Augustus (and everything after)

*image above by Becky Guidera

See what I did there?

So, look. Most of my reviews are about Denver bands. Mile High has a lot going on, musically, and really it becomes a numbers game. There are so many bands to highlight, and most of them have the secret sauce.

But I have a secret, too. Despite being a fierce advocate for Denver happenings, I hang my hat in Boulder County. And I’m delighted when I can bang the drum for a really great Boulder band. So readers please give a warm Stubborn Sounds welcome to AUGUSTUS. I don’t know why they’re only now on my radar (my fault).

Augustus is a modern Americana trio featuring Colin Kelly on voice and guitar, Jesse Wright on cello, and Jim Herlihy on banjo, guitar, and drums. In 2014, they dropped “The Common Collapse” e.p., which you can pick up at their shows, online, at Absolute Vinyl and at Bart’s Music in Boulder.

I’m generally not smitten with band bios (sorry bands), but I was pretty blown away by the poetry of Augustus’ own description of its sound: “Harvested from the most significant American musical movements—bluegrass, folk, blues, and jazz—Augustus music reminds one of a time gone by that probably never existed, but one wishes it had. And while it is aligned with a current trend—the return to Americana: banjos, cellos, a kick drum, and a soulful singer … Augustus remains distinct, as do all groups that root themselves in truly great songwriting.”

I’m going to let that description do the work because I simply can’t say it any better. However, I do have an observation. Sometimes I get lost when searching for the Boulder sound. The positive of that is there’s plenty of variety in the Republic. The downside is that bands struggle to stand out. When I imagine what a pillar of the Boulder music scene might sound like, it should echo into the night sky. It should feel human. It should not shy from gravitas or joy. Lyrics are sung honestly, without affect. Someone’s truth, accessible to all. I have found this in Augustus.

“North” is the lead song on the e.p., and it’s been a hit for the band. It’s a stompin’ bluesy dirge that Robert Randolph could get down with – a complete foot stomper/head bobber making fine use of that distinct banjo sound. The e.p. is a moody, funky, genre-jumping trip with anchors in Americana.

Too bad for everyone already shaving their ‘tache and wagging fingers at “acoustic bands.” To you I say that when the apocalypse comes and you can’t plug in your Moog, Boulder will be clamoring for its sound, a musical belief system, and Augustus will provide it.

In the meantime, Augustus is playing around Boulder every couple of weeks, so go support and tell ’em I sent ya.

‘Treat Yourself’ to new e.p. by The Whiskey Treats

If the winter doldrums have you begging for a reason to boogie, keep reading. Denver’s own The Whiskey Treats released their debut e.p. “Treat Yourself” four days ago, and I testify that it’ll make you grab your partner, swing low, raise the roof, and even cause involuntary fits of (in my case, difficult to watch) jig dancing.

For those unfamiliar, The Whiskey Treats serve up a bluegrass-punk fusion that might be the stepchild of Ricky Skaggs and Dropkick Murphys. Is this the true definition of farmcore? Who knows. But it’s a great listen and frankly a nice surprise. There’s plenty of traditional bluegrass in Colorado and scads of punk. Fuse the two with a beat that borders on ska, and you’ve found The Whiskey Treats. Great fiddle and banjo duels, upright bass, mando, and guitar with lots of shoutable gang vocals. Upbeat and then some. On the band’s bandcamp page, you can listen to and buy the whole e.p. (only $4, c’mon people!!) and watch a lyric video for “Best Day of the Year.”

The Whiskey Treats are rockin’ the Walnut Room on Jan. 23rd. Shine your boots, alert your pals, organize the taxi, and let the wild rumpus start! Supporting local music means something. When it’s as high-octane as The Whiskey Treats, you’re really getting the best of the scene.

Bluegrass Album Review: On the Front Porch

It was a flurry of music buying and downloading over the holidays. We’re listening to Elbow, Band of Horses, Churchill, Smashing Pumpkins and more. Yet amidst these big names is a standout bluegrass recording entitled “On the Front Porch” by Kenny Thacker. The incomplete version of our review first appeared in the Troublesome Creek Times, but we’re happy to publish the entire thing here.

— There is music that reminds one of a specific time and place – a song that connects a person to the past. Most of us will hear a special tune or album and remember a significant time in our lives. It’s the soundtrack of a season. Then there is music that is felt in the bones, notes that drip with the ache and the joy of a life lived, harmony that tells you where you’ve been and perhaps where you’re going. That is the music of home, and Knott County, Kentucky’s own Kenny Thacker is eager to tell you his story of home in song.

Thacker, an internationally renowned musician and minister, released “On the Front Porch” in November. It’s a musical chronicle of his bluegrass-infused Kentucky upbringing and tribute to his grandfather and other family heroes. “My life has been blessed with many people worthy to be called heroes; not the least of which was my grandpa Big Harless Slone,” he says.

“He was a man of the mountains and a mountain of a man. These songs are dedicated to him.”

“On the Front Porch” is a master class in bluegrass – 12 songs, most of which Kenny learned on the front porch of his grandpa’s house. The album, his third, is rich in the mournful yet hopeful tradition of Appalachian music. Tragic lyrics are as honest as the coal miner’s condition. This music, Thacker explains, has often brought mountain people joy and hope. He calls it a “sparkling persistence to carry on, oftentimes in spite of bleak circumstance.”

Thacker, who lives in Prosper, Texas, with his wife and children, grew up in Hindman. He played his first gigs here, from the roller skating rink to the high school prom. Readers may recognize the name of Kenny’s uncle Ray Slone. It was Ray who hired Kenny at age 11 to play professionally in his family band – The Slone Family. This early career move started Kenny on a musical journey that led him to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and beyond. Still, Kenny gets back to Hindman every couple of years to visit family and enjoy the mountains he so loves.

Kenny’s latest album is essentially a group of friends playing music together, set to tape, but it’s fair to say the musicianship present on this recording is a few degrees north of your average town hall band. That’s because Kenny’s pals include the likes of multi instrumentalist and 16-time Grammy winner Ron Block of Union Station fame, famed harmonica player and Gaither mainstay Buddy Greene, Grammy-winner and Ricky Skaggs’ lead guitarist Clay Hess, bassist Byron House of Robert Plant’s “Band of Joy” and more world class players and singers.

“The thing we love about this music is its authenticity,” says Ron Block. “It’s real people playing real instruments. Kenny’s record shows that kind of spontaneity and fun.”

Thacker’s band interprets “Lament of Appalachia” with stunning aplomb. Haunting tin whistle and mandolin build a Celtic cadence that summons not just the descent of a miner into darkness but the waves crashing against the shores of Nova Scotia and the masts of a thousand ships built on the River Clyde.

Bluegrass standard “Two Coats” features a sublime fiddle performance by Tim Crouch. This old song has never sounded better. Sample lyric: “I’ll tell you the best thing I ever did do / I took off the old coat and put on the new.”

If guitar’s your thing, pay special attention to the pickin’ on instrumental “Salt Creek.” Often performed to showcase the fiddle, this rendition is a delightful six-string surprise. Clocking less than two and half minutes, it’ll leave you wanting.

“On this record, Kenny’s singing and guitar playing show off all his Kentucky roots, and that’s a party in itself,” says Buddy Greene. “I’m pleased as punch to be a part of it.”

The thread in Thacker’s music was woven long ago. “It has been in my heart, well, always,” he says. “It’s been passed from my great, great grandfather to my great grandfather to my grandfather to my uncles, aunts and my mom, to me. This sound came out of their soul into mine.”

Now, Kenny hopes it finds its way into yours.

Listen here.