We need more appalachian old-time musicians!

[Mayor Cantrell]

There's a lot of kids out there who play jug band songs on ukulele, and there's plenty of kids who strum banjos and pull accordions. And that's great. But, where are all the clawhammer banjo players and old-time fiddlers out there? That's what I play and I have a hard time finding many who can play with me some crooked, hard-driving old-time fiddle tunes.

Anyone on here play that kind of thing?

Anyone interested in playing that kind of thing? If so, check out The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Bruce Molsky, The Freight Hoppers, The Foghorn String Band, Tommy Jarrell.

 

[moe]

stringbean! hah don't know. but yeah, i'm down with that kinda music and don't hear it too often. i played violin, and fucked around with fiddles. you're the dude i saw at some acoustic folk punk show in some chi burbs, along while ago too, btw.

 

[coolguyeagle76']

sometimes that style is too contrived, im all for reinvention and revolution in music, i dont want to see a museum of a band playing dress up with tired uninspired old tunes cause tourist like em.

 

[panik]

I like the carolina chocolate drops a lot...read about them in some local paper in NC.

 

[Mayor Cantrell]

sometimes that style is too contrived, im all for reinvention and revolution in music, i dont want to see a museum of a band playing dress up with tired uninspired old tunes cause tourist like em.

It certainly can be, but it doesn't have to be super old-fashioned. Look at The Carolina Chocolate Drops or Black Death All-Stars. They're sort of within the old-time genre but they do things that step outside the tradition of it.

I really like playing and listening to that stuff because structurally speaking, it's very different from contemporary music. So you have to think a little bit more, feel a bit more when you play it. I write my own songs with clawhammer technique, but I strive to make sure that it doesn't sound just like a rehashing of any old-time fiddle tunes. It's just like any other folk style; you can stick to tradition or you can break it. I don't give a fuck whether I sound just like your West Virginia grandpa (though I do think the really traditional stuff sounds fucking awesome); I care whether I'm feeling the music or not.

 

[Mayor Cantrell]

I don't think originality or revolution really exists in any form of music or art or though. Most of the most seemingly ingenious artists drew from influences that other people didn't necessarily have. But when an outside group encounters such an artist, they see them as an example of a highly individualized genius who came up with their concepts just from themselves. Really, when it comes down to it, we all draw inspiration from movements and not much more. So really, it doesn't matter how old the style is, because it's just another movement that you can pick apart and turn into something new. That's where the true individual creative impetus comes in; in the combination of different attitudes, techniques, and styles. It becomes meaningful when it reflects a sentiment that many people feel deep below, but yet do not have the words or images to express it. We use artists to express the feelings that exist below the surface of our everyday conscious minds.

Also, because of that, I like old-time music because it depicts some musical forms that are really really different from what most of us are used to hearing. But I like playing almost anything, to be honest. Shit, there've been so many times someone has seen me with my banjo and started rapping "Fuck the Police" and it's the greatest thing ever. That's happened three times in three different cities. But old-time is simply my favorite thing to play right now and I don't think I or my friends play it in a boring, uninspired way. Not to sound pretentious. But we try to give it as much liveliness and energy as possible.

 

[shitbum]

Hell yeah! I hammer out some old time every day. And a lot of it is heavily influenced by Joseph from BDAS. He seems to have a lot more bluegrass-y drive to his tunes.

And let me just say, since we're on the subject of banjo's, Fuck Deliverance, and that stupid song. If one more stupid drunk frat boy yells at me "PLAY DELIVERANCE MAN!!!" while I'm busking and sits there while I play the whole fucking song, for him, then walks off without giving me a dime, I'm bashing him.

 

[Mayor Cantrell]

GAAAH! I hate that more than Wagonwheel requests. That shit is annoying as hell.

What old-time musicians do you like and what are some of your favorite tunes?

 

[shitbum]

oh man, uhhhh:

Wade Ward
Fred Cockerham
Tommy Jarrell
Glen Smith
Matokie Slaughter
Kyle Creed

There's more, I just can't think of em.

As far as songs go there's just too many, but I'll try

Tempie Rool Down Your Bangs
Half Shaved
John Brown's Dream
John Henry
Cotton Eye Joe


and on and on and on

 

[shitbum]

I tried to edit my last post to add this, but for some reason it wasn't having it. so here:



EDIT: essentially, when I got into it, I really loved the roundpeak style clawhammer, it seemed more intricate, and more in depth for somebody's ears. so that's basically the main type of oldtime I'm into, it seems the further north you get the music gets cleaner and cleaner, which is ok, but not my style haha.

 

[Mayor Cantrell]

Yeah, I totally agree with you on the whole round peaky thing. It just has this eerie otherworldliness to it. I like old-time music where the african influence is most prevalent (which round-peak would definitely be one of them.)

My favorites are

Pretty much everything you listed, though I've never heard Kyle Creed
Bruce Molsky
Rayna Gellert
New Lost City Ramblers
Adam Hurt
Morgantown Rounders
Chris Wig (Check out Chadwell's Station if you haven't heard him. It's an attempt to do pre-civil war fiddle)

Favorite tunes:

Rockingham Cindy
Five Miles to Town
Liza Jane
Shuck in The Bush
Over the Waterfall
Santa Anna's Retreat
Muskrat Sally Ann

 

[shitbum]

I've been on a tear here recently on Joseph's videos on youtube, and trying to figure them out. I'm not sure what "style" of clawhammer that would even be considered, but it's awesome.



This is what I like, fast, lots of drive, and just bad ass. I don't think I burnt myself out on oldtime, but hearing something like that kind of took over and I can't stop till I figure out some of his techniques/licks/whatever haha.

 

[macks]

I play clawhammer banjer, it's a hoot.

I like the minor sawmill type stuff and round mountain tunes.

Some of my favorites:

June Apple
Spotted Pony
Over the Waterfall
Cluck Old Hen
Greasy Coat
Sail Away Ladies
Walk Along John to Kansas
Boatman
Arkansas Traveler
Georgia Railroad
Train on the Island
Policeman

Let me know if any of you get out to Oregon this fall, I'm always up for playing tunes.

 

[MiztressWinter]

I've played guitar for years as well as tinkered with banjo and am really interested in the clawhammer technique of finger picking. In the past year or so I've been expanding my musical tastes, and have actually been looking to purchase a banjo, however everything I come across in music stores, pawn shops, and craigslist has been just too damn expensive for me to afford at this time. Any advice on where I might be able to pick one up for not tooooo much?? We found a decent washboard when we were in ATL at an antique store for only five bucks.

 

[shitbum]

I ebay-ed mine, 125 dollar hondo, and a POS case. I like it, it works, and the neck's straight. I do put a little pillow in between the coordinator rod and the back of the head to mute it a little, and make it a little plunkier. my first one was my grandmother's haha it was some plastic shitty fucking thing from sear's that hardly held a tune for any more than 5 minutes, and I played the hell out of it and loved it.

and yeah I play in sawmill and drop c for all my old time tunes pretty much. Both are really cool sounding tunings.

 

[Mayor Cantrell]

I really like that blazing fast, hard-driving stuff too, but recently, I've taken a liking to crooked, eerie mountain minor tunes. I just really like Tommy Jarrell a lot right now - and part of the reason why his music is so haunting is the pace; it's not too fast and not too slow. Just enough to feel like you're up there in the fog on a mountain.

My banjo is a really nice Gold Tone that I got for $180 at a music store in Asheville. The banjo I had before was Deering Goodtime that was broken twice. It was very upsetting; My friend stepped on the neck when we were getting on a 48 in Cleveland. Then, I went to Philly and got it fixed for $10 from a friend. After that, I was hopping on the fly out of Richmond out of that little local NS line to Crewe and I fell off and broke my banjo. I landed 5 feet away from a switch. Glad I didn't break my back. When I finally got to Asheville, the first thing I did was get that banjo. The music store owner let me trade in my old banjo...even though it was decapitated at the headstock. Brutal.

 

[Mayor Cantrell]

Oh, I forgot. MiztressWinter, what price can you afford for a banjo? The cheapest one new that sounds really good costs $350. It's a Gold Tone CR-50 and it's what I have. I swear by it; it's fucking nice. Luckily I got it used though.

 

[MiztressWinter]

I prolly couldn't afford more than around 150.00 right now, which I know isn't much, especially for something nice.

Fender FB300 5 String Banjo Package | Sam Ash Music 1-800-4-SAMASH This is what my ex mother in law owned and this is all I've ever played on. But I can't afford anything in that price range right now.

And I don't really want a plastic, shitty banjo lol even though those plastic traveling ones can be fun to play with

 

[Mayor Cantrell]

Hmmm. I'd say keep looking on ebay specifically for open-back banjos. Banjo with hard case, 5 string, open back, new - eBay (item 200525727240 end time Oct-07-10 10:11:12 PDT). This one looks like it might be ok. It doesn't say what brand though, and it doesn't seem like the seller knows anything about banjos. I'd say go for it.

 

[Mayor Cantrell]

Also, avoid packages like that fender you showed me. They're designed to rip you off. My friend has the same one and you can get a much nicer banjo for the same price.