This is the newest CD(2008) by The Earl Brothers, there is one thing on which everyone seems to agree... There is something about this band's 'less is more' approach to songwriting, singing and musicianship that makes you stop whatever you're doing and take notice.
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It's always a big event in my neck of the woods when a new Earl Brothers CD appears. I usually take the day off from work and stay at home--grilling red meat, drinking beer and blasting a few rounds through my .45. I think you guys are on to something that's so primeval, insistent, dark, old-time and thrilling that it just about defies description. I find myself completely mesmerized by your gothic Stanley Brothers sound. It just doesn't get anymore tough-edged and raw than tunes like "Going Walking," "Hell on the Highway," the title track and "Life Full of Trouble," which, if my ears aren't deceiving me sounds like it stays on just one chord throughout the piece. And what a chord it is! Congratulations, once again, on another job exceedingly well done.
While overhauled in personnel, Robert Earl Davis’s band retains its unique sound. Deliberately under-annunciated, hard scrabble vocals complement tight instrumentation that is dark, rough,and never fancy- the complete antithesis of the prevalent slick, high-browed bluegrass that is mostly ignored in this space.Original in sound, attitude and material, the Earl Brothers’ third album finds the four-piece moving forward while retaining all the elements — troubles, whiskey, women, and death — fans have come to appreciate. The Earl Brothers’ approach to bluegrass is so fresh and natural and their sound so identifiable that listeners are likely to either love or hate this California-based band.
For me, Moonshine is one of the most notable bluegrass albums of the year.
"First let me thank you very much for keeping me on your mailing list. "I REALLY LOVE YOUR MUSIC" as soon as i received your project i couldn't wait to get it home & play it !! After the first few notes, i heard the distinctive sound that you play so well. I could pick it out anywhere. everything is top notch. your original material has the sound & feel of times past. It has that rough edge gritty feel that many traditional bands lack today. this project has to be played several times in order to get the full impact. I played the whole project & my request line was ringing off the hook. I hope I don't wear it out!!"
thank you for sharing your fine project with us.
there is one thing on which everyone seems to agree... There is something about this band's 'less is more' approach to songwriting, singing and musicianship that makes you stop whatever you're doing and take notice.
For those who remember the goose-bumps they felt the first time they heard the high-lonesome sound of Bill Monroe or the otherworldly harmonies of the Stanley Brothers, that same thrill of discovery is being created all over again by the Earl Brothers. Unlike other traditional bluegrass bands that seek to re-create the music of the original bluegrass masters, The Earl Brothers are blazing their own trail, extending the genre, while simultaneously staying solidly within the gritty tradition that started in the 1940s and 50s. Listeners are left with a mix of exhilaration upon their first exposure to this new-yet-old form of music. As one listener remarked, "There is something mysterious that happens when the Earl Brothers take the stage. I don't know what it is, but I don't have to. I just know that something important is going on."
In the short time since the release of their third CD Moonshine, The Earl Brothers have received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from music-lovers, festival promoters, radio DJs, and music journalists across the country and abroad. CD orders and radio requests have been tumbling in from such far-flung locales as Australia, Belgium, France, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and even New York City!
The band is built around the unique vocal and songwriting attributes of Robert Earl Davis (Lead vocals, banjo), Danny Morris (Lead & tenor, vocals, guitar) the tasteful mandolin picking and singing of Larry Hughes, and the driving bass of James Touzel.
I’m an italian lover of good music, I send you my congratulations for your music
THANKS TO ADD & FRIENDERSHIP I LIKE YOUR TRACKS ON YOUR MySpace PAGE IT’S A GOOD SOUND, GREAT SONGS
I’m a journalist of “BUSCADERO” the very best italian rock magazine, and other, desultorily I wrote on the “FB Folk Bullettin” (folk magazine).
list of my last reviews: BUSCADERO September 2008: Drew Emmitt “Long Road” cd Donna The Buffalo: “Silverlined” cd Feufollet “Cow Island Hop” cd BUSCADERO July/Ago 2008: Floggin Molly: review live concert at Musicdrome - Milano 20,05.’08 Railroad Earth “Amen Corner” cd Michael Doucet “From You Noe On” cd Tony DeMarco “The Sligo Indians” cd Ned Ludd “Lavoro & Dignità” cd Riccardo Tesi “Presente Remoto” cd BUSCADERO June 2008: Davide Van de-Sfroos: review live concert at DatchForum, Assago-Milano 19,04.’08 Yonder Mountain String Band “Mountain Tracks: vol.5” 2cd Flavio Oreglio & LUF “Giù (non è stato facile cadere così in basso)” cd BUSCADERO May 2008: Waybacks: “Loaded” cd Clarence Gatemouth Brown “Live from Austin-City Limits” dvd Flaco Jimenez: “Ya Volvi De La Guerra” cd BUSCADERO April 2008: Eric Sardinas: “Eric Sardinas & Big Motor” cd Lhi Jarris “Cèrcle Libre” cd BUSCADERO March 2008: Flogging Molly: “Float” cd Savoy Family Band “Turn Loose But Don’t Let Go” cd Punch Brothers [Chris Thile] “Punch” cd
I whish you my best (sincerely) compliments for your work I send you my best and brotherly rockin’ roots regards.
I can't think of anything more authentic than the pure sounds of a talented bluegrass band. Listening to you folks is truly an enjoyable experience. Thanks for adding me.
HI thnx for the friendship! Think it’s great to have musician friends all over the world!!! I stopped by to listen to your music and enjoyed it very much …… really sounds GREAT …. Cool tunes !! Lots of respect. Greets from “D E E Z E L” (Belgium) and lots of luck in every thing you do!!
The review posted on the Earl's blog proves that critics need to get out more and realize that blurgrass music have moved on. Sometimes it's hard to hear the music through the rigidity of a fearfully closed mind. Being a traditional musician doesn't mean getting stuck in the past. Knowing the music that's come before is definitely apart of the Earl Brothers musical trip forward. Music is an ongoing process of back and forward creation, not a static stuck in the hallow bad dream. Every bluegrass great tested the musical envelope and moved it out further along with a new spark of musical invention and creative curiosity.
The joy of music is the gift of playing from the heart and soul. Something, the Earl Brothers do on their CD's and in person.
