Mark Utley (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo), Jordan Neff (harmony vocals, electric guitar, accordion, banjo, piano), Melissa English (harmony vocals), Amber Nash (harmony vocals), David Rhodes Brown (lap steel, slide guitar), Bob Lese (mandolin, harmonica), Bob Donisi (upright bass), Matt Frazer (drums, percussion).
2008 and 2009 CEA (Cincinnati Entertainment Awards) Nominee in the category "Folk/Americana"
Folk/country/americana band led by guitarist/vocalist Mark Utley. The starting point for this project is Appalachian folk music; the music it came from, the music it became, and the music it inspired.
Mark is joined by guitarist/harmony vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Jordan Neff, mandolin/harmonica player Bob Lese, lap steel and slide guitarist David Rhodes Brown, harmony vocalists Melissa English and Amber Nash, upright bassist Bob Donisi, and drummer Matt Frazer. This ensemble, christened Magnolia Mountain, is now playing out regularly around the Cincinnati area. Anchored by an acoustic musical core and a strong commitment to vocal harmonies, the band is currently performing Mark's original songs as well as an eclectic selection of covers that range from the Louvin Brothers to Son Volt, from Bill Monroe to the Flying Burrito Brothers, and from Hank Williams, Sr. to the Drive-By Truckers.
Magnolia Mountain's debut album, Nothing As It Was, is now available! The album was recorded at Ultrasuede Studio in Cincinnati with engineer/producer John Curley. It can be purchased from the band using PayPal, from CD Baby, from the Shake It Records website, or as digital downloads at iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, etc.
Mike Breen of CityBeat had this to say about the album: "Nothing As It Was is soulful, haunting and pure, taking the best of Country, Folk and Bluegrass and refracting it through a modern prism. It rings incredibly authentic and timeless, an album that could have come out 40, 30 or 20 years ago but is too lively and crafty to stand as some sort of retro-music museum piece."
"Nothing As It Was announces Mark Utley as one of the finest songwriters in the area. He and the amazing band he’s assembled have a knack for crafting something that is both traditional and refreshing. Fans of Roots music old and new will find Magnolia Mountain’s latest one of the more enchanting albums they’ll hear all year."
Click the YouTube link below to watch the full-length video for Magnolia Mountain's song "River City", directed by Kole Ross!
Click here to see the last two minutes of Magnolia Mountain's performance of their song "Hellbound Train" at the Rivertown Breakdown 2009! Thanks to Justin Todhunter for this clip!
Magnolia Mountain is currently back at Ultrasuede studio with John Curley recording their second album.
Hey MM, I've got a radio show for a few weeks - so, please tune into the Paul Hughes Show (filling in for Gordon Hotchkiss) on Celtic Music Radio this Wednesday between 7pm – 9pm UK time. As well a Scottish, Irish and American folk/roots music I’ll be chatting with Paddy Callaghan about being selected for the finals of the BBC Young Trad Musician of the Year and hear him playing the harp and box. Celtic Music Radio is available in and around Glasgow on 1530 AM (MW) and you can listen anywhere else in the world on the internet at www.celticmusicradio.net and click on “Listen Live” in the top right of the screen. Thanks for reading down this far.
This month we mostly have Catie Curtis (with a Richard Thompson cover), Lindsay Fuller and The Cheap Dates (and who amongst us isn't?), Josh Fix with a track from the well-titled album This Town Is Starting To Make Me Angry and the rather lovely Red Rooster.
Four more little sonic gems for your August pleasure are now available on the site. Blitzen Trapper, Boulder Acoustic Society, Jay Brannan and The Wiyos. Yet another fine quartet even though we say so ourselves as picked them out.
Hello, after an unfortunate hiatus, the reasons for which are probably best not gone into here, we finally have some new music on the AUK MySpace site. For your listening pleasure this month we offer Nathan Oliver, Conrad Ford, the irrepressible Todd Snider and the delightful Beccy Owen. Don't forget too, for those of you within striking distance of Leicester, Electric Dustbowl 2 on 19 September.
Everytime I think of the "Mountain" packing themselves into Shake It Records, it makes me chuckle...:) Unfortunately, we'll miss the show, as we'll be right across the street at the SideWinder. Stop by when you wrap up!!
We really appreciate the great job you all did singin' and makin' us feel welcome. Also many thanks for helpin' us keep our gas tank full. Hope to se ya at Bear's place soon.
