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The Hot Buttered Rum String Band are some serious pickers. Bluegrass has picked up some steam in recent years, probably in great part due to the runaway success of the movie O Brother Where Art Thou? and its soundtrack, which itself spawned a series of live concerts and the release of those subsequent shows on CD and DVD.
That has allowed young string bands to come out and achieve some success, at least as touring acts, with Yonder Mountain String Band being the leader of the pack, even scoring a place on the Billboard bluegrass charts. One of these newer bands, or at least new to me, California's Hot Buttered Rum String Band calls their music "high altitude California bluegrass." What is immediately evident is that these guys can flat out pick and that they enjoy their work immensely. Their new album In These Parts is filled with happy, upbeat tunes telling tales about everyday life, such as the first track on the album, "Three Point Two," about how tough it is getting drunk off the average percent of alcohol in a beer. There also seems to be a message throughout of putting some "more butter on your bread," possibly an inside joke that must be very important to them, as they seem to have named their band after that thought.
What is also evident is the extent to which these guys have studied their instruments. According to their bio, they have all been playing since they were children and a few of them have studied with some of the very best players of the genre, including Bay Area mandolin master Radim Zenkl and guitar wizard Tony Khalife. What also sets this band apart from some of its contemporaries is that they include Erik Yates in their lineup, a true multi-instrumentalist who adds a nice touch when he is playing either the flute, clarinet, or what I particularly enjoyed, the accordion. There aren't too many bluegrass bands I can think of that include an accordion in their lineup. The vocal prowess of this group is also very impressive. With five members in the band who all share vocal duties, their harmonies are excellent and the lead vocals on track six, "Lighten Up Your Load," is especially strong.
Hot Buttered has been wowing audiences for the last few years and has had the opportunity to share the stage with some of their heroes and bluegrass legends, such as Peter Rowan and Darol Anger. In These Parts is a masterful recording with the playing pristine and damn near perfect and vocals that are simply stunning. I recommend adding this album to your bluegrass collection, as this is one of the most talented young groups I've heard in a while. These guys have a bright future and I hope they branch out to the Northeast sometime soon.
Sam Katz
JamBase | Boston
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