The Baltimore String Felons

Bio:

"The Baltimore String Felons (also known as the Felon Family) were very much in keeping with the weirdo folk music theme of the rest of the bill, and were perhaps the best band of the bunch. The acoustic quintet's three string players switched between different combinations of guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass guitar, and violin--excuse me, fiddle. Meanwhile, one percussionist shook a tambourine and occasionally banged on a bass drum, and another played the spoons. As audience members stomped and danced, the String Felons alternated traditional songs with originals such as the rousing "Mighty Metal Mare."

When seeing young folk musicians these days--particularly ones playing in a punk club like the Sidebar--it can be hard to pin down how much they're part of the oral tradition of folk music and how much they're merely play acting at being part of another culture, another era. But folk has been through so many trends, so many identity crises, that it's possible that questions of authenticity simply no longer apply anymore. Just the fact that bands such as the Baltimore String Felons and Spoke Ensemble are willing to play this music in 2009 and put their own twist on it, and fans are willing to come see them, is enough to make them worthy carriers of the torch."
Al Shipley, Baltimore City Paper

With so many groups falling over each other to recapture the spirit of Appalachian folk, it's thrilling when a modern act can convey the necessary grit to make the music sound real. On record, The Baltimore String Felons truly sound like ghosts from another time. But the band's edge doesn't come from sonics alone. Appalachia may seem exotic to us, but the Felons have a subtle, more lifelike way of embracing darkness, and their music amounts to way more than just a pose. Three string players switch off on different combinations of banjo, violin, guitar, and mandolin, while two percussionists provide spoons, tambourine, and dusty kick drum. Sparks will fly if the Felons sound nearly as un-polished in person as they do on record. Thimble Wit also appears. Rochester NY City Paper

"Earlier in the night, the Baltimore String Felons offered their own unique twist on folk traditions, theirs being more distinctly American. And what's so refreshing about the weirdo folk acts in Maryland, as opposed to say New York or California, is that we're not so far from Appalachia that the musicians seem more connected to those influences, and more likely to have actual family roots. The String Felons, with their fiddle and banjo twang, have a definite mountain sound in their so-called "inner city doomgrass," even with its oddball twists, including songs that detail the assassination of JFK or choruses that howl "please don't kill me." And like Balti Mare, the combination of tradition and playful irreverence is what makes the String Felons work."
-Al Shipley City Paper Music Blog April 2010 ..

Member Since:

November 02, 2008

Members:

Coalrockuh Oner.
Geffery Sof' Serve.
Captain Joe Ron Rico.
Pearl Yado.
Big Jan BaTTman.
The Bow-Legged Gorilla.
Flora G.
MuhLungz.
AYDZ.
Jimmy Motherfuckin' Thurmon.
Side Show Dave.
Dza.
Hevad.
Grateful Tom.
Whoever may be present at the time.
Sing. Stomp. Pluck. Family.

Influences:

go here for more news about local shit: soulgasmrecords.blogspot.com

Sounds Like: