Ol' Timey Feelin'

A band out of the SF/Bay Area has recently been brought to my attention. When I think of modern music and that part of the country, I think of Gilman Street punk (i.e. Green Day, Operation Ivy, Lookout! Records) and a thriving and diverse electronic scene (Dielectric Records, Gold Chains, Anticon Records, Antimatter). But this is different.

Trainwreck Riders play what they refer to as a very loud and exuberant blend of old-time country music and old-school Bay Area punk rock. What they do with country music (country like Mississippi John Hurt...old old school) isn't quite like what the Dropkick Murphys do with traditional Irish music. It isn't quite so aggressive. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's similar to The Minutemen with a distinctively different voice. Or maybe you could say their sound is closer to Joe Strummer's pre-Clash band The 101ers, which was more of a street-busker folky thing with a punk edge. Its tempting to compare them to an amped-up Billy Bragg possibly.

Either way, check it out. Click the name of the band up there to get to their site. Ignore the cheap PhotoShopped images and web design circa 1992. Just concentrate on the music. Go here to check out some videos and MP3s.