How'd it come about?

[caption id="attachment_1974" align="alignright" width="199"] Travis Book, The Infamous Stringdusters[/caption]

TB: We've all been attending various festivals, music and otherwise for years and decided it was time we did one ourselves. The Festy is the intersection of all the great festival experiences, Music Festival, Outdoor Festival and Beer Festival all wrapped up in one, and what better place than central Virginia in the fall.

TR: I love the area just south of Charlottesville, but there are countless beautiful places in the Appalachian South. Why this spot for the event?
TB: Have you been out there? It's gorgeous. Devils Backbone has a history with music festivals, great beer and a bike race, so they're an obvious choice as a partner. We played the Brewridge Trail Festival there last year and really loved the vibe and the proximity to the type of music fans we wanted to throw a party for so a few short discussions later and we were in the planning phase for The Festy.
TR: You have a great line up of artists. If there's a "don't miss" performance, which will it be?
TB: Besides the Infamous Stringdusters? Toubab K rewe or Tony Rice. Hard to say how long Tony will be performing and the man's an icon.

TR: Aside form playing onstage, which activities will you personally participate in?
TB: I'm bringing my mountain bike and my running shoes and I'm hoping to get them both very dirty. If I'm not up too late I'll be doing the AM Yoga sessions as well and participating in the various workshops.


TR: I've done events planning, and inevitably something doesn't go as planned. Any surprises so far?
TB: Nothing so far. Nelson County has been really receptive and the local community is very supportive so there's been few roadblocks there. Our crew is highly organized so if there's been any surprises, they've probably dealt with them without me knowing! As long as no one gets hurt, you just have to except that your plans and what's going to go down have little in common. I'll just be taking it as it comes and trying to maintain a good balance of water and beer.
TR: Wise words! Here's a barn burner from the band to get things going...
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MUSIC
That means seven straight days of a'plingin' and a'plangin' with some of the best artists around. There'll be classic cuts from old timer Snuffy Jenkins, gospel recordings from Don Reno & Red Smiley, a lesson from the virtuoso of banjo history Greg Adams, and lots more.
It will all be on my favorite bluegrass radio station, Bluegrass Country, which you can pick up at 105.5 in the DC metro if you're setting within five feet of the tower. Otherwise, your best bet is to listen from the Website or from iTunes, where the station is already included in Radio, under the Country section.
Here's a great clip to get things started. It's the earliest known footage of Reno & Smiley, recorded more than fifty years ago:
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I dropped cable television a year or so ago, and frankly, I don't miss it much. I have this little box called Roku that streams Web-based shows to my TV. It doesn't have all the latest series, but it offers a quirky mix of TV classics--from Alfred Hitchcock Presentsto Kate & Allie--and offbeat finds like the British sitcom Vicar of Dibley.
Usually that's plenty for me, but every now and then, I'll stumble on something contemporary that I'd really like to see. The Marty Stuart Show just made that list.
Though I don't know if I can rightly call it contemporary. Airing on RFD-TV, a farm themed network that is best known for HEE HAW reruns, the show is modeled after country entertainment from an earlier time.
[caption id="attachment_1784" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Dolly Parton on The Marty Stuart Show"][/caption]
In the 1960s and 70s, music legends performed in front of a two camera set-up with faux barn backdrops that were as convincing as sets from a junior high play. There were no pyrotechnics, no rhythmic lights, no dancers. On shows hosted by the likes of Porter Wagner and the Wilburn brothers, they didn't even bother to hide the microphone cords.
This is where country music mainstay Marty Stuart found his inspiration. “It was intimate, it was homespun, it was folk art, it was cultural,” he recently told Bluegrass Unlimited. “But, at the same time, it was just great country entertainment.”
RFD-TV has been the one TV outlet consistently airing these classic shows, so eight years ago, Marty Stuart approached the network's founder and president Patrick Gottsch and pitched him. He said, "Why doesn’t somebody redo the old Porter Wagoner show? Why doesn’t somebody redo the Flatt & Scruggs show, the Wilburn Brothers show?"
It took little convincing. Gottsch had built his business on a rural market that mainstream networks had overlooked.
In November 1998, The Marty Stuart Show premiered. The 1970s split rail sets were replaced with patriotic bunting and pieces of country music memorabilia--vintage stagewear, outsider art in the likeness of Hank Williams, and early instruments, including "the priceless prewar Martin D-45 guitar given him by former boss (and ex-father-in-law) Johnny Cash."
Otherwise, Stuart left this throwback entertainment model alone. Like its predecessors, his show is a low-production showplace for country music's brightest, including some of the best musicians from the Appalachian South. The iconic Del McCoury Band appeared on the show. So has Appalachia's favorite songbird, Dolly Parton, and in the below clip, you can hear Dale Jett, son of Janette Carter and a Blue Ridge native, sing the Carter family classic "Anchored in Love Divine."
Stuart's understated format works. It draws about two millions viewers a month from rural and urban areas alike. Bluegrass Unlimited wrote, "His show’s broad appeal is represented by the celebrities in the audience during one production day. For the Whites’ morning taping, Alison Krauss & Robert Plant are there; in the afternoon, when Ricky Skaggs is the guest, Lester Flatt’s widow Gladys and daughter Tammy are on hand. 'It’s kind of the story of my life,' says Stuart. 'Keith Richards one day and Ernest Tubb the next feels normal to me.'”
Have you been among the millions who enjoy The Marty Stuart Show? What do you think about its simple format and line-up of guests? If I bring some popcorn and sodas, mind if I come over to borrow your cable and watch an episode alongside you?
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MUSIC

Have you ever been walking in a tall grass field, looked down and had to blink over and over because you'resurprised to see a new copper penny half buried in the soil?

That's what it's like when you first see Devon Sproule. She is a glimmering young songstress, a stunner from Charlottesville.
[caption id="attachment_1361" align="alignleft" width="264"] Sproule's latest album: ¡Don’t Hurry For Heaven![/caption]
Check out the below clip to see what I mean. Watch how Sproule's head tips back while she sings. Her face shows bright and clear as she lilts through her ode to the Blue Ridge--"Old Virginia Block". She bounces and scrunches her nose, uninhibited, happy, clearly loving her song. Even on stage, she looks like she's awash with warm summer sunshine.
Maybe it's because she was raised on a Virginia commune with an extended open family of 100 people or so. Maybe it's because she met her soul mate, fellow musician Paul Curreri, when she was eighteen years old and he jumped on stage during her live performance. Whatever inspires Sproule, she creates songs that are filled with melody, image drenched lyrics, and an unabiding love for her home state.

She slips in references like "Blue Ridge brick in an almond shade" and creates lovely countryside imagery, including a line about apples that are "rosy from just the weather". In the final track of her new album--¡Don't Hurry for Heaven!-- she even declares "I can’t live any place but Virginia".
Sproule casts our shared homestate in a fresh light. It is young and hopeful, maybe a little romanticized, but isn't that what home is all about?
For her, it's clearly a place worth missing. She recently spent more than a year recording and touring in the U.K. On "Ain't That the Way" she sings...
I asked God for a good job.
He put me on a plane.
All the people that I love,
the people that I’m from,
are far away.
Listening to those lyrics, it sounds as if the Blue Ridge might be Sproule's penny in the field.
Do you like Sproule's tunes? Have you had a chance to see her live? Comment below and let us know what you think.

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MUSIC
This weekend, traffic accidents took a deadly toll on bluegrass music. As reported in The Roanoke Times, two separate wrecks took the lives of two musicians.
The first was Friday night. Houston Caldwell was widely regarded as one of the hottest, young banjo players around. At age eighteen, he had twice placed in the top four banjo players at the Old Fiddlers Convention and had become a fixture on the music scene, usually performing with his band Broken Wire.
He also was beginning to serve his nation. He'd recently completed basic training for the Army Reserve, and according to The Bluegrass Blog, he celebrated by buying a motorcycle. While out for a ride last weekend, he passed a vehicle and as he was returning to his lane, he was clipped by an oncoming car. He died at the scene.
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Alan Mastin was the second loss. A well known bassist, he had just finished playing with his band, Big Country Bluegrass, at a music festival near his home in Southwest Virginia. BCB banjo picker Lynwood Lunsford explained on The Bluegrass Blog that several band members rode to the show together. They grabbed a bite to eat afterward and then returned around 3 a.m. on Sunday to pick up their cars. Lunsford says that Alan put his base in his van, and then "made a comment about how good the breeze felt to him. He then got in his vehicle and headed towards home.”
The next morning Alan’s wife, Glenda, woke to find that her husband never made it. After contacting band mates, she began driving the roads he travelled. She spotted his van down an embankment in a brush pile. Alan’s body was slumped over inside. Paramedics speculated that he suffered a heart attack or stroke while driving.
On Facebook, fans are sharing condolences for both Houston and Alan's loved ones:
Ron Block wrote, "Houston, you are one of the most respectful, helpful, and talented young people I've ever met. Everyone is sorry you had to leave this world for eternity so soon; I know you're up there saying, 'Yes sir,' and 'Can I help you with that?'."
Anita Poplin writes for Alan, "I cannot do my work today. My heart is filled with yesterday."
If you're feeling for the friends and families of these artists, consider posting. I bet they'd be touched by your words of comfort.
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Further proof that mountain music knows no bounds--The Coal Porters. The band was formed by Kentucky native, Sid Griffin, as an electric rock act in Los Angeles. Then in the mid-90s, it traversed a continent and an ocean to land in the UK, where Griffin produced a comeback album for British folk legends Lindisfarne. While under the influence of their acoustic sounds, Griffen picked up a mandolin. Before he knew it, his West Coast rockers morphed into a Euro-based bluegrass band.
Described as “a cross between the Clash and Bill Monroe," The Coal Porters now produce twang laced tunes like "No More Chains," which starts with some mighty fiery preachin'. It's not as traditional as the bluegrass I usually like but this minister makes me want to throw my hands toward the sky, holler my amens, and declare a second British invasion.
What do you think?
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MUSIC
Can't get enough of that mountain music? Check out Songs of Appalachia from the Knoxville News Sentinel. It's a video sampler of styles, ranging from shape note singing to songs in Cherokee.
My personal favorite is fiddling from the McCarrolls
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