Della Mae - I Built This Heart

It's appropriate that this reviews follows my review of Greg Kot's Ripped, a book focused on how the Internet has changed the music business and giving examples of paths bands might take to get their music to fans in the Internet/MP3 era (and hopefully, make a bit of money in the process).  As I noted previously in this blog, Boston-based Della Mae used Kickstarter, a startup company that allows artists and entrepreneurs to raise funds directly from patrons or their potential audience, to fund the production and release of new album I Built This Heart.  Della Mae was able to self-release their album, raising almost $12000 from 240 backers (for rewards at various price points) and without giving up any artistic control to a record company or investor.  It will be interesting to see how many bands, especially in niche genres like bluegrass, opt for this sort of approach rather than the traditional route.

I would like to be post-feminist enough to make it through this review without mentioning that Della Mae is entirely composed of female musicians, but it really is core to their identity.  The cover songs on the album were both written by prominent female musicians - "Bowling Green" by Cousin Emmy, and "My Heart's Own Love" by Hazel Dickens, to whom the album was partially dedicated.  The guest stars - Laurie Lewis and Emma Beaton on harmony vocals, Alison Brown on banjo, and Brittany Haas on fiddle - are women as well.  But this ain't no knittin' circle - the characters peopling this album are strong, from the determined walker of "Down To You" to the burned out drunkard of "From the Bottle" to the late wanderer of "Sweet Verona."  There's also a sensuality to the lyrics, but it's more womanly than feminine - the besotted narrator of "The Most" wants to "make love with the windows open / So everyone will know."  No wilting violets, here.

The lyrics wouldn't have such weight if they weren't backed up by songwriter / guitarist Celia Woodsmith's powerhouse singing.  She's a dynamo, with range and passion, capable of cutting loose with a rock n' roll sensibility but also capable of subtlety.  A great example is "Aged Pine," the chorus of which gives the album its title.  The song is a slow waltz that demands both a real vulnerability - it was written during the terminal illness of Woodsmith's father - but a core of emotional strength; if the narrator's heart breaks, she'll "build it back again."  The rest of the band is up to the task of matching Woodsmith's intensity.  Kimber Ludiker is one of the feistiest fiddlers around.  Mandolin player Jenni Lyn Gardner and sometime flatpicker Courtney Hartman also display serious chops, and bass player Amanda Kowalski keeps the whole thing moving.

I Built This Heart is a terrific album, one of the best of the year, and you should pick it up if you like bluegrass, if you like rock, if you like strong female artists, or hell, if you just like music.

Della Mae official site
This review is based on a preview copy of I Built This Heart; the album is not yet available for general release.  Follow this blog or the band's official site for updates on its release.

Live Review - 7/23/2011 Della Mae at Passim

I dubbed Della Mae the break-out band of this year's Grey Fox, and they did not disappoint in their late pre-release show for their forthcoming album, I Built This Heart. Even the minor criticism I had of their Grey Fox set - that the guitar breaks of newcomer Courtney Hartman were too quiet and disrupted the group's dynamics - were addressed; her skillful solos sounded great and did not disrupt the group's dynamics.  The group was all loose and lively, it being their second set of the evening.  Most of the songs were originals by lead singer / rhythm guitarist Celia Woodsmith, but the group also played some covers - Bill Monroe's "Muleskinner Blues," Hank Williams' "Hey, Good-Lookin,'" and Flatt & Scruggs' "Big Spike Hammer," from which the group gets its name.  The originals stole the show, though, from the bouncy "Jamie Dear" to the dark "From the Bottle" to the delicate "I Built This Heart."  Woodsmith sings with a passion rare in bluegrass music, and the rest of the group - bassist Amanda Kowalski, fiddler Kimber Ludiker, and mandolinist Jenni Lyn Gardner - were matching her intensity with their playing.

Opening act Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum did a short, tasteful set, with their spare two-person sound complementing The Carter Family's "Texas Girl" or original tune "The Oak and the Laurel."  For their last tune, traditional "Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow," they showed their spry side, bringing Kowalski and Ludiker on to jam.  Later, they joined Della Mae for a few tunes, including a barn-raising version of "Bowling Green."

It was a memorable night; look for a forthcoming preview of Della Mae's new album!

Della Mae official site
Laurie Lewis official site

Live Review - 7/14/2011 - 7/17/2011 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

This was my eighth Grey Fox and the festival just keeps getting better.  This year had an embarrassment of riches; it seemed like every time slot had competing acts of great interest.  The downside was that there weren't really any new discoveries this year; who has time for new bands when the bands you know are so awesome?
The death of fiddle great Kenny Baker was definitely on the minds of many of the artists and fans at the festival.  There was a formal tribute on Friday, but there were many artists who played a Baker tune as a tribute, including three versions of "Jerusalem Ridge."  Friday's fiddle workshop at one point turned into the panelists swapping Kenny Baker stories.

Some highlights through the weekend:

• It was a coming-out party for Boston-based Della Mae, fresh on the heels of recording their newest album I Built This Heart.  They were everywhere the first two days of the festival, with a workshop gig, a main stage appearance, and a set at the dance tent.  The dance tent set was a firestorm, showing the group's power and variety.  The only quibble was that the band had to quiet down to hear the virtuoso flatpicking of Courtney Hartman, disrupting some of the dynamics.
• Chris Thile and Michael Daves' collaboration Sleep With One Eye Open is one of my favorite albums of the year, and their set did not disappoint.  Thile gave a sneak preview with an amazing set at the workshop tent, showing his range (from Bill Monroe tunes to Bach) and his incomporable mandolin playing.  The set with Daves was the highlight of the main stage for me this year; Second Cousin Curly wrote a great review of their recent Boston show that does their live act more justice than I can.  Thile's improvisational skills are amazing; he hears things no one else does and makes even older tunes fresh again.
• I joked that Del McCoury should release a live album, "Del Forgets the Words To Your Favorite Tunes."  He struggled with at least three songs, but his attitude is so great he was forgiven right away.  His voice still sounds terrific and his band is amazing.
• I was hoping for mandolin masters redux (see my report from last year) with the banjo masters tent workshop, featuring Tony Trischka, J.D. Crowe, Bill Keith, and Mike Mumford.  The music was quite good, but there was a lot of talking, and they only did two jams with all four of them; most of the times they just took turns soloing.  My favorite was Mumford doing fiddle tunes on the banjo in a Kenny Baker tribute; I'm not familiar with his work but he is a master of the melodic style.
• The Infamous Stringdusters were typically excellent.  Not much to add to what I've written before, but one interesting note was dobro player Andy Hall mixing his instrument through a wah pedal.  The 'Dusters have always pushed the envelope and this seems like just another way they're doing so.

Della Mae official site
Chris Thile and Michael Daves official site
Del McCoury Band official site
Infamous Stringdusters official site

Della Mae's new album

It's been getting quite a bit of pub already, but I'd like to chime in for all my (two?) readers: Boston-based bluegrass band Della Mae is coming out with a new album, and they're funding it themselves with the help of their fans, patrons, and the like.  They are offering some pretty sweet incentives: check it out.  I saw them a few months ago right about the time Celia Woodsmith was joining the band; her powerhouse vocals really complement the band's ferocious sound.  I'm really looking forward to I Built This Heart!

Della Mae Kickstarter page

Live Review - 2/9/2010 Della Mae at The Burren

I never did get to see Della Mae's "old lineup," but I've been aware of the Boston-based all-female bluegrass quintet for some time, and when I heard they were doing a "secret show" at The Burren with new singer Celia Woodsmith, formerly of Hey Mama, I had to check it out.  I only got to see about an hour, but it was enough to get a flavor of the group.

Woodsmith made her impression felt right away; she has a great bluesy voice that really shines on numbers like "The Sun's Gonna Shine In My Backdoor Someday."  The group mostly played traditional songs, but mixed it up a bit with slower waltzes like "Dark As a Dungeon" mixed with peppier tunes like "Big Spike Hammer" (the chorus of which gives the band its name).  The vocals were augmented by adroit picking by fiddler Kimber Ludiker, mandolinist Jenni Lyn Gardner, and Grave Van't Hof on the five-string banjo, though the acoustics didn't always make it easy to hear.  Laying down the rhythm was the terrific Amanda Kowalski, who really impressed me with her bass playing and presence when I saw her with John McGann a few months ago.

There were a couple growing pains, but nothing outstanding - at one point the group missed a verse in a song, which few wood have noticed without Woodsmith pointing out.  Humorously, Woodsmith also unintentionally referred to Van't Hof's instrument as the fiddle rather than the banjo during introductions.  These minor quibbles just highlight how new this arrangement is.  If Della Mae is this good on their first gig together (in a less-than-ideal venue), how amazing are they going to be after they've been playing together a few weeks?  I look forward to finding out.

Della Mae official site

Live Review - 12/14/2010 John McGann's Bluegrass Mashup and The Dixie Butterhounds at Cantab

The Dixie Butterhounds: banjo player Jon Gersh described The Dixie Butterhounds' music at one point (and I'm paraphrasing) as "not too different from what you'd hear on a Friday or Saturday night in northern Georgia in the 1920's or 1930's." They mined traditional music (such as "Sugar Hill") and pre-bluegrass folk music stars (such as Uncle Dave Macon and The Carter Family) for their old-time set. The group is strong vocally, with everyone but the bassist taking a turn. Particularly good were subtle harmonies between fiddler Mark Wholley and rhythm guitarist Kathy Fletcher, very tastefully done. Nothing too groundbreaking here, but the mix of sounds - double fiddles by Wholley and George Touchstone, and Gersh's clawhammer banjo - was appealing.

John McGann's Bluegrass Mashup: I was prepared for McGann's excellence - though I hadn't heard him previously, his reputation as one of the best mandolin players in the Boston area precedes him - but the excellence of his accompaniment was a welcome surprise. McGann was joined by Deadly Gentlemen fiddler Mike Barnett, Della Mae bassist Amanda Kowalski, and the uber-talented Courtney Hartman. Kowalski brought the energy, consistently making eye contact with her band mates, swaying her whole body as she played, and keeping the bass line popping, even as the band played swingier numbers. Barnett and Hartman are just effortless players, playing fast, interesting, tasteful solos like they were just sitting on a chair. Hartman also sang and did a fine job; she's definitely a talent to watch. And McGann was terrific as expected, playing traditional fast bluegrass solos, bluesy riffs, woody chops, and putting the whole thing together I'll be interested to see if this foursome plays again, and also follow along with the other projects this group might have in store.

The Dixie Butterhounds official site
John McGann official site

Joe Val Bands!

Just yesterday I noted that the The Boxcars' website said were playing at the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival even though the schedule hasn't been announced yet. Well the fine folks at Joe Val threw us a bone, listing four bands:

• The Grascals
• The Boxcars
• The Whites
• Della Mae

Exciting stuff!